The Conversations Clinicians Avoid — and Why They Matter
Contributed by Bernadette Chavez Piñon, LPC, SEP — Lead Therapist & Collective Community DirectorWhat if the conversations we avoid as clinicians are the very ones that expand our capacity the most?
Last month, we gathered for a live, online Money Talksworkshop to explore something rarely addressed in graduate school or traditional clinical training: money, sustainability, and the tension between being a helper and running a business.
What surfaced wasn’t just strategy — it was something more honest:
Relief.
Validation.
A shared recognition that navigating values, identity, worth, and professional boundaries is emotionally charged work.
Because money in clinical practice is never just about money.
It touches power, access, ethics, self-worth, and the stories we carry about what it means to care.
And when we avoid these conversations, they don’t go away — they show up in quieter ways: undercharging, overextending, resentment, burnout, or disconnection from our own sustainability.
But when we turn toward them — together — something shifts.
Therapy is relational.
And so is professional growth.
When we slow down, reflect honestly, and practice staying grounded in discomfort, we build capacity — not just for our clients, but for ourselves as clinicians and humans.
If this is work you’ve been circling, you don’t have to do it alone.
If you missed our live Money Talks workshop (1.5 Ethics CEUs), no worries — it is now available in our digital CE library — a self-paced opportunity to deepen your relationship with money in practice, at your own pace, with both clinical and ethical grounding.
If you’re craving in-person connection, we’d love to have you join us at an upcoming event or gathering:
First Fridays Book Club: At 1:00 PM on the first Fridays of the month, we gather for our Book Club and we continue to explore our current book selection, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone — a thoughtful, human look at what it means to sit on both sides of the therapy room. 1.5 CEUs available per meeting. Even though we’ve already begun, new members are always welcome. You’re invited to join at any point.
Wear Your Worth: A Healgood Collective Workshop & Social — a small, creative gathering for clinicians to design affirmation jackets and reconnect with the meaning behind their work
Bi-weekly Consultation Group: On Wednesdays from Noon - 2 pm, we meet for case consultation, clinical feedback, and genuine community. Bring your questions, challenges, and need for connection to a space designed to replenish you while strengthening your practice.
You don’t have to have it all figured out to show up.
Just a willingness to stay curious, to be in process, and to engage in the conversations that matter.
We’d love to see you there!
