Understanding Essence Stories: A New Way for Psychologists and Therapists to Grow

In the world of psychology and therapy private practice, it's important to remember that practices are places that connect the practitioner and the client. Traditionally, people have followed set ways of developing their practices along the lines of specialisms or niches. But now, as social media and the internet shift power structures and relationships between practitioners and clients, how we position our expertise and experience through our private practices is changing. ??

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We've been inspired by Carol Sanford's ideas about Essence in businesses, and this has led us to a new way of thinking about how we define a focus in our practices. Carol describes Essence as, '... what makes every living system and being unique and it is THE source for ongoing and life-giving creativity in your life.'

Other writers in this field echo these ideas. For example, Daniel Christian Wahl, who wrote "Designing Regenerative Cultures," talks about learning from nature to create practices that work well and are good for everyone.??Pamela Mang and Bill Reed, who focus on regenerative development, say it's important to understand where we are - our community and surroundings - to make practices that really help.?

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By bringing together ideas like these and working with hundreds of private practice clients over the last six years, we developed an approach we describe as discovering the Essence Story of a practice.

The Essence Story approach includes using a mix of personal and shared stories to help practitioners to position their expertise, experience and their practice. It's a way of uncovering the multiple threads of stories and experiences that connect practitioners and clients in a way that ensures our work as psychologists helps not just individuals but the whole community.?

This idea goes beyond the usual idea of finding a niche. Unlike a niche, which is like a fixed spot, the Essence Story is alive and always changing. It's about understanding and using what makes us unique to shape how we work. Carol Sanford refers to this uniqueness in businesses as ‘non-displaceability in the market.’?

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Think about a river valley. I often talk about this metaphor when describing the Essence Story. Imagine the practitioner as one side of the valley, with their own unique history and landscape, and the client is the other side, with their unique history and landscape too.??

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In the middle flows the river - that's our practice. It connects these two sides, practitioner and client, changing as it goes, but also influenced by both.?

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Our Essence Story approach moves away from fixed niching models so your practice can evolve.??

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Instead of a fixed niche, the Essence Story is like the river and the banks - always moving, always changing. In our coaching sessions, we explore what makes each practitioner unique. We use this to help them create practices that are not only effective for supporting the clients they serve but can also continue to evolve through the life of the practice.?

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Stories are a great way to explain complex ideas. They help us connect with clients and share what our practice is all about in a way that's easy to understand. In this way, uncovering your Essence Story in your practice also helps you to connect with clients through your marketing.??

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Our Essence Story helps us form deeper connections with ourselves and our clients. It makes our practice feel alive and always ready to adapt. In a world that's always changing, this approach shows the importance of being both flexible and true to ourselves.?This approach also helps us to find a focus in a practice in a way that heals and restores both the client and the practitioner.?

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To wrap it up, the Essence Story method combines a deep understanding of our core selves with the ongoing experiences we have as people and practitioners. This approach is perfect for psychologists and therapists who want to build practices that are true to them but can also change to meet their clients' needs. It's about embracing our own stories and those of the people around us to create a practice that keeps growing and changing, just like a river.?

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If you'd like a deep dive into your Essence Story in your practice, you can sign up for our coaching programme, Thriving Practice by Design.??

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You can also start exploring your Essence Story by getting access to our free masterclass 'Discovering your Practice Niche.'?

Colleague CPD Events and Associate Opportunities?

?? CPD Event: Dr Christina Barker?

I am offering one-to-one therapeutic retreats in Cornwall or the possibility of online immersion or EMDR intensives. I have availability at weekends. I’m a Women's trauma specialist and perinatal clinical psychologist.?https://drchristinabarker.com/ ?

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?? CPD Event: Dr Aura Goldman?

Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (FACT) might just be the most useful form of ACT for sport and exercise psychologists.? ? Many SEPs don't usually get the luxury of a full hour with their clients, instead, time is grabbed in corridors, on the side of the pitch, between sets in the gym, after a workshop - wherever and whenever the opportunity arises (just ask?Dr Misia Gervis!).? ?

This is why FACT is so powerful! It lets SEPs work in a way that's:?

? ? Efficient: FACT lets you cut through symptoms to get at the processes underpinning the problem.?

? Adaptable: The structure of FACT means you can use it in even the tightest of time-frames.?

??♀? Flexible: FACT prioritises building psychological flexibility through rapid case formulation and immediate action.? ?

