It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. We are human beings who can now present ourselves as whole people, with authenticity, purpose, and connection. Especially now, when therapists must develop a personal brand to market their practices. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age. Interview with Jeanette Tolson, LCSW, CASAC We so enjoyed talking with Jeanette Tolson! Jeanette Tolson is the founder of Transcendent Counseling and Consulting.  She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor in New York.  She earned her Masters in Social Work at SUNY Albany and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Sex Therapy and Sexuality Education at the University of Michigan.  Prior to opening her private practice in 2015, she was the Executive Director for a not for profit community recovery organization.  Ms. Tolson currently has an academic appointment at SUNY Delhi and has been teaching there continuously since 2009. Ms. Tolson has worked in a variety of outpatient settings. Her clinical interests include working with relationships from an attachment perspective, LGBTQ issues, recovery from infidelity, and substance use disorders. You can learn more about Jeanette on her website: www.jeanettetolsonlcsw.com In this episode we talk about: Jeanette’s success (and bravery) in having the strong niche of sex therapy in a small town, while filling a private pay practice Increasing mental health access The gap related to healthy sexual relationships within typical addiction treatment Creating a strong niche and getting creative about how you do services and fill your practice Navigating dual relationships in a town where everyone knows your name Advanced assessment and decision-making related to who you should see, especially related to inevitable dual relationships in a small town Leveraging close relationships in business networking Having a clear vision for your practice, being creative and standing your ground   Resources mentioned: We’ve pulled together any resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. The Therapy Reimagined Conference in Los Angeles in October 2018!!   Who we are: Curt Widhalm is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is a Board Member at Large for the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, a Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Adjunct Faculty at Pepperdine University, and a loving husband and father. He is 1/2 great person, 1/2 provocateur, and 1/2 geek, in that order. He dabbles in the dark art of making "dad jokes" and usually has a half-empty cup of coffee somewhere nearby. Learn more about Curt at www.curtwidhalm.com. Katie Vernoy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, coach, and consultant. As a helping professional for two decades, she’s navigated the ups and downs of our unique line of work. She’s run her own solo therapy practice, designed innovative clinical programs, built and managed large, thriving teams of service providers, and consulted hundreds of helping professionals on how to build meaningful AND sustainable practices. In her spare time, Katie is secretly siphoning off Curt's youthful energy, so that she can take over the world. Learn more about Katie at www.katievernoy.com. A Quick Note: Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves – except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We’re working on it. Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren’t trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don’t want to, but hey. Stay in Touch: www.mtsgpodcast.com https://www.facebook.com/therapyreimagined/ https://twitter.com/therapymovement https://www.instagram.com/therapyreimagine