Best Applied Horticultural Research Podcasts (2025)

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Season Finale! Always Barefoot with Ally Holleb (Stylist + Pop Culture Lover) 55:46

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28d ago55:46

55:46

About this week’s guest: Ally is a stylist and personal shopper. Her superpower is helping you find your style and the clothes to go with it. Show notes! This week’s sponsor: It’s Love Y’all Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Where you can find Ally: Personal styling siteSubstack The Joy of birds: the effect of rating for joy or counting g…

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Mountain Lions and Poison Ivy with Jules Giuliano (Soil researcher at Rosy Soil) 1:06:57

1M ago1:06:57

1:06:57

Jules is a natural farmer, soil researcher, and garden educator based in New Orleans. His background includes school gardening, cannabis cultivation, worm-based composting & large-scale organic food production. He currently works at Rosy Soil where he formulates peat-free, biochar-based potting soils that are organic, high quality and sustainably p…

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Mangoes, Coconuts, and African Apples with Ochuko Akpovbovbo (Writer of As Seen On) 52:18

1M ago52:18

52:18

About this week’s guest: Ochuko is the writer and marketer behind as seen on, a newsletter about business, culture, and gen z trends. She lives between Lagos and Europe. Show notes! This week’s sponsor: Week Of The Website Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Ochuko’s Newsletter: As Seen On Neighborhood attachment and its correlates: Explori…

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Wild Mint Zoo with Michelle Davis (NYT Best Selling Cookbook Author) 44:01

2M ago44:01

44:01

About this week’s guest: Michelle and her recipes have become a staple in home cooking around the globe since the publication of her first book in 2014 which was an instant #1 New York Times best-seller. She has 5 bestselling cookbooks, published in over 8 different languages. She headed an award-winning brand, Bad Manners for 12 years and now head…

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Covered in Dandelions with Karen Azoulay (Author of Flowers and Their Meanings) 48:16

2M ago48:16

48:16

About this week’s guest: Karen Azoulay is a Canadian born, Brooklyn-based artist and author. Inspired by "feminine" motifs, she explores cultural phenomena that have historically been overlooked with the purpose of recontextualizing and championing them. Karen's projects have been featured in publications such as the New York Times, New Yorker, Hyp…

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Running through Sprinklers with Barri Leiner Grant (Grief Specialist at The Memory Circle) 1:01:48

2M ago1:01:48

1:01:48

About this week’s guest: Barri Leiner Grant is a grief specialist and the founder of The Memory Circle for grief support – a place and space she created for those learning to live with loss. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Psychology Today, Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, on award winning podcasts, television appearances and radio …

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Sports on the Lawn with Emily Fiffer (Writer and Founder of Botanica) 51:37

3M ago51:37

51:37

About this week’s guest: Emily Fiffer is a restaurant owner (Botanica, in Silverlake) and writer (read, eat, repeat) living in LA. Show notes! This week’s sponsor: Jena Burton Wellness Sign up for the Inside + Outside newsletter Emily’s: Restaurant: Botanica Botanica’s Online ShopNewsletter (read, eat, repeat) Prospect + Refuge Theory The Cazalet C…

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Pots Full of Raspberries with Laura Wright (Cookbook author and Founder of The First Mess) 45:29

3M ago45:29

45:29

About this week’s guest: Laura Wright is the founder of The First Mess, a blog for plant-based recipe inspiration as well as a of cookbook of the same name. Hailing from the Niagara region of southern Ontario, Laura enjoys taking on way too many projects in the garden, hiking with her dogs, working on a weekly feel-good newsletter, dilly dallying, …

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Knocked Around By Waves with Michael Ventura (Author of Applied Empathy) 49:20

3M ago49:20

49:20

About this week’s guest: Michael Ventura is an accomplished leader, practitioner, and educator. As the founder of strategy and design consultancy Sub Rosa, he advised influential organizations from the American Civil Liberties Union, Goldman Sachs, Google, Microsoft, and Nike to well-respected institutions such as The United Nations and the Obama-B…

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Moisture monitoring at the Springbank demonstration site Ep. 009 19:06

