The Practice of Therapy Podcast

Michaela is a licensed psychologist and copywriter for health and wellness professionals. She joins the show today to speak about expanding your reach with marketing, specifically in multiple states. First, therapists need to redefine marketing and how it looks for them. Plus, Michaela talks about the importance of an 'About Page' and how you can uplevel the copy you use on your website and social media. Meet Michaela Bucchianeri Michaela Bucchianeri [mih-KAY-luh BOO-kyuh-NEHR-ee], PhD, LP, is a licensed psychologist and copy coach for health and wellness professionals. She shares practical guidance to help healers and helpers get clear on their unique value, communicate it with heart, attract and serve the people they love working with most… and actually have fun along the way! Expanding Your Reach With Marketing First, get clear with your reach goal. What territories are you looking to expand into? Depending on who you want to reach will dictate what you write on your website, and what SEO will work for your practice. No matter where you want to find people, make sure your potential clients get a cohesive picture of who you are. Also, make sure to do location-specific outreach. There's a layer of complexity, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Think about which communities you are a member of – get to know your local communities and local issues. We Need To Redefine Marketing Therapists didn't go to school for marketing. At the same time, we need to get over it and redefine it. We have to operate differently on social media. We can't just ask about traumatic situations on Instagram. Instead, we have to frontload relationship building through marketing and education. From there, potential clients will reach out to you for assistance. Plus, you have to convey to people in as few words as possible what life will be like when they come to therapy. How To Write Copy For Your Website Therapists are natural copywriters and natural communicators. Start by creating a copy bank of words and phrases from people you are trying to reach. This can be a simple spreadsheet where you store terms that your clients are using to describe what is bringing them to therapy. Plus, you need to mention the benefit that people will receive from therapy. What is their life going to be like after seeing you? Think about what your clients would say to this question: If you woke up tomorrow, and none of this was a struggle for you anymore, what would be different? Over time, you accrue lots of different examples of this copy from clients. The Importance of Having an About Page The about page gets a lot of traffic. Luckily, your about page doesn't have to be complicated. Instead, it's about making the about page more concise, so people do not have a hard time reading it on your website. Michaela wants to help you stand OUT while standing firmly IN your own personality and integrity. She is ready to help you be more intentional with your copy to beat overwhelm and get that page up. You can learn more about Michaela by checking out her website here: https://www.drmichaela.com/tpot. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Michaela's Resources Website Instagram Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. July Sale on Cool Resources (Use Code "JULY421") Ethical Business Practice for Psychotherapists (1 CE hour) Podcast Movement Using Google Workspace in Private Practice Webinar Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the Google Workspace for Therapists Users Group Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

Is the traditional private practice a good fit for you? This episode is all about the different ways you can be in private practice and why it may or may not be suitable. First, Gordon explains what type of clinician would excel at private practice and how it can be a great challenge for most people. Then, Gordon dives into the four different ways to be in private practice as a clinician. Tune in for tips and tricks on how to start, grow, and expand your practice. Is Private Practice Right For You? Private practice isn't necessarily for everyone. It takes a certain kind of person to be in private practice. The number one reason people want to go into private practice is because of the autonomy that it gives them. Being your own boss and just working for yourself is appealing because it gives you a lot of flexibility in your time. However, it's not for everyone. Many people want to work for someone else because they get benefits, they're an employee, their income is predictable, and they may have a retirement plan and health insurance already ready to go. People that are in private practice need to have an entrepreneurial spirit about them. Private practice owners need to like the challenge of entrepreneurship. However, many people do not like the challenge and the risk that is involved with private practice. If you are interested in private practice but you're not interested in growing something big, then you don't have to. You can have a very successful private practice as a solo practitioner. Since Covid, it's possible to build just completely online practice. That's one model of private practice. Get the FREE PDF download- 4 Ways To Be In Private Practice. This will help you compare the 4 different models. Working As An Independent Contractor Another model of private practice is putting yourself out there as an independent contractor. One way you can do this is through popular online platforms like BetterHelp, Talkspace, etc. When you sign up to be a therapist on platforms like these, you are signing up as an independent contractor. They will provide you with a platform, and they will provide you with clients. For some people, that might be very appealing. Even if you are an independent contractor, you are still self-employed. This is one thing that many people will get in trouble with because you still have to pay your self-employment taxes. Find An Accountant And An Attorney For people who are still going the full contractor route, form a separate entity for yourself like an LLC. Talk to an accountant and an attorney about your options. That way, you will have more protection. If you're contracting yourself out, you're just contracting out your LLC. There are different ways you can be taxed as an LLC, so it will be critical to get an accountant's opinion. Depending on how much you are making is how you should set up your entity. Growing A Group Practice Another thing you should think about is going into a group practice. Maybe you're already a solo practice. If you love the entrepreneurial sides of things, leading people, the excitement of growing a company, and bringing on more and more people, then start a group practice. Whether you are thinking about a part-time contractor or bringing on full-time employees, there are some factors that help you know when the situation and timing are right. Check out the Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Webinar to learn more about growing group practice. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Ethical Business Practice for Psychotherapists (1 CE hour) Using Google Workspace in Private Practice Webinar Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course Get your FREE Financial Analysis Guide... Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the Google Workspace for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

Today I am lucky to have Manoj Kanagaraj from Grow Therapy join the show. Grow Therapy is a multi-state behavioral health group on a mission to help independent providers thrive. There are many benefits to working with Grow Therapy, and Manoj explains who will thrive working with them. If you are looking to dive into private practice, Grow Therapy might be right for you. Tune in as we talk about how Grow Therapy will help you collect from insurance companies, the importance of a community on your journey, and how to get started with Grow Therapy. Meet Manoj Kanagaraj Manoj Kanagaraj is an MD/MBA Candidate at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School. He is also co-founder of Grow Therapy, a startup enabling mental health professionals to offer more affordable, accessible, and integrated behavioral care. All About Grow Therapy Grow Therapy is a technology-enabled mental health group on a mission to help clients find affordable mental health care. They help their clinicians from a back-end standpoint. That way, mental health professionals don't have to worry about getting paid by insurance companies or having some base source of referrals. For clients with insurance, they could pay nothing. However, this will vary depending on their insurance plan. Overall, Grow Therapy is infrastructure or a back end for somebody who wants their own private practice to get more support, or it's for someone who hasn't started a private practice before. Many people want to take the step to private practice, and Grow Therapy helps those clinicians. Collecting From Insurance Companies Once you see a client, Grow Therapy will offer an estimated time of when you can expect that to get paid and how much would be based on the contract we have with the insurance company. Then, the Grow Therapy team will submit the claim, do all of the follow-ups, and go straight to the clinician's account. Technically, the clinicians are contractors for Grow Therapy. Grow Therapy started in Florida, and they built a pretty large community there. In Florida, they have close to 350 mental health professionals. Plus, they have a thriving community, and it's growing nicely. Now, they are moving into a handful of other states like Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and DC. Having A Community With Grow Therapy Anyone that joins Grow Therapy gets invited to their online community. You have the chance to meet hundreds of other folks who have taken the same leap or have been on this journey. Manoj says it's also been nice to see leaders grow and autonomously take positions within the community of starting peer support groups around specific topics. Mental health professionals are some of the best people, and luckily the community has flourished on its own. How To Get Started With Grow Therapy The important thing is whether we're if whether you're licensed in the states we currently are active in. However, it should be expanding pretty soon. The first step would be to go to Grow Therapy and enter some basic information about yourself. Then, someone will be in touch with you for an interview. Check out the provider page here: https://growtherapy.com/providers Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Manoj's Resources LinkedIn Grow Therapy Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course Get your FREE Financial Analysis Guide... Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the Google Workspace for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

Are you ready to make an impact? Andréa Jones helps coaches, consultants, thought leaders, and passion-led online business owners impact and empower more people through strategic social media marketing strategies. First, we talk about how to fight the overwhelm of social media. Then, we dive into the importance of starting small and staying consistent. Tune in as Andréa gives loads of social media tips, including the ABCs of writing captions. Meet Andréa Jones Andréa Jones is fiercely committed to empowering businesses to utilize the power of social media in a positive and impactful way, without being overwhelmed and drained by it. With over 7 years of experience in the game, Andréa hosts the acclaimed podcast Savvy Social Podcast, leads a team providing done-for-you service inside of her marketing agency that was named a Top Digital Marketing Agency in 2021, and serves over 200 students in her membership Savvy Social School. You can find her online at onlinedrea.com or @onlinedrea on Instagram. Fighting The Overwhelm of Social Media Feeling overwhelmed by social media is natural; social media can feel like another language sometimes. To fight the overwhelm, choose a platform that you are most comfortable with to get started. If you already have a personal Facebook account, then it can be easy to create a Facebook account for your private practice. Next, think about how you should spend time on these platforms. Andréa says you should focus on a time limit for social media. There's so much that goes into posts, and it may add to that overwhelming feeling when you spend too much time on one. So when you sit down to write those posts, try to spend one hour a week working on your social media content. Sometimes in that one hour, you may only put together one caption and snap a photo of your location, and that's okay. Throughout the week, check your account for ten minutes each day. Checking daily really helps build the muscle and the skills needed to do social media. Start Small With Social Media When we look at social media, sometimes we're looking at a team of people working on their social media accounts. People who are in private practice still hire a group of people to help them with their work. Even though you see a selfie, you see a video; sometimes, there's a team of people behind that. When you compare yourself to other people on social media, you're not giving yourself a fair chance. Overall, you will want to start small when it comes to your social media. Over time, you can add more people to help you out with your posts and your content. The Importance of Consistency First, start with one social media platform. Instead of having consistent posts, be consistent with the time that you spend on social media. You will get better at it naturally; just like anything, you will get better the more you practice. Focus on one platform and get consistent. Before you dive into social media, Andréa has an exercise that you can do. On one side of a piece of paper, write the word "before." On the other side, write the word "after." Now, think about your clients. What do they feel before working with you, and what do they feel after working with you. Write down all of these feelings. Later, these feelings can all be turned into social media posts. The ABCs of Writing A Caption Your captions on social media should follow the ABC rule. A: Grabbing attention in some way. Why would someone stop at your post when they are scrolling through social media? B: Benefit statement. Tell your followers why you want to help them and how you are going to do that. Focus on the feelings of your potential clients. C: Call to action. This is the part where we're extending our hands out; we're inviting them to take that next step with us. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Andrea's Resources Website Instagram Facebook Savvy Social School Social Media Rockstar Framework {Free Mini Course} Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Google Workspace The Webinar Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course Get your FREE Financial Analysis Guide... Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the Google Workspace for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

This episode is all about having a marketing plan for your private practice. I am lucky to be joined by Lisa Noble; she is a Brand Strategist and Web Designer. First, we talk about how relationship-building can be one of your most significant assets for marketing and getting more clients into your practice. Then, Lisa dives into social media trends and answers the question: which social media platform should I be on? Later, Lisa gives the scoop on how she starts from scratch when building a successful marketing plan for private practice owners. Meet Lisa Noble I'm Lisa M. Noble and as a Brand Strategist and Web Designer, I work with female therapists and entrepreneurs who are eager to build and grow their client loads. I specialize in brand and marketing strategies to help my therapists get the traffic and marketing pieces to running a private practice. I started this business because as a professional web designer working in corporate I learned that a website with no strategy behind it is just a pretty brochure. In that role, I got an insider's look and saw exactly how to create strategies that help businesses grow and make websites that convert sales. For over 15 years I've worked with business owners, therapists, and private practice owners, confused, and frustrated about how to move forward with their businesses so I know exactly what works and what doesn't! I believe that every therapist should work with the clients they would love to work with. Relationship Building To Boost Marketing When starting a marketing strategy, talk with your colleagues. Talk with people who are in your niche as well as those who are outside of it. When you start talking to them, you can first find out what they've already done as private practice owners; they've already paved the way and done some of the marketing that you need to do. In addition, these people will be a good referral source because their private practice will get full, especially now with what's going on during the pandemic. Please send an email to other private practice owners and ask them to get coffee or send them a Zoom invite. When it comes down to it, marketing is about building relationships. Social Media Trends In Private Practice Video is massive on social media right now. Many people don't want to hear it, but it's time to step out of your comfort zone and start making videos. People are trying to connect and decide who they want to talk to. So, get on video and show your mannerisms, show what you look like, how you speak, tell them your philosophies about certain things, and reveal your formula to help them. That way, potential clients can get an idea of how you will talk to them. Videos are the very key to bringing business in the door. If you're not sure which social media platform to start on, that is okay! You'll want to be on the social media platform that your ideal client is on. So, think about who your ideal client is. What do they like to do? Where do they like to hang out? What is their favorite social media platform? Then, you can determine what kind of social media platform you need to be on. Also, remember that social media is constantly changing, and different demographics jump on trends at various times. So, be sure to keep up to date with what's going on in the virtual world. Starting Your Marketing Plan From Scratch First, you'll want to know who your ideal customer is and get to know them. You'll want to know what your professional goals are and the goals of your ideal client. Next, you can create a logo and start looking at your social media channels. After, make a brand style guide that will cover every aspect of your business. What mood will your brand give off? What colors do you want to use? What fonts will you write in? Later, you can create your website and add content. You'll want to make sure to set up pages; it's so helpful when you're thinking about SEO. Not many people realize that SEO needs to be part of their marketing strategy. Eventually, PR will come into play. Sadly, many times, people will try to do a marketing plan by just throwing darts at the board and not really having a good plan in mind. If you don't know where you're going, then how are you going to get there? It's critical to have a plan in mind! Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Lisa's Resources Vivid Visual Solutions Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Google Workspace The Webinar Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course Get your FREE Financial Analysis Guide... Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the Google Workspace for Therapists Users Group Cool Reso

The sooner you start planning for retirement, the better off you're going to be in the long run. Even if it's just a tiny bit that you save towards your retirement, it's going to make a big difference! Judd Carlton is a financial advisor serving families, individuals, and businesses in Morristown, NJ. He explains the importance of thinking about retirement as soon as possible. Then, we dive into the more financial aspects of your practice. For instance, if you've got a group practice, Judd describes why you may want to create either a 401(k) for your employees or some other retirement plan within your practice. Plus, Judd reveals the differences between SEP IRA & SIMPLE IRA Plans. Meet Judd Carlton Judd Carlton is a financial advisor serving families, individuals, and businesses in Morristown, NJ, and beyond. He specializes in finance for business owners and mental health professionals, helping them align the finances of their practice with their long-term financial planning and investment objectives. Judd graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University with a BA in Economics and has an MS in Accounting from the Silberman College of Business at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He also holds the CFP® and AIF ® designations. Judd is also a husband, father of three girls, and dog dad. He posts, blogs, and makes YouTube videos on financial subjects that may be of interest to business owners, psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health group practice owners. Think About Retirement Early It's essential to start thinking early about retirement because, in the world of investing, time is on your side when you have a lot of it. The earlier you get started then, the better things will work out for you because of the power of compounding. Even starting five years or ten years sooner can make a huge difference. As you change and develop in your career, you might jump from an employee role to a self-employed role; then, the complication accelerates. The wise choice when it comes to investing in your retirement is to be conservative. You never want to have an issue or feel stressed about money. Once you cross those hurdles, it's good to start thinking about what's next. So that's often where Judd will offer some guidance about managing your cash flow while saving up for retirement. How To Approach Retirement There's a couple of ways to approach setting up the right retirement plan. First, you need to consider what kind of business structure you are working with. If you have a solo practice, saving for retirement will be a lot simpler to figure out. If you have a group practice, things are going to be more complicated. However, both will have great opportunities. A great way to start is with small and simple things. As time goes on, you can really be more methodical and look at every possibility. Hiring therapists can be challenging when there is a mental health crisis. So, you may want to offer therapists a 401(k) option as an incentive. Even as a small business, you can create a 401(k) that feels just like what a fortune 500 company might have. Later, you can start thinking about a pension plan. SEP IRA & SIMPLE IRA Plans Judd recommends a few different options when it comes to retirement plans. SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) plan provides employers a method to make contributions to the employees' retirement and their own retirement. The SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) gives employees a way to make salary reduction contributions, and the employer makes matching or nonelective contributions. Each plan has a limit on how high you can go. SEP goes a little bit higher, and there's less flexibility with this plan – everyone is going to get the same percent. Any financial planner or accountant can help you figure out which plan is right for you and your practice. Why You Should Consider A Roth IRA The Roth IRA was introduced for people who are early in their career or for people who do not want to save. Some of the regular IRA plans are not that helpful when you are in a lower tax bracket. When you put money into the Roth, you don't get any deductions. However, that money is going to grow for years and years. When you take that money out, it's going to be completely income tax-free. That's going to be tremendous savings; it's a powerful tool. If you're newer to your career and you want to start saving money, Judd highly recommends starting a Roth IRA. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Judd's Resources Email Judd: [email protected] Judd's Website Judd on LinkedIn Judd on YouTube Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course Get your FREE Financial Analysis Guide... Google Workspace for T

In this episode, Whitney Owens opens the show by explaining the importance of having grace and acceptance on your private practice journey. If you aren't as productive as you want to be, learn from your mistakes and make better choices moving forward. Whitney also explains why she does a time study to determine where she spends most of her working hours and what she can improve on in the future. Plus, Whitney reveals why learning more about Enneagrams has taken her business to the next level, and we chat about using faith in private practice. Meet Whitney Owens I enjoy working with both adults and adolescents on an individual basis. I have experience working with those suffering from depression, anxiety, self-harming behaviors, identity formation, relational issues, and other mood disorders. I use a variety of therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. I have been seeing clients since 2009 in a variety of settings. While earning my Master in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University, I saw young adults at a residential treatment facility. In 2010 I moved to Colorado where I spent four years working at an inpatient and day treatment facility. Also while in Colorado, I joined a group practice and saw teenagers and adults. In 2014 I moved back to Savannah and started Water's Edge Counseling. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a member of the American Counseling Association and the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia. In addition to counseling, I also offer a number of other services including training and speaking engagements. I have been invited to local organizations such as churches and schools to educate on leadership, adolescent issues, parenting, family concerns, and mental health. As well, I have spoken at retreats focused on helping women heal and find themselves. I have also spoken at youth meetings to adolescents. Please let me know about your next event and how I can help. Practice Grace And Acceptance The most important thing is that private practice owners need to provide themselves is grace and acceptance. When a day doesn't go the way you want it to, or maybe you don't prioritize everything the way you would wish to, it's best to learn from it. Always take a lesson from the mistakes that you make and make better choices moving forward. Never beat yourself up for something! Delegating has been huge for Whitney as she works on managing more and more in her personal life and professional life. She relies on her husband tremendously when she needs help around the house and their children. Conduct A Time Study A time study is significant because our time gets away from us, and we have no idea where we spend it. From a financial standpoint, it's essential to know where your time is going. If you have a side hustle for your practice, think about where you spend your time and which one is bringing you more income. Also, think about where you can delegate more. If you're spending too much time in one area and not getting enough money, consider having more delegation efforts. That way, you can focus your time on the area that will bring you the most income. Making a list will help you see where you can save time throughout the day. Consider Joining A Mastermind Group Do you want to grow a faith-based group practice? Whitney's favorite thing about consulting is the group work that she gets to do with people. Specifically, she loves mastermind groups because you see these great connections come together in a small group of people working on their business. Whitney's mastermind group is for people who have a faith-based practice. In the group, they talk about religion when appropriate, but they also work on their businesses. Luckily, Whitney and her group get to pray for each other and use their faith to help make business decisions together. If you want to learn more about Growing Your Faith-Based Practice with Faith in Practice Mastermind, check out the link: https://practiceofthepractice.lpages.co/faith-mastermind/. Learn More About Enneagrams When Whitney learned that the Enneagram Type 1 has a critical voice in their head at all times, she was confused. Whitney thought that everyone had a critical voice in their head. Also, Enneagram Type 1 carries anger around with them; they are angry at the world for being so messed up. These simple things spoke to Whitney. After digging into the Enneagram Type 1, Whitney understands herself so much better. Now Whitney uses it to understand other people and help other people know themselves. In fact, Whitney is planning an Enneagram Type 1 training for all of her staff next week. Overall, Whitney does it with all her clients, and she does it with everyone she consults; it really helps move treatment and businesses along. Learn more about Enneagrams by checking out Ian Cron's work: https://ianmorgancron.com/. Being transparent… Some of the

