đ± Leaving the NHS: Finding Freedom as a Therapist
A live conversation with Sophia Spencer, Between Sessions Founder & Ex-NHS CBT Therapist, now in private practice.
I know how scary it is. I also know how intense the NHS is, to the point where itâs hard to see what other opportunities there can be. Maybe you even hear other colleagues saying private is hard work.
If youâve ever thought about leaving the NHS â or even just dipping a toe into private practice â you probably know the feeling:
Torn between security and freedom
Guilty for wanting something different
Afraid you wonât âmake itâ outside the system
Wondering if private practice is really possible for you
Not knowing where to even start
I know, because Iâve been there. Leaving the NHS was a difficult decision â and one of mu best.
This isnât a workshop on âhow to build a private practiceâ or a business masterclass.
Itâs a space for honesty, hope, and conversation about what it really feels like to step into private work.
What Weâll Explore Together
The psychological barriers that keep therapists stuck in the NHS (even when theyâre burned out)
The fears no one talks about: money, identity, and belonging
The beliefs you may have internalised i.e. I need 2 years experience for EMDR training, I need years of experience to go private etc.
What changes when you choose private practice â and what doesnât
Why itâs not just about business skills, but nervous system safety and visibility
A hopeful picture of whatâs possible for you - Iâm talking freedom, global working, a full case load and out-earning your nhs salary 3x. Yes Iâm not kidding.
Who This Is For
NHS therapists who are curious about private practice, or who have just started but donât know where to go
Therapists already doing some private work who want to feel less alone
Anyone at the crossroads, wondering if leaving the NHS is really worth it
Details
đ Date: Friday 26th of September
â° Time: 15:30pm BST Time (I know you NHS therapists try to keep Fri afternoon free!)
đ Location: GoogleMeet - Link will be posted in the subscriber chat the day before
đ Free to attend
Will be recorded for those who canât attend.
How to Join
đ Sign up by subscribing to my Substack. Youâll get the link and the replay straight to your inbox. Please note the replay will be edited â as this will be a private, open conversion and I will edit out anything I think should not âlive foreverâ on the internet.
About Your Host
Iâm Sophia Spencer, an NHS CBT therapist turned private practitioner, writer, and coach. I work fully in private practice for myself (not working for a company). I see half the amount of clients I used to in the NHS, less complexity, and out-earn my NHS salary by a big margin. I donât say this to show off, I say it so you know there are other alternatives. If youâre like me and found yourself googling other careers you could do instead of therapy, I get it. But the problem might not be the job, it could be the workplace and the type of work.
âš Come join me live â bring your questions, your fears, and your hopes.
Youâll leave with a clearer sense of possibility, and maybe the first step toward a life where you can just be.