310 - Healing at EVERY Level: Mental Health and Clinical Leadership with Sarah Buino and Lane Essex
“Baby, you've got all the stuff you need. You just gotta apply it. You just gotta do it.” ~Sarah Buino
In this special 9th birthday episode of Conversations With a Wounded Healer, Sarah Buino and Lane Essex explore healing at every level—from individual mental health to group practice dynamics and systemic transformations in the therapy field.
Cue the confetti and crank up the introspection! We’re celebrating the ninth anniversary of Conversations With A Wounded Healer. Instead of revisiting favorite moments from the past (of which there are many), this episode is laser-focused on the future and all the vital work that therapists are being called to do now.
For me, that means getting clear (or clearer?) about what it is that I do. How do those seemingly disparate activities support therapists navigating the ever-evolving field of therapy? What I know for sure is that we either grow or we die. That’s as true for the collective as it is for the individual.
So, what’s ahead? Well, more healing, hopefully. That goal requires therapists to consider three separate but interconnected levels:
Individual - Reestablishing a connection to our authentic self. We have to do our inner work if we want to show up for our clients in a world that increasingly defaults to artificially enhanced realities.
Organizational/Relational - Creating healthy collaboration within hierarchies. We explore new ways of “doing” practice life at Group Practice (R)evolution. It’s a great resource for practice owners and employees. My Authentic Leaders group is another resource for folks ready to refine their communication skills, build psychologically safe working environments, and invite more accountability into the spaces they inhabit.
Systemic - Therapy is political! How do we enact large-scale changes in the world while also navigating the world as it is? It helps to remember that systemic change is a group project, not an individual quest.
The above list really highlights our path forward. Get personal (as in, do your work!) and move outward. It’s a job that requires both/and thinking. We can’t silo our personal work; we have to explore our wounds and enact healing practices alongside our clients, our peers, and our communities. And, baby, you've got all the tools you need. You just gotta apply them.
As I chart the arc of my progress over 309 episodes (!!), I’m reminded that growth is non-linear, often messy, and embarrassing. Yet, here I am, still riding the ebb and flow of my woundedness. Thanks for taking this ride with me.
Join our Authentic Leaders Group!
Next cohort starts May 1, 2026.
This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now!
Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show!
The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You’ll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah’s group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it’s a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work.
So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah’s group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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