In this episode, Jessica from Simplified SEO Consulting joins the show. First, Jessica explains how she has learned to accept her imperfections when it comes to time management. Remember, therapists can't be all things to all people all of the time! Plus, Jessica tells us what she has done to make her email inbox so much more manageable. Tune in as Jessica gives loads of tips on SEO and how to get your counseling website to rank higher on Google. Meet Jessica Tappana Jessica Tappana started her private practice on her maternity leave about 20 months ago. After filling up in only a matter of months, she decided to bring on other therapists as 1099s and transitioned Aspire Counseling into a group practice. Worried about how she would fill the caseloads of these new therapists, Jessica tried several different marketing strategies. Ultimately, she decided to focus on getting her website to the first page of Google and began teaching herself SEO at nights after her kids were in bed. Slowly after gathering a couple of tips here and there, she got her website to the first page for nearly every keyword she targets. Aspire Counseling has grown to now include five therapists and a virtual assistant! In fact, all of the therapists are nearly full, and Jessica hopes to find a few more quality team members in the months to come. Meanwhile, Jessica has discovered a passion for teaching other private practice owners what she has learned about website Search Engine Optimization. As a private practice SEO Consultant, she has had the opportunity to work with therapists from around the country sharing her SEO secrets. She's both optimized websites for private practices AND has taught therapists how to do the SEO work themselves through Zoom meetings and enjoyed watching their sites begin to climb to the first page of Google even in larger metropolitan areas like Atlanta or Houston. Recently Jessica released a FREE 7-day e-mail series that teaches therapists all the necessary information they need to know and has received positive feedback across the board from other practice owners who are raving about the vast amount of information covered in only seven e-mails. Accepting Imperfections Around Time Management Accepting your imperfections and accepting your reality will be critical when it comes to time management. Some people always think they can see one more client during the day. However, you'll start to realize that's not always practical. In reality, you can do better if you accept your limitations as a private practice owner and as a therapist. Drawing boundaries will help you stay more present in everything that you do. Remember, you can't be everything to everyone all of the time. When you have healthy boundaries between work and your personal life, you will be a better therapist because of it. Managing Your Email Inbox Jessica has started getting some help with managing her email inbox. Many people find that they put incredible pressure on themselves to respond to emails immediately or within twenty-four hours. Depending on how full your inbox is, that can be impossible. That's why Jessica is outsourcing help for her email work. Of course, there are emails that she needs to respond to personally. However, those go into a particular folder for her to check periodically. In fact, Jessica is getting help from Uriah Guilford, who made an appearance on The Practice of Therapy Podcast episode 176. His 7-Day Email Transformation Challenge has been a total game-changer for Jessica and how she runs her inbox. Outsourcing Your SEO Jessica outsources a lot of her private practice SEO. Even though Jessica is knowledgeable in SEO, she has trained all her staff to do it. Jessica realized that she doesn't need to be the one to optimize all of her blog posts. When Jessica first started her website, absolutely no one was clicking on it. However, Jessica learned everything she needed to know about SEO and applied it to her counseling website. Now, Jessica has a full practice and a thriving business. At Simplified SEO Consulting, Jessica helps her clients get to the top of search engines. That way, therapists can fill their caseloads and reach their ideal clients. If you're looking to learn more about SEO, Jessica has Online SEO Courses for DIY Practice Owners. SEO Tip: Content Is Key Content will be your best asset when it comes to SEO for your private practice website. Therapists are always worried about writing the right thing. When you write a lot on your website, therapists often think that their potential clients aren't going to read the content. Well, Jessica says a great way to improve readability is by creating subheadings for your content. That way, if someone is scanning the page, they can find exactly what they are looking for when reading the subheadings. You need enough information on your website for Google to know what your content is all about. If you don't have enough content, Google won't pull your website up when so

In this episode, Uriah of Productive Therapist joins the show. Uriah thinks that life is too short to burn out early. So, Uriah gives us tips on conquering the overwhelm and growing your practice seamlessly with the least amount of stress possible. First, we chat about how you can conquer the email overwhelm by using the inbox zero method and only checking your inbox three times a day. Later, Uriah reveals the three keys to productivity, and we talk about personal knowledge management. Meet Uriah Guilford I am a licensed therapist & group practice owner. I want to help you be more productive, profitable & happy with your business and your life. Basically, work less and get more done! If you have achieved any level of success in your private practice then you can relate to the following. You have more tasks to complete than hours in the day. You work super hard because you are passionate and want to grow. Sometimes you neglect your self-care and other important things in your life. Not so great right!? That is why I have built a team of amazing virtual assistants for practice owners just like you! Hiring a virtual assistant in 2012 was one of the best decisions I ever made. It allowed me to double my business income without feeling like I was losing my mind. Actually, go on vacation and not be tied to my iPhone the whole time. And serve my clients better! It made such a massive difference for me and it can for you as well! If this sounds interesting, check out our services page and the most frequently asked questions we get all the time. Helping Therapists Conquer Email Overwhelm Do you feel frustrated and overwhelmed with your email inbox? In Uriah's 7-Day Email Transformation Challenge, there are basically seven days of tips that have pretty quick action steps. On day two, he talks about batching; it's the simple idea of taking similar tasks, putting them together, and doing them simultaneously. So when you apply that to email, it means checking and processing email at certain times, but not throughout your day, not constantly. Uriah has made a massive change just this week - whenever his workday is done, he will close his email so that when he gets back to the computer the next day, he won't see his emails right away. Uriah created a schedule to process emails three times a day: nine, twelve, and three. Uriah hasn't been perfect. However, this week has made a huge difference so far because he is getting a lot more things done when he is spending hours away from his inbox. Typically, when someone has an email – they feel the urge to respond to it right away. Take away the urge! Reaching Inbox Zero Inbox zero means processing all your emails to the point where there are zero emails left. Uriah personally likes to be at inbox zero. Whether you have ten emails or one hundred emails, responding to the essential people and taking care of the things that are top priorities will be crucial. When you pay less attention to your inbox, you may not process every email you have. However, you can snooze the emails that are not urgent for you to respond to that day. Gmail has the most powerful tools for organizing – it lets you create filters and sort messages to prevent inbox overload. The Three Keys of Productivity Uriah highly recommends checking out Michael Hyatt's book, Free to Focus A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less. In the book, Michael speaks about the three keys of productivity: elimination, automation, and delegation. So, Uriah likes to strategize with therapists to remove things from their calendar and their to-do list. We automatically add things that we think we need to be doing to our calendar. So whatever you can eliminate from your schedule and your to-do list is going to help you free up your time and let you focus on the important stuff. Also, automate anything that you can! For instance, Gmail has filters that you can help automate your email process. Lastly, delegation is Uriah's favorite productivity hack. Anything that you can get off your plate and have somebody else take care of for you will immediately free up your time and help you be more productive. The Problem Of Success When you start a private practice, you have a revenue goal. However, you don't know what it will feel like you when you get there. Handling all the calls while seeing clients while updating QuickBooks is going to be overwhelming. Also, we may not be the best person to be taking on all of these different tasks. You can find a competent person, whether it's a virtual assistant or somebody you hire, that comes into your office to take over that role. If you are busy seeing clients, then your phone is going to be sent to voicemail. In the meantime, those people are calling other counselors and shopping around. So, it's critical to have someone answer your phones while you're in session – you simply cannot do both! Most people wait too long to hire someone to help with their phones. Personal Knowledge Mana

Are you ready to go from burnt-out to connected and confident? Kathryn Esquer created a professional organization for the next generation of therapists called the Teletherapist Network. We chat about how her group has evolved during Covid and current concerns about the mental health crisis. We speak about the problem with mobile mental health apps and what you need to know about the open note policy that started on April 21st. Tune in as we talk about the importance of consultation on your private practice journey. Meet Kathryn Esquer Kathryn Esquer is a Clinical Psychologist and MBA graduate. She currently works in her rural hometown in central Pennsylvania providing outpatient mental health services integrated into primary care. She loved her career, but COVID helped her realize that something was missing from her private practice. The clinical work was rewarding, but she felt professionally isolated and uninspired. She also knew consultation was a critical part of the ethical practice but didn't know where to find it. So, Kathryn created the Teletherapist Network for modern therapists to crowdsource the knowledge and experiences of other private practice teletherapists so that members can develop their clinical and business skills, all while staying connected to their mission and preventing burnout. The Teletherapist Network During Covid Kathryn didn't want to practice teletherapy alone. That's why she created a premier organization for the next generation of therapists in private practice at Teletherapist Network. It has been really great to have that support throughout Covid from other therapists. Luckily, Kathryn has been able to rely on her newfound peers in a way that she was not able to do remotely at the start of Covid. Kathryn says it's impeccable to hear all different perspectives from around the United States. Plus, there are even international members. So hearing what's going on in India, Australia, or the UK has been fascinating. Connecting across vast distances and time zones has been a humbling experience. Find A Community For Referrals One of the biggest things Kathryn hears is that a lot of us are entirely full and above capacity as private practitioners. Everyone has a massive waitlist. Plus, therapists are having trouble finding referrals of therapists who are not full. While on the other hand, there are therapists that are having difficulty filling their caseload. For Kathryn, she wants to figure out how to reduce the gap. How do we help the clinicians looking for clients and match them to the appropriate referral? We need to figure out how to get the people who are overbooked and overworked less stressed. At the Teletherapist Network, they have been working on referrals every single day. There needs to be a better system. Kathryn says it's so important for therapists, psychologists, and counselors to tap into our communities. That way, we can refer to each other and help build each other's practices. A lot of people seeking mental health treatment are falling through the cracks. Sadly, they don't know where to turn. Therapists can't save the world. However, if you can come up with a system or a community to find and give referrals, then it will be a massive help. Mobile Mental Health Apps The advent of mobile and mental health apps has been a huge pain point. New clinicians or clinicians who have moved states need income but don't have time to wait. Sometimes these clinicians feel their only options are these companies that pay horrendously. However, these companies might be great for clients and connecting them with easily accessible mental health resources. However, they're diluting and bringing down the value of our services. People going into private practice undervaluing what they are worth. Therapists need to realize that their services are worth a lot more than they think. Open Note Policy Any certified EHR system needs to grant access or remove any barriers from the patient to access their health records for their clinical notes. Starting April 21st, you will need to reduce the obstacles for your clients to see their notes. This brings up a whole new dynamic in terms of clinical documentation for mental health. There is utility in a client reading their notes. For instance, they will see what their doctor recommended in case they forget. Therapists should proceed with caution on how we document things and how we communicate with our clients about what's being documented. Ultimately it will help us have greater transparency and accountability in the field. However, it's such a significant shift right now that many people are having a hard time with that. The Importance Of Consultation Kathryn didn't realize how much she was missing until starting the Teletherapist Network. She had no idea what was going on in the world of therapy until she began to hear from other therapists around the country and around the world. Consulting with peers is essential for clinical work. It is the

Dr. David Geier is a double-board certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, media medical expert, and host of the new podcast, The MEDIA PROS Show. Dr. Geier has the formula to make it into the media. As private practice owners, you want to establish yourself as an expert and be well-known. Plus, it would be best to make sure that the people who need your help can find you. So, the media is a great way to do that! Tune in to learn quick, simple tips to grow your business by serving as an expert on your topic in the media. Meet Dr. David Geier In his practice and on his online platform, he helps people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries, or medical conditions. Having done well over 2,500 TV, radio, podcast, newspaper, magazine, and online publication interviews, he now coaches experts to help them grow their practices by getting interviewed as an expert in the media. Media For Beginners Where you want to start depends on what you are trying to achieve. First, Dr. David says to figure out what you want to accomplish by doing media appearances. What's your message going to be? You'll want to narrow down who you want to help and why you want to help them. Brainstorm everything that comes to mind for your message. It can be based on your ideal patient, problems you like to solve, and what you are looking to attract. Your message should be one or two sentences. It will help media and reporters think of you when a topic comes up. Sure, you're a therapist, but are you known by a specific niche? If you specialize in divorce, then people in the media will remember that you're a person that knows everything about divorces! Reaching Out To The Media Dr. David is a big believer in developing relationships with writers, reporters, and journalists. These relationships can be with people in newspapers, magazines, radio shows, TV shows, and reporters. The value of the media isn't in being seen one time. The value of media is repetition. When you make a media appearance, that person is already thinking of other stories they will use you as an expert. Overall, the value of the media is in developing those relationships. That way, the media will ask you back when your niche comes up again in the news. So, identify the types of media that would help build your practice, where you can contribute information that would be helpful, and then start to build those relationships. When you make those relationships, it will pay off for years to come. Help A Reporter HARO is a great way to start a relationship with reporters. There are 800,000 + HARO users connecting with journalists. The website will send you emails three times a day (5:35 a.m., 12:35 p.m., and 5:35 p.m. ET), Monday through Friday. Check the emails and look out for source requests relevant to your industry, expertise, or personal experience. Dr. David says the trick with HARO is responding to those emails quickly. Most likely, you won't get picked unless you respond within thirty minutes to an hour of their request. You may be wondering how this can help your therapy practice. If you can put that you were used as a resource for USA Today, it will help you build your credibility. Patients can see that on your website and know that you are the real deal! Relationships With The Media Are Key Relationships are the key! You won't get media appearances unless you can show how you're helping. The reporter wants to know that you're an expert in your field. That's the actual value of media over advertising. When you watch an ad, you know that somebody is trying to sell you something. There is nothing inherently wrong with selling things. However, people generally trust what they hear in the context of a news show much more than advertising. A good goal would be to get a media appearance at least once a month. Offer simple tips to help people. It may not be something they need now, but it can be something they need down the road. That way, when the situation does arise, they will think of you first. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Dr. David Geier's Resources Website MEDIA PROS Coaching Facebook Twitter YouTube The MEDIA PROS Show Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. HARO Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course (Use Code: April2021) Get your FREE Financial Analysis Guide... Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog

Have you done your taxes yet? My guest, Danielle Hayden, created The Profit Planner to help business owners know how to analyze their business correctly, generate more profits easily, and gain greater confidence in business and by getting really intimate with their financials. Lucky for us, this episode is all about knowing your numbers. Danielle explains exactly which numbers you need to know and where you can get started. Plus, we chat about accounting software, the importance of building a financial reserve, and what you need to know about self-employment taxes. Meet Danielle Hayden Danielle Hayden is a reformed corporate CFO (chief financial officer) who is on a mission to help rule-breaking female entrepreneurs understand their numbers so they can gain the confidence needed to create sustainable profits. After spending 10+ years in the boardroom as a corporate finance officer, Danielle is now in her sweet spot as the co-owner of Kickstart Accounting, Inc. where she helps business owners with bookkeeping, financial analysis, and education and as the author of the Profit Planner book series. Know Your Numbers What numbers do you even need to know? Danielle says she could spend one hour on this question. When someone says, "know your numbers," they want you to understand your financial statements at a high level. Many people are big fans of profit first; so, you can have a combination of knowing your numbers and the profit first allocation. You should also understand your profit and loss statement and how you can prepare for tax season. When you have these things down, that means you are making smart business decisions all year long. When you're making smart business decisions, then you are maximizing your tax deductions. Overall, we need to pay ourselves as business owners and invest enough money in the business, but not too much money. Where Private Practice Owners Can Start The very first place you want to start is by having accounting software set up. So you'll always have your client management software, and then you'll have accounting software. It doesn't matter where you are in your journey – it's never too early or too late to get the accounting software you need to thrive. Give yourself grace! Tax management is a critical long-term business decision. Next, you'll need to do "catch up." You'll want to put all your expenses into this software. Once all the data is in, you have a starting point. Think about how much money you brought in, where you spent the money, and any surprises in the process. Accounting Software To Consider QuickBooks is an excellent place for private practice owners to work on their accounting. Danielle loves QuickBooks so much that she includes it in her costs. Xero is another popular system, and it's easy to use. Plus, Wave Accounting is free software. It is award-winning financial software designed for entrepreneurs. However, there are some limitations. Danielle says that you should plan for where you want to be. Eventually, you will outgrow a system like Wave because you will want more reporting as you get bigger. Sadly, Wave doesn't have all the reports that you need. Whereas QuickBooks will grow with your practice. Start where you're at and then build on more sophisticated software. Stay away from invoicing software that has turned into accounting software like GoDaddy. How Often You Should Check Your Numbers With Danielle, there are three options: weekly, monthly, and quarterly. If you can be in tune with your financials every week, that is the gold standard. That might mean a weekly dashboard of where your cash balance is at. It would help if you also double-check your collection issues on a weekly basis. If weekly feels like a big ask, you will want to look over your finances every month. Check your sales for the previous month and compare them to past months. Once we have the basic financial information, you can also know how much money is set aside for taxes. Looking at your finances monthly, you can make quick and better financial decisions. If you are paying for software that doesn't make you money, you can quickly decide to get rid of it. Building A Financial Reserve When you know your numbers and your financials in front of you, you can start to look at how much you need to reserve. Some people say to save three to six months of your expenses. However, do you even know what that number is? Your numbers are trying to tell you a story, it's your job to read the story. Know your expenses and slowly transfer money over to a savings account. Your savings account will be your rainy day operating fund. Start moving that money over there so that you can build three to six months' worth of savings. Also, it's critical to know your slow times; most people will have a slow time of the year. Self-Employment Taxes The mental health crisis is causing a tremendous amount of growth for therapists. Danielle says to watch your growth. It is imperative to monitor your development

