Good Enough Counsellors

The new BACP Ethical Framework 2026 contains requirements regarding clear separation between personal and professional social media. But how practical is this for Facebook when many groups bar Facebook pages from participating? Additionally, how freely can a therapist speak in their personal capacity when much is publicly available online? These questions, together with how to protect client confidentiality on social media, are explored in today's podcast.
The episode also includes post ideas for November 2026.
In this episode:
The limitations of professional accounts on Facebook
Why setting up an additional personal account may be problematic
An alternative way to ensure boundaries are in place
The care that therapists need to take when speaking in a personal capacity on social media
Honesty about your service
Protecting client confidentiality when using social media
Ideas for posts for November 2026

This week's Good Enough Counsellors: Backstage bonus episode describes an alternative approach to using Facebook which utilises a personal account while limiting the personal information visible to the public. For practical guidance on putting these boundaries in place, please access the podcast via the Good Enough Counsellors patreon feed, which you can subscribe to here: https://patreon.com/goodenoughcounsellors
(please note, use a web browser to access the standard fees, if you use the Apple Patreon app, you will be charged more)
November 2026 Social Media Post Ideas for Counsellors:
Throughout November: Men’s Health Awareness Month / Movember.
2–8 November: Pressures of life, linked to Talk Money Week (from 2 November) and Stress Awareness Day (5 November).
9–15 November: Kindness and remembrance, linked to Remembrance Sunday (8 November) and World Kindness Day (13 November).
16–22 November: Feeling safe to be yourself, linked to Anti-Bullying Week and Disability History Month (from 16 November), International Men’s Day (19 November) and Transgender Day of Remembrance (20 November).
23–30 November: Spending pressures and boundaries, linked to Black Friday (27 November) and Personal Space Day (30 November).
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
Keywords: BACP Ethical Framework 2026, counsellors on Facebook, social media ethics, counselling boundaries, client confidentiality, ethical marketing for therapists, personal and professional boundaries, counselling private practice, Good Enough Counsellors
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Why are private practice therapists vulnerable to burnout, what are the signs they need to look out for - and how can they avoid it happening? In this interview, clinical psychologist and author, Dr Claire Plumbly, defines burnout and describes the warning signs that may appear in the therapeutic relationship. We discuss the factors that make therapists particularly vulnerable to burnout and what not to say to help them.
Takeaways:
What's the official definition of burnout?
How to recognise burnout
How factors such as perfectionism, high standards and the desire to help add to workplace pressure on therapists
Why private practice can make burnout more likely
How to make private practice more sustainable
What to do when burnout begins to appear

Dr Claire Plumbly is a clinical psychologist in private practice and the author of Burnout: How to Manage Your Nervous System Before It Manages You.
You can download Claire's free burnout formulation tool here: https://burnout-blueprint.subscribepage.io/(normally retails at £6)
For Claire's website including details of her book, speaking and burnout resources go to https://drclaireplumbly.com or for her therapy practice: https://plum-psychology.co.uk
To access Good Enough Counsellors: Backstage and Claire's description of the 5 P's model for preventing burnout in therapy practice, please go to: https://patreon.com/goodenoughcounsellors
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
Keywords: therapist burnout, burnout in private practice, counsellor burnout, preventing therapist burnout, signs of burnout, Dr Claire Plumbly, Good Enough Counsellors, Josephine Hughes, therapist wellbeing, counsellor wellbeing, burnout prevention, compassion fatigue, therapist self-care, setting boundaries in private practice, perfectionism in therapists, therapist imposter syndrome, financial anxiety in private practice, sustainable private practice, running a counselling practice, private practice therapists, mental health professionals, nervous system and burnout, work life balance for therapists, therapist exhaustion
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Why is it so hard to ask for help when we're quite happy to offer it?
In this rather vulnerable episode of the Good Enough Counsellors podcast, I'm sharing something I've been thinking about for a long time and have finally plucked up the courage to do.
It has been difficult to get to this point as it's brought up all sorts of feelings for me. These include whether I should be able to manage by myself, being willing to receive and to admit I need help.
But what if people want to help and how, by valuing independence, am I denying people the gift of support?
I'm also sharing a taster of something new I've been creating - a behind the scenes podcast. In it I take you behind the scenes of exhibiting at the BACP Private Practice Conference. I share something that can hold me back. "Perfectionism Paralysis" and how I get over it.
What if you don't need to feel completely ready before you do the thing that scares you?
In this episode:
Why asking for help can feel so vulnerable
Something my daughter said that changed how I thought about receiving support
My latest, rather scary, business adventure
A taster of my new private podcast
How perfectionism nearly stopped me exhibiting at the BACP conference
Why "good enough" can sometimes get us further than trying to get everything right

Find out more about my Patreon HERE
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
Keywords: therapist self-doubt, therapist imposter syndrome, perfectionism, private practice confidence, therapist confidence, counsellor confidence, starting before you feel ready, good enough counsellors, therapist private practice, BACP Private Practice Conference, Patreon for therapists
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Have you ever sat down and worked out how much your private practice is costing you? Sometimes it's more than you realise and this can have an impact on whether it's a business that actually supports you.
Your session fees need to not only cover day to day costs such as supervision, but also allow for holidays, sickness and retirement.
In this second episode with psychotherapist and supervisor, Claire Ratcliffe, we discuss how to build a sustainable practice including how to attract clients.
In this episode:
How Claire started TikTok, despite her discomfort with visibility, and how she makes it work alongside running a busy practice and being a single parent
The impact of her TikTok channel on her enquiries
Why she thinks it is important to let people know who you are and what you offer rather than relying on a single place to find clients
The hidden costs of running a private practice
The beliefs therapists can have about being greedy or selfish and the impact on their fees
Accessibility and why higher fees can make it easier to offer concessions
How our personal history with money can affect the fees we are comfortable to charge
Why comparing your fees with another therapist can be misleading due to different financial circumstances

