After losing her teenage son Ethan to T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, psychologist Kimberly Stevens faced the unthinkable — and chose to transform her grief into something that would help thousands of others.

In this conversation, Kimberly shares the story behind Kids Connecting Parents, an app she created to help bereaved parents find local, peer-based connection and support when professional services fall short.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of child loss, grief, and bereavement. Please listen when you feel ready and have support available.

Her honesty cracked something open in me — and reminded me why I started Therapists Rising in the first place. Because when the system doesn’t work, we have two options: collapse under it, or build something new.

If you’ve ever questioned how to move forward after loss, burnout, or heartbreak, this episode will meet you right where you are.

Here’s what we cover

• Kimberly’s journey from psychologist and grieving mum to tech founder and advocate
• The moment she realized traditional therapy models weren’t enough for bereaved parents
• How she turned her personal loss into a mission-driven innovation that’s changing lives
• What it means to blend lived experience with professional training — ethically and powerfully
• The courage it takes to build something for the community you’re also healing within
• The emotional and practical realities of launching a mental-health app from scratch
• How grief can be a catalyst for purpose, leadership, and systemic change

3 Takeaways for Therapists

1. Purpose can grow from the hardest things.
   Your pain doesn’t disqualify you — it can inform the most meaningful, ethical, and innovative work you’ll ever do.
2. The system won’t always meet the need.
   Kimberly’s story is proof that when traditional models fail, therapists can create new pathways — apps, programs, communities — that fill the gaps.
3. Lived experience is a superpower, not a liability.
   When we stop hiding the human behind the professional, we create safer, braver, more connected spaces for healing.

💻 Resources & Links

• Learn more about Kids Connecting Parents: kidsconnectingparents.com
• Follow Kimberly on Instagram: @kidsconnectingparents
• Join the Incubator Waitlist for therapists ready to build ethical, impact-driven programs: therapistsrising.com/incubator
  
  

💬 Connect with Dr. Hayley Kelly

• Follow on Instagram → @dr.hayleykelly
• Subscribe to Therapists Rising for weekly conversations about therapist innovation, leadership, and building sustainable impact beyond the therapy room.

⭐ If this episode moved you…

Please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and leave a review here.
Your words help this show reach more therapists who need to hear that their story, their pain, and their purpose all still matter.

For 230 episodes, I've referenced my "kitchen floor moment" without telling you the full story. After interviewing psychologist Kimberly Stevens about transforming her grief into purpose, I realized: if I'm asking therapists to be brave enough to step outside broken systems, I need to be brave enough to tell you why it matters so much to me.

This is the story of my suicide attempt, the months after, and the moment on my kitchen floor—with my young son's hand on my shoulder—that changed everything.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, and mental health crisis. Please listen when you feel ready and have support available.

If you're a therapist who's ever felt like the system is breaking you, this episode is for you.

Here's what I cover:

• What therapist burnout actually feels like: panic attacks before every clinic day, doom scrolling between clients, the impossible math of being a new mum with a medically complex child while maintaining a full caseload
• The resentment that builds when you're holding everyone else's pain with nowhere to put down your own
• Living with undiagnosed autism and ADHD while trying to function as a "successful" psychologist
• The day I attempted suicide—and why surviving didn't immediately fix anything
• The kitchen floor moment: my son's hand on my shoulder asking if I was okay, and the realization that changed everything
• The shame of being a psychologist who couldn't keep her own mental health together, and the terror of being found "incompetent"
• The 18-month transition from full clinical load to zero: how I strategically reduced complexity, raised fees, and built coaching alongside clinical work
• Why leaving traditional practice felt like professional suicide but staying felt like actual suicide

3 Powerful Takeaways:

1. Therapist burnout isn't a personal failing—it's a system failure. If you're struggling, you're not broken. The system we were trained in hasn't caught up with the demands of modern practice. The guilt, shame, and isolation you feel? You're not alone.

2. Surviving a crisis isn't the same as healing. I got help after my attempt. I went to therapy. But I was still having panic attacks for months because I was still in the same impossible life. Real change required changing the system I was working in, not just managing symptoms.

3. You don't need permission to build something different. Leaving traditional practice doesn't mean you're abandoning people. It means you're choosing to help people in a way that doesn't require you to be on a kitchen floor to admit something has to change.

If You're Struggling Right Now:

You are not alone.

Crisis Support:

• Lifeline (Australia): 13 11 14
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): Call or text 988

💻 Resources & Links:

📩 Join the Incubator Waitlist: therapistsrising.com/incubator

More From Dr. Hayley Kelly:

📱 Follow on Instagram: @dr.hayleykelly for insights on therapist innovation and building sustainable practices

⭐ Subscribe, Rate & Review:

If this episode made you feel less alone or gave you permission to consider a different path—please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your words help us reach more therapists who need to hear: You're not broken. The system is. And there's another way.

