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

Starting Out After Graduate School: Team-Based Care, Stability, and Early Career Decisions - An Interview with Eden LathemSpecial Series: Becoming a Therapist

In this Becoming a Therapist special series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy welcome back Eden Lathem for a second-year check-in following her graduation from graduate school. Now working under temporary licensure, Eden shares what it has been like to enter the workforce in an intensive outpatient treatment setting, navigate supervision requirements, and make early career decisions focused on stability, learning, and sustainability. This conversation explores the realities of life after graduate school, including team-based care, financial considerations, and flexibility in building a therapy career.

About the GuestEden Lathem is a Marriage and Family Therapist practicing under temporary licensure and working in an intensive outpatient treatment setting. She provides individual and group therapy as part of a multidisciplinary clinical team and works with individuals and families navigating caregiving stress, disability, trauma, anxiety, depression, identity shifts, and major life transitions. Eden is also completing training in Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based approach that uses live coaching and play to support parent-child connection.

Key Takeaways
• What the transition from graduate school to the workforce can actually look like
• Why team-based treatment settings can offer stability and support early in a career
• The financial and structural realities of supervision and licensure
• How early career clinicians can stay flexible while working toward long-term goals
• Choosing learning and sustainability over rushing into private practice

Find the full show notes and resources for this episode at https://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 McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Becoming a Therapist as a First-Generation Clinician-in-Training: An Interview with Marvin Vasquez
Special Series: Becoming a Therapist

In this Becoming a Therapist special series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy welcome back Marvin Vasquez for a second-year check-in as he moves into the clinical phase of his training. Marvin reflects on beginning direct client work as a first-generation clinician-in-training, providing therapy in both English and Spanish, and supporting members of his own community during a time of heightened systemic stress. This conversation explores practicum placement, supervision, self-doubt, and the emotional realities of becoming a therapist while holding personal, cultural, and professional identities at the same time.

About the Guest
Marvin Vasquez is a first-generation Marriage and Family Therapy graduate student at California State University, Northridge. He is currently completing his clinical training as an intern at Phoenix House, where he works with individuals and families impacted by mental health challenges and systemic barriers, with a focus on Latinx communities. Marvin provides bilingual therapy in English and Spanish and is committed to culturally responsive, strengths-based care and community advocacy.

Key Takeaways
• What it’s like to move from coursework into direct clinical work as a first-generation clinician
• The emotional impact of serving your own community while still in training
• How supportive supervision helps reduce self-doubt and “flailing” early in practice
• Why bilingual and culturally responsive care can deepen trust and engagement
• Navigating systemic stressors while developing confidence as a new therapist

Find the full show notes and resources for this episode at https://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 McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

After Graduation: Starting a Therapy Career on a Nontraditional Path - An Interview with Derek Isetti
In this Becoming a Therapist special series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy check back in with Derek Isetti one year after his first appearance on the podcast. Now graduated from his MSW program, Derek reflects on the prelicensed phase of the journey, including navigating post-graduation registration requirements, taking the Law and Ethics Exam, and searching for supervised clinical work while maintaining a full-time academic career. This conversation explores what it really looks like to start a therapy career on a nontraditional timeline and path.

About the Guest
Derek Isetti, MSW, PhD, CCC-SLP is an Associate Professor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. With a background in the performing arts, Derek is both a speech-language pathologist and a social worker pursuing licensure as a psychotherapist. His professional work spans academia, healthcare, and clinical training, offering a unique perspective on early-career development and prelicensed practice.

Key Takeaways
• What the prelicensed phase looks like after graduating from a master’s program
• Common challenges with registration, exams, and supervision requirements
• Searching for supervised clinical work on a part-time or nontraditional timeline
• Balancing another professional career while accumulating hours toward licensure
• Why supervision quality and fit matter during the early stages of practice

Find the full show notes and resources for this episode at https://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 McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

From Corporate Leadership to Counseling Advocacy: An Interview with Iris Wilson-Farley

Special Series: Becoming a Therapist

In this special Becoming a Therapist series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy welcome back Iris Wilson-Farley for a second-year check-in on her journey through graduate school. Iris reflects on how her expectations of training have shifted, what the internship search was really like in an online program, and how she’s preparing to move into primarily in-person clinical work. She also shares how her background in corporate leadership informs her approach to professional development, advocacy, and research, with a growing focus on sexual wellness and gender-affirming care.

About the Guest

Iris Wilson-Farley is a second-career counselor-in-training and graduate student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at The Chicago School. After a 33-year career in corporate Human Resources and executive leadership, Iris is now focused on sexual wellness, gender-affirming care, and advocacy within the counseling profession. She is actively involved in professional organizations including ACA divisions focused on sexology and LGBTQIA+ identities and is working toward sex therapist certification through the Sexual Health Alliance.

Key Takeaways


How expectations often shift between the first and second year of graduate training


What the internship search can look like in online counseling programs


Preparing to transition from virtual learning to in-person clinical work


How prior professional experience can shape identity and leadership in training


The value of early involvement in advocacy, research, and professional organizations

You can listen to Iris’s first interview in the Becoming a Therapist series here:https://therapyreimagined.com/modern-therapist-podcast/finding-alignment-in-a-second-career-special-series-becoming-a-therapist-an-interview-with-iris-wilson-farley/

Find the full show notes and resources for this episode at:https://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 McCann – https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano – https://groomsymusic.com/

When Does Therapy Really Start? Managing Risk and Responsibility Before the First Session

When does therapy actually begin—and when does therapist responsibility start? Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy explore the ethical, legal, and clinical risks that can arise before the first session ever happens, and what therapists can do to protect both their clients and themselves.

In this host-led episode, they break down common scenarios involving consultation calls, intake paperwork, crisis disclosures, collateral contacts, and missed first appointments. They offer practical guidance for clarifying client status, setting boundaries early, and reducing risk at the very start of care.

Key Takeaways for Therapists


Therapy can begin earlier than many clinicians expect


Agreeing to treatment may create responsibility even before the first session


Intake paperwork disclosures can require timely follow-up


Clear communication about availability and crisis procedures reduces risk


Collateral contacts are not clients unless explicitly defined as part of treatment


Follow-up and documentation matter, even when therapy never fully begins

Read the complete show notes and resources for this episode at:https://mtsgpodcast.com

Join the Modern Therapist Community

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits

Voice Over: DW McCann – https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/
Music: Crystal Grooms Mangano – https://groomsymusic.com/