This Trusted Place with John-Paul Davies: Mental Health, Therapy & Becoming a Therapist

Can you actually make a living as a counsellor or therapist in private practice?

This video comes from a question I was asked by someone who loves counselling but is considering further training and needs around £40,000 a year in income. Her concern was whether private practice can provide a reliable enough income and whether building a practice is partly down to luck.

I look at what earning £40,000 might mean in prac...

Following the recent article in GQ Magazine “Everybody wants to be a therapist - but should they?”, in this video, I explore some of the qualities I think matter in becoming a good therapist, and some of the things that can get in the way of developing and maintaining good therapeutic relationships.

I talk about empathy, feelings and emotional awareness, the relationship between thinking and feeling, and why havi...

In this deeply personal interview, Paul Drayton opens up about his journey through ADHD, addiction, recovery and the process of finally discovering his authentic self.

Paul reflects on his life in the public eye, his marriage to Alan Carr, his friendship with Adele and the challenges of finding his own identity while being the partner of a hugely successful public figure. He also talks openly about his late ADHD diagnosis an...

What does it really take to build a private therapy practice that you can sustain for years?

There are lots of things we learn during psychotherapy training, but there are also many practical realities of being a therapist that we only discover once we're actually doing the job.

In this conversation, I'm joined again by psychotherapist Lindsay Percival to talk about what it takes to build a therapy practice that is su...

If you've recently realised you're bisexual while in a long-term relationship, one question often comes up:

"Do I have to explore this?"

In this clip, coach and author Rob Brooks Cohen explains why there's no one-size-fits-all answer. For some people, exploration feels important. For others, simply understanding and accepting their sexuality is enough.

The real question isn't what everyone else does, it's what'...

How do you know when sexual behaviour has become an addiction rather than a healthy expression of sexuality? Why do some people find pornography or compulsive sexual behaviour so difficult to stop? And what actually helps people recover?

In this conversation, I'm joined by *Dr Paula Hall*, one of the UK's leading specialists in *porn addiction, sex addiction and compulsive sexual behaviour*. Drawing on more than 30 years' ex...

Tired of the "post and disappear" cycle of traditional social media? I talk in this video about why I think YouTube is the most sustainable way to grow an aligned therapy practice and connect with the right clients.

I share my journey of moving beyond short-form platforms to build a sustainable presence on YouTube, covering the unique benefits for mental health professionals, including: 

• Why YouTube’s sea...

When we think about narcissism, our attention is often drawn to the more extreme end of the spectrum - grandiose narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder. But what if there is also a more ordinary, everyday form of narcissism that many of us experience without even realising it?

In this video, I explore the idea that our natural drive for survival and status can lead us to become self-centred in ways that affect both...

Can therapists develop romantic feelings for their clients?

It's a question that many people wonder about but one that is rarely discussed openly. In this video, I explore the reality of romantic attraction in the therapy room, why it can happen, why it matters, and what ethical responsibilities therapists have if these feelings arise.

I also discuss concepts such as erotic transference, supervision, professional boun...

30 years ago, a shocking event on a London tube train changed the way I think about human connection and trauma.

In this video, I share a story about a young man who experienced a sudden act of violence and chose a response that completely overrode the natural "fight, flight, or freeze" instinct. As a therapist, I look back on this moment to explore how we can integrate difficult experiences without letting them harden us or...

Four years after my first "Day in the Life" video, I’m revisiting what a typical day looks like as a private practice therapist. In this video, I share the habits, routines, and boundaries that have helped me build a sustainable career over the last 15 years.

In this video, I revisit my “day in the life of a therapist”, not as someone newly qualified, but years into building a private practice.

What ...

Have you ever had the feeling that your life looks right on the outside… but doesn’t quite feel right on the inside?

Whether it’s your career, your relationships, or your identity, many of us reach a point where something feels off, like we’ve been living a version of ourselves that works… but isn’t really us.

In this video, I explore the idea of the “true self” and th...

Hi, I’m John-Paul, and a warm welcome back to the channel. Today’s conversation is an important and often emotional one - what happens when sexual identity is disclosed within a relationship, particularly when disclosure comes after the relationship has already been established and it doesn't go well. For many people, it can feel like a shock, or even a betrayal, but it can also be the beginning of something more integr...

Hi, I’m John-Paul Davies and welcome back to the channel.

In this conversation, I’m joined by Dr Henry Aughterson (currently working as a doctor and training to become a therapist at Re-Vision in London) to explore what it’s really like to train as a therapist, especially when coming from a medical background.

We talk about the differences between the medical model and psychotherapy, the depth and ch...

In this video I’m talking about one of the most difficult and important questions when starting or running a private practice: How much should you charge?

There’s no single “correct” fee for therapy, which is exactly why this can feel so confusing. In this video, I explore a more grounded way of approaching your pricing, one that takes into account your financial reality, your local context, and the p...

In this conversation, I’m joined by therapist and coach Gavin Lashley to explore a topic that often may not get enough attention the psychological journey of the non-birth partner, affectionately, “Dad”.

Gavin is an integrative therapist working with CBT and Internal Family Systems, and he’s also a relatively new father himself. Together, we explore what it really means to become a parent, not just pr...

What happens when someone discloses that they’re bisexual within a relationship? For some couples it’s straightforward, but for others it can bring up shock, fear, confusion, or insecurity for both partners.

In this video I share some reflections on why disclosure can feel destabilising at first, how both people’s reactions are understandable, and how couples can move toward integration over time. I also ta...

Starting to see clients for the first time can feel surprisingly nerve-wracking. In this video I share some reflections on how to steady yourself in those early sessions and what really matters when you first sit down with a client.

I talk about four foundations you can rest on: what you already bring as a person, the active role of the client, the power of the relationship between you, and the wider support that holds you a...

Human Connection in a Digital World

In this video, I’m sharing a practice version of a talk I gave for Rail Wellbeing Live on one of the most important foundations of good mental health: connection. After 15 years as a therapist, I’ve come to see connection, to ourselves, to others, and to the wider world, as central to wellbeing, meaning, and resilience.

In this talk, I look at:
• Why connection is vit...