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Therapists Rising Podcast
Welcome to the Therapists Rising Podcast, where we share real, raw, and behind-the-scenes stories and lessons from Therapists who are thinking outside the traditional clinical box and choosing to do things differently in their careers. I’m your host, Dr. Hayley Kelly, and I myself have made the journey from a very experienced, but burnt out and unhappy, Clinical Therapist - to a successful entrepreneur who runs a business she loves, is thriving financially, and working and living life on her own terms. Join me, and be inspired, as I speak with other Therapists who too are broadening their horizons, and experiencing more abundance, joy, and fulfilment than ever before. Together we will laugh, soak up priceless wisdom and take actionable steps, to help you transition from clinical practice to non-clinical offerings, and diversify and amplify your income - all while honouring your wellbeing and having a work-life balance. If you’re ready to be inspired and take action on your dreams, then you’re in the right place, friend. This is the Therapists Rising Podcast.
Therapists Rising Podcast
When Colleagues Attack Your Marketing (And Why That's Actually Good News)
You launched your program. Finally getting visible. Then it happens—colleagues start questioning your marketing, your methods, your motives.
That knot in your stomach when you see posts criticising "aggressive marketing tactics" in professional groups? Wondering if they're talking about YOU?
Here's what nobody tells you: when you do things differently, people don't react well. Not internet trolls—your peers, colleagues, even mentors.
Colleague criticism isn't a sign you're doing something wrong—it's proof you're doing something RIGHT.
This week, a Facebook post triggered hundreds of therapists by criticising marketing in our field. The irony? It used the exact tactics it condemned—creating urgency, amplifying problems, positioning the author as having the solution.
What really happened: textbook human psychology. Your innovation forces others to question their choices, making your success feel like implicit criticism of their status quo.
In this eye-opening episode, I break down:
- Why resistance to change is hardwired into helping professions
- The double standard: therapeutic vs. marketing techniques
- How ACT uses "problem amplification" as core intervention—but marketing can't?
- Real psychology behind colleague criticism when you innovate
- How to fact-check your ethics without getting derailed by projections
- Why stepping back to avoid criticism hurts people who need your help
- Difference between acknowledging real problems vs. creating fake ones
- How burnout rates and access barriers are documented realities—not marketing fabrications
- Why your courage gives other ethical innovators permission to continue
- Strategic frameworks for handling criticism without losing mission
- How to pick battles and protect energy for what matters
The uncomfortable truth: Mental health field desperately needs ethical innovators willing to face criticism. Your colleagues questioning your visibility aren't your ideal clients—they're not searching at 2 AM wondering if anyone understands their struggle.
Bottom Line: If you're building something meaningful and facing criticism, take it as validation you're onto something important. The people who need your innovation aren't the ones criticising it—they're desperately hoping someone brave will step up.
🎧 Ready to handle criticism like the leader you're becoming?
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Keywords: therapist marketing ethics, colleague criticism therapy practice, professional evolution mental health, ethical business development therapists, innovation resistance helping professions, therapist entrepreneur challenges, therapeutic techniques marketing, mental health field transformation, therapist visibility fears, clinical expertise business applications
