Season Two Episode Five “Pulling Back the Curtain: The Truth of Private Practice” A grounded, honest, deep dive into the realities of solo private practice — the freedom, the burden, the business, the ethics, and the emotional weight that come with running your own therapy practice. This episode gives new and emerging clinicians the clarity, structure, and self‑reflection needed to decide whether private practice is truly the right next step.

In this one‑on‑one conversation, Bonnie Popso, LCSW — a seasoned social worker and therapist with decades of experience in Community Mental Health — shares her hard‑won insights and wisdom from the front lines of CMH. Together, we explore the realities, challenges, and heart behind serving communities in need.

Group practices are often marketed as the “Goldilocks zone” of the therapy world — not as overwhelming as Community Mental Health, not as risky as solo private practice. But what’s the truth behind the model that so many early‑career clinicians step into?

In this extended one‑hour episode of The Unlicensed Therapist, we pull back the curtain on the realities of group practice work. Whether you’re pre‑licensed, newly licensed, or considering your next career move, this episode gives you the tools to make an informed, empowered decision.

• The two major group practice structures — W‑2 employee vs. 1099 contractor

• How each model impacts your taxes, benefits, autonomy, and income

• The real percentage splits and what they mean for your financial health

• Built‑in advantages like supervision, consultation, and streamlined administrative systems

• The hidden trade-offs around identity, autonomy, and long‑term earning potential

• How clients experience group practices and why they often prefer them

• A full interview checklist to help you evaluate any group practice with confidence

This episode ties together themes from earlier in the season — imposter syndrome, ethics, documentation, identity, and burnout — to help you understand how group practices can either support your growth or limit it.

• Transitioning out of Community Mental Health

• Interviewing for their first therapy job

• Debating between W‑2 and 1099 roles

• Considering long‑term career paths in the field

• Curious about the business side of therapy

Pulling Back the Curtain: The Truth of Community Mental Health

In Episode 15 (Season 2 Episode 2) of The Unlicensed Therapist, we pull back the curtain on one of the most important — and complicated — parts of the mental health world: Community Mental Health (CMH).

Whether you’re a counseling student, a pre‑licensed clinician, or a seasoned therapist reflecting on your early years, this episode offers a deep, honest look at:

• What Community Mental Health actually is

• How CMH emerged from deinstitutionalization

• The good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful

• The pros and cons for clients

• The pros and cons for clinicians

• How CMH shapes your clinical identity

• Why CMH is often the launchpad for your career

From productivity pressures and systemic barriers to accelerated clinical growth and profound client relationships, this episode explores the full truth of CMH — with compassion, nuance, and lived experience.

Perfect for: counseling students, new clinicians, supervisors, educators, and anyone curious about how mental health care really works behind the scenes.

Subscribe for more episodes that demystify the clinical journey and help you grow with confidence.

Season 2 Episode 1 — Welcome Back: What I’ve Learned, What’s Changing, and Documentation: Friend or Foe?

After two years in the field, host Matthew Grimm, counselor and storyteller, returns to The Unlicensed Therapist with a heartfelt reflection on what those first years after graduation really teach you — about clients, supervision, and yourself.

In this Season 2 opener, Matthew shares what he’s learned since earning his master’s degree: how the first year mirrors your own humanity, how the second year brings clarity and confidence, and how supervision, boundaries, and community become lifelines.

He also explores what’s changing in Season 2 — including interviews with professionals across disciplines, deep‑dive episodes on clinical realities, and more narrative‑driven conversations that honor both the science and art of therapy.

Whether you’re a new clinician, a seasoned therapist, or someone curious about the human side of helping, this episode invites you to reflect, laugh, and learn alongside Matthew as he asks the question every therapist eventually faces: Is documentation a friend or foe?

The Unlicensed Therapist – Therapist Roundtable Featuring: Audrey, Jamie, Andrew & Julie

The Season 13 finale brings together four deeply thoughtful clinicians—Audrey, Jamie, Andrew, and Julie—for a roundtable that cuts straight to the heart of what it means to be a therapist. Across twelve core questions, they explore the realities of the work: the origin stories that shaped them, the alliances that sustain the therapeutic process, and the identity shifts that come with years of sitting in the chair.

This episode moves fluidly between vulnerability and wisdom. The panelists unpack the gap between what they imagined the field would be and what it actually demands. They speak candidly about imposter syndrome, the pressure to appear competent, and the moments when transparency became a bridge rather than a liability.

They reflect on the non‑verbal presence that creates safety, the evolution of their relationship with silence, and the ways theory becomes less of a rulebook and more of a compass over time. They discuss supervision, burnout, boundaries, and the practices that keep them human in a profession that asks for so much emotional labor.

This finale is a love letter to the profession—honest, grounded, and full of the kind of wisdom that only emerges from years of doing the work.

Episode 12 - Becoming a Therapist: The Journey No One Prepared You For (A Masterclass)

Description: Are you a student, intern, or new clinician feeling like your graduate training left a few gaps in your map? You’re not alone.

In this special, comprehensive masterclass episode of The Unlicensed Therapist, we move beyond the textbooks to explore the continuous, messy, and deeply human arc of becoming a therapist. This is the synthesis of everything we’ve discussed this season—a guide designed to help you understand how your skills, identity, and experiences fit together into a professional life.

We’re breaking down the developmental stages that every therapist faces:

• The Reality Gap: Why the therapy room feels so different from the classroom—and why that’s actually where the real learning starts.

• The Alliance: Why it is the anchor for every theory, technique, and intervention you will ever use.

• Imposter Syndrome: How to move past it and use it as a bridge to clinical confidence.

• Identity & Theory: Moving from "performing" therapy to truly practicing it in a way that feels authentic to you.

• Ethics & Supervision: Reframing these not as administrative hurdles, but as the essential scaffolding that allows you to grow safely.

• The Human Factor: Why your self-care and humanity are not just "extras," but your greatest clinical tools.

Whether you are just starting your practicum or navigating your first years of junior licensure, this episode is the roadmap I wish someone had handed me on day one.

Keywords: #TherapistLife #MentalHealthProfessional #ClinicalIntern #ImposterSyndrome #TherapyTraining #NewTherapist #ClinicalSupervision #PsychologyStudent #TheUnlicensedTherapist

In this episode of The Unlicensed Therapist, Matthew Grimm takes you onto the tightrope every new clinician must learn to walk: ethics in real‑world practice. Forget the tidy case studies and multiple‑choice exams—this is the messy, unpredictable, human side of ethical decision‑making that no textbook fully prepares you for.

Matthew breaks down the three biggest ethical challenges emerging therapists face: navigating dual relationships in a digital world, deciding when and how to self‑disclose, and documenting with the precision that protects both you and your clients. Through grounded examples, practical guidance, and the kind of honesty only someone who’s been in the room can offer, this episode becomes a lifeline for anyone stepping into practicum, internship, or their first clinical role.

If you’ve ever felt that knot in your stomach when a client asks to follow you on Instagram, shares something that makes you question your next move, or reveals a crisis that demands immediate action, this episode will help you breathe, slow down, and find your footing. Ethics isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence, intention, and knowing when to reach for your supervisor.

This is the episode every emerging therapist needs in their back pocket.

https://linktr.ee/mdgrimm