3M ago19:06

19:06

Moisture probes act as a kind of yardstick, helping farmers align their field observations with real moisture data. They can also help optimise irrigation practices. Using moisture data, farmers can time irrigation to match the actual water needs of their crops. This precise approach has the potential to boost crop yields significantly – essentiall…

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Playing With Worms with Jessica DeFino (Award-winning beauty critic + Writer of Flesh World) 50:36

4M ago50:36

50:36

About this week’s guest: Jessica DeFino is an award-winning beauty reporter and critic (The New York Times, Vice, Vogue). She writes the Guardian's beauty advice column, Ask Ugly, and the newsletter The Review of Beauty. She's been called "the woman the beauty industry fears" by the Sunday Herald. Show notes! This week’s sponsor: Week Of The Websit…

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Citrus Emotions with Joey Hernandez (Writer + Editor at Bon Appétit) 51:53

4M ago51:53

51:53

About this week's guest: Joey has been a food, wine and travel journalist for almost two decades. Currently, he is on his second tour of duty at Bon Appétit and Epicurious, where he oversees all things drinks and lifestyle coverage. He was previously an editor and reporter at The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Thrillist and Wine Enthus…

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INSIDE + OUTSIDE Coming Soon! 1:04

4M ago1:04

1:04

I'm back! Here's a little teaser for my new podcast, Inside | Outside. Coming this summer! Sign up for the newsletter to learn more.By Jessica Murnane

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Stuart Whitehall and Umberto Calvo on drip irrigation & supplements 52:24

6M ago52:24

52:24

In this MushroomLink podcast, Stuart discusses the strategic use of drip irrigation with AHR’s own mushroom grower Umberto Calvo. Umberto has conducted trials with a similar system at the March Lawson Mushroom Research Unit. With the potential to improve later flushes and even create nutritionally enhanced mushrooms, our panel discuss the mixed cha…

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Aimee McKinnon - complementing management with biological agents 26:21

6M ago26:21

26:21

Aimee is a research scientist for Agriculture Victoria in the Microbial Sciences, Pests, and Diseases (MSPD) group. With expertise in microbial-based biopesticides (biorationals) for use in integrated pest and disease management (IPDM), Aimee’s research focuses on understanding how microbial agents work to control insect pests and pathogens when ap…

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Growing more with less: Input use efficiency 11:11

8M ago11:11

11:11

Monitoring and managing key inputs such as irrigation and nutrients can lead to improved productivity and reduced input costs on farm, ultimately improving a grower's bottom line. Tune in to this podcast where Soil Wealth ICP team member Carl Larsen chats to industry experts Ivor Gaylard (Swan Systems), Medi Zaboli (Sentek) and Doris Blaseing (RMCG…

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Regenerative Potatoes at the 2024 World Potato Congress Ep. 008 28:42

1y ago28:42

28:42

PotatoLink recently attended the World Potato Congress where regenerative agriculture was a major topic. Two of the presenters, Dr Kelvin Montagu from Applied Horticultural Research, and Ryan Barrett from the Prince Edward Island Potato Board, discuss their experiences with regenerative agriculture in potatoes. This conversation covers the main top…

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Eoin O'Connor and cutting edge mushroom disease research 45:18

1+ y ago45:18

45:18

In this podcast recorded at the 2024 ISMS congress, Dr Jenny Ekman chats to Eoin O'Connor, post-doctoral scholar at Penn State University, about his studies in Ireland, where he was inspired and mentored by Dr. David Fitzpatrick and Dr Helen Grogan, the latter of whom opened his world to mushroom science, and particularly virus X, and his current r…

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Dr Mark Loftus (Sylvan Spawn Company) 25:16

1+ y ago25:16

25:16

In this podcast Dr Jenny Ekman chats to Dr Mark Loftus from Sylvan Spawn company. Mark’s career commenced in Manchester, UK, where he obtained a PhD and then completed a two-year post doc in human genetics. So how did Mark go from human to mushroom geneticist? What is mushroom genetics anyway, and how can understanding mushroom genetics help streng…

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Lachlan Heysen at the 2022 World Potato Congress Dublin Ep. 007 11:04

1+ y ago11:04

11:04

In 2022 PotatoLink hosted a grower tour to the 2022 World Potato Congress (WPC) in Dublin, Ireland. Lachlan Heysen, a grower from south east South Australia, attended. In this podcast he speaks with PotatoLink team member Ryan Hall about their experiences and learnings from the congress. They also discuss the upcoming congress in Adelaide. Read mor…

