Special Series: Becoming a Therapist - From Corporate Leadership to Counseling Advocacy: An Inter...

Описание: Curt and Katie welcome back Iris Wilson-Farley for a second-year check-in as part of the Becoming a Therapist special series. In this conversation, Iris reflects on how her experience in graduate school has shifted since her first year, including settling into an online program, navigating a high-pressure internship search, and preparing to transition into primarily in-person clinical work. Iris also shares how her background in corporate leadership continues to inform her approach to training, professional relationships, and advocacy, alongside her growing involvement in sexual wellness education, gender-affirming care, and research. Together, they explore how graduate training, supervision, and professional engagement intersect as students move closer to clinical practice.
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Show notes: https://therapyreimagined.com/modern-...
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About Our Guest: Iris Wilson-Farley
After a 33-year career in corporate Human Resources that included 25 years in learning and career coaching and three years working at the executive level, Iris Wilson-Farley is a second-career counselor-in-training, focused on learning about trauma-informed practices, sexual diversity, and how she can best serve the LGBTQIA+ community. She is in her second year in the Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at The Chicago School and is a proud member of the American Counseling Association’s Association for Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness (ACSSW) and Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE). Iris is also currently working toward an AASECT sex therapist certification through the Sexual Health Alliance.
In January 2025, Iris was featured on The Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide podcast as part of the series on graduate students’ motivations, expectations, and experiences.
Iris lives in Chicago with her wife, their dog (Scooby), and their cat (Mac). Outside of her studies, Iris enjoys running, watching old movies, and volunteer work advocating for affordable housing.

In this podcast episode: Graduate training realities, advocacy, and preparing for clinical work

Curt and Katie talk with Iris about what has changed since her first year in a clinical mental health counseling program, including how her expectations of graduate school have settled and how her confidence has grown through coursework, practice sessions, and finding a practicum site. Iris discusses the challenges of securing an internship within an online program, the importance of faculty mentorship and supervision, and what it has been like to prepare for a shift from virtual learning to mostly in-person clinical work. She also reflects on how her interests in sexual wellness, gender identity, and advocacy have become more central to her professional development, and how she is beginning to engage in research and leadership roles while still in training.

Key Takeaways for Therapy Students and Early-Career Clinicians: Professional development, advocacy, and supervision

-The second year of graduate training often brings greater integration of skills, theory, and clinical confidence.
-Internship searches can be one of the most stressful parts of training, especially in programs without established local placement pipelines.
-Supervision is essential for building competence, particularly when working with more complex diagnoses.
-Prior professional experience can shape how students navigate systems, relationships, and leadership opportunities.
-Early involvement in advocacy, continuing education, and research can help clarify long-term professional direction.


Meet the Hosts:
Curt Widhalm, LMFT
http://www.curtwidhalm.com

Katie Vernoy, LMFT
http://www.katievernoy.com


A Quick Note:
Our opinions are our own. We are only speaking for ourselves – except when we speak for each other, or over each other. We’re working on it.
Our guests are also only speaking for themselves and have their own opinions. We aren’t trying to take their voice, and no one speaks for us either. Mostly because they don’t want to, but hey.


Creative Credits:
Voice Over by DW McCann   / mccanndw  
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/