Episode 200: Mail Bag! Curt and Katie reflect on 200 episodes, answer questions and respond to feedback from listeners. We explore the tension between making a good living and providing affordable mental health care to consumers. We dig into paying prelicensed individuals, antitrust concerns, training centers, ethics codes, app therapy, setting fees, and therapist career trajectories.          It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. 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. In this episode we talk about: Celebrating 200 episodes! Question about how to make money and help to provide affordable access to clients Systemic challenges and the phases of change to the system Individual responsibility and the problems of this individual responsibility to therapists The way in which we can take action to make our careers more sustainable, while also advocating for change The debate about unpaid internships, training centers, and free labor (which is against the law) Online App Therapy – whether it is hurting the field and gaslighting therapists Sliding scale, setting fees, and why therapists’ rates vary so widely Why people don’t stay therapists, feel the need to become a thought leader Reflections on 200 episodes Our Generous Sponsor Heard Bookkeeping and Tax As a therapist, you’re probably too preoccupied with your caseload to want to think about bookkeeping or tax filing. Heard Bookkeeping and Tax is a platform built specifically for therapists that helps you track and improve your practice’s financial health. Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned clinician or are in the first year of your practice, Heard will help you to identify areas for growth and streamline best financial practices for your business. When you sign up with Heard, you’ll work directly with financial specialists to track your income and expenses, file taxes online, and grow your business. You’ll also receive financial insights such as profit and loss statements and personalized monthly reports. You can say goodbye to poring over spreadsheets and guessing your tax deductions or quarterly payments; focus on your clients, and Heard will take care of the rest. Dr. Jennifer Kashani, a licensed clinical psychologist based in Los Angeles, says: Heard has simplified and streamlined bookkeeping and best business practices in a digestible and accessible way. Having the foundation of Heard for my business has made myself and, in turn, my patients feel more solid. Plans begin at $60 per month and can easily be tailored to fit your business’ financial needs. You can schedule your first consultation at www.joinheard.com.   Resources mentioned: We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below might be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance! CAMFT’s statement on Paying Prelicensees as a Best Practice Department of Labor Statement on Internship Programs Robert Casares Jr. (2020): Embracing the Podcast Era: Trends, Opportunities, & Implications for Counselors, Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, DOI: 10.1080/15401383.2020.1816865   Relevant Episodes: Making Access More Affordable A Living Wage for Prelicensees Antitrust for Therapists That’s Unethical Gaslighting Therapists Online Therapy Apps (that Curt is renaming to App-alling Therapy) Overcoming Your Poverty Mindset Negotiating Sliding Scale Asking for Money (a throw back episode on setting fees) You Don’t Have to be a Thought Leader Why Therapists Quit and Part 2   Connect with us! Our Facebook Group – The Modern Therapists Group Get Notified About Therapy Reimagined 2021  Our consultation services: The Fifty-Minute Hour Who we are: Curt Widhalm is in private practice in the Los A