The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy

Adapting EMDR for Neurodivergent Clients: Parts Work, Attunement, and Affirming Trauma Therapy, An Interview with Cathy Hanville and Christine MacInnis

Curt and Katie talk with Cathy Hanville and Christine MacInnis about how to adapt EMDR for autistic and ADHD clients with more flexibility, safety, and affirming care. They explore why standard protocols can miss important client needs, how parts work can support trauma treatment, and what therapists should consider when working with neurodivergent clients whose trauma is tied to masking, chronic correction, social rejection, and being misunderstood.

In this episode, we talk about:


Why EMDR often needs adaptation across all eight phases


How parts work can support neurodivergent clients in trauma treatment


The impact of masking, correction, and misunderstanding as trauma


Sensory, communication, and processing differences therapists need to consider


Moving away from compliance-based care toward attunement and collaboration

About the guests

Christine MacInnis, MSed, MS, LMFT owns Transcends Family Therapy in Torrance, California, specializing in neurodiversity and LGBTQIA+ affirming, trauma-informed care. She is additionally licensed in Arizona and Ohio, is an EMDRIA-approved consultant, and provides advanced training on neurodiversity-affirming EMDR, ADHD, and autism. Learn more at www.transcendstherapy.com.

Cathy Hanville, LCSW (They/She) is a licensed clinical social worker in Pennsylvania and California, an EMDRIA-approved consultant, and a continuing education provider. They help therapists identify blind spots so they can provide gender- and neurodiversity-affirming care. Learn more at www.cathyhanville.com.

Cathy and Christine are under contract with Norton Publishing to write Neurodivergent Paths to Healing: Affirming EMDR and Parts Work for Autistic and ADHD Clients, expected in early 2027.

Key takeaways


Therapists often need to adapt EMDR for every client, not just neurodivergent clients


Neurodivergent-affirming EMDR requires flexibility, collaboration, and sensory awareness


Parts work can help therapists better understand protection, shame, and responses often mislabeled as resistance


Many neurodivergent clients carry trauma tied to masking, chronic correction, and social rejection

Full show notes and transcript: https://mtsgpodcast.com

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Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits


Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/


Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/

When Clients Reject Your Diagnosis: How to Handle Pushback Without Losing the Therapeutic Alliance

What do you do when your client doesn’t agree with your diagnosis?

Whether it’s a parent resisting an autism or ADHD diagnosis, a client attached to a different label, or someone overwhelmed by what a diagnosis means for their identity, these conversations can feel high-stakes.

In this episode, Curt and Katie explore why clients push back on diagnoses and how to navigate these conversations without damaging the therapeutic relationship. They break down the role of stigma, identity, and real-world consequences, and offer practical strategies for staying collaborative while still doing effective clinical work.

Key Takeaways:


Why clients resist diagnoses (stigma, identity, and real-world impact)


How to respond without arguing or damaging the alliance


When disagreement means your assessment isn’t finished


How to focus on function and treatment instead of labels


Navigating documentation, insurance, and cultural considerations

Get the full show notes and resources at mtsgpodcast.com.

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

The Lasting Harm of Conversion Therapy: An Interview with Samuel Nieves

This interview was recorded in November 2025 in anticipation of the Supreme Court ruling in Chiles v. Salazar and released afterward. Rather than focusing on the legal details of the decision, Curt and Katie talk with Samuel Nieves about the harms of conversion therapy, how change efforts can be disguised as therapy, and what clinicians need to understand when working with survivors. Sam shares from his lived experience as a survivor and explains why the deepest harms often involve identity damage, loss of self-trust, and disconnection from one’s own lived experience.

About our guest:Sam Nieves has a Bachelor’s in Psychology. In 2019, he entered grad school to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, but left the field after 6 months of clinical experience. Since 2020, Sam has used his personal, clinical, and educational background to support survivors of conversion therapy. He is now a board member of the non-profit organization Conversion Therapy Survivor Network. Sam uses the online name “CantPrayMeAway” to share his own experiences as a client of conversion therapy and advocates for the end of all conversion practices worldwide.

Key takeaways:

Conversion therapy is broader than many therapists realize and can show up in subtle, disguised forms

SOGIECE (sexual orientation and gender identity or expression change efforts) offers a clearer framework for recognizing sexual orientation and gender identity or expression change efforts

The core harm of conversion therapy is often identity damage and loss of self-trust

Even well-intentioned therapeutic tools can become retraumatizing when they are used in the service of changing identity

Survivors may need therapists to move slowly, stay client-centered, and understand that therapy itself may have been part of the harm

Full show notes and transcript: mtsgpodcast.com

Join the Modern Therapist Community:
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann: https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/

The Private Practice Pivot: How Therapists Are Adapting to Platforms, Agency Work, and the Changing Therapy Economy

Are therapists leaving private practice - or simply adapting to a changing mental health economy?

Curt Widhalm, LMFT, and Katie Vernoy, LMFT discuss a growing shift across the profession as therapists pivot between private practice, agency jobs, group practices, and therapy platforms. As referral patterns change, venture-backed platforms grow, and the economics of therapy evolve, many clinicians are reconsidering how they structure their careers.

Curt and Katie explore why therapists are pivoting their practices, how platforms like Headway, Alma, and Rula are shaping the field, and what therapists can do to build sustainable careers in a rapidly changing environment.

Key Takeaways

• Why many therapists are pivoting their private practices
• How therapy platforms and venture capital are reshaping the profession
• The role of agency work, group practices, and hybrid careers
• Why isolation can undermine sustainability in solo practice
• How therapists can design careers that prioritize stability

Full show notes and resources:
mtsgpodcast.com

Join the Modern Therapist Community

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits

Voice Over by DW McCannhttps://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Manganohttps://groomsymusic.com/

Is Independent Private Practice Sustainable? Data on Caseloads, Insurance & Income

Is independent private practice still financially sustainable?

Curt and Katie sit down with Lindsay Oberleitner, PhD, Director of Clinical Strategy at SimplePractice, to examine national data on caseload trends, insurance participation, income realities, and therapist burnout. Drawing from Lindsay's research at SimplePractice, they explore whether independent private practice is truly viable long term - and what clinicians need to understand to remain financially and professionally sustainable.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why some clinicians are seeing declining caseloads despite high demand for mental health care
• Typical full-time caseload ranges in independent private practice
• How insurance participation is shifting year over year
• The financial impact of reimbursement rates and overhead costs
• Why burnout is both a personal and systemic issue
• The significant role independent private practice plays in delivering outpatient behavioral health care across the United States

Independent private practice represents an estimated 15–20% of outpatient behavioral health services. This episode helps therapists think strategically about income, sustainability, visibility, and long-term viability in today’s healthcare landscape.

For full show notes and resources, visit mtsgpodcast.com.

Join the Modern Therapist Community:

• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast
• Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined
• Podcast Homepage: https://therapyreimagined.com/modern-therapists-survival-guide-podcast-episodes/

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCannhttps://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Manganohttps://groomsymusic.com/