Episode 158

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Published on:

5th Oct 2024

Episode 158: International Retreats for Therapists—More Than Just a Vacation [featuring Melissa Wesner]

In this episode, Melissa Wesner, LCPC, founder of LifeSpring Counseling Services and host of the "Dreaming and Doing" podcast, and I dive into the transformative power of retreats, cultural immersion, and self-care in business strategy. We discuss how stepping out of comfort zones, embracing new cultures, and integrating well-being into our professional lives can create lasting, positive change.

Key Takeaways:

  1. The Power of Relationships: Retreats and workshops go beyond just delivering content. The deep connections and lifelong friendships built in these events are transformative and impactful.
  2. Cultural Immersion for Real Insights: Experiencing different cultures first-hand, rather than just learning theoretically, is crucial for developing true cultural competence.
  3. Integrating Self-Care and Business: Prioritizing well-being can significantly enhance business performance. We emphasize the importance of self-care as an integral part of a successful business strategy.

About Melissa:

Melissa Wesner is the Founder of LifeSpring Counseling Services, a group practice in Baltimore County, Maryland. She is the Dreaming & Doing Podcast host, international retreat host, and planner of fun for her office and the local Clinician Community Membership that she runs. She is also a Brainspotting Consultant.

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NeuroPreneur Circle is an online community built by and for neurodivergent entrepreneurs who want a supportive space to build a business, a space where they can show up as themselves and in whatever way feels most comfortable. NeuroPreneur Circle exists because community built on masking isn't really community. And business advice built for neurotypical brains isn't actually useful to us, no matter how many times we try to make it fit. Whatever your neurotype, whatever you're building, there's a space here for you. You've been creating alone long enough. Visit: https://atppod.com/community

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Mentioned in this episode:

NeuroPreneur Circle Community

NeuroPreneur Circle is an online community built by and for neurodivergent entrepreneurs who want a supportive space to build a business, a space where they can show up as themselves and in whatever way feels most comfortable. NeuroPreneur Circle exists because community built on masking isn't really community. And business advice built for neurotypical brains isn't actually useful to us, no matter how many times we try to make it fit. Whatever your neurotype, whatever you're building, there's a space here for you. You've been creating alone long enough. Visit: https://atppod.com/community

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About the Podcast

The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur
Honest conversations about building a business while Neurodivergent, the self-doubt, the chaos, and everything in between.
The Neurodivergent Entrepreneur is a podcast for ADHD, Autistic, and all other neurodivergent entrepreneurs who are building businesses, creative work, and lives that actually fit how their brains work. Hosted by Patrick Casale, LCMHC, this show is for people who
want to create meaningful work, create outside of the box, grow their impact, and build something sustainable without losing themselves in the process.

Being a neurodivergent entrepreneur can feel like holding a lot of contradictions at once. You may have big ideas, deep passion, creative energy, and a strong desire to do things differently. You may also be navigating burnout, masking, self-doubt, perfectionism, rejection sensitivity, executive dysfunction, inconsistent energy, and the pressure to keep showing up when your capacity is already stretched. This podcast speaks to that reality honestly, because building a business around your brain, your values, and your lived experience can be powerful, complicated, messy, and deeply personal.

Patrick Casale is a chronically ill, AuDHD, mental health therapist, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, event host, group practice owner, and neurodivergent business owner who has built, grown, burned out, pivoted, and kept going. His work brings together clinical insight, lived experience, business perspective, and real conversation about what it actually takes to create something that feels values aligned. His conversations are direct, compassionate, unfiltered, and practical, with room for both the emotional reality of entrepreneurship and the concrete decisions that shape a sustainable business.

New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature honest conversations with neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creators, therapists, business owners, and leaders. Together, Patrick and his guests explore entrepreneurship, identity, mental health, chronic health,
creativity, leadership, systems, money mindset, visibility, community, sustainable growth, and the behind-the-scenes reality of creating work that matters.

Build your dream business. Protect your capacity. Work with your brain instead of against it.