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Getting the most out of mycorrhizae: 2023 biological product demonstration at Springbank, Vic - Ep. 006 22:09

1+ y ago22:09

22:09

Back in 2023 the PotatoLink team ran a biological product demonstration at the PotatoLink Springbank demonstration site. A mycorrhizal fungi product was applied. Following the results from the 2022 Bolwarrah demonstration site, changes to the fertiliser and fungicide programs were made. Join PotatoLink team members Stephanie Tabone and Kelvin Monta…

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Storing chemicals safely - Audio article 14:59

1+ y ago14:59

14:59

Dr Jenny Ekman reads the storing chemicals safely article from the 3rd Issue (Summer 2022) of the MushroomLink magazine. Read the article here Read the entire 3rd Issue here This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom levy fund and contributions f…

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Phorid ecology and management - Audio article 15:33

1+ y ago15:33

15:33

Dr Jenny Ekman reads the article: Phorid ecology and management, from the 5th issue (winter 2023) of the MushroomLink magazine. Click here to read the article Click here to read the entire 5th issue. This podcast is part of the Hort Innovation funded project MU21003: Mushroom industry communications programme. It was funded through the Mushroom lev…

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Introducing the MUSHRoom with Dr Emma Beckett 18:40

2y ago18:40

18:40

In this episode, MushroomLink’s Dr Jenny Ekman chats with Dr Emma Beckett about the Hort Innovation project MU22006, Online resource for mushroom health & nutrition science for healthcare professionals. Emma and the team at FoodIQ Global (Formerly Nutrition Research Australia – NRAUS) are creating the ‘go to place’ for credible and authoritative in…

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Potato genetics at the James Hutton Institute - Ep. 005 16:13

2y ago16:13

16:13

Breeding a new potato variety is not easy. For starters, whereas most plants have two copies of each gene, potatoes have four. As a result, potatoes have a particularly large and complicated genome. Finally sequenced in 2011, a printout on paper would cover the distance from Melbourne to Cairns! Growing and screening new varieties takes time and sp…

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Global perspectives from Erik de Groot 17:11

2y ago17:11

17:11

Erik de Groot - Consultant Mushroom Business Following his recent trip to Australia, where he delivered training workshops to local growers, Erik de Groot took some time to chat with MushroomLink’s Dr Jenny Ekman. From a childhood spent in a small village of only 4000 people (but with 15 mushroom farms!) – to becoming a sought-after global mushroom…

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Geoff Price and the American mushroom industry - part two 31:39

2y ago31:39

31:39

Geoff Price Giorgi Mushroom Company. Geoff Price may be the son of our own mushroom-growing legend Graham Price, but he has definitely forged his own way in the industry. A mushroom grower since he was eight years old, perhaps it is not surprising he’s now not only technical director of Giorgi Mushroom Company in Pennsylvania, but also chair of the…

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Geoff Price and the American mushroom industry - part one 25:11

2y ago25:11

25:11

Geoff Price Giorgi Mushroom Company. Geoff Price may be the son of our own mushroom-growing legend Graham Price, but he has definitely forged his own way in the industry. A mushroom grower since he was eight years old, perhaps it is not surprising he’s now not only technical director of Giorgi Mushroom Company in Pennsylvania, but also chair of the…

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Going Dutch: New mushroom technology from the Netherlands 11:38

2y ago11:38

11:38

Tom Peeters GTL Europe Recently Dr Jenny Ekman visited the Netherlands where she spoke with GTL Europe's Tom Peeters. Tom and Jenny talk about a new mushroom farm in the Netherlands and how new technology has been implemented. They discuss tilting shelves and transferable shelves and future-proofing packing to be consistent with new robotics. This …

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Investigating oxalis troubles in Tasmanian potato crops - Ep. 004 16:32

2+ y ago16:32

16:32

Tim Walker, WalkerAg Consultancy, Tasmania Worldwide there are 570 species of oxalis and approximately 30 species in Australia. Recently, PotatoLink's Tasmanian regional representative Tim Walker, has noticed that one type of Oxalis, (Oxalis latifolia) known as fishtail wood-sorrel, is becoming a problem on more and more properties in Northern Tasm…

