Travel Therapy Social

Host: Chelsea (Owner of: Transcend Travel Therapy) Co-Host: Kellen (Your Travel PT Friend)
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Education
  • Updated Monthly

Welcome to Travel Therapy Social, the go-to podcast for travel therapists and allied health professionals who want real talk, real strategy, and real community. Hosted by Chelsea Gallagher (@chelgal_), travel occupational therapist, coach, content creator, and founder of Transcend Travel Therapy. This podcast is your weekly hangout where travel therapy meets lifestyle, mindset, money, identity, and freedom. Whether you’re brand new to travel therapy, deep in your nomadic era, or transitioning into a new phase of life and career, this space is for you. This isn’t a recruiter-run show. This is a therapist-first space. This show brings candid conversations, industry transparency, and unfiltered insight into what it actually means to build a sustainable, aligned life through travel therapy. From navigating contracts and negotiating pay, to burnout, boundaries, entrepreneurship, and life beyond the assignment, nothing is off-limits. You’ll hear: ✈️ Honest, behind-the-scenes conversations about the travel therapy industry 💸 Discussions around pay, contracts, boundaries, and self-advocacy 🧠 Mindset shifts for therapists who know they’re meant for more 🎤 Guest episodes with travelers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and yes! recruiters (when it truly serves YOU) This is a social space, not a sales pitch. A place where tough questions are welcome, lived experience matters, and therapists are empowered to take control of their careers and their lives. If you’re craving connection, clarity, and conversations that finally feel like they’re speaking to you, you’re in the right place. 🎧 Pull up a seat. You’re invited to the Travel Therapy Social.

  1. Sep 10

    $360K in Student Debt, Travel PT & Paying It Off | With Carly & Brandon

    What if you graduated with $360,000 in student loan debt… and decided to travel instead of letting it hold you back? In this episode, Kellen and I sit down with Carly and Brandon from Beyond Contract — a travel PT couple who graduated just 7 months ago and have already paid off an incredible $87,000 in student loans. Originally from the East Coast, Carly and Brandon decided to take a different approach to their careers: travel, take high-paying contracts, prioritize mostly outpatient opportunities, and use the extra income to aggressively tackle their debt — all while experiencing new places together. We talk about: ✈️ Why they chose travel therapy right out of school 💰 How they're approaching $360K of combined student loan debt 🔥 How they've already paid off $87K in just 7 months 🏥 Why they've focused mostly on outpatient contracts 💵 How they're finding and evaluating higher-paying travel contracts ❤️ What it's like traveling and building a career as a couple 🌎 The reality of balancing debt payoff with actually enjoying your life 🎓 What they would tell other new grads considering travel therapy Their story is such a good reminder that your student loans don't have to dictate what your life looks like after graduation. You can be intentional with your money AND still go see the world. Go follow Carly & Brandon and follow along with their journey at @beyondcontract. If you're a new grad, current PT/OT, or dreaming about travel therapy, this is an episode you don't want to miss!

  2. Aug 31

    Money Mistakes Every PT Needs to Stop Making | With Noah

    A DPT degree can open so many doors—but what happens when you graduate with a whole lot of debt and no real education on what to do with it? In this episode, Kellen sits down with Noah, a financial professional, to talk about student debt, repayment strategies, financial mistakes, and how PTs can start thinking differently about their money. Because treating patients is one thing… building a financial future is another. 💰  Follow Noah: @personalfinance.pt

  3. Aug 26

    Breakups to Travel OT, Bruno & Boise | With Megan

    In this episode, we’re sharing the story of one of my favorite travel OT humans, Megan! We go way back—from college breakups and figuring out what came next, to becoming pediatric OTs, taking travel contracts, adopting a dog together in California 😂, and Megan eventually hitting the road with Bruno by her side. We also talk about our Hawaii contract, the realities of life as a pediatric travel OT, the places that stole her heart, and how she eventually found a place that felt like home in Boise, Idaho. It’s a little career advice, a lot of travel stories, some chaos, and a whole lot of Bruno. 🐶 Follow Megan: @meganncotter Come hang out with us for a very real look at the travel OT life—and the unexpected places it can take you. 🌎

  4. Aug 14

    Beyond the Travel Contract: Dating, the USVI & Real Estate | with Yonas

    Chelsea sits down with fellow travel PT Yonas for a conversation about the different pieces of building a life outside the traditional healthcare path. They chat about dating as a traveler, what it’s like trying to maintain relationships while living a constantly changing lifestyle, getting married, spending time in the USVI, and the realities of island life. They also get into real estate and investing, and how healthcare professionals can think beyond their clinical careers when it comes to creating more freedom and flexibility in their lives. It’s a little travel therapy, a little life chat, and a lot of figuring-it-out-as-you-go energy. 🌴 Find Yonas on instagram @traveltherapywithyonas and join his Facebook group Rate My Therapy Company.