Thanks for tusting me with your time. I see you. I've been you. You're not alone.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising!

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Professor Nick Titov—a giant in digital mental health and founder of MindSpot, Australia's leading digital psychology service that has reached over 250,000 Australians.

If you've ever wondered whether therapy has to look the way it's always looked, this conversation will shake up everything you thought you knew.

Nick isn't just innovating patient care—he's challenging the profession to wake up and adapt. We're living through a seismic shift. Consumer behaviour is changing. The workforce is shrinking. AI is here. And if therapists don't get a seat at the table, we risk becoming irrelevant.

This episode is for every therapist who's felt trapped by the traditional model, burnt out by one-to-one limitations, or curious about what the future holds.

Here's what we cover:

• Why digital mental health isn't just for "low-level" cases—and how MindSpot serves complex clients who have nowhere else to turn
• The assumptions Nick's team demolished: that therapy requires face-to-face contact, that therapists need decades of experience, that you must treat depression before anxiety
• How MindSpot Academy is training the next generation in digital-first care—and why universities aren't keeping up
• The threat (and opportunity) of AI—and what therapists must do now to demonstrate our value
• Nick's "2,815 days left" philosophy and his mission to get prevention into the cultural consciousness
• Why workforce upskilling can't wait—and how to future-proof your career

3 Powerful Takeaways:

1. Innovation doesn't wait for permission. Nick built the evidence, proved it worked, and created a national service helping hundreds of thousands. If you're waiting for the system to change, you'll be left behind.

2. Your value proposition is up for negotiation. AI delivers psychoeducation. Apps track symptoms. What can you do that technology can't? Get clear on your value—or risk obsolescence.

3. The future is blended, scalable, and prevention-focused. One-to-one therapy will always have a place—but it can't be the only model. Master multiple modalities: digital tools, teletherapy, group programs.

💻 Resources & Links:

🌐 MindSpot: https://www.mindspot.org.au
📱 Connect with Nick on LinkedIn
📩 Join the Incubator Waitlist: therapistsrising.com/incubator

More From Dr. Hayley Kelly:

Follow on Instagram: @dr.hayleykelly
For insights on therapist innovation and building sustainable practices.

⭐ Subscribe, Rate & Review:

If this episode helped you see the future more clearly—or gave you permission to challenge the old rules—please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your words help us reach more therapists ready to adapt, innovate, and rise.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising!

In this episode, I’m sitting down with the bold, brilliant, and whip-smart Laura Lee - a psychologist, sexologist, coach, and the founder of Blue Space Psychology - to dive into what it actually takes to talk about sex online as a regulated health professional.

Laura’s work lives at the intersection of mental health, sex, and relationships. And let’s just say, that combo can light up the AHPRA risk radar faster than you can say “shadowban.” So how do you balance professional responsibility with authentic, sex-positive content creation? How do you hold ethical boundaries and your own truth?

That’s exactly what we unpack in this episode.

Whether you’re a therapist craving more freedom in your content, a sexologist juggling regulation and realness, or someone feeling stifled by the blurry lines of online expression — this conversation will meet you right where you are.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

• What happens when “taboo” meets the algorithm — and how that impacts your message, reach, and reputation.
• Why your clinical training may actually get in the way when it comes to talking about sex in public forums.
• How to reframe risk — and navigate fear of being misunderstood, reported, or reprimanded.
• Boundaries vs Censorship — how to show up with clarity and care, without watering down your values.
• The “ick” of performative content — and how to stay grounded in your voice, not the algorithm.

3 Powerful Takeaways:

1. Ethics aren’t the enemy of expression.

You can hold professional responsibility and be a full human online. It just takes intention, reflection, and sometimes — community.

2. Shame thrives in silence — especially around sex.

By showing up with grounded, nuanced content, you’re modelling the exact safety you want your clients to feel. Your content can be part of the healing.

3. General doesn’t mean generic.

You don’t need to share client stories or deeply personal experiences to be impactful. Speaking to themes, struggles, and questions is often more powerful — and way more sustainable.

💻 Resources & Links Mentioned:

🎧 Explore Laura’s membership & resources: https://www.lauralee.com.au/unbound

📱 Follow Laura on Instagram: @lauraleesexology

🌐 Learn more about Blue Space Psychology: https://www.lauralee.com.au

📩 Join the Incubator Waitlist: Be the first to know when doors open again for therapists ready to create their first online program — therapistsrising.com/incubator

More From Dr. Hayley Kelly:

Follow me on Instagram: @dr.hayleykelly

For daily insights on therapist innovation, uncaging your work, and building a business that doesn't burn you out.

