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Title:
Supervision Lies, Noncompetes, and 1099 Scams: Red Flags New Therapists Need to Know

Description:
Tired of being told you're not "supervisor material"? Burned out by unethical leadership and broken promises? This episode of Burnout & Bullshit is your unfiltered look at the red flags no one warned you about in grad school.

Host Kayla Schubert-Wirth, LCSW, sits down with Samantha Willi, LPCC-S, a licensed therapist and group practice owner in Ohio, to unpack the shady side of community mental health and private practice—including:

✅ Being denied supervision training with the excuse, “You’ll never be a supervisor.”
✅ Getting forced to stay late in pitch-black buildings—because “the schedule matters more.”
✅ Learning how many group practices misuse the 1099 contractor label (and why it’s a legal mess).

If you're a therapist navigating burnout, toxic work environments, or the confusing world of W2 vs. 1099 roles, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Topics:

• Therapist burnout and ethical supervision
  
  
  
• Noncompete clauses and legal red flags in private practice
  
  
  
• What every early-career therapist should know about contractor roles (1099 vs W2)
  
  
  
• How to advocate for yourself and build a values-driven career in mental health
  
  
  
• Creating safe, affirming, and authentic workplaces for therapists and clients
  
  
  

About the Guest:
Samantha Willi, LPCC-S, is the owner of CLE Counseling and Wellness Center, where she leads with transparency and authenticity. She supervises interns and licensed clinicians, fights against unethical systems, and helps build sustainable careers in the mental health field.

Website: counselinginthecle.com

🔹 Work with Kayla
Burned out by broken systems? Let’s build a practice that actually works for you.
👉 https://www.gritandgracepsychotherapy.com/coaching

💌 Be Part of the Show:

📝 Apply to be a guest:
https://forms.gle/fvm82tXdhRmpZ2TE7

🕵️‍♀️ Submit a story anonymously:
https://forms.gle/snoC3Qiz2WxCMKW57

📬 Join Kayla’s Email List for therapist support, raw stories, and no-BS biz tips:
https://kaylaschubertwirth.myflodesk.com/overit

📲 Tag us on Instagram @therapy_with_kayla

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.

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Trust your gut when something feels off—especially when the field tells you to stay silent.

In this powerful episode, therapist Larissa Trelles (she/they) shares their raw and courageous journey from first-gen therapy client to becoming a therapist navigating racism, safety threats, and exploitation in the mental health system.

From conducting mobile therapy alone in rural areas during COVID as a Latina intern to confronting unethical leadership, racist microaggressions, and predatory contracts, Larissa’s story is both a warning and a reclamation.

This episode isn’t just about burnout. It’s about survival. It’s about choosing your safety over someone else’s comfort. It’s about showing up in the field without erasing who you are.

Whether you're a new therapist, an associate in a toxic job, or someone who feels like you’ve been gaslit by your own profession—this one’s for you.

🔑 3 Key Takeaways:

1. Listen to Your Gut—It’s There to Protect You
If your body feels unsafe, don’t gaslight yourself into staying. Therapists with marginalized identities often face real threats disguised as “training opportunities.” Your intuition isn’t paranoia—it’s wisdom.

2. Authenticity Isn’t Unprofessional—It’s What Clients Crave
Being asked to erase your identity—tattoos, piercings, language, culture—is not a requirement for clinical work. Larissa reminds us that clients thrive when therapists show up fully as themselves.

3. You Don’t Have to Earn Your Worth by Suffering
Being underpaid, overworked, and mistreated isn’t a rite of passage. You are allowed to say no. You are allowed to leave. You are allowed to build something better.

About Larissa Trelles:

IG @mindfulpsychotherapeutics

Larissa Trelles (she/they) is an indigiqueer, neurospicy Latine therapist offering psychotherapy in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. As a first-gen professional committed to anti-oppressive, decolonizing clinical care, Larissa works with LGBTQIA2S+ and BIPOC communities to reclaim identity, healing, and autonomy. They adapt their work to the lived experience of each client—centering authenticity, ancestral wisdom, and radical safety in all they do.

Larissa has current openings for new clients: https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/delaware/rehoboth-beach/larissa-trelles

Work With Kayla:

Burned out by broken systems? Let’s build a practice that actually works for you.
👉 Coaching with Kayla

📬 Get Involved:

📝 Want to be a guest? Apply here: Guest Application
🕵️‍♀️ Got a story to share anonymously? Submit here
📬 Join Kayla’s list for therapist support, raw stories, & no-BS biz tips: Subscribe
📲 Tag us on IG: @therapy_with_kayla

Keywords: therapist burnout, toxic internship, BIPOC therapist experience, Latina therapist, first-gen therapist, associate therapist exploitation, predatory private practice, decolonizing mental health, authentic therapy practice, unethical therapy leadershi

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.

Send us a text

Episode Summary:

What happens when your grad school internship feels more like a security risk than clinical training? When “supervision” means 4am drug screens, and leadership thinks deli platters are a solution to burnout?

In this raw, unfiltered episode, therapist, TEDx speaker, and retreat leader Patrick Casale shares the chaos, dysfunction, and disillusionment that shaped his early years in mental health—and how he turned that burnout into a thriving, neurodivergent-affirming business.

From methadone clinics and crisis units to international retreats and coaching programs, Patrick’s story is a middle finger to the people who said, “You’ll be back in 30 days.”

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Burnout Isn’t Your Fault—It’s a System Problem
If you’re exhausted, unmotivated, or questioning your place in this field—you’re not the problem. Burnout is a predictable result of toxic, under-resourced systems.

2. You Don’t Have to Suffer to Be a “Real Therapist”
You can be ethical, effective, and successful without sacrificing your mental health. Staying stuck in harmful jobs isn’t a badge of honor.

3. There Is a Better Way to Do This Work
Whether it's building a values-led practice, leading with transparency, or putting your needs first—there’s no one right way to be a therapist.

About Patrick Casale:

Patrick Casale, MA, LCMHC, is an AuDHD therapist, business coach, TEDx speaker, and retreat planner. He’s the founder of All Things Private Practice LLC, co-host of the Divergent Conversations podcast, and host of the All Things Private Practice podcast.

He’s helped thousands of therapists build authentic businesses without abandoning their values. Patrick is known for his signature phrase: “Doubt Yourself. Do It Anyway™.”

He lives in Asheville, NC with his wife Ariel and their two dogs, Hudson and Hazel. He loves Lord of the Rings, Anthony Bourdain, Ted Lasso, cold brew, and craft beer.

Website: allthingspractice.com
Instagram: @patrick.casale | @allthingsprivatepractice

Work With Kayla:

Burned out by broken systems? Let’s build a practice that actually works for you.
👉 Coaching with Kayla

📬 Get Involved:

📝 Want to be a guest? Apply here: Guest Application
🕵️‍♀️ Got a story to share anonymously? Submit here
📬 Join Kayla’s list for therapist support, raw stories, & no-BS biz tips: Subscribe
📲 Tag us on IG: @therapy_with_kayla & @allthingsprivatepractice — Tell us what part hit hardest.

🎯 Keywords:

therapist burnout, toxic internships, community mental health, EMDR, private practice coach, neurodivergent therapist, supervision trauma, private practice startup, business coaching for therapists, values-led therapy, therapist podcast, group practice leadership, therapist retention, therapy culture change

This podcast includes personal opinions and experiences shared by guests and anonymous contributors. All identifying details may be changed to protect confidentiality. These stories are intended for educational and storytelling purposes and are not meant to defame, accuse, or harm any person or organization. Any resemblance to real persons or entities is purely coincidental.