You spend years working towards a qualification. But after the structure of assignments and placements - and the company of tutors and fellow students - comes to an end, it can leave you wondering what comes next.

Should you look for employment, start a private practice or something else?

In this episode, I share my own experience of finishing counselling training, share why this stage can feel unsettling - and most importantly, how you can move forward without needing to have everything worked out in advance.

Takeaways:

• The loss of structure that newly qualified counsellors experience and how that impacts them
• How self-doubt can show up after qualification
• Why you don't need the whole plan before you begin
• The importance of support, supervision and community
• Taking the next step towards setting up in private practice

Remember: you don't need to have everything worked out in advance. You don't need the full plan. You just need the next step.

Training: to help you get started in finding clients, I have some short training webinars coming up. You can find out more about them HERE

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Many therapists are concerned about the rise of AI and whether it will replace therapy altogether.

In this episode of Good Enough Counsellors, I'm joined by Ken Kelly, author of Ethical AI Practice. Ken believes that while AI has an important role to play in private practice, it can never replace the human connection at the heart of therapy.

We explore the ethical boundaries, how therapists can use AI safely and the ways it can help us with tasks such as content creation, research and policy writing.

Takeaways:

• How to protect client information when using AI
• How to assess different AI tools from an ethical perspective
• How AI can support therapists in private practice
• Using AI to create blogs and posts while still using your own voice
• The "reverse interview" exercise for writing your website copy and profiles
• The ways that clients are already using AI
• The future of counselling in an AI world

Resources:

• perplexity.ai
• wisprflow.ai
• Ethical AI Practice by Ken Kelly, available here: ethicalaipractice.com

Want help finding your professional voice?

Many therapists know they're different but struggle to explain what makes them distinctive to potential clients.

Inside Therapy Growth Group, I help counsellors and psychotherapists identify their niche, communicate their strengths, write profiles and websites that sound like them, and market their practice without feeling pushy or salesy.

Find out more HERE

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

Keywords: counselling, AI in therapy, ethical AI practice, mental health technology, private practice tips, client confidentiality, AI for therapists, digital mental health, AI and mental health, counselling ethics, AI in psychotherapy, content generation for therapists

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Social media can be a great way to connect with potential clients but it can also be a place that is filled with hostility. This stops many therapists from either setting up a page or from posting on it.

Some of the worries I've heard about from therapists include saying "the wrong thing", being publicly corrected, receiving criticism and being subject to a "pile on". So in this first of a series of episodes around social media boundaries, I explore how you can make your therapy page feel safer for you to use.

Drawing on my own experience of managing online communities and navigating difficult interactions, I share how you can protect your wellbeing and those of your followers - so that you can feel more confident to reach people via your page.

Takeaways

• Why social media platforms thrive on outrage
• What to do when a comment or interaction leaves you feeling shamed and upset
• Why it's important to regulate before responding
• Creating boundaries around comments, messages and engagement
• Deciding on what atmosphere you want for your page
• Why some interactions don't deserve a response
• Choosing spaces that are the right fit for you
• How boundaries can help you feel more comfortable and confident online

I also share some ideas for social media posts for July 2026, including themes around body image, friendship, loneliness, grief and summer family life.

For information about my training courses, please click HERE and you can find out more information about Therapy Growth Group HERE

Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE

Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE

You can also find me here:

The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group

Josephine Hughes on Facebook

Josephine Hughes on YouTube

My website: josephinehughes.com

The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.

Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.