In this episode, Marisol talks about the significance of having a niche as it relates to getting more clients. Also, having a niche can improve your SEO results. For Marisol, she enjoys having sex therapy as her niche. We talk about her journey to becoming a sex therapist and advice for people who are venturing into this space. Later, we chat about the importance of outsourcing when it comes to saving time and money – plus, it can even make you money in the long run! Meet Marisol Westberg Hi, I am Dr. Westberg and I am a sex therapist and couple's counselor in Portland, OR. I am a board-certified sexologist (ACS), certified sex educator (AASECT), and a licensed couple's counselor (LMFT). I am a former Professor in the Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy Program at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. I coordinated the Sex Therapy Track and supervised students in their clinical training. I have offices in both Portland and Seattle but am doing only virtual sessions at the moment. Sex Therapy As A Niche Marisol says that the sex therapy niche landed on her lap rather than looking for it. It just started because she was teaching a course on sex therapy. Marisol had never done one case of sex therapy. Interestingly, she began teaching as she was starting out her private practice journey. As soon as she started to focus on sex therapy, her practice started to flourish. With a sex therapy niche, Marisol had a lot more people contacting her; she realized creating that niche was really a way to grow her practice. Sadly, there's a lot of stigma and shame and all that kind of stuff around the sex therapy niche. When we're training, or when we're going to school, they do teach us a minimal amount of what we should do with human sexuality. Most of the courses in person or online on sex therapy still continue to expand on the human sexuality piece. However, they don't really focus on the therapeutic part, like how we get people to move through their issues? Moving To Telehealth During Covid Marisol is a fan of the business side of things. She likes to expand on different aspects of her private practice. So when Covid hit, Marisol saw that everything was going to Zoom. So, it made business sense to stop paying rent. Marisol decided to cut her costs, leave the city, and live on a beach. If you do go out of the country, you save yourself from paying a lot of the income tax because the income you're getting is from a different country. It's $100,000 that you don't have to pay income taxes on. Making Sex Therapy Effective It is a complicated piece in sex therapy to address sexual desire. All the interventions presented out there are counter-therapeutic. Actually, it creates more of a problem. Sadly, the solution creates more of the problem. For example, some people with low sexual desire say you just have to push yourself more. They think you just have to find ways to increase your sexual desire and just go do it. The reality is that these solutions are mostly very gendered. Women are constantly pushing themselves to be more sexual. However, that's just not how desire works. When women push themselves, it creates trauma. In reality, a lack of sexual desire is affected by being tired and being stressed. To solve the problem, women should work on being less tired and less stressed. Women can light candles and do yoga. Slowly touching your partner will also help. Make sure there is nothing forceful going on. Outsourcing SEO Work Marisol saw a significant shift in the private practice world with outsourcing. She does all her own website design and social media. However, when she hired somebody to do the actual SEO stuff, that pulled her up in the search results. Some people are just straight out of school and haven't had a lot of time with their website. Yet, they are still number two in Google. There's a lot more to website work than some people can even imagine. A little money will go a long way when it comes to getting your website found. When running a business, it's important to recognize when you can bootstrap and when you can outsource. Sometimes, outsourcing will save you a lot of time and money. Plus, in the long run, it can even make you money! Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Marisol's Resources Website LinkedIn Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Fo

Nearly 1 in 5 adults experience a severe mental illness in their lifetime. Dr. Tom Young is a physician, and he has developed a screening tool for other professionals in the health industry. The tool helps physicians realize when they need to refer out to mental health providers. I'm looking forward to you hearing from Dr. Tom and learning about the technology that he's put together with his team at nView Health. Plus, we chat about the use of innovative technology and data insights to positively impact all those who serve this vulnerable population. Meet Dr. Tom Young Dr. Tom Young is the co-founder and chief medical officer of nView Health, an innovative software company that helps you better identify, treat and monitor patients with behavioral health conditions, featuring the world's most trusted digital assessment – the M.I.N.I. Primary care physicians make 80% of diagnoses and decisions around behavioral health and get it wrong 92% of the time. nView's suite of online behavioral health solutions empowers primary care physicians, pediatricians, behavioral health practices, psychiatrists, therapists, and counselors who specialize in identifying and treating patients with mental health, substance abuse, and other behavioral health disorders to get it right 98% of the time. Intersecting Mental & Physical Health Most family physicians find that there is so much more to their patients than physical health. Of course, there is always the mental aspect of our health. Like most young physicians, Dr. Young was not taught much about mental health back in those days. However, Dr. Young taught medicine for several years, and in those adventures, he began to think more about it. All along the way, he started to understand the depth of opportunity that needed to happen between primary care providers and people's mental health providers. So, Dr. Young began his journey on finding ways to intersect those two worlds, hence nView Health. The Mental Health Covid Crisis The concept of mental health has really changed over the last 12 months because of the pandemic. The mental health tsunami behind the pandemic increased anxiety and increased depression. Now, mental health professionals are trying to keep up with the demand. Sadly, it's affecting all ages of people, and we're seeing children needing mental health assistance now a lot more than before. Unfortunately, more than 5 million children in America have some serious mental illness that significantly interferes with their daily lives. The critical issue for primary care is getting the proper initial assessment. However, if a doctor doesn't know what to look for, they will not be able to spot an issue. So, Dr. Young provides a tool that's quick and easy. It only takes a couple of minutes for the patient to fill out, and it really lets the primary care provider decide where they should focus their energy. Dr. Young's Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) — has been used in patient care and clinical research for more than 25 years. Coordinating Mental & Physical Care For the most part, primary care providers want to understand how their patient is doing. Like any other referral process in medicine, doctors will send their patients to you with the hopes that you're able to help them. Then, the patient will come back in between for something medical. That doctor should be able to converse with them about their progress with you in that visit. However, if the doctors don't know what's going on, they will feel left out of the healing process. Then, that's where some of the fractured relationships occur. Sadly, doctors will send a patient for care and then never hear back. Some ways to coordinate care are through phones, tracking tools, and assessments. Using Data As A Therapist Dr. Young's daughter is a therapist; she found that this assessment tool was great for her work. First, she gets to provide data back to her referring physicians. Plus, she can see how her practice is doing. As she grew her practice using the interview tools, it gave them greater confidence in each therapist's diagnostic skills. It's a beautiful tool because therapists want to know if their patients are getting better. Well, how do you know that? If you use a tracking tool attached to the right assessment tools, you have the data that shows you what's going on. While on the other hand, you'll have the data to know if your patient is, in fact, not getting better and maybe needing more assistance. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Dr. Young's Resources nView Health LinkedIn Young Healthcare Consultants Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private

Welcome back to the Website Redesign Series - this is part two. If you haven't already, I invite you to go back and listen to the previous episode. I have my good friend and website guru Daniel Fava with me. He is from Private Practice Elevation, and I am so grateful for his assistance! We are chatting all about the website redesign project that I have started. In part two, we walk through the nuts and bolts of what needs to get done to take your private practice website to the next level. If you want to see the final product, check out Kingsport Counseling here: https://kingsportcounseling.com/. Meet Daniel Fava Daniel Fava is a father, husband, podcaster, website consultant, and founder of Create My Therapist Website and Private Practice Elevation. He helps therapists create websites and attract more clients online. After building a website for his wife's private practice and seeing the impact it had on her business, he became passionate about helping others achieve the same. Daniel offers web design services, SEO services, consultations, and online training to help therapists grow their business through online marketing. You can get free access to his library of PDFs, cheatsheets, and ebooks by clicking here. The Importance of a Website for Your Private Practice The importance of having a website is so critical for your private practice's health - we can't emphasize that enough. As we said in the previous episode, it's more important than the building you work in and your office location in terms of bringing in new clients. Your website is the front of your private practice. When people ask you, what's the face of your business? Well, it's your website! It's the face of your brand. Often, the first interaction that someone's going to have with your private practice is on your website. Even when someone gets a referral from a friend, they will still check out your website. Why Your Website Could Use A Redesign Is your website already working? If you get loads of referrals from your website, then that means it's working well! Daniel loves to work with clients that already get referrals from their websites. If that's you, it means your online presence is already working in some sense. There are all these little things that we can do that will make your website even better. For instance, it can always look better on mobile devices. When it looks better, it will then convert better because we can focus on making sure that your contact information is in the right place. Also, a website facelift can make you look more professional, so that can help increase conversions. Keep Your Website Active Daniel always receives this question first, "what's going to happen to my current website while you're building the new website?" The good news is your current website can stay up and stay alive. We don't want to take it down while you're working on this new project because maybe that new project will take you about six weeks to complete. If you DIY your website, it may take even longer depending on how much time you devote to it. So, obviously, we want to keep business coming in; we want to make sure that your website is still there. Get Help For Duplicating Your Website To keep your website active, you will need to duplicate it. There can be issues that arise when duplicating a website because you have different hosting environments and PHP languages. It's great if you have the money to invest in getting professional help for your website because receiving help will save you loads of time, and it will save you headaches. No one wants to be on Google to figure out why something isn't working or spending time on support chat. However, if you know to get this done on your own, then there are WordPress duplication plugins that you can use. Make sure you follow their instructions! Otherwise, it can get messy quickly. Redesigning Page-By-Page A website facelift will start to get a little complicated when it comes to the design part of it. Many people think they can get a new theme, turn it on, and it's going to look great. However, that's not the case, especially if your website is pretty old. Each WordPress theme has a different way of showing your content, displaying images and headers. Divi is the theme that Daniel likes to use with his custom design clients. So, you migrate the website over, and then you install the Divi Theme on WordPress. Next, turn it on! When you look at your pages, you'll probably see all this short code. There is still plenty of work to do when you're redesigning the website, and it has to be completed page-by-page. That's where it can be a time suck for many people. Tune in as we chat about the difference between Squarespace, WordPress, and Wix. Plus, we talk about website plugins, design tips, and SEO. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! D

Welcome back to the Website Redesign Series - this is part two. If you haven't already, I invite you to go back and listen to the previous episode. I have my good friend and website guru Daniel Fava with me. He is from Private Practice Elevation, and I am so grateful for his assistance! We are chatting all about the website redesign project that I have started. In part two, we walk through the nuts and bolts of what needs to get done to take your private practice website to the next level. If you want to see the final product, check out Kingsport Counseling here: https://kingsportcounseling.com/. Meet Daniel Fava Daniel Fava is a father, husband, podcaster, website consultant, and founder of Create My Therapist Website and Private Practice Elevation. He helps therapists create websites and attract more clients online. After building a website for his wife's private practice and seeing the impact it had on her business, he became passionate about helping others achieve the same. Daniel offers web design services, SEO services, consultations, and online training to help therapists grow their business through online marketing. You can get free access to his library of PDFs, cheatsheets, and ebooks by clicking here. The Importance of a Website for Your Private Practice The importance of having a website is so critical for your private practice's health - we can't emphasize that enough. As we said in the previous episode, it's more important than the building you work in and your office location in terms of bringing in new clients. Your website is the front of your private practice. When people ask you, what's the face of your business? Well, it's your website! It's the face of your brand. Often, the first interaction that someone's going to have with your private practice is on your website. Even when someone gets a referral from a friend, they will still check out your website. Why Your Website Could Use A Redesign Is your website already working? If you get loads of referrals from your website, then that means it's working well! Daniel loves to work with clients that already get referrals from their websites. If that's you, it means your online presence is already working in some sense. There are all these little things that we can do that will make your website even better. For instance, it can always look better on mobile devices. When it looks better, it will then convert better because we can focus on making sure that your contact information is in the right place. Also, a website facelift can make you look more professional, so that can help increase conversions. Keep Your Website Active Daniel always receives this question first, "what's going to happen to my current website while you're building the new website?" The good news is your current website can stay up and stay alive. We don't want to take it down while you're working on this new project because maybe that new project will take you about six weeks to complete. If you DIY your website, it may take even longer depending on how much time you devote to it. So, obviously, we want to keep business coming in; we want to make sure that your website is still there. Get Help For Duplicating Your Website To keep your website active, you will need to duplicate it. There can be issues that arise when duplicating a website because you have different hosting environments and PHP languages. It's great if you have the money to invest in getting professional help for your website because receiving help will save you loads of time, and it will save you headaches. No one wants to be on Google to figure out why something isn't working or spending time on support chat. However, if you know to get this done on your own, then there are WordPress duplication plugins that you can use. Make sure you follow their instructions! Otherwise, it can get messy quickly. Redesigning Page-By-Page A website facelift will start to get a little complicated when it comes to the design part of it. Many people think they can get a new theme, turn it on, and it's going to look great. However, that's not the case, especially if your website is pretty old. Each WordPress theme has a different way of showing your content, displaying images and headers. Divi is the theme that Daniel likes to use with his custom design clients. So, you migrate the website over, and then you install the Divi Theme on WordPress. Next, turn it on! When you look at your pages, you'll probably see all this short code. There is still plenty of work to do when you're redesigning the website, and it has to be completed page-by-page. That's where it can be a time suck for many people. Tune in as we chat about the difference between Squarespace, WordPress, and Wix. Plus, we talk about website plugins, design tips, and SEO. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! D

Your website is ground-zero for marketing your private practice and fueling your business with new leads and clients. In this particular interview, we chat all about my private practice website redesign. Daniel Fava has been just gracious enough to partner with me and hold my hand as we go through this. This episode is part one of a two-part series – we examine the questions you need to ask yourself before starting a website redesign. Be sure to listen next week for the second part of this series. We will dive into the nuts and bolts around this particular project. If you want to see the final product, check out Kingsport Counseling here: https://kingsportcounseling.com/. Meet Daniel Fava Daniel Fava is a father, husband, podcaster, website consultant, and founder of Create My Therapist Website and Private Practice Elevation. He helps therapists create websites and attract more clients online. After building a website for his wife's private practice and seeing the impact it had on her business, he became passionate about helping others achieve the same. Daniel offers web design services, SEO services, consultations, and online training to help therapists grow their business through online marketing. You can get free access to his library of PDFs, cheatsheets, and ebooks by clicking here. Why Do You Want To Redesign Your Website? Why do you want to redesign your private practice website? Especially, think about why you want to switch it up right now. Most people will say that their website is pretty old and outdated. However, it goes a lot deeper than that. A website is and should be an investment into the future of your business. It's the way that people will find you, and it can be just a great tool to bring lots of traffic to your practice and convert that traffic into new clients. So, if you are interested in a private practice redesign, then think about your why. Your Business Goals Will Drive The Website Redesign Once you know your 'why,' then it's time to think about your business. If your private practice needs a new website, it will help clean up the front of your business. With a clean website, you can be responsive to your clients. Also, when redesigning your website, it's critical to increase your visibility in Google search engines. However, we also need to think about your goals when it comes to private practice. So, now you need to think about the most crucial aspect of your website and the most important goals you have for your business for the next 12 months. For instance, many people have the goal to get more telehealth clients. Then, we need to make sure that people are aware on your website that you offer telehealth and in which states. Consider Hiring A Website Professional As far as a redesign goes, the best place to start is with the why. Before starting your redesign, it will be critical to think about the goals you want to hit next year. When you start looking at your goals and vision, you might need to think a little bit bigger when it comes to your redesign. If your goals are big enough, Daniel highly recommends getting help with your website. Reach out to a professional to build the website because you might end up spending a ton of time and some money on trying to put it all together on your own. Making a website without any help can be very time-consuming. You may have better luck investing in someone that's going to increase those conversions. Working With Daniel Fava If you're looking for some professional help with your website redesign, I highly recommend working with Daniel. To get the process started, Daniel will have a 15-minute call to uncover the issues holding you back and put together a plan to help you reach your goals. If you're not ready for a complete redesign, Daniel has loads of free website and SEO resources to help you elevate your online presence and market your private practice. You can check those out HERE. Lastly, be sure to check out the redesign we did on Kingsport Counseling, and let me know what you think! Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Daniel Fava's Resources 5 Ways to Improve Your Website- PDF Download Create My Therapist Website Private Practice Elevation Apply For Private Practice Elevation Daniel Fava on Effective Private Practice Website Design 5 Ways To Improve Your Private Practice Website Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course SALE! Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ See The Website Redesign: https://kingsportcounseling.com/ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite) for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The

I'm glad you're with me for this particular episode with Lisa Mustard. Lisa is a great person to get to know, and I'm excited about what she is doing, which is pretty unique - she is offering podcourses. Lately, I've been working on getting some continuing education credits online. Well, Lisa has built an entire business around that. So, we talk all about how podcourses could be a great way to diversify income in your private practice. Tune in as we also touch on imposter syndrome, marketing, and navigating NBCC credentialing. Meet Lisa Mustard My name is Lisa Mustard and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in South Carolina. I am also a wife to Billy, mama to two daughters, puppy wrangler, lover of health, wellness, and fitness, and personal development junkie. I started this show because I was bored with the traditional modes of continuing education and professional development. I yearned for convenient education that was fun, interesting, inspiring, helpful, and easily accessible anywhere, anytime. And I couldn't find what I was looking for, so I decided to create it. When I am not podcasting or seeing clients, I am in the gym, on a run or walk, spending time with my family, or wrangling the lovable, yet incorrigible Lulu, our Australian Shepherd/Pitbull puppy. The Therapy Show The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard provides value by bringing in-depth and exciting interviews with experts, experienced practitioners, and other interesting people within the world of talk therapy. Lisa's hope is that her guests positively impact you, your work and career, and ultimately your clients. Guests range from specialists and experts in the clinical world, as well as those who have pivoted their skill sets and are doing something different and unique now, like writing books, motivational speaking, creating an online business, doing consulting work, health and wellness coaching, life coaching or they are other helping professionals who can give a different perspective when working with specific issues or populations. Creating Podcourses In January 2020, Lisa put together a packet and sent it off to NBCC. People told Lisa that it would take a couple of months for them to approve her. Well, because of Covid, it took them ten months to get back to Lisa. During this time, Lisa started to doubt herself and her abilities. Eventually, imposter syndrome kicked in. However, Lisa was approved! Next, Lisa needed to hire people to help her with all the techie stuff that makes her head want to explore. Overall, Lisa loves creating podcourses. To get started, Lisa reached out to people who she knew personally that are experts in their field. She told them to throw together three to five objectives; she interviews them and even pays a small fee. The rest is history! Getting NBCC Credentials Getting NBCC credentials can be complicated. Let's say you already have a course. Next, look at how the NBCC needs your course to fit their model. If you already have a course, you can just look at it and retool it. Otherwise, you need to figure out how to meet their requirements. If you don't have a course already, it may be easier to check the requirements first and then create your course around the types of things they are looking for. The most challenging part for Lisa was making sure that what they needed from her was on the website. There's a lot of work to be done, and it needs to be consistent. For instance, your evaluation survey needs to be specific, or else it won't get approved. They pretty much tell you what you need to have on there, but they work with you. NBCC will help you massage it to get it to where it needs to be. Another challenging part of the process is marketing; when you create something, you have to figure out how to get it out in the world. Imposter Syndrome Every single day Lisa has thoughts about being an imposture. After taking a strengths test, Lisa found that she's really good at connecting with people and achieving things. That totally makes sense because Lisa enjoys connecting with people. She loves to listen, and that's what makes her a great therapist. Plus, Lisa likes to help other people shine their light. Basically, she is looking for those people that are the experts that want to get out there and shine their light and share what they know. Of course, Lisa will make sure that everything they're presenting is research-based and have references. Now, Lisa comes from a place of needing to be the conduit of the information, not so much the expert. That way, the imposter syndrome tends to go to the back-burner. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Lisa Mustard's Resources Lisa's Website Facebook Instagram You can listen to The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard here: http://bit.ly/TherapyShowApple Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months o