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The Mycionics robotic harvesting system 33:00

2+ y ago33:00

33:00

Canadian company Mycionics Inc has combined AI with robotics in a challenging horticultural setting which could revolutionise the future of mushroom farming. Looking for a solution to Canada’s workforce shortage, grower Murray Good took his frustrations to the University of Western Ontario in 2012. Two research theses and a decade of hard work late…

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Magnesium demonstration at the Canowindra NSW - Ep. 003 8:09

2+ y ago8:09

8:09

Marc Hinderager, 4 Leaf Ag, Applied Horticultural Research, Cowra NSW Magnesium (Mg) is essential to plants. It is strongly involved in photosynthesis and transporting carbohydrates from leaves to roots, which is particularly important for tuber development. Yet, it may be overlooked within fertiliser programs focused on N, P and K. In this Podcast…

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Chad Hutchinson talks about soil fumigation - Ep. 002 26:42

2+ y ago26:42

26:42

Chad Hutchinson, TriCal, Indiana United States of America In this episode, Applied Horticultural Research's Dr Jenny Ekman discusses soil fumigation with Chad Hutchinson of the TriCal group. This podcast was recorded at the 2023 Ballarat growing better potatoes workshop. You can view recordings from this event here: https://potatolink.com.au/resour…

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Potassium demonstration at Canowindra, NSW - Ep. 001 8:39

2+ y ago8:39

8:39

Marc Hinderager, 4 Leaf Ag, Applied Horticultural Research, Cowra NSW Potassium is essential for many processes in both plants and the human body. If people want potassium they most likely reach for a banana. However, the best source of potassium is actually the potato, with approximately 600 mg per medium-sized tuber. In this Podcast Stephanie Tab…

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MushroomLink at the AMGA conference 2022: Flavia Fayet-Moore and Damien Belobrajdic - Nutrition from mushrooms 21:33

3y ago21:33

21:33

CSIRO researcher Dr Damien Belobrajdic and nutritionist Dr Falvia Fayet-Moore (NRAUS) are each advancing the case of mushrooms as a super food through research and advocacy. We know mushrooms are healthy, but to inspire and promote their wider use in the food industry, evidence is required. Australian research is providing this evidence by showing …

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MushroomLink at the AMGA conference 2022: Ralph Noble - Peat alternatives 11:30

3y ago11:30

11:30

Dr Ralph Noble Rockwool, clay minerals, coal tailings, coconut coir, green wastes. There is a long list of potential peat alternatives, but how realistic are they in replacing peat in a commercial mushroom farm and what are the challenges? If anyone can help us navigate this new era of sustainable casings it is Dr Ralph Noble. Dr Noble has been res…

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MushroomLink at the AMGA conference 2022: Folkert Moll - The future of Mushroom sustainability 5:43

3y ago5:43

5:43

Folkert Moll, Kekkilä-BVB As the pressure to move away from peat mining grows, coupled with other global supply chain pressures, alternative sources of casing substrates is the key issue for the sustainable future of the mushroom industry. Despite these pressing challenges, Folkert Moll from Kekkilä-BVB in the Netherlands believes that the future i…

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MushroomLink at the AMGA conference 2022: Jack Lemmen - Efficient harvesting systems part two 14:18

3y ago14:18

14:18

Jack Lemmen, GTL, The Netherlands While many aspects of mushroom production have been mechanised, with computer-controlled compost production, bulk phase 3 compost, automatic casers and fillers, and many other technical aids, harvesting and packaging is still mostly a manual process. With many growers in Australia struggling with labour costs and s…

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MushroomLink at the AMGA conference 2022: Roland van Doremaele - Efficient harvesting systems part one 13:34

3y ago13:34

13:34

Roland van Doremaele, Christiaens, The Netherlands Robotic harvesting in mushrooms has been in development for decades, with earlier harvesters having limited success. The drawer system from the Christiaens Group in The Netherlands is a fully integrated approach to growing, harvesting, and packing mushrooms. In this system, the shelves move between…

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Keep Calm and Carry On: Episode three - The strawberry industry crisis 23:54

