This Trusted Place with John-Paul Davies: Mental Health, Therapy & Becoming a Therapist
🎙️ Welcome to This Trusted Place with John-Paul Davies
Honest conversations and reflections on mental health, emotional wellbeing, and the realities of becoming and being a therapist in private practice.
Whether you're a therapist, aspiring to become one, or simply someone curious about the inner world of emotional growth and healing, this podcast offers grounded insights and personal stories that connect.
Hosted by John-Paul Davies, a former City solicitor who retrained as a psychotherapist in 2007, the show explores:
- Changing careers into therapy
- What it’s really like being a therapist and making a living as a helping professional
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing topics inc. relationships, narcissism, trauma, navigating imposter syndrome and burnout, boundaries, self-worth and growth
- Bisexuality
🔗 Watch the video versions on YouTube: youtube.com/@JohnPaulDaviesTTP
🌐 More about John-Paul: thistrustedplace.co.uk
If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe and leave a rating or review — it makes a big difference. Thank you for listening.
Episodes
106 episodes
S11 E7 Living Someone Else's Life? Why Career Change and Coming Out Might Feel Simillar
Have you ever had the feeling that your life looks right on the outside… but doesn’t quite feel right on the inside?Whether it’s your career, your relationships, or your identity, many of us reach a point where something feels off, like...
S11 | E6 Coming Out as Bisexual (or Gay) In A Marriage: When It Goes Wrong (And How to Heal)
Hi, I’m John-Paul, and a warm welcome back to the channel. Today’s conversation is an important and often emotional one - what happens when sexual identity is disclosed within a relationship, particularly when disclosure comes after the relatio...
S11 | E5 From Doctor to Therapist: Why and the Reality of Training
Hi, I’m John-Paul Davies and welcome back to the channel.In this conversation, I’m joined by Dr Henry Aughterson (currently working as a doctor and training to become a therapist at Re-Vision in London) to explore what it’s really like ...
S11 | E4 How Much Should You Charge as a Therapist? (And When to Raise Your Fee)
In this video I’m talking about one of the most difficult and important questions when starting or running a private practice: How much should you charge?There’s no single “correct” fee for therapy, which is exactly why this can feel so...
S11 | E3 The Impact of Becoming a Dad (and How to Prepare For it)
In this conversation, I’m joined by therapist and coach Gavin Lashley to explore a topic that often may not get enough attention the psychological journey of the non-birth partner, affectionately, “Dad”.Gavin is an integrative therapist...
S11 | E2 When You Tell Your Partner You’re Bisexual: What Happens Next
What happens when someone discloses that they’re bisexual within a relationship? For some couples it’s straightforward, but for others it can bring up shock, fear, confusion, or insecurity for both partners.In this video I share some re...
S11 | E1 Starting to See Clients as a Therapist: Taking the Pressure Off Yourself
Starting to see clients for the first time can feel surprisingly nerve-wracking. In this video I share some reflections on how to steady yourself in those early sessions and what really matters when you first sit down with a client.I ta...
S10 | E 10 We're More Connected Than Ever – So Why Are We So Alone?
Human Connection in a Digital WorldIn this video, I’m sharing a practice version of a talk I gave for Rail Wellbeing Live on one of the most important foundations of good mental health: connection. After 15 years as a therapist, I’ve co...
S10 | E9 Thinking About Changing Career and Becoming a Therapist? Watch This Compilation First
Thinking about a career change? If you’ve been wondering whether it’s possible to leave a job that isn’t fulfilling and explore something completely new, like becoming a therapist, this video is for you. I share clips from my own journey, plus ...
S10 | E8 Best of My Bisexuality Videos – Stories, Reflections & Advice
This is a compilation of what I think are some of the most meaningful moments from my videos and conversations on bisexuality so far, including pieces from my chats with Rob Brooks Cohen, Robyn Ochs, Tom Ward-Thomas and Mark Cuzack, as well as ...