Business ownership can be challenging, but it's not that different than treating patients. Your business is like a patient, and Fix This Next for Healthcare Providers by Kasey Compton will teach you to treat it that way. We talk all about the inspiration behind this book and why Kasey thinks healthcare providers are the best suited for entrepreneurship. Plus, we dive into everything you need to fix in your private practice and how to finally get closer to professional goals while building a strong foundation. Meet Kasey Compton Kasey built a million-dollar practice with over seventy-five staff members in less than two years from the ground up. She is the President/CEO of Mindsight Behavioral Group with multiple offices located in Kentucky. Kasey says, "it definitely wasn't easy but I learned a lot scaling a practice". She is now in year three and her business with basically running itself; largely due to the systems and processes we put into place. Now, Kasey is a behavioral group consultant (www.consultwithkc.com) and author that helps practices avoid mistakes by cleaning up their systems, implementing better processes, and understanding what to do with their money. Kasey says, " I take so much pride in my own practice and now I feel honored to help others grow too." About Fix This Next When Fix This Next: Make the Vital Change That Will Level Up Your Business came out; Kasey loved it! It is based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Well, our private practices have tons of needs. We can't act like a firefighter in private practice. Every time our business has a problem, we need a system for addressing the issues rather than just willy nilly solving things. When Kasey read that book, she thought this was meant for mental health. Kasey knew that mental health professionals needed something similar. After talking to so many other practice owners, Kasey learned that they loved the book. However, something was missing – they didn't know how to apply those principles to their private practice. Kasey knew that it was just something she had to fix; she felt like she was responsible for writing this book. Treat Your Business Like You Treat Your Patients In many ways, private practice consultants have a responsibility to help people feel confident in the way that they're spending their time and feel like they don't need an MBA to run a therapy practice. Throughout Kasey's book, that's a running theme that therapists, in her opinion, are better-suited business owners than anybody else out there. She truly believes that our businesses are much like our patients. If we treat our businesses like we treat our patients, everything becomes much smoother, and everything becomes much more efficient. Overall, we will have better outcomes. So, that is what Kasey teaches in Fix This Next for Healthcare Providers is how to treat your business like you do your patients. How To Assess Your Business One of Kasey's strategies within Fix This Next for Healthcare Providers is all about assessing your business. Basically, you would do a diagnostic assessment of a client or a patient. Kasey teaches therapists how to evaluate the business in the same way. There are three foundational levels in your business, which are sales, profit, and order. We have core needs within each of those levels. Next, we ask ourselves the fifteen questions in the book. Based on that simple assessment, we're able to determine what our business's biggest priority is and where we should start. If you have a client coming in to see you, and they're having panic attacks. What you're going to do first is you're going to gather information. We're going to ask them all these questions to try to determine what is at the core. Panic and anxiety are a direct result of fear. So, fear is just manifesting itself into anxiety and then ultimately into a panic attack. What we have to do is identify the fear and treat that. This method is exactly how we get back our time, and that's how we make our business better. It will help us reach more confidence in our decisions and what we decide to work on by fixing the core of our issues. Fixing Your Level of Sales One of the most significant issues for practices is having too many clients and not enough clinicians. Of course, there will be issues with this because you cannot serve the clients in your practice properly. While on the other hand, some practices have too many clinicians and not enough clients. The foundational level of sales is sort of like the bloodline for the practice. It's the creation of cash; if we don't have sales, we can't have a business. Sales will be the most critical thing to look at in your business. Tune in as we dive into all the other aspects of your business that need to be fixed. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Kasey Compton's Resources Kasey's

Margarita Khosh joins for a lively and fun conversation. We talked about expanding your niche beyond state lines; it's time that you become available to more clients than you could have ever imagined! Plus, Margarita gives us the scoop on navigating regulatory compliance, licensing regulations, and the importance of niche branding to reach underserved and underrepresented communities. Lastly, we chat about how Covid and 2020 had a massive impact on getting telehealth to become universally accepted and finally lowering the stigma around mental health. Meet Margarita Khosh Margarita Khosh, MBA, LSSGB, GHAC, is a healthcare industry implementation consultant who works with health care professionals to strengthen the patient-provider relationship. Leveraging her 20-year healthcare operational experience, international training, Healthcare MBA, fluency in insurance terminology, licensing, and regulatory compliance, she launched MK Medical Solutions, LLC to shift the mindset of providers and health systems to understand that the patient is a consumer. Through this lens, and motivated by overcoming trauma and burnout, she propels the implementation of a modern patient-centric experience that funnels to benefit all healthcare stakeholders by reducing cost, decreasing burnout, and contributing to a health system that works for all. Margarita serves on the Board of Directors of Women's Healthcare Executive Network of South Florida and teaches a Facebook community of 12K therapists while interviewing industry-leading authors. She has been featured on Sabrina Runbeck's Powerful and Passionate Healthcare Professionals, The Mighty Pete Lonton's Fire In The Belly, The B2B Podcast by The App Guys, The Practice Of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer, and Coming Out Loved and Supported Podcast. She is also a contributing author and columnist. In a recently cited article at awarenow, she spoke about the importance of leveraging technology to make the health system work better for everyone. Covid's Impact On Telehealth Before Covid, therapists were not leveraging technology the way that other industries leverage technology. When Covid happens, all of a sudden, it helped therapists propel the adoption of technology in a way that we never imagined. The entire healthcare industry has been turned upside down (for the better)! During this time, Margarita learned everything that she needed to know about how the new policies, rules, and regulations worked. So, she started helping therapists launch private practices beyond state lines. Plus, she can inform therapists on how to utilize the executive orders and treat patients. 2020 and 2021 are all about helping therapists expand their practice beyond state lines for Margarita. It is a total game-changer for both therapists and clients. Plus, it's helping lift the stigma that people have around mental health issues. Covid has been extremely stressful, and we are lucky to help patients in the virtual world. Why You Should Get Licensed In Another State It has been exciting for many therapists - you can get licensed in another state and grow your practice. There is value in niche branding and lived experience. When you expand your practice beyond state lines, think about how that will impact a population that has traditionally had a different viewpoint on therapy. So, this is how you heal even more people. With telehealth, we can bring therapy to people regardless of where they are. Sadly, there is stigma and shame associated with mental health in specific communities; nobody will talk about it the importance of therapy. That's why it will be critical to get your practice across state lines. How Licensing Works In Other States There are resources out there to empower therapists to understand how licensing works in different states. Therapists might not be aware of specific questions they need to ask, especially given the executive orders. Margarita will help clinicians figure out interstate licensing. She has all of the resources for a therapist to do it themselves. Her goal is to empower and educate professionals to make educated decisions and understand the process themselves. If someone doesn't have time to make it work, then Margarita will offer additional support. She understands which questions to ask to get to the bottom line and move the process along. Florida Telehealth Registration There are certain states that therapists can explore in terms of getting to take their practice to where they don't need to become credentialed fully. If you would like to start seeing patients in Florida, there is a Florida Telehealth Registration. It is not a licensing, it's a registration. Simply put, it allows you to be registered in the state of Florida to treat patients, and it had nothing to do with the executive order because it's been in place for two years now. So it means that you can solicit patients in Florida that are not your patients, and you could practice there. It only takes a couple

Do you need help with your private practice website? Jenn Fredette joins to talk about the power of strong copywriting on your website. First, it's essential to have a niche when thinking about copywriting. That way, it will be seamless to market to your ideal client. Jenn gives loads of copywriting tips for your private practice website. Plus, we talk about the importance of community and mentorship, especially when it comes to your copywriting. Meet Jenn Fredette Jenn journeys with others to develop a deep understanding of themselves and the world around them. She is passionate about connecting the curious and brave with therapeutic guides who can lead the way into the wild adventure of self-knowledge. As a former minister, practicing psychotherapist, adjunct graduate professor, and host of "A Thinker's Guide to…" Podcast, Jenn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in translating the profound into everyday language. Learn more at therapyforthinkers.com or follow her on Instagram at @athinkersguide. The Importance of Copywriting Jenn realized the importance of finding a niche in terms of who she wants to serve. However, a niche is also helpful in terms of what marketing does and doesn't work for you. There are 20 billion options when it comes to marketing your practice. We need to think about how we speak about who we are and who we want to serve. Online speak is also known as "copy" or written content that we've created. However, our marketing copy doesn't even have to be in writing; it can also include a podcast or a networking conversation. Basically, how do you articulate who you are serving, who you are, and who want to work with? Plus, Jenn speaks about her copywriting journey; she loves to write. So, Jenn set out to learn how actually to write copy that is captivating and is converting clients. Your copy needs to be representative of who you are as a clinician. Sometimes, marketing can feel kind of shallow and feels a little slimy. As therapists, we're not wanting to manipulate people. In addition, a lot of marketing techniques sometimes don't integrate our clinical depth or clinical awareness, which is a real shame. Jenn feels passionate about helping people translate their voice and the knowledge they already have into the copy on their website. Copywriting Tips A lot of therapists are resistant to the essence of marketing, which is niching down. You have to niche down for your marketing to work. However, many therapists don't want to exclude someone from their niche. When you're trying to accommodate many different people, then often this leads to a lot of blocks when writing. Then, it will be challenging to write either your therapy directory profile or website. When we try and write to everyone, then we need to write to Jim, as well as Karen, and Bob. Also, you don't want to leave Jane out either. So, it's hard to distill down what you want to say in your website copy. Plus, Jenn says that sometimes a therapist will lose themselves; you lose your desire of what you want your practice to be. If you're so focused on accommodating others, you're maybe not getting your own needs met. So the first step is to really get in touch with your own desire. Who do you want to sit with who would light you up? When you know who your ideal client is, it will be super easy to start copywriting for your website! If you're not sure who your ideal client is, then think about the people that you are most excited to work with! Can We Really Say That? Therapists will think some of their copy might sound too edgy for their website. For instance, a therapist's ideal client may smoke marijuana. The therapist says: "I know that you just smoked three bowls of marijuana back to back to numb the pain." Your copy should always start with the problem in mind. Then, you get into where you can go from the problem. It's a basic copywriting formula that works well for websites. Next, you will describe what the client has tried in the past that hasn't worked for them. Overall, therapists need to write a copy that reflects who they are and who they want their ideal person to be. We Can't Copywrite Alone Unfortunately, writing copy alone doesn't work. The solution is having formulas and frameworks for your copywriting process. Also, have people that can partner with you as you write your copy. These people can be in a mastermind group, a business group, or a Facebook group for private practice owners. Also, you could find a coach or consultant that can walk you through the process. You need a coach anyway- therapists need a coach so they don't have to go out there and get a business degree. Often, therapists want to rewrite their website completely – Jenn says that's not a good idea! Instead, start with your directory profile. That way, you can do some trial and error and find out what is working. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using

I am grateful to be joined by two private practice rock stars, Kelly Higdon and Miranda Palmer, in The Practice of Therapy's latest episode. Our conversation revolves around the money mindset that we should have as therapists and as private practice owners. The one silver lining that has come out of Covid is that people are finally starting to understand mental health services' true value. So, join me, Kelly, and Miranda as we talk about what you should be charging, why you should consider outsourcing, and the reason therapists should never compare fees. Meet Kelly Higdon, LMFT Kelly Higdon, LMFT is the co-founder of ZynnyMe and co-creator of The Business School Bootcamp for Therapists, a flagship course that helps therapists in all parts of their private practice journey solidify their business foundation and growth. When she isn't coaching or hosting retreats for her clients, you can find her playing roller derby or spending time with her family. To learn more about Kelly check out kellyhigdon.com and zynnyme.com On any given day you will find her writing, meeting with her psychotherapy or coaching clients, running a webinar for therapists, providing consultation with private practice owners, and making lots of room for playtime with her family. Kelly's hair constantly changes. She cares about the people that she works with. AND her most FAVORITE THING is to push, educate and inspire in the Business School Bootcamp. Meet Miranda Palmer, LMFT Miranda Palmer built a cash-based private practice during the recession. But, she is most proud that she did it to take care of her family and created a work-life balance that allowed her to avoid the all too common burn-out a lot of therapists experience. As the co-creator of ZynnyMe.com, she provides how-to articles, free monthly webinars, and co-leads the Business School Bootcamp for Therapists. Today her primary business is inspiring and teaching therapists private practice marketing. Miranda teaches them business skills, and not because she is all about money. Miranda sees how clinical outcomes, burnout rate, and overall passion can be impacted positively or negatively by how our businesses run. How Much Is Therapy Worth? How much is therapy worth? Most of us know that it's a silly question! Well, people are priceless, and you cannot put a value on a therapy. How are you going to monetize transgenerational trauma and healing? So then that brings us back to, well, how do we know what to charge? What do we need to do good work and to live the life we teach our clients? Money is a resource; that is part of the outcome that we are working towards. We're working towards an outcome with our clients, a clinical outcome, and we want them to have a great experience. We want to be able to be present to provide that outcome. So we need to look at our outcome; money is just one resource that we need to get there. Time and energy are also resources that we require as therapists. Now, we start to calculate, what does that number really come out to? When you take all of this into account, then you no longer feel shame or guilt about how much you charge for your services. When you think about running a business, you need sick time; you need to pay your rent, you need to pay your mortgage, health insurance, vacation, technology, and utilities. All of these things that are part of being a business owner we need to consider. Most of us did not learn how to be business owners in graduate school, we have nonprofit training, and we have this nonprofit mindset. Nonprofit organizations will get grants for millions of dollars; then, they can use that money to pay for their positions. You never really get to see where all of the other money goes. Stop Comparing Fees The mental healthcare system is not doing well. Access is challenging. As therapists, we are one part of that system. In order for that system to exist, to be sustainable, we all have to operate from that place of our highest and best. Then, we can raise the bar for these other systems, maybe to change with us. We should not be looking at our peers and saying, "you charge too much; why are you doing that?" Because at the end of the day, you don't know someone else's situation. You don't know what that therapist needs to run their business. It can be totally different than what you need to run your business. A lot of us live paycheck to paycheck. Would you want your clients to live paycheck to paycheck? No! So, you shouldn't have to live paycheck to paycheck either. Private Practice During Covid Our relationship to money has a lot to do with self-care. Many private practice owners are starting to see their phones ring off the hook because of Covid. However, the clinician will not be able to see everyone that calls their practice. It wouldn't be fair to the patients or fair to the clinician. The pandemic has only highlighted the issues we have had as a system. Now, we see the cracks in mental healthcare widen. We will be treatin

In this episode, Colleen Hilton joins the show to talk about our marketing mindset in private practice. Many therapists think that marketing is icky. However, marketing is actually essential to get clients the help that they need. The more effective your marketing efforts are, the better you can help the right people. Tune in as we talk about finding your ideal client and how Thrivelution can be a win-win for both therapists and clients. Meet Colleen Hilton Colleen Hilton is the founder & CEO of Acuity Counseling, Acuity Consulting and Thrivelution LLC. She is also a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist & an AAMFT approved Supervisor, with over 14 years of experience in the industry. Since 2016, Acuity Counseling has been providing boutique therapy services, with a retail-style model, making high-quality mental health available to the general public. With 3 brick and mortar locations and a strong online presence throughout the state via telehealth, Acuity is seeking to make a difference across all of Washington state. Acuity Consulting focuses on creating change in the business world by offering leadership coaching, and organizational mental health training. By supporting individuals and organizations in personal and professional change, believing in the systemic impact we will have together. Colleen co-founded Thrivelution LLC in 2020, amidst the unprecedented circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thrivelution is disrupting the current market space by throwing out the antiquated practice of directory style searches, focusing on the quality of matches, and demonstrating a return on investment for small business owners. Colleen is outspoken as a leader and educator on the business side of the mental health industry. She is active in coaching private practice owners, as well as new group practice owners, in how to align their values as a helper, with their role as a business owner to assist them in creating successful, profitable businesses. Personally, Colleen is a wife and the proud mother of two inspiring young women. She is passionate about warm weather (still missing SoCal), boating, and finding great food wherever she is at. Colleen loves people and making new connections, finding great joy in learning from others, and hearing the amazing stories every person has to share. Success Mindset Many therapists think that marketing is icky or too salesy. Colleen is working on debunking that marketing mindset for private practice owners. Instead, we should use marketing to create a mindset for success. Marketing and advertising get an awful rap in the mental health industry. We feel like somehow being a helper doesn't align with marketing and advertising, but Colleen honestly believes that our professional ethics require that we do beneficial marketing and advertising. Charge What You're Worth Your marketing mindset has a lot to do with finances too. If you don't have enough money, then you are struggling. How will that impact the work that you do for clients? If you can hone in on marketing, then you can market to your ideal client and attract the person into your practice. That is why it's essential to have an exact brand. Then, the feedback loop just starts to work in a beautiful way where the clients are coming to us. We can charge what we're worth! Market To Your Ideal Client When we do effective marketing, we reach our ideal client and provide the most qualified help. While on the other hand, if our net is too broad or there is no net at all, we can't help our ideal clients. Clients will not magically find you when you build a website. We should be practicing from an abundance mindset - there are many clients out there, and you really should be helping the people you are passionate about supporting. Colleen will reverse engineer her marketing. So, think about your ideal client and answer these questions: What do they do for a living? What gender do they identify as? Where do they hang out? What are their problems? How can you solve their problems? Then, start thinking about ways you can engage with your ideal client. We are not selling something. Instead, we are communicating the value that we have and how we can provide help. Marketing is the ability to help people find you. Potential clients are out there, and they are struggling. By using doing effective marketing, we can provide them the exact solution that they are looking for. Get More Clients Through Marketing What if your ideal client is out there with the wrong therapist? They have a terrible experience, so they visit another therapist. Yet again, they have a terrible experience. Sadly, this keeps happening to your ideal client. Eventually, they give up on therapy altogether. Now, their problems keep getting worse and worse. They are digging a hole for themselves, and they can't figure out how to get out. Maybe ten years pass by, and they finally find you. If you could find that ideal client ten years ago, they would be in a much different plac

In this episode, I am joined by Susan Orenstein, who works with individuals and couples to pursue a more peaceful, purposeful, and passionate life. Susan speaks about the process behind starting a podcast and what she has learned so far. We chat about creating content outside of the therapy room to help people on their healing journey. Tune in as we discuss other ways to expand your niche and turn your passions into creative and useful content. Meet Susan Orenstein Hi, I'm Susan Orenstein, Ph.D. For over twenty-five years, I've worked with individuals and couples that come to my counseling office in pursuit of a more peaceful, purposeful, and passionate life. Relationships are integral to that rich, fulfilling existence we all desire. Healthy relationships bolster our well-being while unhealthy relationships hinder our ability to thrive. That's why I'm passionate about helping couples to either optimize their relationship or learn to let each other go so they can develop a nourishing, intimate connection elsewhere. Making Content For Clients Susan wants her work to be accessible to more people. So, she developed a podcast - it's called After The First Marriage. Plus, Susan has a free e-course that goes with it. She is creating a lot of content because Susan particularly loves the work that she does. In addition, Susan loves going online and looking at worksheets, reading, and joining groups. There are so many ways people can heal outside of the therapy room, and Susan wanted to help develop those things for her clients. Creating A Podcast In Susan's podcast, she gets to bring more of herself in. Susan gets to think about who interests her, who she wants to learn from, what she is reading, and who she wants to interview. Plus, Susan gets to create fun materials with her content. Also, Susan is learning that there are parts of her that she can bring into this process to expand her ability to be a therapist. For instance, Susan has learned about the effectiveness of self-disclosure when working with clients because it gives you more credibility when they can hear that a therapist has gone through similar struggles. Overall, with a podcast and creating content, it's fun to shake it up and to learn new things all the time. Normalizing Therapy Next, Susan speaks about working on tearing down the stigma that's still attached to being a therapy client. She wants to normalize these processes for people because almost everybody cares about having healthy relationships. Therefore, getting the skills to learn about this and making it approachable and accessible to people is critical to Susan. One way Susan helps people for free is through her podcast and social media. Plus, podcasting is more personal than blogging or written material because it's a better way to connect with the person on the other end. Even though you're just listening to a recording, you still make a connection through voice. Choosing Divorce As A Niche Professionally, Susan's favorite clients have been people who have been kicked to the curb. They are so down; they cannot get their head up, and they are so grateful to have therapy and have someone believe in them and have someone help them. That way, Susan can help her clients figure out what happened, so it doesn't happen again. Through therapy, Susan's clients regain self-esteem and gain some tools for intimacy in the future. Some of her very favorite clients have been people going through a divorce. Luckily, Susan can't say that she knows personally what divorce is like. However, she can say that she has never taken her husband for granted, and he has never taken Susan for granted. Client Themes Around Divorce When Susan sees somebody going through a divorce who didn't choose divorce, they are often very wounded, have hurt self-esteem and depression. Plus, there is anxiety, they question their attractiveness, and they question their desirability. After divorce, many people will suffer from self-doubt, low self-esteem, and even revenge fantasies. In addition, many times these people are angry, and they are bitter. Also, these people will look for ways to numb themselves so they may start drinking heavily, eating more, turning to relationships that aren't good for them in order to dull their feelings. While on the other hand, for the person who is initiating the divorce, there can be guilt and shame. Usually, these people want to know how they can help their children through the divorce process. Mainly, people want to be proactive, which is terrific. Lastly, another category is people that want the divorce, but don't think it's possible. For instance, someone might be staying in the marriage because of financial issues, or they are worried about their children's wellbeing. These are the trickiest and saddest situations because these people are almost like hostages. Expand Your Practice Outside The Therapy Room When expanding your practice, find some issues and topics that fascinate you that you wa

