Episode 266

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Published on:

30th Sep 2026

Episode 266: Healing Isn’t Just in Your Head: Rethinking What Therapy Can Be [featuring LeNaya Crawford]

What if caring for your mental health isn’t just about what’s happening in your head?

Patrick Casale sits down with holistic therapist and educator LeNaya Crawford to rethink what therapy can look like when we consider the whole person. They explore how movement, breathwork, mindfulness, spirituality, and other practices can complement traditional talk therapy—and why integrating them responsibly matters.

The conversation also touches on burnout, hustle culture, self-worth, and the importance of finding approaches to healing that actually fit the individual.

3 Key Takeaways:

  1. Healing can involve more than talking. The body can play an important role in how we process, regulate, and reconnect with ourselves.
  2. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. Different people may need different tools, modalities, and forms of support.
  3. Holistic therapy still requires responsibility. Expanding the therapeutic toolbox means having the appropriate training and understanding when and how to use different practices.

More about LeNaya:

LeNaya Smith Crawford, The Holistic Therapist™, is a Licensed Therapist, Holistic Mental Health Educator and Expert, Business Mentor, International Teacher, and Wellness CEO on a mission to make holistic mental health and healing accessible, inclusive, and relatable by training and empowering the therapists, healers, and organizations that make this work possible. Her work is rooted in taking a holistic approach to mental health, self-care, and entrepreneurship.

She earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology with honors from Spelman College and holds a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in trauma and spiritual integration. She is also an advanced certified yoga, breathwork, and meditation teacher (ERYT-500+) and a sound healer.

With over a decade of experience in the mental health and wellness space, LeNaya is a sought-after mental health expert and space holder. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Essence, The Huffington Post, Healthline, and on national television, including Bravo.

As a leader in the holistic mental health space, LeNaya created The Holistic Therapist™ Academy, a globally recognized certification and immersion program that trains therapists, healers, and mental health professionals in the ethical and confident integration of holistic trauma-informed modalities.

Through her company, LSC Wellness, LeNaya supports women therapists, healers, leaders, and ambitious women entrepreneurs in prioritizing their self-care, expanding their toolbox, and building impactful, sustainable businesses—without burning out.

In addition to LSC Wellness, she is also the Founder of Kaleidoscope Therapy and Holistic Wellness, a trauma-informed group therapy practice serving clients across Georgia, Florida, and virtually nationwide, and the Co-Founder of Seviin Yoga Studio + Yoga School, a trauma-informed heated yoga studio and community healing space based in Atlanta.

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Thanks to Our Sponsors: The Receptionist for iPad!

✨ The Receptionist for iPad

Thanks to The Receptionist for iPad for sponsoring this episode.

The Receptionist for iPad is a HIPAA-ready digital check-in system that eliminates the need to walk back and forth from your office to the waiting room to see if your next appointment has arrived. Clients or patients can check in for their appointments, and you'll be immediately notified by text, email, or your preferred channel. Break free from interruptions and make the most of your time, because it is valuable. Start a free 14-day trial of the Receptionist for iPad by going to thereceptionist.com/privatepractice. Make sure to start your trial with that link to get your first month free if you decide to sign up.

Free Gifts for Our Listeners

✨ Free Podcasting Workbook

Get a practical podcasting workbook for therapists considering starting a podcast, created by Patrick Casale, host of the podcasts All Things Private Practice and Divergent Conversations.

You'll get a practical structure for therapists who want to start a podcast but don’t want to rush, perform, or build something they can’t sustain.

Grab your free copy of the Podcasting Workbook: https://ndpod.org/Free-Podcasting-Workbook

✨ Move Beyond Private Practice As A Neurodivergent Entrepreneur

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Mentioned in this episode:

The Receptionist for iPad

 The Receptionist for iPad is a HIPAA-ready digital check-in system that eliminates the need to walk back and forth from your office to the waiting room to see if your next appointment has arrived. Clients or patients can check in for their appointments, and you'll be immediately notified by text, email, or your preferred channel. Break free from interruptions and make the most of your time, because it is valuable. Start a free 14-day trial of the Receptionist for iPad by going to https://thereceptionist.com/privatepractice. Make sure to start your trial with that link to get your first month free if you decide to sign up.

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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.