"Paddy Made Me Better": Alison Harper and Sara Huibregtse Van Loon on Therapy Dogs, Teams, Mental Health Stigma and Passing the Baton

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by two guests: Alison Harper, founder of Harper Psychology, and Sara Huibregtse Van Loon, psychological therapist and the person Alison hopes to one day hand the practice to.

Harper Psychology — formerly Harper Clinical Psychology — is an Edinburgh-based private psychology practice that's been running for around 20 years. What started as a solo clinical psychologist practice grew to two during the first 10 years, and then, when COVID hit and the NHS couldn't keep up with demand, expanded to a team of six — including two therapy dogs.

One of those dogs, Paddy the one-eyed collie, features in one of the most moving stories I've ever heard on this show.

We cover:

- What Harper Psychology does and who it's for

- The difference between a clinical psychologist and a CBT therapist — and what clients should actually look for

- Why Alison went into private practice (school holidays, four children, and one very stubborn child who did not want to go to holiday club)

- How the practice grew from two to six — and the challenge of building a team in a field where client continuity is everything

- The mindset shift that stopped people leaving: valuing the CBT pathway as its own destination, not just a stepping stone

- The therapy dogs, and the story of a client who said it wasn't Alison who helped them most — it was Paddy

- The succession model: passing the baton rather than selling up, and why Alison wants the team to take it over and go further

- The mental health stigma that still exists in 2026 — and why Alison thinks mental health is no different from dental health or physical fitness

- What employers can do to genuinely support their teams' wellbeing

- Advice to their 18-year-old selves: believe in yourself, and don't worry if you don't have a plan yet

**Quote of the episode:** *"Mental health is like dental health is like physical fitness."* — Alison Harper

Whether you're thinking about growing your team, passing on your business, or just wondering why we still treat mental health differently from any other kind of health — this one's worth your time.