In this episode, Amber Benziger joins the show to speak about creating a membership program for our clients. Amber created The Anxiety Lab, a monthly membership program full of courses, workbooks, speakers, and educational content to help people manage their anxiety. First, we dive into talking about racism in a therapy setting, Amber speaks about her switch to telehealth, and then Amber reveals the inspiration behind The Anxiety Lab. Plus, Amber explains why we need to stop doubting ourselves; we can execute our great ideas and help even more people outside of the therapy room. Meet Amber Benziger Hey, I'm Amber, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional in the state of New Jersey. I am a therapist, an advocate, a feeler, and a flawed human. My goals are to create an environment for women to come, explore and process their feelings; and heal from their troubles while growing in self-compassion and self-worth. I'm no stranger to anxiety and perfectionism and through my own journey of self-exploration, I fell in love with the therapeutic process. When I'm not in my therapy chair I'm a busy mom of two, a runner, a french bulldog enthusiast, and an avocado toast connoisseur. I curse too much, I find solace at the beach, and I love spray painting stuff. Speaking About Racism In Therapy As a Black therapist, Amber thinks it is imperative for her to discuss racism and advocate for equality because of her unique perspective. A larger majority of Amber's practice is women of color. Lately, Amber has seen a lot of racial trauma and a lot of anxiety around the election. Racism isn't something new. However, it does have a spotlight on it. So, Amber is talking about much more in her practice than she ever has before. It is critical to hold space for racial issues still, primarily because they haven't gone away, and people still have those concerns and worry. Racism isn't a trend, it's something that has always been there, and it seems like something that will always be around. Switching To Telehealth Before the pandemic, Amber had one or two clients online, but her practice was basically in the office. So, during the pandemic, Amber had to make that switch to telehealth, like many practitioners. She was worried about how that transition would go, and luckily, her clients were fantastic. Plus, Amber has just seen her practice grow incredibly in the past few months with the pandemic. She even has a waiting list and has turned people away. However, it's a struggle for Amber because she wants to help people who are having a hard time. Sometimes, it can be heartbreaking to turn a client away. That's why Amber created her membership service, The Anxiety Lab. The Anxiety Lab The Anxiety Lab is a monthly membership program full of courses, workbooks, speakers, and educational content to help manage your anxiety. The program is accompanied by a private online Facebook community where you can interact with Amber and your peers. Amber created it because it was something that she felt like she needed during the pandemic. During Covid, living under the same roof with kids and spouses can be really stressful, and Amber became really anxious herself. Then, Amber started getting a bunch of calls and a bunch of people reaching out to her through social media platforms about working with her. That made Amber feel even more overwhelmed and stressed out. So, she had the idea of creating The Anxiety Lab. Creating A Membership Program Amber is not a technology person. So that was the part that overwhelmed her. As practitioners, we're always questioning if we know how to do all this next-level stuff. So, Amber did a lot of research, and she decided to use the platform Kajabi. It is great for membership services because it allows Amber to put the courses on there, and it allows for the community aspect. That way, Amber doesn't have to use a different tool, and she can do everything on Kajabi. It will even let you send out email marketing; it's like a one-stop-shop for everything you need to create a membership program. Marketing Your Membership Program Amber will market a lot through her social media platforms, specifically Instagram. Amber will make connections on Instagram with other therapists and private practice owners. Plus, she jumps on Instagram Live with people who have a larger following. In addition, Amber dabbles with Facebook Ads; it's something that she still needs to learn more about. Overall, Amber utilizes a lot of word of mouth to get people to The Anxiety Lab. Plus, her therapist friends have been a lot of help when it comes to spreading the word. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Amber's Resources Vitality Behavior Health Vitality Behavior Health on Facebook Amber on Instagram The Anxiety Lab Resources Use the promo code "GORDON"

In this episode, Angela James joins the show. Amidst the pandemic, Angela opened Classroom to Couch, which is her private practice coaching business. We talk all about the importance of community over competition. In private practice, other therapists aren't your competition; they are your community and a great referral source. Later, Angela gives her three-step process to opening a private practice. Plus, we talk about making the switch to telehealth and why it has never been easier to open a private practice. Meet Angela James My name is Angela James and I'm a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California. I've been practicing as a therapist for over 13 years and am grateful to be doing what I love. I'm nationally certified in TF-CBT which focuses on the treatment of Trauma in youth. I am a strong believer in the brain's ability to heal from past traumas and for PTSD to be seen as curable, given the right therapeutic intervention. I also specialize in helping adult women overcome anxiety and panic disorder related symptoms. I've always been passionate about helping others reach their full potential, so when I noticed myself eager to assist Therapists in opening their own Private Practice, it only seemed natural to develop this part of my professional career. Amidst this Pandemic, I opened Classroom to Couch which is my Private Practice coaching business. I am thrilled to see other mental health professionals reach their small business dreams and absolutely love being a small part of that process. Community Not Competition Therapists will view other therapists as their competition; it's a huge mistake. Angela says that private practice made her step out of her comfort zone and connect with other therapists. With a scarcity mindset, therapists think that all other therapists are their competition. However, it's simply not the case. When you build relationships with other therapists, you can refer potential clients to each other. Not everyone has the same niche, so your ideal client will not be another therapist's ideal client. In fact, Angela says that other therapists are her number one referral source. Connect with other therapists in the community and get to know them so you can generate more referrals. Angela's Three-Step Process Angela helps therapists using a three-step process. Step one is all about business basics; that's Angela's biggest passion. With Angela, you'll talk about the different business structures and which one could be a good fit for you. Step two is all about HIPAA compliance. Step three is all about networking, advertising, and marketing. Angela will teach you all about how to get the best referrals and how to network with other therapists in private practice. Plus, Angela says that her program is affordable and attainable. Switching To Telehealth Angela built an entire telehealth practice in the span of the weekend when the pandemic started. Luckily, Angela didn't lose very many clients. Even some that were unsure about telehealth eventually came back and gave it a shot. A lot of teenagers are actually a lot more comfortable with therapy via telehealth. At first, Angela struggled. However, she adapted and grew. The best part is that Angela can see clients from all over the state of California. Now, she has access to tons of people that she didn't before; it's incredible. Plus, Angela's coaching business was born out of Covid. You don't need a lot of money to start a telehealth practice, and now you have access to so many more clients. In the mental health world, Covid hasn't been a bad thing from the professional side. Starting A Private Practice The easiest way to get started in private practice is to create a telehealth practice from your house. There are not a lot of start-up costs to get it going. The earliest that Angela will be back in her office is in August. After the pandemic, telehealth isn't going anywhere. Moving forward, Angela will integrate both telehealth and in-person days so she can meet everyone's needs. Plus, with telehealth, you can see people from all over the state; it's a massive game-changer for your private practice. Also, Angela encourages clinicians to keep telehealth as part of their practice because people prefer it and it expands their reach. Telehealth is a considerable convenience; people no longer have to take off work to see their therapist. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Angela's Resources Angela's Website Angela's LinkedIn Angela's Facebook Angela's Instagram Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Join my Focus Groups Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTher

In this episode, Angela James joins the show. Amidst the pandemic, Angela opened Classroom to Couch, which is her private practice coaching business. We talk all about the importance of community over competition. In private practice, other therapists aren't your competition; they are your community and a great referral source. Later, Angela gives her three-step process to opening a private practice. Plus, we talk about making the switch to telehealth and why it has never been easier to open a private practice. Meet Angela James My name is Angela James and I'm a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California. I've been practicing as a therapist for over 13 years and am grateful to be doing what I love. I'm nationally certified in TF-CBT which focuses on the treatment of Trauma in youth. I am a strong believer in the brain's ability to heal from past traumas and for PTSD to be seen as curable, given the right therapeutic intervention. I also specialize in helping adult women overcome anxiety and panic disorder related symptoms. I've always been passionate about helping others reach their full potential, so when I noticed myself eager to assist Therapists in opening their own Private Practice, it only seemed natural to develop this part of my professional career. Amidst this Pandemic, I opened Classroom to Couch which is my Private Practice coaching business. I am thrilled to see other mental health professionals reach their small business dreams and absolutely love being a small part of that process. Community Not Competition Therapists will view other therapists as their competition; it's a huge mistake. Angela says that private practice made her step out of her comfort zone and connect with other therapists. With a scarcity mindset, therapists think that all other therapists are their competition. However, it's simply not the case. When you build relationships with other therapists, you can refer potential clients to each other. Not everyone has the same niche, so your ideal client will not be another therapist's ideal client. In fact, Angela says that other therapists are her number one referral source. Connect with other therapists in the community and get to know them so you can generate more referrals. Angela's Three-Step Process Angela helps therapists using a three-step process. Step one is all about business basics; that's Angela's biggest passion. With Angela, you'll talk about the different business structures and which one could be a good fit for you. Step two is all about HIPAA compliance. Step three is all about networking, advertising, and marketing. Angela will teach you all about how to get the best referrals and how to network with other therapists in private practice. Plus, Angela says that her program is affordable and attainable. Switching To Telehealth Angela built an entire telehealth practice in the span of the weekend when the pandemic started. Luckily, Angela didn't lose very many clients. Even some that were unsure about telehealth eventually came back and gave it a shot. A lot of teenagers are actually a lot more comfortable with therapy via telehealth. At first, Angela struggled. However, she adapted and grew. The best part is that Angela can see clients from all over the state of California. Now, she has access to tons of people that she didn't before; it's incredible. Plus, Angela's coaching business was born out of Covid. You don't need a lot of money to start a telehealth practice, and now you have access to so many more clients. In the mental health world, Covid hasn't been a bad thing from the professional side. Starting A Private Practice The easiest way to get started in private practice is to create a telehealth practice from your house. There are not a lot of start-up costs to get it going. The earliest that Angela will be back in her office is in August. After the pandemic, telehealth isn't going anywhere. Moving forward, Angela will integrate both telehealth and in-person days so she can meet everyone's needs. Plus, with telehealth, you can see people from all over the state; it's a massive game-changer for your private practice. Also, Angela encourages clinicians to keep telehealth as part of their practice because people prefer it and it expands their reach. Telehealth is a considerable convenience; people no longer have to take off work to see their therapist. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Angela's Resources Angela's Website Angela's LinkedIn Angela's Facebook Angela's Instagram Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Join my Focus Groups Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTher

"If you don't know where you're going, then how are you going to get there?" It's essential to have goals that are tangible and written down. In this episode, I walk you through part of the process that I use to develop plans for myself and how I'm able to stay on track and organized. As you move through 2021, one of the things that I would encourage you to do is to spend some time writing things down and doing quarterly reviews. Tune in as I talk about planners, SMART goals, and The Big 3. Find A Planner When we think about goal setting and all that we do to run a practice and manage our own lives, I think it's essential to have some goals. Make sure that your goals are tangible and written down. You have a forty percent greater chance of completing a goal just merely by writing it down. One of the tools that I use pretty consistently now and for the last several years is the Michael Hyatt Full Focus Planner. My friend Michelle makes another planner that I recommend. You can hear Michelle Hardman, LPC from The Primed Practice on TPOT 101; the planner she developed is called the Primed Planner. It is one that she created specifically for therapists. Whichever tool you choose to use, I think it's good to have a way that you can use to keep yourself organized and on track. Know Your Domains The other thing about having a plan or having a system is it should be very goal-directed because, like the quote says, "if you don't know where you're going, how are you going to get there?" It's essential to break things down into smaller pieces to know how to accomplish what you want to achieve for the year. I think the other thing about goal setting is that when we think about our lives, our businesses, and what we do in our practices, we have many different domains or different areas of our life. Most of us are kind of interconnected; we have our home life, private life, what we do with our friends and family, and all of that. There is probably a whole set of goals that you want to have around your personal life, like your health, taking care of yourself, and self-care. Then we have our business goals that revolve around our private practices. Think about what growth you want to have, how you want to build your practice, the milestones you wish to set for yourself, and moving forward in your practice. Brain Dump One exercise that I think is always helpful is, and this is my brain dump exercise. Use your planner, and jot down and label each of the domains in your life. For example, you might have your practice; you might have a church community domain, personal finances domain, and business finances. Plus, you've got your family life; you have your immediate family and extended family. It's essential to jot those down, and then under those different domains, do a brain dump. When we write things down, our brains process that information a little differently. The Big 3 The Big 3 allows you to work on three big goals per quarter. When working on big goals, break them down into smaller pieces. There's a thing called SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). When you think about making goals, they need to be specific. They need to be measurable, and they need to be actionable. They also need to be risky to some degree. In other words, you need to get out of your comfort zone a little bit with making goals. Goals need to be time-sensitive. You need to be able to have an end date in mind when setting a goal. Also, they need to be exciting and something that you can get behind rather than something you dread. Lastly, goals should be relevant and aligned with your own values. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Focus Groups Consulting The Primed Planner Michelle Hardman | Having A Primed Practice | TPOT 101 Full Focus Planner FranklinCovey Getting Things Done Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

How are you and your clients handling the climate of 2020 in and out of the therapy room? In this episode, we revisit some episodes where private practice owners give their thoughts on social justice in and out of the therapy room. We talk all about mental health in the Black community, healing through trauma, finding hope in 2020, and the Black Lives Matter movement. This episode features clips from Bewindi Bobb, LaToya Smith, Linda Sanderville, and Danielle Branche. Meet Bewindi Bobb Bewindi was born and raised in the beautiful, gorgeous Island of St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Her journey towards accepting the calling to be a counselor is interesting, but let's just say, she eventually stopped running (insert laughter) and realized that being a counselor is not just a profession but a God-given and ordained calling and ministry. Bewindi is super passionate about seeing people become free to live happily and free from emotional baggage, free from whatever is blocking, delaying, or hindering their healing. She loves the opportunity to create a safe space where clients receive permission to express themselves, their feelings, and find themselves while gaining a new and changed perspective. She helps professionals who are dealing with unresolved emotional conflicts such as depression, anxiety, grief, stress, etc live freely by equipping them with tools to renew their mindsets. She loves to encourage and empower clients and when they apply the tools, they are able to show up for themselves and be their best selves in all areas of their lives. Additionally, she provides Christ-Centered Counseling to whom it applies and for those who request. With over 14 years of clinical experience, she is driven and fueled by her professional and personal values including but not limited to Faith, Empower, Purpose, Service, Encourage, and Teach. She is so honored to be in this space and knows that whether she is providing therapy, coaching, supervision or speaking to an audience or on her podcast, 'Empowered to Empower You', which can be found on Spotify, Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Google, etc, she is convinced that people are definitely encouraged and ignited. Black Lives Matter Bewindi has a set of values that anchor her practice and a set of values that anchor her personal life. Faith is a tremendous value for Bewindi. If she combines all of her values, Bewindi believes that Black Lives Matter. Bewindi is honored that 99% of her practice is Black people. One of the messages that Bewindi takes from these times is that we need to invest in our mental health. Mental Health in the Black Community Mental health is a stigma in the Black community and the Asian community. It's awful that it took things like this to happen for people to seek mental health. However, Black people have been reaching out for mental health help now more than ever. People are experiencing so many losses, and they are so angry. The Black Lives Matter movement gives an outlet for our feelings. Bewindi is thankful that people recognize the need for mental health care. It's time to permit yourself to feel without being judged. Meet LaToya Smith LaToya is the owner of LCS Counseling and Consulting Agency in Fortworth Texas. She firmly believes that people don't have to remain stuck in their pain or the place they became wounded. She encourages her clients to be active in their treatment and work towards their desired outcome. Preventing Divison Vulnerability will build courage. The most authentic stories allow us to be seen, and that is how the connection is made. When we put words to our pain and our emotions, then we light up. Story will help bridge the gaps. We need to learn to set things aside, listen, and connect through stories and experiences. It will help tear down walls and prevent division. When we are willing to hear other people's pain, we realize that strangers are no different from us. Healing During 2020 It's hard to heal; there is always something. 2020 has been devastating. You can't stop to catch your breath. It's so heavy, and therapists are overwhelmed. If your clients are still being traumatized, then it's going to be hard to heal. Even Black therapists are having a hard time. It's a lot to process, and unfortunately, it's not new. People who are not Black can empathize with the community. A faithful ally will do something to prove that they are anti-racist. LaToya has been part of peaceful protests, and she sees change happening. When you are walking through the protests, you don't get all the love back. If you're out at the protests, then you need to practice mental health. There are people out there doing the work that needs to be done, reach out to them, and lend a helping hand. Meet Linda Sanderville Ready to receive greater abundance in your private practice? Without guilt, fear, or self-sabotage? Linda Sanderville helps therapists move beyond the initial stage of practice building, to increase profits through subconscious work, trauma

