Travel Therapy Social

Travel PT/OT Money Talk: Taxes, Home Buying & Knowing How to Navigate

This week on the pod, we're getting real about what travel therapy actually looks like behind the highlight reel. ✨ Kellen checks in from her family's lake house (much needed 🌊) and opens up about the burnout creeping in from outpatient 4x10s — plus the curveballs of trying to buy a home as a travel PT. Chelsea shares why she's feeling more grounded, leaving her PRN OT gig to return to her travel roots, and what a year of PRN taught her about taxes (spoiler: she was setting aside ~20-25% in DE — but every state is different, so do your homework 📚). We also talk: 🏡 Why every travel therapist should consider an LLC 💰 Charging for the value YOU bring ⚖️ The reality of inconsistent gigs + how to plan for it 📖 Financial literacy reads we recommend Books we love for financial + tax literacy: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz — game-changer for managing income with variable pay The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel — mindset around wealth Tax-Free Wealth by Tom Wheelwright — solid intro to tax strategy I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi — practical, no-fluff personal finance Profit First for Therapists by Julie Herres — niche but gold for clinicians ⚠️ Friendly reminder: we're therapists, not tax advisors. For the real deep dive — tax home qualifications, state-specific strategy, deductions — book a consult with Travel Tax. Their tax home consultation and tax advisor services are built specifically for travelers like us. Link in bio. 🔗 Tune in wherever you get your podcasts 🎧

We Need to Talk About Leaving (The Heartbreak Nobody Prepares You)

Saying goodbye to a contract, a facility, and patients you love is one of the hardest parts of travel therapy or any position nobody talks about. Chelsea and Kellen sit down this week to unpack the emotional weight of leaving, Chelsea's big news about going all in on Transcend, and how to know when it's time to walk away from something that's no longer aligned with where you're going.

Was the Degree Worth It? Kellen Gets Real About Student Debt, Her First Week on Contract, and How to Actually Pay It Off

She graduated with a dream, a degree, and a whole lot of debt. In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Kellen to unpack her very first week on contract — the nerves, the wins, and the reality check nobody prepares you for. They get honest about the student loan conversation that nobody in healthcare loves to have: how much debt Kellen walked away with, whether the degree was worth it, and if she'd make the same choice all over again. Plus — the real talk on how travel therapy can actually be one of the fastest, smartest ways to tackle debt as a new grad or seasoned clinician. From pay packages and stipends to budgeting on the road, this one is full of strategies you can use starting with your next contract. If you've ever looked at your loan balance and questioned everything — this episode is for you.

The Burnout Nobody Warned Us About (And How Travel Therapy Changed Everything)

Burnout in healthcare is real — and nobody hands you a roadmap for navigating it. In this episode, Chelsea and Kellen get honest about hitting their limits as travel therapists and the strategies they actually used to reclaim their energy, their passion, and their lives. From choosing contracts intentionally, setting boundaries with facilities, and using the built-in breaks between assignments to fully recharge — they break down how travel therapy gave them something a permanent job never could: control. If you're an OT, PT, or SLP running on empty, this one's for you. Because you can't pour from an empty cup — and you deserve to fill yours back up.

Keeping It Real: The Harder Parts of Travel Therapy

We went into this episode ready to talk about all the obvious cons of travel therapy — the licensing headaches, the housing nightmare, the loneliness of being away from family, and the constant hustle of making it work season after season. But somewhere in the middle of the conversation, something shifted. Because it turns out, the logistics? You figure those out. The real cost of travel PT and OT is the moments you can't get back — the birthdays, the weddings, the ordinary Tuesday dinners that somehow become memories everyone else shares but you. In this episode, we get honest about what it actually feels like to choose this lifestyle, what we thought would break us (and didn't), and what we never expected would. If you're a travel therapist, thinking about becoming one, or just someone wondering if the paycheck is worth it — this one's for you.