If you're a SEP wanting to level up your practice, why not join us on our upcoming workshop? You'll be guided by experts, have loads of time for practicing this approach, and get immediate feedback.? ? (It's also the only FACT training out there that's just for SEPs!)? ?

?? You can register here:?https://lnkd.in/ekUDGiDS?

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?? CPD Event: Dr Zandra Bamford?

Internal Family Systems Therapy and Polyvagal Retreat for Psychologists and Therapists. Healing and connecting ourselves on a floating nature reserve in Lancashire.?

Find out more here.?

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?? CPD Event: Dr Christine Langhoff?

I am offering two online CPD courses in the autumn: CFT for working with perinatal distress and birth trauma. More info: https://circlepsychologypartners.co.uk/training-cpd/??

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?? CPD Event: Jasmina Mukha?

Small group workshop in a warm and friendly environment. Opportunity to experience art therapy workshop and work on self-expression and self-reflection.?

Date & Place: March 23rd, 10h-11:30h, St Paul de Vence (06570), France?

(Academy Amama, Espace Sainte-Claire 1st floor)?

Contact: [email protected]??

??? CPD Event: Dr Floriana Reinikis?

ENHANCE YOUR PRACTICE: ADHD ASSESSMENT AND DIAGNOSIS IN ADULTS AND CHILDREN/ADOLESCENTS WITHIN A NEUROAFFIRMATIVE FRAMEWORK?

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A FEW SPACES LEFT ON THE CHILD/ADOLESCENT ASSESSMENT & DIAGNOSIS TRAINING NEXT WEEK 18-19 MARCH!!! Link below for bookings?

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"The most challenging aspect of conducting an ADHD assessment is discerning when not to diagnose, particularly with complex presentations like those often seen in girls and women."?

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- Our 2-day training, ideal for mental health clinicians in private practice and NHS services looking to develop or enhance their ADHD service, provides you with the knowledge and tools for carrying out gold-standard ADHD assessments within a neuroaffirmative framework.?

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- This training empowers you to navigate these intricacies with expertise and understanding, significantly improving your knowledge of the condition. ?

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- We offer two distinct trainings: one tailored for assessing and diagnosing Adult ADHD and another focused on Children and Adolescents ADHD, ensuring specialist knowledge for diverse age groups. ADULT TRAINING ON 21-22 MARCH 2024; CHILDEN/ADOLESCENT 18-19 MARCH 2024. MORE DATES TO FOLLOW?

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- For more information, email us at [email protected] or for booking details, follow the link https://bookwhen.com/drfloriana ?

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?? CPD Event: Simona Stokes?

Are you trying to figure out how to adapt your approach to work with women struggling with psychological difficulties during the menopause???

Are you interested to gain a deeper understanding of how menopause affects the body, brain and mind??

I am offering a training for health professional to show how we can can adapt our therapeutic approach to offer Menopause-Informed interventions.??

Please check out the website and take advantage of the Early Bird offer till the end of March. Please share with all health professionals who you think might be interested.???

Find out more here.?

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?? CPD Event: Dr Hannah Bryan, EMDR Therapy/Coaching Clinical Psychologist??

??"Mindsync EMDR Training for therapists who want to train as EMDR therapists"??

Europe Accredited EMDR training, provided in small groups in the UK. Train as an EMDR therapist and help your clients get past their trauma.??

?? https://mindsyncemdrtraining.com/??

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?? CPD Event: Dr Jo White?

Schema therapy certification training - module one starting in September 2024. Introduction to theory and practice of schema therapy.??

Module two starting in November 2024 focusing on working with mode associated with attachment trauma and described as borderline personality disorder or narcissistic personality disorder.??

For more information, see www.schematherapyworks.co.uk?

?? Associate Opportunity and Supervision - Dr Joanne Ablett?

We are looking to expand our very small team of Associates at Flow Clinical Psychology due to demand from various referral sources. I am a consultant clinical psychologist and yoga therapist, using EMDR, ACT and body-based approaches, specialising in trauma and physical health.??

I am also available for supervision in these areas and offer this as part of the Associate package. Ideally, Associates with a similar skillset and/or those willing to do in person sessions local to them would help with the demand we are currently experiencing.??

Don't be put off if you only want to offer remote; it is both I am interested in, but the clinical fit will be more important.??

Please reach out if you are interested in finding out more! www.flowclinicalpsychology.com or [email protected]??

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?? Associate Opportunity -? Dr Becky Quicke?