This week on The Practice of Therapy, we revisit some of our favorite conversations about self-care. As COVID continues and therapists are needed more than ever, it's a great time to rethink your self-care routine. Enjoy the episode as we hear from Kati Morton, LaTonya Shelton, LaRonda Starling, and Veronica Cisneros. Tune in as we explore planning self-care time, spiritual self-care, and practicing self-care unapologetically. Meet Kati Morton, LMFT Kati Morton, LMFT holds a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. In addition, she is a certified dialectical and behavior therapist and grief counselor and a member of The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. She runs a private practice in Santa Monica, CA. Over the past seven years, Kati has leveraged social media to share mental health information worldwide through video. Her specialties include working with individuals experiencing eating disorders and self-harming behaviors, although she addresses all things related to mental health. Kati is well known for her YouTube channel which now has over 820 thousand subscribers and over 50 million views. In addition to her YouTube channel and strong presence on social media, she has appeared on the CBS The Doctors, HLN/CNN "Dr. Drew On Call," E! News, KTLA, Fox News. She also has been featured in CNN, VICE, Glamour UK, Huffington Post, Yahoo, VOX, and many more. Kati released her first book, Are u ok?: A Guide to Caring for Your Mental Health in December 2018. Kati's passion is to increase awareness about mental health. Her online community has expanded to all major internet platforms, allowing her to answer mental health questions from her followers around the world. She hopes by doing this, the global community can push for better services worldwide and remove the stigma associated with getting help. Thinking Outside the Box Kati's husband pushed her to take the leap into social media. Kati's colleagues have been supportive; however, they don't always understand it. Eight years ago, her peers didn't realize how confidentiality would work over social media. Other clinicians give her pushback on the way she thinks about things. The most significant pushback Kati got was when she said therapy should be working toward a goal. Kati says we should be learning new tools that we can utilize in life. We shouldn't be using our therapist as a crutch. Staying Organized and Maximizing Your Time Kati started scheduling self-care in her calendar – it cannot be rescheduled. Kati isn't afraid to outsource the things she can't do. Kati has a team of people behind the scenes which lets her do creative work in her free time. Initially, she was nervous to bring people to her team. However, scheduling doesn't need to be done by herself. If you don't have time to clean your house, you should have someone come and clean it for you. Meet LaTonya Shelton LaTonya N. Shelton, LCSW, RYT, the owner of Red Jasper Counseling, PLLC, located in Nashville, TN. Her practice specializes in providing treatment for trauma, anxiety, and depression. She is a licensed clinical social worker and yoga instructor who integrates somatic (body-centered) psychotherapy practices and mindfulness in her work with clients. LaTonya embodies a deep passion for helping individuals learn, heal, and grow. She believes that by helping others understand and navigate difficult emotions, clients can experience relief, improved health, and regain control of their lives. Doing Things Your Own Way LaTonya is a self-starter. It is so easy to get overwhelmed and inundated with all of the information that's out there. There are a lot of opportunities for mastermind groups and business coaching. With all the information, it's so easy to get overwhelmed. You need to start somewhere. Plus, you're not going to get it right and perfect in the beginning. However, that's the beauty of starting and moving forward on a journey. Make it your own! Self-Care For Private Practice Owners Self-care is such a buzzword these days. Some of the self-care that LaTonya engages in is very simple. She enjoys a cup of coffee most mornings with her dog walking in the park, and that works well for LaTonya. Do the things that get you out in nature. Reading, talking, and being around people that support you will also be essential. These things have been the crux of LaTonya's self-care. Take the Leap of Faith Throw your limiting beliefs out the window. Show up and do the work that you want to do. LaTonya is a dreamer, but also a planner. Being organized, balanced, and flexible will assist in your private practice journey. Are you wondering if you should take the leap into private practice? It's going to be scary, and there's going to be peaks and valleys, but start, and you'll find your way. You'll meet great people like Gordon. Plus, LaTonya met people in mastermind and focus groups. Meet LaRonda Starling Dr. LaRonda St

The shift to telehealth has just created a massive change for a lot of us in private practice. So this episode is all about diving into restructuring your practice. First, ask yourself why you started a private practice, and think about why you want to restructure your practice. Once you know why you can begin to focus on restructuring your workflow. Sometimes, certain aspects of your workflow can be made more straightforward; simple is always better. Stay tuned as I talk about restructuring your finances, increasing your rates, and giving your website a facelift. Start With Why When we think about our why - go back and think about why you wanted to go into private practice, to begin with. What motivates you to have a practice? For a lot of people, they want the autonomy that it brings. Also, it creates a more significant earning potential for us. So, why do you want to restructure your practice? Perhaps your systems and processes have become overly complicated. Maybe your stress levels continue to rise because of things within the practice that cause you a lot of headaches. Look At Your Workflow From the time that a new client contacts your practice, what takes place? One client is easy, but if you start getting ten clients a week, what's the workflow around that? Who is in charge of the workflow? Map this out! The intake procedure should be simple for the client. Think about ways that you can make it easy. Now that everything is online, the process should be as user-friendly as possible. Plus, the process should also be easy for you as a clinician. In private practice, there is an overlap between the clinical and business sides. Keep those processes separate from each other. Having an electronic health record system will help you keep these things separate. Ditch Your Deadwood There are probably things in your workflow that you don't need. Simple is always better. Writing session notes can be a massive headache for clinicians. Newer therapists will go into so much detail in their session notes. It will be an entire narrative of everything that took place in the session. This is something that you can cut back on. Progress notes are a reminder for you as a clinician of what you did in that session. If you have things that give you the theme of the session, then that should be documented. Session Note Helper Your progress notes should only take about five or ten minutes to complete. If they are taking longer than that, you need to streamline it more. People can get really backed up on client documentation. The Session Note Helper is a set of templates that I created. It uses an add-on called Form Publisher that is HIPAA secure. You can check off boxes about what you did in the session. Then, the Form Publisher will create a narrative based on what you checked on the form. You can find out more about the Session Note Helper here. I created this to make my workflow easier. Because it's in a Google Doc format, I can just copy and paste what I wrote there into TherapyNotes. Understanding Your Profits One mistake that most people will make is looking at their bank account and thinking they don't have to worry. You need to do a deeper dive into your profitability. Look at the profits at least once a quarter. Make sure that what you are bringing in is making a profit for yourself, and it's sustainable. Look at your numbers and think about restructuring your payment system. Anytime there is a change in the pay system, it can be painful. However, once you rip the band-aid off, it can bring long-term benefits. If you will restructure how you pay your clinicians in a group practice, set a deadline for yourself. The first of the year is an excellent time to change things; it's natural. Restructure Your Prices If you are insurance-based, look at those contracts and which ones are going to renew. You can set up a new fee structure if the contract is going to be up. There is a shortage of mental health providers. One of the things that are coming out of 2020 is insurance pay is going up. The first of the year is an excellent time to go up on your fees. Think about what a reasonable increase would be. Going up on your fees is one way to become more profitable. If you go up on your fees, there are a few ways to deal with current clients. You can raise your current client's fees, or you can keep them at the current rate. There is no right or wrong way of doing this. The main thing is, you should be looking at your fees, making sure it's increasing to keep up with inflation. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Focus Groups Consulting Brighter Vision Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course (use code julie2020) The Group Practice Outfitter Waitlist G S

This episode is all about embracing the changes that 2020 has thrown at us. As we adjust to the new normal, it's time to think about what opportunities we can find. For instance, if you haven't already, maybe it's time to ditch your physical office and go full-time into telehealth. Also, it's time to start thinking about diversifying your income through Gumroad or Teachable. Tune in as I speak about all sorts of ways you can embrace the curveball that is 2020. Start With Your Why What are your priorities? Why do you want to be in practice? Why do you want to do the things that you do? This year we learned a lot about making a transition to a whole new business model, and that's the switch to telehealth. Frankly, telehealth will become the new normal over the next year. So, it's time that you think about how you have your practice structured and set up. One of the things about being online is that your office space becomes less important. You don't need the furniture anymore! Think About Your Practice Moving Forward The boundaries around the types of people you can see for therapy has now widened a great deal. Your potential client base can be the entire state you are licensed in. So, how are you going to start to market your practice? You can think about a broader reach. Does your website need to be updated? This could be a great time to make upgrades and changes. That way, it will reflect that you can see clients from a broader geographic location. Think about doing things in different ways. It's A Great Time For Private Practice Owners There is such a demand for mental health services during 2020. When you switch to telehealth, it will reduce the geographic bounds of what you do. Are you thinking about having a group practice? The therapists that you can hire has now broadened too; they no longer have to commute! The pandemic allows for more work and less commute time. It's time to think about things differently. Write Down Your New Priorities When you write down your new priorities, it will help with the overwhelm. When we are overwhelmed, there will be a sense of anxiety. To battle anxiety, do a brain dump! In your planner, make a list and write down everything that captures your attention at the moment. It's a journaling exercise in many ways, and it gives us a new perspective on things. Why You Need To Embrace Change Our routines have been turned upside down. Particularly for those who have children. It's challenging to navigate work with homeschooling. We need to accept the fact that our routines are messed up. Now, it's time to look at small ways to change our routine and make it work for us. We are creatures of habits, and we get used to doing things the same way each time. When we change that up, it becomes unsettling. Instead, we need to focus on self-care. If you want to learn more about practicing self-care as a private practice owner, listen to my episode with Veronica Cisneros: Unapologetic Self-Care in Private Practice. The Importance Of Connecting With Others The pandemic has caused us to feel isolated and disconnected from people that matter most to us. Thanksgiving is around the corner. However, many of us have pulled back from our traditions, and we are not getting together with family. It's a hard decision to make. Allow yourself to embrace change, lean into it, and take ownership of how you will reorganize your life. We think about our relationships with others differently during 2020 – embrace it! I recently did an episode with Kathryn Esquer about connecting with other private practice owners during 2020. You can listen to the episode HERE. Plus, try The Teletherapist Network for two weeks free using my link: https://teletherapistnetwork.com/gordon. Diversify Your Income There are so many great opportunities to create income for yourself in the online space. For instance, you can sell digital products or some sort of activity you'd like to share with other therapists. To sell those digital products, like Paperwork Packets and the Session Note Helper, I use Gumroad. Another idea for creating additional income streams is doing online courses. I know for many of us that once we got out of graduate school, we loved teaching other people things. There is an excellent opportunity to increase income, and that's by creating online courses or seminars, that kind of thing. The platform I use for that is Teachable. Give yourself permission to think outside the box and create other income streams for yourself so that you're not solely dependent on client interactions. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Teachable Gumroad Brighter Vision Listen to Private Practice Elevation Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course (use co

In this episode, Faith Dulin and I talk about her experiences as a new therapist and working on boundaries with people. As therapists, we like to be accommodating. However, people-pleasing will take a toll over an extended period of time. One way that Faith works on her boundaries is by seeing her own therapist. Plus, we talk about working with clients who are challenging to engage with, and we give tips on building rapport with clients upfront. Meet Faith Dulin I moved to Charlotte from the West Coast 20+ years ago. I have a military background and worked uptown in corporate America before completing my degrees in Psychology, Sociology, and Marriage and Family Therapy. In my free time, I gush over dogs on Instagram, enjoy sports, and like taking pictures. My counseling style is a balance between challenging and cheer-leading. I have a contemporary approach that's less theory-oriented and more real talk. I'm not reclined in my chair with a monocle, analyzing your every move. I'm listening, I'm curious, I'm aware that behaviors make sense in context. I want to understand you and know what you want in life so we can figure out how to get there. I provide helpful feedback, compassionate support, and take-home strategies and tools. The relationship you have with yourself sets the tone for all other relationships, and I want to empower you to create the love and life you deserve. In addition to supporting relationships, I work with individual men and women. I'm located near uptown and have evening appointments. Check out my website to see if I'd be a good fit for you. Boundaries Faith is putting together a book around the concept of boundaries that doesn't have a religious foundation. There are practical ways to set boundaries without feeling like a jerk. Therapists can struggle with boundaries. For example, some therapists will become heavily invested in their client's lives and their success. Another example of poor boundaries is when a therapist may have social media interactions with their clients. Sometimes, therapists will talk to their clients over the weekend. Also, therapists that handle money will have a challenging time setting a boundary with their clients. We need to continue to work on boundaries. One way that Faith works on her boundaries is by seeing her own therapist. Working With Difficult Clients In graduate school, therapists are told they should be gentle and non-confrontational. Everyone has a different style of working with clients. Faith says that she likes to be direct and confrontational. It's essential to label behaviors, even if it isn't warmly received. If a client does not take the label well, it's probably not the right fit for Faith. Clients need to find a therapist that's a good fit for them. If you are not the right therapist for a client, then you shouldn't take it personally. The client must benefit from therapy. If the client doesn't work well with you, it will be best for both of you to go separate ways. Working With Difficult Men Faith tends to get male clients that hate therapy – they think it's a bunch of BS. When it's a couple, Faith says that their wife has made them go to therapy. However, men like when Faith gives it to them straight. It's essential to build rapport and trust with your clients. For Faith, she works with police and first responders. A lot of times, these men will come and test her as a therapist. They want to know if their trauma will rattle you. Faith likes to hold a safe space for clients so that they will learn to trust her. When you have that trust, then your relationship with clients can withstand challenging moments in therapy. Creating A False Mutual Pretense Therapists can create false mutual pretense. When someone is resistant to therapy, then they are probably testing you out. We should be able to label that dynamic from the beginning. Gordon will ask their clients what sort of experiences they have had with therapy in the past. He says that talking to strangers about personal stuff isn't on anyone's top ten list of things to do. Gordon will let his clients know that he admires their bravery to talk to him. That way, people will let their guard down. Gordon learned this when working with teenagers; they can be resistant to therapy. It's crazy to spill your guts to a total stranger! So we must acknowledge this aspect of therapy. Building Credibility With Clients You can share personal things with clients to build your credibility. Clients feel better about a therapist that does a bit of self-disclosure about their struggles. It will help deal with demanding clients. There are some clients that you have to spend more time engaging and aligning. The client must buy into the therapeutic process so they will share and open up with their therapist. Listen to Jeff Geunther on The Practice of Therapy to learn more about self-disclosure in the therapy room. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receiv

As a telehealth therapist, do you ever feel alone? My guest, Kathryn Esquer, knows exactly what this feels like. She misses the daily interactions with fellow mental health professionals. That's why Kathryn created the Teletherapist Network, an organization for the next generation of therapists in private practice. Tune in as Kathryn speaks about how she created a community, politics in the therapy room, and the benefits of finding your network. Meet Kathryn Esquer Kathryn Esquer is a Clinical Psychologist and MBA graduate. She currently works in her rural hometown in central Pennsylvania providing outpatient mental health services integrated into primary care. She loved her career, but COVID helped her realize that something was missing from her private practice. The clinical work was rewarding, but she felt professionally isolated and uninspired. She also knew consultation was a critical part of the ethical practice but didn't know where to find it. So, Kathryn created the Teletherapist Network for modern therapists to crowdsource the knowledge and experiences of other private practice teletherapists so that members can develop their clinical and business skills, all while staying connected to their mission and preventing burnout. Teletherapist Network Don't practice teletherapy alone. Join a premier organization for the next generation of therapists in private practice at Teletherapist Network. Kathryn Esquer explains the inspiration behind her network. When COVID hit, there were loads of challenges that therapists experienced. Once we had to switch to telehealth, it felt professionally isolating and uninspiring. No longer did we have peers or other people in the mental health trenches. As a problem solver, Kathryn wanted to find people to connect with. Thus, the Teletherapist Network was born! Creating A Community Kathryn uses a platform that does all the technical stuff for you. Weekly, they do mindfulness exercises and questions. Plus, they consult with each other and have live consultations every other week via Zoom. Each week, they highlight a new member – they get to know each other on a deep level. People get to pick their brains all day. Therapists will ask questions, and the group gets to benefit from the collective knowledge. Plus, they have guest expert webinars coming in every month. Industry professionals will teach something new to the community. It's a neat way to connect with people who want to help private practice owners. Now, Kathryn feels more inspired to better herself as a clinician. It's easy to get out there and learn new things in the Teletherapist Network. Politics In The Therapy Room Do you disclose your political affiliations or beliefs in the therapy room? We should be aware of what we personally bring into the therapy room and keep it in check. The only way to do that is to consult with peers. There's a lot of political conversations happening in Kathryn's community. It's a skill to have civil discourse with your peers. This year, in general, has been challenging with COVID and the election. A lot of things are affecting our therapy internally. Finding a community will be essential for a therapist. You're Not Alone You're not alone in feeling isolated or uninspired as a private practice owner. It's scary that this community wouldn't have happened without COVID-19. Kathryn is glad she has the community to stay on top of best practices and resources. When she started the network, over 150 people were looking to join the group. There's an overwhelming response for the community – you're not alone! Therapists need to speak with their peers. If you're feeling a little isolated, find a community of support. With telehealth becoming so prominent, the barriers to entry for private practice are very low. If you recently went out on your own, you can learn loads in the Teletherapist Network. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Kathryn's Resources Teletherapist Network Teletherapy Podcast [email protected] Instagram Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Learn more about Flywheel Listen to The Private Practice Elevation Podcast The Group Practice Outfitter Waitlist G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like

In this episode, Julie Herres interviews Gordon about how great clinicians can fail. First, clinicians can fail when they don't know their numbers. It's critical to understand the profit and loss of your business. Another significant mistake clinicians make is not charging enough for their sessions. A therapist must understand how their money mindset is holding them back from making enough money to run a private practice. Plus, we talk about the importance of having six months of income saved for emergencies, how to avoid debt, and why you need to stop bootstrapping. Meet Julie Herres Julie Herres is the owner of GreenOak Accounting. The firm provides bookkeeping, accounting, CFO, and tax services to mental health private practice owners throughout the United States. When Julie founded GreenOak Accounting she started working with a few therapists. Over time, more and more therapist referrals came in and she started noticing trends across the practices that were thriving. Based on those trends she developed success ratios as a way to quickly determine the health of a practice. Know Your Numbers & Charge Enough To Understand Profit And Loss Understand how the money is coming in. How are your patients paying you? Then, what do you do with the money after that? How are you paying yourself and your expenses? Most people don't have a clear picture of what those numbers are. A big mistake people make is paying their clinicians too much when you start a group practice. Gordon made this mistake! He was paying his clinicians way too high, and he wasn't covering overhead. It's possible to pay clinicians a fair and competitive wage without having to overdo it. If Gordon knew his numbers better at the start, he wouldn't have made this error. Money Mindset: Therapists Should Not Feel Ashamed or Guilty About Making Money Many clinicians grow up with money shame. We think that money is evil or making money is bad. As therapists, we have a caring heart. Sometimes we feel like when we charge people money, then we are doing something wrong. Therapists will think that if someone is paying you for something, you are putting a burden on them. It's a myth! Most people that go to therapy expect to pay. It's one of the mistakes that a lot of people make. Then, therapists won't charge enough for their services. Reserves: Prepare & Plan By Having 2-6 Months of Income Saved For Expenses Set aside a reserve so you can pay for expenses or substantial tax bills. The minimum is at least two months. This money shouldn't be touched unless you get into an emergency. However, six months of a money reserve is more ideal. This reserve should be created for both personal expenses and business expenses. When COVID hit, the people with reserves were better off than those who did not have a reserve. When thinking about switching to private practice, make sure to have your reserve first! Gordon spent a year accumulating his reserve before he made the dive into private practice. Startup Expenses: Avoid Debt And Make The Practice Pay For Itself From The Beginning There's a way to avoid debt when going into private practice. For mental health, there isn't as much equipment that needs to be purchased. It can be relatively inexpensive to start your practice – you only need a few basic things, and then you are ready to go. Make your practice pay for itself instead of getting a loan to get started. Bootstrapping: Spend Money To Make Money Because Doing It All Is Not A Good ROI Doing it all is not a good return on your investment. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. People will hold off on spending money because they are trying to save. However, you are hurting yourself in the long run. For instance, you can hire a virtual assistant to help answer phone calls. If you can hire someone to answer the phone, then you can spend more time seeing clients. The less you are seeing clients, the less money you are going to make. Answering phone calls will not bring you income. Your time is better spent in the room with clients. Even if you pay someone $30 an hour, you can make $150 in a session. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Julie's Resources Call GreenOak Accounting: (571) 208-2065 Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast Julie's LinkedIn Money Matters In Private Practice - Premium Content (Coupon Code: Julie2020 for 20% off) Mistakes To Avoid For A Stress-Free Tax Season Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz Company of One by Paul Jarvis Take the G-Suite For Therapists Survey The Group Practice Outfitter Waitlist G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Featured Courses Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Coo

