The story behind Location Independent Therapists
Welcome! On this page, you can find out all about the story and the team
behind Location Independent Therapists. In the video below, our co-founders
Sonia and Melissa introduce themselves and share their experiences as
location independent therapists.
As you heard in the video, we are Melissa Parks & Sonia Jaeger, the co-founders of Location Independent Therapists and the LIT Community.
As mental health professionals running online, portable businesses, we largely attribute our success to the online support systems we’ve created. Over the years, we became business accountability buddies and created a peer mastermind group and book club with other online therapists. We also found a lot of support in the Location Independent Therapists Facebook group that we co-moderate.
But overall, we saw a lack of community, support, and networking opportunities for mental health professionals working online. As solopreneurs working remotely, whether from our own homes or abroad, this lifestyle can get lonely.
We wanted to fill the gap and create a dedicated space for other mental health professionals around the world who are looking to create (or grow) their location independent businesses. And that’s why we launched the LIT Community, our paid membership for mental health professionals to connect with other colleagues, support each other, learn together, and share our experiences.
Introducing Team LIT
Melissa Parks
Co-Founder
Melissa has a PhD in Clinical & Health Psychology and spent many years working with the globally mobile community, offering therapy and expat coaching and teaching Mindful Self-Compassion courses.
Originally from the USA, Melissa spent several years studying and working abroad in Spain and the Netherlands (including going through the arduous process of getting licensed in these countries!) During this time, she discovered how much she enjoys working and collaborating with people across different cultures.
A few years ago, Melissa repatriated to her home country, the US, and transitioned to coaching globally mobile individuals. In her current stage in life, Melissa loves that her location independent business provides her with the flexibility to support her two young children. She’s looking forward to taking her business on the road again soon and introducing her children to other countries and cultures. Melissa’s favourite part of running the LIT Community is that she can continue to interact with colleagues around the world and exchange experiences and perspectives.
Sonia Jaeger
Co-Founder
For over a decade, Sonia has combined her passion for mental health with a digital nomad lifestyle, long before remote therapy became mainstream. After completing her PhD and working as a licensed psychologist and psychotherapist in Germany, she chose a different path: building an online business that lets her live and work across continents.
Today, she supports cross-cultural individuals through online counselling, offers workshops and talks, and coaches other therapists navigating the shift to location-independent work. She runs her multilingual practice (in German, French, and English) with a small remote team and multiple income streams, all while rarely staying in one place for more than a few months at a time.
Knowing how isolating and confusing this path can be, Sonia believes that surrounding herself with like-minded colleagues in the LIT Community has made all the difference!
Mila Petkova
Community Facilitator
Mila is a psychotherapist working online with clients around the world in Bulgarian, English, and Spanish. Her professional journey began in social work, where she supported individuals and communities in social services and educational settings. After completing her PhD in psychoanalysis and cultural philosophy in 2016, she opened her own location independent practice.
Since the LIT Community’s founding in 2020, Mila has played a key role in shaping this space through her thoughtful facilitation of events where members connect, learn, and grow together. Mila leads our peer supervision calls and coordinates the LIT Talks, where members present on diverse topics from their areas of expertise. Through her thoughtful presence, Mila has helped build a culture of openness, professional growth and genuine connection within the community. Find out more about Mila here.
Georgia Hutchinson
Community Assistant
Our community assistant, Georgia has been supporting LIT since 2021. Having trained as a virtual assistant and online business manager and worked with a variety of online businesses since 2018, Georgia supports both the day-to-day functioning of the community and our community members by sharing her business expertise. Splitting her time between Morocco, the UK, and international trips with her family, Georgia understands what it’s like to live a location independent life and work remotely.
Here at LIT, Georgia keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes, from preparing newsletters and social media posts to scheduling events and coordinating community activities. She also regularly hosts community events, including coworking sessions, happy hours, and ask-me-anything sessions, helping members feel supported and inspired as they grow their practices and answering any of their business and tech questions.