?? "We would like to welcome a Clinical Psychologist associate into our Autistic Girls MDT team to lead some of our neurodevelopment (autism and/or ADHD) assessments of girls aged 6-18 yrs.?

You can get a good sense of our values, service processes, and MDT team by reading through our website: autisticgirls.co.uk???

Everyone in our team is highly valued. Admin, process and management structures are in place to allow team members to feel held and supported so we can be collaborative, innovative and love our work!?

We pay above the standard associate rates and don’t differentiate between professions. We respect all of the experience that everyone brings.?

Any questions, email Becky at [email protected]??

If there seems to be good fit, we’ll arrange for you to come and have a relaxed meeting in our Knutsford HQ to discuss things further.”?

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?? Associate Opportunity – Dr Lauren Breese?

I'm a clinical psychologist specialising in working with neurodivergent adults.??

I have space to offer online neuroaffirmative assessments for autism and ADHD, as well as psychological therapy.??

I can also offer supervision to professionals working with ND. I have an interest in working with ND & trauma too. Models I use include EMDR, CFT, DBT and IFS informed.??

My email is [email protected]?

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?? Associate Opportunity - Dr Romy Sherlock??

?? Dr Romy Sherlock, based in the UK, is looking for clinical psychologists who can offer MDT assessment and rehabilitation for people with persistent pain in the independent sector.??

?? [Link to LinkedIn Post]??

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?? Associate Opportunity - Dr Shabnam Berry-Khan Personal Injury HCPC Psychologist and Case Manager??

?? We are a NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING service looking for HCPC registered Associates to work long term with seriously- and catastrophically injured clients and families (brain injury, spinal cord injuries, trauma etc). Across the lifespan. Across England. Hybrid usually because of the nature of the injuries and systemic complexities/IDT work required. Clinical work can include capacity assessments, training care teams, input to solicitors, joint work with other professionals, valued formulation-led consultations, and inter-agency liaison. Special focus on #nclusion, cultural diversity and trauma-informed approaches.??

Please note, this is treating psychology work NOT expert witness work??

??https://www.psychworks.org.uk/workwithus/??

?? For more information, email [email protected]

?? Associate Opportunity - Dr Amber Johnston, Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology??

?? Healthy Mind Psychology is looking for associates to join the practice and support our focus on mind and body health. We are looking for psychologists who have a general interest in our practice ethos, particularly those who specialise in FND, pain conditions, chronic health conditions, and trauma, we would love to hear from you! This is for online work primarily, though we can potentially help support referrals in your area also.??

?? Join Our Team - Healthy Mind Psychology??

?? For more information, email: [email protected]??

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?? Associate Opportunity: Dr Patapia Tzotzoli, Clinical Psychologist, Director at My Psychology Clinic,CEO at iConcipio?

?? Meet My Triage Network - Your Ally to Professional Success and Work-Life Balance!?

?? Many mental health professionals experience the strain of generating suitable referrals, managing and growing their private practice, and dealing with the professional isolation that comes with working independently, all while striving for work-life harmony.?

?? We're here to empower our colleagues! Introducing My Triage Network, a platform designed to streamline your practice and enhance work-life balance.?

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?? My Triage Network transforms your professional life with:?

• Expert client matching?
• Access to a virtual MDT team for efficient practice management?
• Availability of business support?
• Opportunities for growth through collaborations?

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?? Don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what one of our colleagues had to say: ”I find the arrangement works well. They are happy for me to say yes or no to referrals, depending on my context at the time, I have access to business advice and support at any time and I find our arrangement fair. Their service enhances the value of my private practice by enriching my referral sources, and promoting my services."??

?? Ready to join forces and transform your practice? Join My Triage Network today!?

?? Questions or need more details? Reach out to [email protected]??

?? Associate Opportunity - Dr. Esther Cole, Prestige Award Winning Clinical Psychologist?

?? Are you craving the perfect work-life balance? Perhaps you’d like the flexibility to work from abroad, or re-locate, whilst treating UK clients? Would you like to earn excellent money alongside another job???

If you have a passion for primary care mental health psychology, and are interested in working with all ages, stages and backgrounds, join our award-winning, diverse team and innovate in your practice.??

The team work therapeutically across the lifespan - those who are experiencing a range of mental health difficulties, trauma, emotional and psychological distress, physical and neurological conditions. All psychological therapies and interventions are tailor-made to the uniqueness of the individual, child, family or organisation.??

?? The Lifespan Psychology team??

?? Supervision Availability- Dr Laura Villa?