In this episode, Danielle Branche joins the show. She talks about navigating perfectionistic beliefs when it came time to create her private practice. After loads of therapy, Danielle finally came to terms with the idea that a perfect private practice simply isn't possible. Also, Danielle speaks about the transition from private practice to group practice. Plus, we talk about overcoming shame, the black lives matter movement, and the importance of boundaries. Meet Danielle Branche If you ask any therapist why they were drawn to this profession, most of them would answer with, "I wanted to help people". While this is true, it is much deeper. Danielle wanted to help people navigate through life in more fulfilling ways. She aspired to teach people how to be in a relationship with their mothers and fathers. Danielle wanted to give couples the tools they need to be the husbands and wives they want to be, not the ones their parents were. Her commitment is to do just that. *Danielle is no longer working out of the Largo area* Danielle's main focus is working with couples around issues of trust, communication, forgiveness after infidelity, intimacy, sex, and decision making (finances, children, etc.). She does pre-marital therapy and marital/relational enrichment. Danielle mainly uses Emotion-Focused Therapy & Solution-Focused Therapy. Danielle also sees individuals and does group therapy. As a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist, Danielle is trained in understanding how to see things relationally, not just individually. She is versed in locating where behaviors, beliefs, ideas, and feelings originate, how they affect our lives and relationships, and how to effectively manage and/or change them. Navigating Perfectionistic Beliefs Danielle found herself chasing the high of what it felt like to get praise. There was a high associated with being successful and getting straight A's. When she started a private practice, part of her was terrified to fail. Every time a client comes in and says something negative about the décor, Danielle would take it personally because she wanted everything to be perfect. Which, of course, perfectionism is unrealistic and impossible. It has been a real struggle to overcome these challenges. Danielle has embarked on her own therapy journey so she can accept the imperfections. Overcoming Shame As A Therapist Danielle felt many self-doubt thoughts after her first couple broke up after coming to her for couple's therapy. She felt shame and loads of crappy emotions. Danielle needed to process it deeply and take it to therapy before she was able to accept it. She figured out that it wasn't her job to fix relationships. That was the pivotal moment that she had as a private practice owner. The perfectionist part of us will take over, and an internal critic will take over – we compare ourselves to others, and we are harder on ourselves than others. The best thing we can do is just dismiss it and move forward. Flexibility In Private Practice Private practice allows for a flexible schedule. It's essential to find a practice that works around your lifestyle. Some therapists like high caseloads. Whereas other therapists thrive with a lower caseload. In private practice, you can choose how many clients you see. Make sure you are able to understand where your boundaries are. Starting A Group Practice Danielle says a group practice wasn't her version. Danielle thought she would stay in private practice forever with self-doubt – she didn't want to be responsible for anyone else. However, it felt lonely and isolating. She thrives on community and connection. So, her first independent contractor came from an agency that Danielle used to work for. Actually, the independent contractor came to her – she wanted to join the practice. Danielle didn't realize that people would like to be part of her practice. After a few conversations, Danielle decided to bring her on as an independent contractor. Black Lives Matter Danielle says that she has to do a lot of self-care. In staff meetings, they do vision boards. Sometimes, they also vent during staff meetings and chat about the different impacts. Danielle encourages her therapists to be in therapy themselves. As a Black clinician who sees a lot of African American clients, it can be cumbersome. Her clients are feeling hopeless. While on the other hand, some are feeling more hopeful about the changes happening in the country. Overall, Danielle says it's critical to take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Danielle's Resources ...And I Still Love You: The Art of Loving Imperfect People Branches of Life Facebook Instagram Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Take the G-Suite F

In this episode, Danielle Branche joins the show. She talks about navigating perfectionistic beliefs when it came time to create her private practice. After loads of therapy, Danielle finally came to terms with the idea that a perfect private practice simply isn't possible. Also, Danielle speaks about the transition from private practice to group practice. Plus, we talk about overcoming shame, the black lives matter movement, and the importance of boundaries. Meet Danielle Branche If you ask any therapist why they were drawn to this profession, most of them would answer with, "I wanted to help people". While this is true, it is much deeper. Danielle wanted to help people navigate through life in more fulfilling ways. She aspired to teach people how to be in a relationship with their mothers and fathers. Danielle wanted to give couples the tools they need to be the husbands and wives they want to be, not the ones their parents were. Her commitment is to do just that. *Danielle is no longer working out of the Largo area* Danielle's main focus is working with couples around issues of trust, communication, forgiveness after infidelity, intimacy, sex, and decision making (finances, children, etc.). She does pre-marital therapy and marital/relational enrichment. Danielle mainly uses Emotion-Focused Therapy & Solution-Focused Therapy. Danielle also sees individuals and does group therapy. As a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist, Danielle is trained in understanding how to see things relationally, not just individually. She is versed in locating where behaviors, beliefs, ideas, and feelings originate, how they affect our lives and relationships, and how to effectively manage and/or change them. Navigating Perfectionistic Beliefs Danielle found herself chasing the high of what it felt like to get praise. There was a high associated with being successful and getting straight A's. When she started a private practice, part of her was terrified to fail. Every time a client comes in and says something negative about the décor, Danielle would take it personally because she wanted everything to be perfect. Which, of course, perfectionism is unrealistic and impossible. It has been a real struggle to overcome these challenges. Danielle has embarked on her own therapy journey so she can accept the imperfections. Overcoming Shame As A Therapist Danielle felt many self-doubt thoughts after her first couple broke up after coming to her for couple's therapy. She felt shame and loads of crappy emotions. Danielle needed to process it deeply and take it to therapy before she was able to accept it. She figured out that it wasn't her job to fix relationships. That was the pivotal moment that she had as a private practice owner. The perfectionist part of us will take over, and an internal critic will take over – we compare ourselves to others, and we are harder on ourselves than others. The best thing we can do is just dismiss it and move forward. Flexibility In Private Practice Private practice allows for a flexible schedule. It's essential to find a practice that works around your lifestyle. Some therapists like high caseloads. Whereas other therapists thrive with a lower caseload. In private practice, you can choose how many clients you see. Make sure you are able to understand where your boundaries are. Starting A Group Practice Danielle says a group practice wasn't her version. Danielle thought she would stay in private practice forever with self-doubt – she didn't want to be responsible for anyone else. However, it felt lonely and isolating. She thrives on community and connection. So, her first independent contractor came from an agency that Danielle used to work for. Actually, the independent contractor came to her – she wanted to join the practice. Danielle didn't realize that people would like to be part of her practice. After a few conversations, Danielle decided to bring her on as an independent contractor. Black Lives Matter Danielle says that she has to do a lot of self-care. In staff meetings, they do vision boards. Sometimes, they also vent during staff meetings and chat about the different impacts. Danielle encourages her therapists to be in therapy themselves. As a Black clinician who sees a lot of African American clients, it can be cumbersome. Her clients are feeling hopeless. While on the other hand, some are feeling more hopeful about the changes happening in the country. Overall, Danielle says it's critical to take care of yourself so you can take care of others. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Danielle's Resources ...And I Still Love You: The Art of Loving Imperfect People Branches of Life Facebook Instagram Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Take the G-Suite F

In this episode, Linda Sanderville explains how she wants to shift generational poverty – it's all about a money mindset shift. We talk about navigating our mindset blocks when it comes to having a thriving private practice. Also, Linda reveals what it takes to create a practice that fits your lifestyle, including why you should never feel guilty for raising your fees. Lastly, Linda speaks about how she found her liberated identity and gives her thoughts on the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Meet Linda Sanderville Ready to receive greater abundance in your private practice? Without guilt, fear, or self-sabotage? Linda Sanderville helps therapists move beyond the initial stage of practice building, to increase profits through subconscious work, trauma release, and authentic business design. Working with Linda means growing your income in the next stage of your private practice, with all of the clarity and impact, and none of the scramble to hustle harder. She has an uncanny intuition for pinpointing your limiting beliefs and getting you unstuck so you can master your unique business strategy! When she's not working on unlocking your unlimited potential, you'll find Linda watching Arrested Development on perpetual repeat, and happily downing a vegan doughnut or an apple-ginger green smoothie. Don't be surprised if you hear her adorable toddler sounding loud and proud in the background of a Zoom call! Creating A Practice That Fits Your Lifestyle Private practice should fit your lifestyle. Linda knew that she needed a strong foundation and clarity in her private practice. She loves her work – it's her calling and her mission. Linda realized that if she doesn't take care of herself, she won't be able to take care of her clients. So, she wanted to design her practice from the ground up in a way that she wouldn't have to leave it. From the start, Linda wanted her practice to revolve around her lifestyle and taking care of herself and her family. How To Start Building Your Practice The first step is to unlearn unhelpful information. It would help if you had your own style of doing things. Reflect on and examine social work culture more objectively. That way, you won't feel guilty for taking care of yourself. In social work, there's a martyr-like quality. You don't have to stay up late hours and help your clients. If you don't stay up late, then you shouldn't feel guilty about it. Lastly, Linda says to look at your numbers. Figure out how much money you need to make your practice work. What will it take for you to show up excited to work for your clients? We are not taught about money in grad school; however, it's an essential piece of the puzzle. Navigating Money Shame Recognize that you have subconscious money blocks. Some people don't realize they have a money block until they start looking at setting their fees. For instance, when you think about raising your fees, you might begin to wonder if people will think you're greedy. However, you know in your heart that you're not greedy. So, where is that mindset block coming from? Many people have a fear of perception. If you want to have a sustainable private practice, you need to learn how to raise your fees. To be sustainable, you can't work for free. When clients invest in you, then you can show up better for them. Finding A Liberated Identity Recognize the effects of how you can tend toward devaluation of yourself as a result of other experiences. These effects should not be impacting your private practice. As a Black woman, Linda thinks about how she would do things if she had white man confidence. In general, women do not ask for more money, they don't ask for raises, and they don't ask for promotions. We have a responsibility to take care of ourselves emotionally, financially, and physically. It's time that we take control of our own lives and make our wildest dreams come true. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Linda's Resources LinkedIn Facebook Website Instagram [email protected] Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Take the G-Suite For Therapists Survey Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast The Group Practice Outfitter Waitlist My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies Scale-Up Services Summit October 20th – 23rd G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe t

In this episode, Elizabeth Broyhill Morris, the Founder of Living Hope, joins the show. We talk about the difference between hope and expectation. When we expect something to happen, we are relying on external factors. When we hope, we understand that our life is in our own control. Then, Elizabeth reveals the eight practices you can utilize to sustain hope - Surrender, Stillness, Grief, Honesty, Curiosity, Forgiveness, Resilience, and Joy. Stay tuned as Elizabeth dives into how to put these actions into place to start your journey to joy. Meet Elizabeth Broyhill Morris Elizabeth Broyhill Morris is the Founder of Living Hope. Through her own experience of finding Hope after struggle and trauma, she found herself privileged to offer love and encouragement to others who were in despair. In sharing her words and wisdom and receiving them from others, she came to believe that Hope is not an emotion – it is an action that must be practiced consistently and intentionally. This project has been a labor of love that evolved over the course of several years, gaining traction, slowing down, and eventually going silent for a time. The turning point, however, was in 2015, when Elizabeth lost a precious friend who died unexpectedly and tragically. In her grief, Elizabeth was called to speak on a broader platform to people who were losing hope. From this experience grew a team of devoted individuals who brought the community of Living Hope to life. Elizabeth lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., with her husband, their son, and a new baby on the way. She is a voracious reader, amateur cook, aspiring gardener, and passionate community volunteer. Hope vs. Expectation There is a big difference between hope and expectations. Disappointment is just an unmet expectation. Who are you hoping to be, and who are you expecting to be? Hope is the sweet spot. You should never fully expect something to happen a certain way. Expectations are focusing on something outside of yourself. We need to think about our locus of control. People who are happiest in life have an internal locus of control – they know themselves well, and they know how to handle their own emotions well. People with an external locus of control are continually responding to what they think everyone else wants or thinks. At the end of the day, we need a great "I am." We all have the ability to tap into our internal wisdom. Expectations are entirely external. Whenever we are externally focused, we are going to get tripped up. Eight Practices To Sustain Hope Elizabeth identified eight specific practices that create and sustain hope – Surrender, Stillness, Grief, Honesty, Curiosity, Forgiveness, Resilience, and Joy. It is these eight Practices that became the cornerstone of Living Hope. You have to be totally focused on your personal therapeutic practice and you can't put it down. So, Elizabeth sat down and thought about her process of recovering from divorce. These steps need to be interchangeable for any challenge in your life. Elizabeth dives into her eight practices for hope: Surrender: let it go. Stillness: sit with it; it's gone now. Grief: we have to process our grief; it is absolutely vital to go through the grieving process. Do not get stuck in the grieving process. Honesty: sit down and get honest with yourself. Ask yourself, how did I get here? Curiosity: what happened in your past that shapes the way you pursue this? All the puzzle pieces are starting to come together. Forgiveness: there is a lot of value to forgive someone. The most significant piece is forgiving yourself for going through that. You can really find freedom through forgiveness. Resilience: pull your bootstraps up, stand up, and move forward. Find fresh new air. Joy: this is the ultimate practice of hope. Step into a space of complete freedom and joy – it's an incredibly loving place to be. When we are in crisis, we need to slow down enough to get the landscape. This framework gives people steppingstones. Grief is at the heart of everything we struggle with as human beings. Once we can move through grief, we can be on our way to find joy. [fusebox_transcript] Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Elizabeth's Resources Living Hope Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast Listen to Finding Fred The Group Practice Outfitter Waitlist Scale-Up Services Summit October 20th – 23rd G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of

Veronica Cisneros joins the show to talk about how therapists can start empowering their personal and professional lives. Most likely, you lack vulnerability. Veronica says it's time you started taking care of yourself and engage in the hobbies that spark your joy and fire your passions. Think about the life that you want to live in. How are you currently pursuing it? Well, it's time to start permitting yourself to do the things that you want to do. Plus, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Stay tuned as Veronica reveals her habits for success. Meet Veronica Cisneros Veronica is a licensed marriage and family therapist, motivational speaker, mother of three, and wife of her beloved husband of 20 years. Through personal experience, she has defeated life's challenges by leaning into fear unapologetically. She's taught hundreds of women how to take ownership of their lives, lean into fear, and let go of judgment. However, this is not a big enough impact and she learned to empower the millions of women worldwide who suffer. She focuses on creating true change, encouraging women to no longer compromise themselves in order to meet the needs of others. Vulnerability A lot of therapists' lack of vulnerability - Veronica sees this frequently. There's a fear of being exposed. If a therapist exposes their true self, then what are other people going to think? If someone knew their reality, then what would people say? Veronica says that therapists are wrapped up in their identity as a therapist. When you take away your therapist role, then who are you? When is the last time you engaged in one of your hobbies? It's time that therapists start thinking about themselves and give themselves permission to be real humans and show their vulnerabilities. Empower Your Life Veronica thought about the life she wanted to live. She wants to be a connected and exceptional mom and wife. Then, Veronica thought about what was standing in her way. She looked at herself and examined what she was doing. Eventually, Veronica realized that she didn't think she was deserving. Her house was at a higher ranking than herself. She looked at her life and how she wanted to change it. Instead of thinking she wasn't worth it, she decided to create her perfect day. For instance, when Veronica sleeps in, she gives herself grace. She permits herself to do the things that she wants to do. Take Action Veronica used to wake up to a checklist and would yell at her kids because they were late for school. She found herself irritated the moment she woke up. Veronica realized it was her fault – she needed to ask her husband for help. What boundaries have you set, and how have you asserted yourself? Veronica never asked her husband for help. Instead, she felt resentful. Plus, she felt guilt and shame for screaming first thing in the morning. Veronica knew something needed to change. She could have blamed her kids and her husband. Instead, Veronica decided to take action. She asked for help and let go of perfection. Habits For Success Veronica says vulnerability is her habit for success. She can live unapologetically by being vulnerable. That means she is going to be subjected to criticism. If someone walks into your house with dirty dishes in the sink, there might be some form of judgment. Well, do it anyway. Permit yourself to be your true authentic self. That way, you are no longer attempting to meet other people's needs. Make sure you have fewer expectations – it's time to accept your family for who they are and who they are not. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Veronica's Resources Website Podcast Facebook Group Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast The Group Practice Outfitter Waitlist Scale-Up Services Summit October 20th - 23rd G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

In this episode, Alison explains what it is like to run a group practice, like a boss! Alison is into tracking data; she likes to make her decisions based on numbers. You'll hear loads of tips about having a group practice. For instance, don't wait to delegate for when you're stressed out and on the verge of burn out – it's probably time to delegate today! Stay tuned as Alison explains how she finds the best clinicians for her practice, the ways that she compensates her staff, and why she utilizes an employee model rather than an independent contractor model. Meet Alison Pidgeon Alison Pidgeon, MA, LPC is the Founder and CEO of Move Forward Counseling LLC. What started out as a solo private practice in early 2015 quickly grew into a group practice and has been expanding ever since. Alison has been working in the mental health field since 2003. She graduated from Immaculata University with a master's degree in counseling psychology in 2007. She earned her license as a professional counselor (LPC) in 2009. Her time spent working in community mental health helped to shape her as a leader and made her aware of the problems which exist in the mental health system. Taking what she learned from the traditional model of mental health care, Alison set out to create something different when she started her private practice. Her attention to detail to the whole client experience and treating her staff exceptionally well have created a reputation of excellence that is recognized by the community. Learn How To Delegate Practice owners get caught in the trap of bootstrapping everything like answering the phone and cleaning the office. Why? Because they want to save money. However, you are putting a hard cap on how large you can grow your business. There's a way to make sure you're hiring trustworthy people who will do good work and be reliable. It's possible to delegate sooner than you need to. People wait too long to start delegating. Don't wait until your drowning at work. Find Good Clinicians When starting a group practice, it's essential to find the best clinicians. However, whenever clinicians wanted to join Alison, they said they couldn't because they needed health insurance. That's why Alison decided to switch from an independent contracting model to an employee model. That way, Alison can offer her employees the opportunity to have health insurance. This has been a total game-changer for Alison. Her turnover rate is a lot lower. Plus, she gets so many more applications with the employee model. Moving Toward Group Practice Look at your systems. This will have to change when you hire people. Most likely, your systems will only work for a private practice rather than group practice. For instance, you may need multiple phone extensions. Plus, you'll need to change up your website. Change your wording from "I" to "we." Also, think about whether or not you want to be a boss. Managing people is a significant aspect of group practice. If that sounds terrible, then group practice may not be right for you. Think long and hard about what you love to do. Determining Fit It would help if you were clear about your mission, vision, and values. Your values will speak a lot about the culture of your practice. You can even print these things out and have your potential clinicians look it over. The clearer you are about what you want will help you attract the right people and repel the wrong people. Having a problem employee is a nightmare and not worth the stress. That's why Alison is picky about who she hires. Alison wants her clinicians to be organized, timely, and self-sufficient. If a clinician isn't organized enough to manage themselves, it will not be a good fit. Also, Alison values boundaries – you can't teach good judgment. So Alison wants to know if her potential clinicians have good boundaries with their clients. Recruiting Alison uses Indeed.com, plus she has an employment page on her website. She gets quite a few resumes through that as well. Therapists talk to each other. So one therapist will tell their friends. That's why Alison likes to have an employment page on her website so that people can reach out to her directly. Compensation Alison says that compensation will depend on the laws in your state. In Pennsylvania, there's not a lot of options. Alison pays her therapists more to see a client and less for administrative work. She doesn't go the salaried route because your therapists will get paid the same amount no matter how many clients they have. At a minimum, they have to do twenty-five hours a week. If they want more, then they can earn a bonus. However, they don't need to work forty hours a week if they don't want to. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Alison's Resources Email Alison: [email protected] Move Forward Counseling Consultin

