“What If I Get It Wrong?” Two Therapists on Doubt, Fear, and Creating Their First Programs

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Alice Ayliffe and Elise Cassidy — two incredible therapists and Incubator graduates — to explore what it really looks like to move beyond the 1:1 model and create programs that change lives.

If you’ve ever wondered, Where do I even start? Will anyone want what I create? What if I get it wrong? — this conversation is for you.

Alice is an occupational therapist based in Hobart who has carved out a powerful niche supporting adults with ADHD and training other OTs to work in this space. Elise is a Melbourne-based speech pathologist with nearly 30 years of experience, who has turned her deep passion for dyslexia advocacy into online programs and resources for parents and schools.

Neither of them had it “all figured out.” They both wrestled with doubts about burnout, regulation, self-belief, and fear of judgment from peers. But through the Incubator, they found clarity, community, and the confidence to build programs that not only generate income but also expand their impact far beyond the therapy room.

In this episode, Alice and Elise share the barriers they had to push through, the wins they’ve achieved, and the advice they’d give to any therapist standing where they once stood.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Burnout can be a signal, not the end. Both Alice and Elise hit walls in their careers that forced them to look beyond the traditional therapy path. That pain became the nudge toward innovation.
2. Fear of judgment is universal — but it’s survivable. Whether it was Elise worrying about peers judging her for charging for her knowledge, or Alice fearing regulatory trouble, both show that self-doubt doesn’t disqualify you.
3. Programs expand your reach without diluting your expertise. Dyslexia advocacy, ADHD-affirming practice, and OT supervision are now impacting parents, schools, and other clinicians — proof that your clinical skills are needed in new spaces.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Therapist Rising Incubator – For therapists ready to create their first sustainable online program with ongoing support: therapistsrising.com/incubator

Connect with Alice Ayliffe:

• Website: aliceayliffe.com
• Facebook: Alice Ayliffe Consulting
  
  

Connect with Elise Cassidy:

• Website: littlevoices.net.au
• Facebook: Little Voices Speech Pathology
• Instagram: @littlevoicesspeechpathology
  
  

MORE FROM DR. HAYLEY KELLY

• Follow me on Instagram @dr.hayleykelly
  for daily insights on therapist innovation and sustainable practice

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Thanks for tuning in to Therapists Rising — see you next time!