⭐ Subscribe, Rate & Review:

If this episode helped you feel seen or sparked a new way of thinking about your online voice — please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review here. Your words help us reach more therapists ready to disrupt, rebuild, and rise.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising. See you in the next episode!

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Alice Ayliffe and Elise Cassidy — two incredible therapists and Incubator graduates — to explore what it really looks like to move beyond the 1:1 model and create programs that change lives.

If you’ve ever wondered, Where do I even start? Will anyone want what I create? What if I get it wrong? — this conversation is for you.

Alice is an occupational therapist based in Hobart who has carved out a powerful niche supporting adults with ADHD and training other OTs to work in this space. Elise is a Melbourne-based speech pathologist with nearly 30 years of experience, who has turned her deep passion for dyslexia advocacy into online programs and resources for parents and schools.

Neither of them had it “all figured out.” They both wrestled with doubts about burnout, regulation, self-belief, and fear of judgment from peers. But through the Incubator, they found clarity, community, and the confidence to build programs that not only generate income but also expand their impact far beyond the therapy room.

In this episode, Alice and Elise share the barriers they had to push through, the wins they’ve achieved, and the advice they’d give to any therapist standing where they once stood.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Burnout can be a signal, not the end. Both Alice and Elise hit walls in their careers that forced them to look beyond the traditional therapy path. That pain became the nudge toward innovation.
2. Fear of judgment is universal — but it’s survivable. Whether it was Elise worrying about peers judging her for charging for her knowledge, or Alice fearing regulatory trouble, both show that self-doubt doesn’t disqualify you.
3. Programs expand your reach without diluting your expertise. Dyslexia advocacy, ADHD-affirming practice, and OT supervision are now impacting parents, schools, and other clinicians — proof that your clinical skills are needed in new spaces.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Therapist Rising Incubator – For therapists ready to create their first sustainable online program with ongoing support: therapistsrising.com/incubator

Connect with Alice Ayliffe:

• Website: aliceayliffe.com
• Facebook: Alice Ayliffe Consulting
  
  

Connect with Elise Cassidy:

• Website: littlevoices.net.au
• Facebook: Little Voices Speech Pathology
• Instagram: @littlevoicesspeechpathology
  
  

MORE FROM DR. HAYLEY KELLY

• Follow me on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly
  for daily insights on therapist innovation and sustainable practice

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode gave you clarity or encouragement to believe you can create something beyond the therapy room, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more therapists who are ready to diversify their work and build sustainable businesses.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising — see you next time!

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. Sam Casey, founder of the Play Prescription Method, to explore one of the most common challenges therapists face: having an encyclopedia of knowledge but feeling completely stuck when it comes to packaging it into something teachable.

If you've ever felt paralysed by your own expertise, this conversation is for you. Sam had a PhD, extensive research, clinical expertise as a registered play therapist, and a brilliant framework she'd developed. But when it came to creating her certification program? She was completely stuck.

The breakthrough came when she realised she didn't need to include everything in version one. Sometimes the answer isn't adding more content — it's giving yourself permission to simplify and start imperfectly.

In this episode, Sam shares her journey from PhD paralysis to launching a 16-week certification that students call "transformational." We dive deep into her Play Prescription Method, which makes therapeutic play accessible beyond the therapy room, and explore how she's challenging traditional gatekeeping in mental health by equipping professionals and parents with practical healing tools.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Your expertise can be your biggest obstacle – The more you know, the harder it becomes to decide what to include. Sam's breakthrough came from watching how I'd simplified years of knowledge in the incubator, giving her permission to do the same.
2. Breaking cycles happens on multiple levels – Sam isn't just helping families break generational patterns through play; she's helping therapists break professional cycles of perfectionism and gatekeeping knowledge.
3. Therapeutic play belongs beyond therapy rooms – Sam's framework equips educators, coaches, doulas, and parents with trauma-informed tools to support children's healing and growth in everyday settings, not just clinical ones.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

If this conversation resonates and you're ready to turn your clinical expertise into a structured program, join me for the From Caseload to Course Bootcamp, running Sept 23-26, 2025.

For just $37, I'll guide you through how to map, price, and structure your first ethical online program using frameworks designed specifically for therapists - just like Sam did with her Play Prescription Method.

In four focused days, you'll move from feeling paralysed by your expertise to having a clear roadmap for packaging your knowledge into something people can actually use.

👉 Secure your spot at: therapistsrising.com/bootcamp

Connect with Dr. Sam Casey:

• Instagram: @drsamcasey
• Facebook: @playprescription
• Website: drsamcasey.com

MORE FROM DR. HAYLEY KELLY

• The Therapist Rising Incubator – For therapists ready to create their first sustainable online program with ongoing support: therapistsrising.com/incubator
• Follow me on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly for daily insights on therapist innovation and sustainable practice

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you see how to simplify your expertise without dumbing it down, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more therapists who are ready to package their knowledge into programs that actually serve people.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising - see you next time!