  5. Aug 12

    The Unknown Is Kind of Our Thing

    https://transcendtraveltherapy.mykajabi.com/offers/nNvk4vzQ/checkout Use code: FOUNDERS

  6. Jul 20

    From Travel PT to Travel Recruiter: How Life on the Road Changed Everything | with Kelsey (@catinuousadventures)

    Our co-host is off enjoying Hawaii this week, so I had the opportunity to sit down with a very special guest—Kelsey, a physical therapist turned travel healthcare recruiter behind @catinuousadventures. Kelsey shares her incredible journey from working as a full-time and PRN physical therapist for four years to spending two years exploring the country as a travel PT. Along the way, she completed contracts in Maine, California, Washington, Montana, Colorado, and back to California, all while living in an RV with her partner (who became her fiancé and eventually her husband!)—and their four cats. One of the things that made Kelsey's travel journey unique was how she approached finding contracts. Rather than choosing a job first, she chose the destination. She would decide where she wanted to live and explore, secure the appropriate state license, and then look for positions that aligned with her preferred settings, including skilled nursing, inpatient rehabilitation, and acute care. Now, Kelsey has stepped into a new role as a travel healthcare recruiter with Triage Staffing, where she combines her firsthand experience as a traveler with her passion for helping other clinicians find opportunities that truly fit their goals. She also explains why she continues to keep her PT license active and how her years on the road have shaped the recruiter she is today. Whether you're thinking about taking your first travel contract, wondering what life on the road in an RV is really like, or curious about transitioning into healthcare recruiting, this episode is packed with practical advice and honest conversation. In this episode, we discuss: Kelsey's path from staff PT to travel PT Choosing destinations before choosing contracts Traveling full-time in an RV with four cats Balancing travel therapy with a relationship and marriage Working in skilled nursing, inpatient rehab, and acute care Making the transition from clinician to travel healthcare recruiter How being a former traveler makes her a stronger recruiter Advice for clinicians considering travel therapy If you'd like to connect with Kelsey or learn more about travel therapy opportunities, you can find her on Instagram at @catinuousadventures. She also offers free discovery calls through the link in her Instagram bio for anyone who wants to learn more about travel therapy or explore whether it's the right fit. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another healthcare professional who's been curious about travel therapy. We'll see you in the next episode!

  7. Jul 13

    Behind the Contract: Jenna's New Grad Journey

    We're kicking things off with our very first guest ever on Travel Therapy Social — Jenna! As a new grad who jumped straight into travel therapy, Jenna's here to answer the hard questions and share the honest, unfiltered truth about what this industry is really like. In this episode, we cover: What it's really like starting travel therapy as a brand new grad The hard questions most people are afraid to ask Lessons learned (the easy way and the hard way) Jenna's honest truth about the industry — no sugarcoating Connect with Jenna: 📸 Instagram: @traveltherapist.jenna 🎵 TikTok: @traveltherapistjenna

  8. Jun 16

    We Want to Hear Your Story — Become a Guest on Travel Therapy Social

    Burnout is real. Feeling stuck is real. And nobody talks about it enough. This episode is us pulling back the curtain on what we are building with this podcast and why we want YOU to be a part of it. Travel Therapy Social is not just about the highlights of travel therapy. It is about the nuance — the hard moments, the pivots, the career crises that led people to something better. We want to capture the other side of hard. The stories of therapists who felt completely stuck, burnt out, and ready to walk away from the career they worked so hard for — and what they did instead. If you are a PT, OT, or SLP who has built something positive out of a really difficult season in your rehab career — we want to hear from you. Here is what we are looking for in a guest: Someone who has felt stuck or burnt out in a traditional therapy role and found a way through it. Someone who has pushed beyond the mold of what a therapy career is supposed to look like and built something that actually works for their life. Someone who is willing to share the real story — the backstory, the vulnerable moments, the raw truth — not just the highlight reel. This podcast is for student PTs and therapists who are ready to take back control of their careers. Your story could be exactly what someone needs to hear to take their next step. We want to know your backstory. Your experiences. The moments you almost gave up. And the practical and inspirational takeaways that helped you come out the other side. If that sounds like you — we would love to have you on the show. 👉 Apply to be a guest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_zk1_cU7wyBPnYA70dapWVmSXZHfADix2wIa-KgI9qE6eVA/viewform?usp=share_link&ouid=108160412082364624191 You can also find the link in our bios: @transcendtraveltherapy and @yourtravelptfriend Come share your story. Someone out there needs to hear it!

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Travel Therapy Social, the go-to podcast for travel therapists and allied health professionals who want real talk, real strategy, and real community. Hosted by Chelsea Gallagher (@chelgal_), travel occupational therapist, coach, content creator, and founder of Transcend Travel Therapy. This podcast is your weekly hangout where travel therapy meets lifestyle, mindset, money, identity, and freedom. Whether you’re brand new to travel therapy, deep in your nomadic era, or transitioning into a new phase of life and career, this space is for you. This isn’t a recruiter-run show. This is a therapist-first space. This show brings candid conversations, industry transparency, and unfiltered insight into what it actually means to build a sustainable, aligned life through travel therapy. From navigating contracts and negotiating pay, to burnout, boundaries, entrepreneurship, and life beyond the assignment, nothing is off-limits. You’ll hear: ✈️ Honest, behind-the-scenes conversations about the travel therapy industry 💸 Discussions around pay, contracts, boundaries, and self-advocacy 🧠 Mindset shifts for therapists who know they’re meant for more 🎤 Guest episodes with travelers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and yes! recruiters (when it truly serves YOU) This is a social space, not a sales pitch. A place where tough questions are welcome, lived experience matters, and therapists are empowered to take control of their careers and their lives. If you’re craving connection, clarity, and conversations that finally feel like they’re speaking to you, you’re in the right place. 🎧 Pull up a seat. You’re invited to the Travel Therapy Social.

Information

  • Creator
    Host: Chelsea (Owner of: Transcend Travel Therapy) Co-Host: Kellen (Your Travel PT Friend)
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Travel Therapy Social

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