The main message Claire would like you to take away is not "Charge what you're worth" but to remember your worth isn't determined by what you charge. It doesn't change if you charge £50 or £500. Instead, base your fees on what your practice, your health and your wellbeing need so that you can continue to keep doing the work.
And if Claire’s comments about letting people know who you are and what you have to offer have got you thinking about your own practice, this is exactly what we’ll be working on next in Therapy Growth Group.
From the week beginning 12th October, we’ll be spending four weeks looking at your niche: who you most want to help, what makes you unique and how you can communicate that so the right clients can find you.
If you’d like some support to work through this alongside other therapists, you can find out more about Therapy Growth Group HERE
If you'd like to find out more about Claire and her new supervision group aimed at relationship therapists, please visit her website HERE
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Keywords: private practice counselling, therapist private practice, sustainable private practice, counselling fees, therapist fees, how much should therapists charge, setting counselling fees, raising counselling fees, money mindset for therapists, cost of private practice, private practice expenses, therapist burnout, attracting therapy clients, how to get counselling clients, marketing for therapists, therapist visibility, social media for therapists, TikTok for therapists, counselling marketing, building a therapy practice, growing a private practice, private practice income, counsellor private practice UK, psychotherapist private practice, Claire Ratcliffe, Josephine Hughes, Good Enough Counsellors
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.

Working with couples can feel very different from working with individual clients. There are two people in the room, two different perspectives and the added challenge of managing what happens between them.
In this episode of the Good Enough Counsellors podcast, I talk to integrative psychotherapist, couples therapist and clinical supervisor Claire Ratcliffe about how therapists can feel more confident working with couples.
Claire shares that she didn't always enjoy couples work. Despite completing couples therapy training, she initially felt out of her depth and eventually removed couples counselling from her profile altogether. It was only when she found an approach that suited her, alongside specialist training and supervision, that her experience began to change.
Today, couples work is something she loves.
We talk about what makes couples counselling so rewarding, as well as some of the challenges therapists can face when working with more than one client in the room and how to handle them.
Towards the end of our conversation, we return to something that made a huge difference to both Claire's experience and my own reflections on working with couples: supervision. Claire explains why specialist couples supervision matters and how learning alongside other therapists can help you develop your skills and feel less alone when the work feels challenging.
Claire is also developing a group supervision membership for couples and relationship therapists, with opportunities to learn through case discussion and shared experience. You can find out more about Claire and her supervision offer through the links below.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why Claire initially stopped offering couples counselling
The difference the right training and specialist supervision can make
What Claire now loves about working with couples
How childhood experiences and trauma can play out within relationships
Helping partners listen without immediately reacting or making it about themselves
Why slowing things down can be so important in couples therapy
Sex, shame and differences in desire within relationships
Resentment, contempt and what can happen when couples seek help very late
Why couples therapists can benefit from learning together in supervision
What to do if you want to work with couples but don't yet feel confident

If you've ever received an enquiry from a couple and wondered whether you're really equipped to help them, I hope this conversation reassures you that feeling out of your depth doesn't necessarily mean couples work isn't for you. Sometimes it means you need more training, more support and the opportunity to learn alongside people who understand the particular challenges of the work.
About Claire Ratcliffe
Claire Ratcliffe is an integrative psychotherapist, couples therapist and clinical supervisor. She works extensively with relationships, trauma and psychosexual issues and is passionate about helping other therapists develop their confidence in couples work.
Claire also hosts the Healing Relationships: With Ourselves, Others & The World podcast and shares relationship education on TikTok.
You can find out more about Claire and her supervision on her website, HERE
Therapy Growth Group
If this episode has got you thinking about the support you'd like with your own private practice, you can also find details of Therapy Growth Group below.
From the week beginning 12 October, we'll be spending four weeks exploring your niche: who you most want to help, how you uniquely help them, why clients might choose you and how you can communicate that clearly to prospective clients.
Therapy Growth Group includes regular live calls where you can ask questions, get feedback and connect with other therapists building their private practices.
Find out more on Josephine's website, https://josephinehughes.com
You can also find me here:
The Good Enough Counsellors Facebook Group
Josephine Hughes on Facebook
Josephine Hughes on YouTube
My website: josephinehughes.com
Setting up in private practice? Download my free checklist HERE
Need ideas for how to get clients? Download my free handout 21 Ways for Counsellors to Attract New Clients HERE
Keywords: couples counselling, couples therapy, working with couples, couples counsellor, relationship therapy, relationship counselling, therapist confidence, couples therapy training, couples therapy supervision, relationship therapist, clinical supervision, counselling supervision, private practice therapist, couples therapy skills, trauma and relationships, childhood trauma and relationships, psychosexual therapy, sex and relationships, relationship conflict, working with relationship issues, counsellor private practice, psychotherapist private practice, Good Enough Counsellors, Claire Ratcliffe, Josephine Hughes
The information contained in Good Enough Counsellors is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this podcast are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this podcast. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this podcast.
Josephine Hughes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this podcast.