3y ago23:54

23:54

In a complicated and diverse media landscape, where everyone, everywhere can share information, how can you keep control of the story, particularly one that may be damaging to your brand and reputation? Analysing the ‘needle in strawberries’ crisis concludes the series, with special guest Rachel Mackenzie (now executive director of Berries Australi…

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Keep Calm and Carry On: Episode two - The facts 26:06

3y ago26:06

26:06

In a complicated and diverse media landscape, where everyone, everywhere can share information, how can you keep control of the story, particularly one that may be damaging to your brand and reputation? In episode 2 of the series, Patrick and Clare cite examples of types of issues specific to the mushroom industry, including product relates risks (…

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Keep Calm and Carry On: Episode one - How to avoid an issue becoming a crisis 24:36

3y ago24:36

24:36

In a complicated and diverse media landscape, where everyone, everywhere can share information, how can you keep control of the story, particularly one that may be damaging to your brand and reputation? In a new three-part podcast series Keep Calm and Carry On, reputation and communication expert Patrick McClelland of Porter Novelli Australia and f…

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The Carbon Series: Developing carbon neutral sweet corn 30:33

3+ y ago30:33

30:33

The Soil Wealth ICP team developed this podcast as part of The Carbon Series: An introduction to carbon farming and soil carbon management in the Australian vegetable industry. Hear more about Mulgowie Farming Company's journey to develop certified carbon neutral sweet corn in Queensland. This project has been funded by Hort Innovation using the ve…

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Saving time and money with strip-till in WA 6:57

4y ago6:57

6:57

In this podcast vegetable grower Jake Ryan, from Three Ryans in Western Australia, speaks about the journey to transition the farm's fallow and conventional cultivation to strip-till. Jake was impressed with the substantial time and cost savings of the strip-till method alongside the use of cover crops, combined with observable improvements in soil…

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SERIES FINALE! Should I Be A Doula? with Sabia Wade 1:01:07

4y ago1:01:07

1:01:07

Sabia and I talk about all the ins and outs of becoming a doula. Including the difference between a doula and midwife, what it means to be a “full spectrum” doula, training vs. self-educating, to certify or not to certify, insurance/liability, the different types of doulas (there are many!), finding your speciality/niche, pricing, knowing when you’…

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Should I Be A Ceramicist? with Bari Ziperstein 58:07

4y ago58:07

58:07

Bari and I talk about all the ins and outs of being a ceramicist. Including going to school vs. being self-trained, building your brand and attracting clients, pricing, trade shows, the difference between fine art, collectible design, and open edition works, knowing when/how to build your team, and how sometimes things are ruined by being monetized…

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Should I Be On A Reality Show? With Amber Kemp-Gerstel Of Making It 1:14:16

4y ago1:14:16

1:14:16

Amber and I talk about all the ins and outs of being on a reality show. Including applying/auditioning, what producers are looking for, taking psychological tests/evaluations, seeing yourself on television, styling yourself (hair, makeup, clothes), the pay, and the non-monetary gains. About Amber: Amber is the founder and creative director of Damas…

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Should I Be A Librarian? With Ashley P, The Library Bae 1:21:11

4y ago1:21:11

1:21:11

Ashely P. and I talk about the difference between a librarian and library specialist, getting your Master's in Library and Information Science (MLIS), building a collection and cataloging, the pay, the different roles/jobs at a library, and learning to assert and protect yourself as a librarian. About Ashley: Ashley (also known as The Library Bae) …

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Should I Be A Yoga Teacher? With Kathryn Budig 1:00:14

4y ago1:00:14

1:00:14

This week, I’m talking to Kathryn Budig. Kathryn and I talk about the difference between a yoga teacher and an instructor, finding a mentor, completing your teacher training, applying/auditioning to teach at a studio, teaching private clients, making a living as a yoga teacher, honoring the traditions of yoga, and her biggest tip on feeling ready t…

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Should I Be A Therapist? with Amber Murphy 1:09:15

4y ago1:09:15

1:09:15

This week, I’m talking to Amber Murphy. Amber shares all the ins and outs of becoming a therapist, including getting a masters in social work, the supervised hours needed to practice (and finding a supervisor), the difference between a psychotherapist and psychiatrist, practicing therapy as an empath, building a private practice, the pay, and findi…