I would like to advertise 1:1 and group clinical supervision using ACT and CFT, for both neurotypical and neurodiverse client groups. I am also an EMDR registered practitioner. My service specialises in trauma and work stress. I can be contacted at [email protected]? www.citylivingpsychology.com??

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?? Supervision Availability - Dr. Jenny Nam??

?? Do you: Work from an ACT perspective or are looking to increase your ACT approach with clients. Have an interest in formulating client presentations from an attachment and a parts informed perspective. Want space to reflect on cases and explore relational aspects of the therapeutic process.??

If yes to any of the above, then do get in touch with me at [email protected] and we can have a brief chat to see if we could be a good fit.??

I completed my doctorate training in counselling psychology in 2010 and concluded my thesis and qualified in 2011.? My work has predominately been in adult secondary care mental health teams in the NHS with starting part-time private work in 2015 and finally leaving the NHS in 2021 to become a full-time private practitioner.??

?? https://drjennynam.com/supervision?

?? Supervision Opportunity – Dr Joanne Weston?

I am a clinical psychologist and offer clinical supervision.??

I have experience working privately with adults with common mental health difficulties, and particularly like working with anxiety, OCD, trauma and relationship difficulties (any kind!). My main working models are ACT and CBT.??

I have remote sessions available on Monday to Thursday daytimes. www.bristolpsychologyclinic.com?

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?? Supervision Opportunity – Dr Floriana Reinikis?

Supervision spaces for both individual and group available for ADHD/ASC adults and children/adolescents Assessments and Therapy cases.?

Email me at [email protected] to book an informal consultation.?

?? Supervision Opportunity - Sophie Monaghan?

I am a Consultant Clinical Psychologist offering neuropsychological supervision and consultation remotely (and in person in Newcastle). Happy to have a chat and see whether we might be a good fit for either an ad-hoc or ongoing supervisory relationship.?

[email protected]?

?? Supervision Opportunity - Dr. Dora Whittuck?

I’m a consultant clinical psychologist offering clinical supervision in ND assessment and therapy (including learning disabilities), organisational consultation and systemic practice. I also offer supervision and mentoring for psychologists returning to work after an extended period of leave from clinical practice. My email is [email protected]??

?? Supervision Opportunity - Dr Sam Piggott?

I have availability for supervision currently and we have a small team of associates mainly supporting children and families. We have expertise in DDP, IFS informed approaches, EMDR, CMFT, trauma therapies and working therapeutically within residential care. We work face to face and online…West Midlands, UK/online.?

My email is: [email protected]?

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?? Supervision Opportunity & Referral Opportunities - Caterina Fadda?

I have space to offer EMDR / Psychodynamic Online sessions. Any referrals will be appreciated. I am also offering supervision.?

https://caterinafadda-psychotherapy.com/??

?? Supervision Opportunity – Dr. Ravi Gill?

I have space for supervision: Health Psychologist working in mental health. Trauma trained.?

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??Referral Opportunities - Richard Hobbs?

I have worked across a wide range of mental and physic

al health conditions. I use EMDR, CFT, ACT, CBT and narrative / systemic therapies. Overall, I strongly believe in developing compassionate human connections to make change / be with distress.?

I have capacity to see people on a Monday or Thursday evening or late Friday afternoons. I also have some capacity at the weekends.?

??Referral Opportunities – Dr Emily Fletcher?

I have availability for new clients and would appreciate referrals. I specialise in working with teens and young adults experiencing anxiety related difficulties and have a specific interest in OCD. Online or in-person in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.?

Www.flourishingfuturespsychology.co.uk??

Resources to Help You Find Your Practice’s Essence Story???

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?? Free Resource: Transform your private practice with our FREE resource, "44 Creative and Surprising Ways to Earn Money in Your Private Practice." Get it here. ?

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?? 1-to-1 Coaching Programme: Design a diversified private practice that earns great money, frees up your time, and helps you truly thrive. Find out more here.?

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??? New Season 2 of the Podcast! Tune in to our Inspiring Psychologists podcast where this season we discuss Healing Through Private Practice. Find it here.?

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?? Promote Your CPD Events and Associate Work: If you'd like to promote your CPD events, are seeking associate work, or have associate opportunities to share, direct message Wendy Kendall, our principal coach. Or use the hashtag #PsychsHelpingPsychs?

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Thank you for being part of the Inspiring Psychology Practices community. Together, we can redefine the boundaries of private practice and foster innovation in the field of psychology. ?????

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Wishing you an inspiring journey ahead! ??