S10 | E7 Why So Many Teens Are Struggling – And What Really Helps (with Dr Will Dobud)
In this video I’m talking with Dr Will Dobud about something I’ve barely touched on before: youth mental health. Anxiety, depression, self-harm and distress in teenagers are reported to have risen dramatically in recent years, even...
S10 | E6 How I Found The Confidence To Leave Corporate Life and Become A Therapist
Changing career doesn’t start with confidence, I think it starts with small choices that help you feel more connected to yourself.In this video I talk honestly about confidence and career change and why you don’t need to feel confident ...
S10 | E 5 Understanding and Overcoming Narcissism with Dr Ron Siegel
In this interview with Dr Ron Siegel, we look at the complexities of narcissism, its psychological roots, and the broad spectrum of behaviours it can cover. Ron is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, a long-standing ...
S10 | E4 What ‘Snow White’ Can Show Us About Narcissism, Healing and Wholeness
What if Snow White wasn’t just a fairy tale but a potential mirror for our own inner journey? In this episode, I explore how Disney’s remake of Snow White reveals powerful lessons about overcoming narcissism and finding true inner integration. ...
S10 | E3 5 Surprising Challenges of Being a Therapist
Being a therapist is really enjoyable, meaningful work, but it can also come with some surprises. In this video, I share 5 things that have been hard on my journey as a therapist: the unexpected challenges, the moments of learning, and the huma...
S10 | E2 In Conversation with Kati Morton | Mental Health, Social Media and Life
Kati Morton is one of the world’s best-known therapist–creators on YouTube, with almost 1.5 million subscribers, bestselling books and a hugely popular podcast. In this conversation we explore how she’s built such a successful platform, what sh...
S10 | E1 Bisexuality: Coming out, Challenges, Joy and Community ft Robyn Ochs
In this video, I speak with Robyn Ochs, a leading advocate for bisexuality and bi+ identities. Robyn shares her experiences and insights on bisexuality, pansexuality and the broader spectrum of non-binary sexualities, reflecting on identity, se...
S9 | E10 Managing Career Change to Therapist: Course Choice and Finances
In this YouTube video I talk about making the transition from a current career to becoming a therapist, addressing two common concerns: the length of qualification and the financial transition involved in this career change.1. Qualifica...
S9 | E9 Boarding School Syndrome Explained: Trauma, Healing & Hope | Nick Duffell
In this episode, I’m joined by Nick Duffell, psychotherapist, psycho-historian and author, known for his pioneering work with people who attended boarding schools.We explore:• Nick’s background and the 1994 film 'The Making of Them'...
S9 | E8 Ever Felt Alienated in Bi+ Spaces?
In this episode, I talk about the vital role that community plays in supporting mental health for bi+ individuals, asking questions about whether you have experienced the pressure of conforming to political ideologies within communities and inv...
S9 | E7 What If You Don’t Agree With the Group in Therapy Training?
In this episode, I explore the pressure that therapy trainees, and therapists more generally, can sometimes feel to go along with dominant views within training groups, supervision, or wider therapy spaces.What happens when we don’t fee...
S9 | E6 How to GROW on Social Media as a Therapist (Without BURNOUT)
If you're a therapist or therapist-in-training looking to enhance your social media presence while staying true to your values, hopefully this video is for you.I explore your WHY, your WHO, and your WHAT — three key questions if you wan...
S9 | E5 5 Reasons why I LOVE being a THERAPIST
Discover the top 5 reasons why I love being a therapist! From leading a more loved life to experiencing real human connection, constant learning, feeling part of a community, and avoiding negative impacts on my well-being. If you f...
S9 | E4 Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety ft Dr Patricia E Zurita Ona
In this episode, I welcome Patricia to discuss the complex subject of anxiety and the role of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in managing it. Key Topics:1. Introduction to Anxiety: - We look at w...
S9 | E3 Bisexuality in a Straight Relationship? (Part 2) ft Robert Brooks Cohen
***NOTE: I'd love to have more stories, experiences and journeys about bisexuality/bi+ on this channel, whether that's in-person guests like this one, or reading out someone's story. If you feel you'd like to do either of these, do just either ...