Conversations With a Wounded Healer

318 - Can Therapy Evolve Beyond the Medical Model? with Dr. Danica Harris, The Empowered Therapist

May 13, 2026·49 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Why trauma-informed therapists are questioning the medical model, rethinking therapist education, and redefining what healing can look like in a disconnected world. In my ongoing effort to "future-proof" the field of therapy, I'm encouraging practitioners to dream beyond the conventional session model. How do we move our profession and the world closer to a truly person-centered ethos? How do therapists expand our professional capacity to welcome (or, at least tolerate) interpersonal nuance, spiritual inquiry, somatic experiences, and/or political difference? My guest, Dr. Danica Harris, suggests that therapists begin by loosening their death grip on the one-on-one billable hour, among other things. Danica is the somatic experiencing practitioner behind The Empowered Therapist on Instagram. She's also a complex trauma expert working internationally as a coach, facilitator, presenter, and educator.  If you're gonna chart a course for a utopian professional future, you're gonna want Danica along for the ride!  Why the medical model is failing many therapists and clients The growing divide between therapy education and real-world healing How trauma shows up in therapists themselves Why younger clinicians are challenging old systems The role of spirituality, embodiment, and vulnerability in healing What hope looks like during times of collective trauma Join The Therapist Network and receive 20% off your subscription tier when you enter the code SARAHROCKS. Join the waitlist for the next Authentic Leaders Group! This is a journey of self-discovery and leadership mastery, where you'll not only enhance your leadership skills but also forge meaningful connections with fellow therapists who are committed to their own growth and the betterment of the therapy field. Apply now! Thank you to The Therapist Network for sponsoring the show! The Therapist Network is a global community built by and for therapists. You'll find live consult groups, an ever-growing library of workshops and courses, plus a community that really sees you. Sarah's group, Tending to the Wounded Healer, meets every other Monday from 1–2pm CT, and it's a space to explore the intersection of your lived experience and your clinical work. So if you want to feel more supported and less alone, visit TheTherapist.Network—or join Sarah's group directly at tinyurl.com/HealerConsultTTN. UPCOMING EVENTS Check the calendar for opportunities to connect with Sarah and earn CEs. SUPPORT THE SHOW Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch Join our Patreon for gifts & perks Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts *** Let's be friends! You can find me in the following places… Website Facebook @headheartbiztherapy Instagram @headheartbiztherapy

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