In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the most frustrating realities therapists face when trying to build online programs: traditional business advice simply doesn’t work for us.

You’ve probably felt it — you join a business webinar or invest in a coaching program, and halfway through you realise: this doesn’t fit. The strategies feel pushy, unsafe, or completely out of alignment with your clinical values. And if you’ve ever thought, “Maybe I’m just not cut out for business,” you’re not alone.

The truth is, you’re not broken. The advice you’ve been given wasn’t designed for therapists. It ignores our ethics, our scope of practice, our insurance requirements, our time constraints, and the unique way we’re trained to think and work.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through the five big reasons generic business advice fails therapists — from topic selection and program design, to pricing, marketing, and capacity. You’ll understand why the advice feels so misaligned, what’s really going on when you get stuck, and why the solution isn’t to become “more business-y,” but to use frameworks that actually translate your clinical expertise into sustainable, ethical online programs.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. The advice isn’t built for therapists – You’re not stuck because you don’t know enough. You’re stuck because you’re trying to apply strategies designed for generic entrepreneurs, not registered health professionals.
2. Clinical training creates unique challenges – Our “encyclopedia brains,” focus on thoroughness, and ethical obligations are strengths in therapy… but they can sabotage program design without therapist-specific frameworks.
3. You already have what it takes – Your clinical skills can be translated into program frameworks, ethical pricing, and authentic marketing. But you need tools designed for therapists, not for Etsy shop owners or generic coaches.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

If this conversation resonates, join me for the From Couch to Course Bootcamp, running September 23–26.

For just $37, I’ll guide you through how to map, price, and structure your first ethical online program using frameworks designed specifically for therapists.

In four focused days, you’ll move from feeling like business advice doesn’t fit, to having a clear roadmap for building a program that honours your scope, your ethics, and your capacity.

👉 Secure your spot at: therapistsrising.com/bootcamp

MORE FROM DR. HAYLEY KELLY

• The Therapist Rising Incubator – For therapists ready to create their first sustainable online program with ongoing support: therapistsrising.com/incubator
  
  
• Follow me on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly
  for daily insights on therapist innovation and sustainable practice

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you realise why traditional business advice doesn’t fit therapists, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more therapists who are ready to build programs that actually work for them and their clients.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising — see you next week!

In this episode, I’m talking about one of the most painful myths therapists buy into: the belief that your only options are to keep grinding in 1:1 sessions until you collapse, or burn your practice down and walk away completely.

Maybe you’ve felt it too — cancelling family dinners because of client demand, fantasising about a “normal” 9–5 job, or even Googling “alternative careers for therapists” late at night. It’s an awful false binary, and it’s keeping too many talented therapists stuck, exhausted, and questioning their future.

I’ll walk you through why this binary shows up in our profession, what it actually costs when you stay stuck in it, and how to pivot in a safe, gradual way that doesn’t mean torching everything you’ve built. You’ll hear real stories from therapists in our community, plus my own 18-month pivot journey, and you’ll leave with the belief that your therapy career can expand, not end.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. The “grind or burn” binary is a lie – Most therapists believe their only options are to overwork in 1:1 forever or walk away entirely. In reality, there’s a third path: gradual, layered pivots that create sustainability without blowing up your practice.

2. Staying stuck has real costs – Burnout, chronic health issues, guilt about waitlists, identity crises, and even leaving the profession altogether. This isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s unsustainable for you and for the mental health system.

3. Pivots can be small, safe, and successful – From pilot workshops to beta groups to my own 18-month gradual shift, the most effective pivots aren’t leaps off a cliff. They’re experiments that create breathing room while protecting your existing practice.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

If today’s conversation resonated and you’re ready to try your own safe pivot, join me for the From Couch to Course Bootcamp, running September 23–26.

For just $37, I’ll guide you through how to map, price, and structure your first ethical online program using frameworks designed specifically for therapists.

In four focused days, you’ll move from being stuck in the binary to having a clear roadmap for building a sustainable program that works alongside — not against — your therapy career.

👉 Secure your spot at: therapistsrising.com/bootcamp

MORE FROM DR. HAYLEY KELLY

• The Therapist Rising Incubator – For therapists ready to create their first sustainable online program with ongoing support: therapistsrising.com/incubator
  
  
• Follow me on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly
  for daily insights on therapist innovation and sustainable practice.

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you see that your only choices aren’t grind or burn, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more therapists who feel stuck but deserve to discover their third path.

Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising — see you next week!