In this episode, David Hall joins to speak about making the transition from private practice to group practice. First, think about if you'll add employees or independent contractors to your practice. Then, decide how you will pay them; there are many different structures to set this up. However, you need to know the financial side of your practice before you start paying others. Stay tuned as we talk about keeping it simple and the reasons why you may want to think twice before starting a group practice. Lastly, catch our free live webinar on September 25th: Solo To Group Practice. Meet David Hall Dr. Stephen "David" Hall heads up content and creative direction as the "Chief Maven" of PsychMaven. He began his work as a psychotherapist in 2005, and he currently holds clinical licenses in Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. He has built up multiple counseling practices in his years as a clinician, first in Georgia and then in his home state of Tennessee. In 2015, he led the start-up of an independent psychiatry clinic, Haven Family Psychiatry, in Knoxville, TN. Dr. Hall maintains a psychotherapy caseload and supervises postgraduate therapists in the practice he leads in the clinic, Haven Counseling Center at Haven Family Psychiatry. Transitioning To Group Practice At one point, you'll realize the only way that you can grow is by doing something different. David realized that he could grow if he brought new people to practice. Do you feel like you can't take on any new clients? Then it could be time to think about starting a group practice. Whether you are thinking about a part-time contractor or bringing on full-time employees, you'll hear about some factors to help you know when the situation and timing are right in our upcoming webinar. Paying Your Staff Most people will start with independent contractors when creating their group practice. However, don't try and be too generous when it comes to paying your contractors. Make sure that you are keeping enough for yourself. You don't want to be paying your contractors from your profits. Most therapists didn't get into therapy to make loads of money. Most therapists want to help people. This idea extends to our employees and contractors. You cannot sustain your mission unless there are margins. Group Practice Can Be Simple David made things too complicated when starting his group practice. He realized that he could run a simple practice and be more profitable. For David, this was far less stressful. At first, it was super stressful, and he didn't sleep well at night. When he crossed the bridge of realizing how the practice could be, a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. Now, David can lead a group of therapists and not live in constant stress. Have a vision of why you want to start a group practice. Don't try and do too much. Learn how to delegate and outsource well. Why You Might Think Twice Before Starting A Group Practice Sometimes there can be pressure for what you "should" do. That's not true. If you want to start a group practice, then do it. However, don't start a group practice because you think that's what you should be doing. Some people LOVE their private practice. It can be simple with little distractions; maybe it's your sweet spot. If private practice is a paradise for you, you don't need to start a group practice. It doesn't matter if you're introverted or extroverted; group practice can be right or wrong for anyone. Embrace the trueness of who you are. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! David's Resources Sign up for the webinar: Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income PsychMaven PsychMaven on Facebook PsychMaven on Instagram PsychMaven on LinkedIn Haven Family Psychiatry Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Use my link for 1 Month FREE of Brighter Vision services Brighter Vision Fall Into Cash Event Sign up for Killin'It Camp – October 5-7, 2020 G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

In this episode, LaToya Smith of LCS Counseling and Consulting Agency joins the show. LaToya speaks about the importance of telling your story as it relates to creating connections and networking in your community. Plus, storytelling is a great way to build your brand and expand your social media presence. Stay tuned as we talk about the Black Lives Matter movement and diversity in private practice. Meet LaToya Smith LaToya is the owner of LCS Counseling and Consulting Agency in Fortworth Texas. She firmly believes that people don't have to remain stuck in their pain or the place they became wounded. She encourages her clients to be active in their treatment and work towards their desired outcome. She has also launched Strong Witness which is a platform designed to connect, transform, and heal communities through the power of storytelling. Visit LaToya's website and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Strong Witness Instagram, and Twitter. Why Story is Important The more you talk about your story, the easier it gets. It would help if you weren't afraid to speak about your story. Telling your story will help you be more confident in your voice. Plus, people will come up to you and connect with you. We are not out on an island by ourselves - it's time to be vulnerable and create connections. Telling stories will bring healing and understanding through being free, and sharing will allow yourself to be who you are. Empowering Through Story Vulnerability will build courage. The most authentic stories allow us to be seen, and that is how the connection is made. When we put words to our pain and our emotions, then we light up. Story will help bridge the gaps. We need to learn to set things aside, listen, and connect through stories and experience. It will help tear down walls and prevent division. When we are willing to hear other people's pain, we realize that strangers are no different from us. Black Lives Matter It's hard to heal; there is always something. 2020 has been devastating. You can't stop to catch your breath. It's so heavy, and therapists are overwhelmed. If your clients are still being traumatized, then it's going to be hard to heal. Even Black therapists are having a hard time. It's a lot to process, and unfortunately, it's not new. People who are not Black can empathize with the community. A faithful ally will do something to prove that they are anti-racist. LaToya has been part of peaceful protests, and she sees change happening. When you are walking through the protests, you don't get all the love back. If you're out at the protests, then you need to practice mental health. There are people out there doing the work that needs to be done, reach out to them, and lend a helping hand. Storytelling Consultancy LaToya helps therapists and private practice owners incorporate storytelling into their presentations and social media profiles. LaToya wants to help private practice owners integrate stories into their everyday lives and help boost their business. Visit Strong Witness - an app designed to give people a platform and a safe space to share their stories. They welcome any story you are comfortable with sharing. This includes stories of triumph, victory, pain, joy, gratitude, shame, love, or defeat. You want to tell stories that will draw people to you. The story should get people to take action. Allow yourself to be seen at the moment. People can connect with you better when they can see you. When you share, people will want to pick up the phone and call you. Use your authentic voice and tell the stories that you are comfortable with. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! LaToya's Resources Visit LaToya's Website Facebook Instagram Strong Witness Instagram Strong Witness Facebook Twitter Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free.Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Use my link for 1 Month FREE of Brighter Vision services Brighter Vision Fall Into Cash Event Sign up for Killin'It Camp – October 5-7, 2020 Check out these great resources from PsychMaven G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

In this episode, LaToya Smith of LCS Counseling and Consulting Agency joins the show. LaToya speaks about the importance of telling your story as it relates to creating connections and networking in your community. Plus, storytelling is a great way to build your brand and expand your social media presence. Stay tuned as we talk about the Black Lives Matter movement and diversity in private practice. Meet LaToya Smith LaToya is the owner of LCS Counseling and Consulting Agency in Fortworth Texas. She firmly believes that people don't have to remain stuck in their pain or the place they became wounded. She encourages her clients to be active in their treatment and work towards their desired outcome. She has also launched Strong Witness which is a platform designed to connect, transform, and heal communities through the power of storytelling. Visit LaToya's website and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Strong Witness Instagram, and Twitter. Why Story is Important The more you talk about your story, the easier it gets. It would help if you weren't afraid to speak about your story. Telling your story will help you be more confident in your voice. Plus, people will come up to you and connect with you. We are not out on an island by ourselves - it's time to be vulnerable and create connections. Telling stories will bring healing and understanding through being free, and sharing will allow yourself to be who you are. Empowering Through Story Vulnerability will build courage. The most authentic stories allow us to be seen, and that is how the connection is made. When we put words to our pain and our emotions, then we light up. Story will help bridge the gaps. We need to learn to set things aside, listen, and connect through stories and experience. It will help tear down walls and prevent division. When we are willing to hear other people's pain, we realize that strangers are no different from us. Black Lives Matter It's hard to heal; there is always something. 2020 has been devastating. You can't stop to catch your breath. It's so heavy, and therapists are overwhelmed. If your clients are still being traumatized, then it's going to be hard to heal. Even Black therapists are having a hard time. It's a lot to process, and unfortunately, it's not new. People who are not Black can empathize with the community. A faithful ally will do something to prove that they are anti-racist. LaToya has been part of peaceful protests, and she sees change happening. When you are walking through the protests, you don't get all the love back. If you're out at the protests, then you need to practice mental health. There are people out there doing the work that needs to be done, reach out to them, and lend a helping hand. Storytelling Consultancy LaToya helps therapists and private practice owners incorporate storytelling into their presentations and social media profiles. LaToya wants to help private practice owners integrate stories into their everyday lives and help boost their business. Visit Strong Witness - an app designed to give people a platform and a safe space to share their stories. They welcome any story you are comfortable with sharing. This includes stories of triumph, victory, pain, joy, gratitude, shame, love, or defeat. You want to tell stories that will draw people to you. The story should get people to take action. Allow yourself to be seen at the moment. People can connect with you better when they can see you. When you share, people will want to pick up the phone and call you. Use your authentic voice and tell the stories that you are comfortable with. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! LaToya's Resources Visit LaToya's Website Facebook Instagram Strong Witness Instagram Strong Witness Facebook Twitter Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free.Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Use my link for 1 Month FREE of Brighter Vision services Brighter Vision Fall Into Cash Event Sign up for Killin'It Camp – October 5-7, 2020 Check out these great resources from PsychMaven G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, "Like" us on Facebook.

In this episode, Rebecca Toner joins to speak about supervision and seeking support for your private practice. She explains exactly how a supervisor can help you with your clinical journey. Plus, Rebecca reveals the most significant obstacles that clinicians face at the beginning of their career and some ways to overcome those common challenges. Stay tuned as we talk about how you can find a niche and the ways to navigate imposture syndrome. Meet Rebecca Toner Rebecca Toner, MA, LPC is a group private practice owner, clinical supervisor, EMDR consultant-in-training, and host of the Supportive SuperVision Podcast. She specializes in trauma work and combines both her clinical practice of EMDR and her clinical supervision/consultation practice with an Internal Family Systems model. She's a multi-passionate entrepreneur whose mission is to help heal as many lives as possible through direct clinical practice, supervision, and EMDR consulting. Connecting With Clinicians It's terrific for clinicians to be connecting as long as it's authentic. Supervision is a way to develop other clinicians. You can work on a few goals together and help drive their career. Rebecca does a lot of trauma-informed supervision. She helps her clinicians dig deep and compartmentalize. Learn How To Be Genuine Rebecca notices that clinicians focus on doing their work correctly and precisely by the book. This method will strip the human element. Instead of staying in the moment, clinicians are second-guessing themselves. Plus, clinicians will work on becoming more like their supervisor rather than becoming more like themselves. It's essential to develop your own style when doing clinical work. The number one predictor of the efficacy of therapy is the relationship between the therapist and the client. Advice For Those Who Are Getting Started Rebecca says to invest in your own supervision and consultation. A consultation will be a one-time session where you ask a couple of questions. Supervision is a paid ongoing relationship. If you're a young clinician, then you are probably getting administrative supervision. However, you can pay for someone who will provide clinical supervision. That new perspective will help assist your clients. This person will also have the clinical process at the forefront of their mind. Be part of an online therapist group, if possible. Facebook groups are great for exposing yourself to people with specialties and niches. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Pay the person that has your niche for their time and ask how they got to where they are. Build your business and your confidence while also building your clinical skills. Getting Unstuck as a Clinician Clinicians will get stuck with their confidence. Sometimes, they are not sure which diagnosis is the right choice for their client. A clinician will overthink their gut feelings. Plus, people are made to believe that they are dependent on their agency jobs. That's not the case! It's scary to give up the stability of an agency job and move out on your own. However, every therapist in private practice has wrestled with these thoughts. Private practice does not need to be zero to one-hundred. You can build your private practice during nights and weekends. Then, start thinking about moving from full-time to part-time agency work to give yourself more time when transitioning to private practice. It's vital to form a niche and a specialty. That will help when you make a move to private practice. Finding a Niche and Overcoming Imposture Syndrome What are you naturally doing as an interest? If you're interested in clients with OCD and ADHD, then work on getting super confident in that area. It's also essential to go to the trainings and validate that you know what you're doing. People can get caught up in imposter syndrome because they don't recognize what they do know. It's important to remember that you have gone through trainings and learned from graduate school and internships. It would help if you didn't discount these things. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Rebecca's Resources Supervision/Consultation Website Counseling Practice Website Supportive SuperVision Podcast Instagram [email protected] Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free.Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast Use my link for 1 Month FREE of Brighter Vision services Sign up for Killin'It Camp – October 5-7, 2020 Brighter Vision Fall Into Cash Event Brighter Vision 1 Month of Free Services Check out these great resources from Psychmaven Psychmaven Gordon Brewer Shares Inside Secrets To Having A Successful Counseling Practice | Episode 24 Consulting with Gordon G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Pract

In this episode, Ashley Comegys gives us the basics of building an online practice. We talk through some of the challenges of being a full-time virtual therapist and how clients react to telehealth during COVID-19. Stay tuned as Ashley explains the process behind getting licensed in several states and the importance of flexibility during these uncertain times. Meet Ashley Comegys Ashley Comegys is a licensed clinical social worker with an online therapy practice that helps women with anxiety navigate life transitions, grief, trauma, and loss. She has been working with clients online since 2014 and loves the ability to work with clients who may not be able to make it into a traditional office for therapy. Through cross country moves, and a growing family, Ashley has built a successful online practice, working with clients in Louisiana, Hawaii, and Colorado. Ashley is passionate about helping other mom clinicians build their own online therapy practices so they can have the time freedom and flexibility to have a career and raise their family. To help moms get started with building their online practices Ashley has created a free guide called The ABCs of Online Therapy: A Quickstart Guide for Mom Clinicians to Take Their Practice Online. You can download the free guide at bit.ly/momABCguide. Telehealth During COVID The reality is, schools can shut down at any time. Working with clients online will give you the flexibility and freedom that a brick and mortar office doesn't provide. For example, do you share an office space with someone else? Then you may be limited to which hours you can go in there. Working with clients online, you have the flexibility to work around your schedule and your childcare. It cuts down on the extra time for commuting too! No one knows what the outcome will be from COVID; it's time to pivot and adjust your expectations and find success in online practice. Flexibility with Clients Clients have been willing to be very flexible during COVID. There are a lot of moms who understand the importance of being flexible. Even those clients who aren't moms, they understand the need to be flexible. Nothing is normal right now. Some days we can work from home, while other days we need to be in the office. Ashley has very understanding clients. Adjusting Your Schedule When you need to make adjustments to your schedule, Ashley says that it needs to be an upfront conversation. Tell your clients the situation and prepare them for possible changes. Also, be willing to have options for your clients. For the most part, our clients are also going through difficult times too; they understand and relate to you. Communication is critical during these uncertain times. Getting Licensed In Several States Getting licensed in several states happened organically for Ashley because she kept moving around. As a military spouse, it's hard because each state is so different. The only beneficial thing is that Ashley's application went to the front of the line in Hawaii. Compared to some applications, the Hawaii application wasn't too bad. Most of Ashley's clients are in Hawaii, even though Ashley lives in Louisiana. Plus, Ashley works with military families that moved to Colorado. So, she got licensed in Colorado – it was a simple process compared to other states. Marketing Your Private Practice Get a good website! That will be a significant source of referrals for your practice. When you market to too many people, then you're marketing to no one. Think about your physical location. That will be the most accessible place to start marketing. A website will be the easiest way for people to find you. Plus, you can still have a lunch meeting with someone in your area that is a natural collaborator with you. That way, you can connect with other counselors and get a referral source. Starting Your Virtual Practice Get the basics in order. Figure out what is the EHR system that you are going to use. There is a variety of systems out there, which one will be best for you? After you get the nuts and bolts, you can start picking up the phone and finding clients. Ashley has a free guide to help you get started. You can find it here: https://bit.ly/momABCguide. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Ashley's Resources The ABCs of Online Therapy: A Quickstart Guide for Mom Clinicians to Take Their Practice Online Ashley's Website Ashley's Facebook Group Raised To Empower Email Ashley Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free.Learn more about GreenOak Accounting Listen to Therapy For Your Money Podcast Use my link for 1 Month FREE of Brighter Vision services Sign up for Killin'It Camp - October 5-7, 2020 Click on this link, nominate yours truly, and write your most intriguing questions for the "Up Close and Personal Podcast Mini-Series." Use the

In this episode, Dana McNeil and Nancy Ryan speak about how to be a successful couple's therapist. A couple's therapist needs to be compassionate and connect with the pair. Plus, a couple's therapist has to control the room and not be afraid to make mistakes. If you're looking for a private practice niche, couple's therapy can be an excellent tool for your practice. However, if you find out that couple's therapy is not your specialty, please refer to another therapist. Tune in for more tips about couple's work! Meet Dana McNeil, LMFT Dana McNeil is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is the founder of a group practice called The Relationship Place located in San Diego, California. Dana's practice specializes in couples' therapy and utilizes an evidence-based type of couples' therapy which is known as the Gottman Method. Dana is a certified Gottman Method therapist and Bringing Home Baby instructor. Dana's practice works with all types of relationship issues from pre-marital counseling, dealing with the aftermath of extramarital affairs, partners working through addiction recovery, the military deployed families, parents of special needs children, LGBTQ, and polyamorous clients. Dana has been featured on many relationship podcasts and in publications such as the Business Insider, Authority Magazine, Eat This-Not That, Parade, Oprah Living, Martha Stewart Living, Ladders, AARP and is the resident relationship expert on the Cox Communications show "I Do". Meet Nancy Ryan, LMFT Nancy Ryan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and is the founder of a group practice called The Relationship Therapy Center in Roseville and Fair Oaks, California. Nancy's practice specializes in couples therapy and she is a Certified Gottman Therapist. Nancy's practice works with all types of relationship issues from pre-marital counseling, all types of couples, divorce, and uncoupling, affair recovery, sexual issues, and codependency. Nancy has been featured in the media and in publications such as the Psych Central, Bustle, Elephant Journal, Marriage.com, KFBK News Radio, Fox 40 Sacramento, and Cox Media "Main Street Living". Client Ambassadors Do you want to talk about money while you're in the session? It is better to have someone else talk about business aspects with your clients. That way, the therapists do not need to ask their clients for the money. When you go to medical practice, the doctor doesn't ask you for the money; there is a separate person. Having a buffer is enormous. Handle The Room In Couple's Therapy You have to be the presence that carries hope and the demeanor. Internally, therapists could be thinking that it's a mess. However, it should never come out in the room. Both partners need to be able to feel like you're on their side. There is a way for you to get the couple to talk to one another. It would help if you were a therapist for the relationship, not for each individual. When one person is talking and sharing, look at the other partner's face, and see how they react. Call Out Emotions If someone is aggressive, there needs to be a pause, so you remain in control of the room. When someone is aggressive, then they are not tuned in to the other person's body language. As a therapist, you need to show them what is happening with their partner. A therapist needs to be brave enough to call out emotions. It's a talent that you have to learn because sometimes you get it wrong. It would help if you were comfortable with correcting yourself and making mistakes. There's a dance that happens when you're a perfect couple's therapist. Normalize Couple's Therapy Couples aren't in therapy because they can't figure things out. Couples are in therapy because no one teaches them about the couple's communication. Couples should be in therapy because they need to learn the tools. A therapist should also relate to their clients – we all have struggles. A therapist can talk about conflict at their house. That way, the couple will start to feel safe. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. GreenOak Accounting Dana's Resources Free Copy of Three Conflict Busting Techniques Confident Couple's Therapists Use to Manage Escalated Clients The Relationship Place Dana's Website Confident Couples Therapist Nancy's Resources Relationship Therapy Center Confident Couples Therapist Other Resources Click on this link, nominate yours truly and write your most intriguing questions for the "Up Close and Personal Podcast Mini-Series" Use the discount code "AUG2020" on all of the Practice of Therapy e-courses and digital products at Gumroad and Teachable. G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Grou

When I first started my practice, there was very little information explaining how to start a private practice. However, there are a lot of basics that are important for people to know. This episode is all about getting back to the basics and thinking about what is needed in order to have a successful practice. I share what I have learned through my own successes and failures (by the way, there have been a lot). Plus, I share what I've learned from other clinicians and conversations that we've had. Enjoy! Start With Your Why Always start with your why. Think about things in-depth and have clarity for yourself as to why you want to start a private practice versus just working for someone else. Private practice isn't for everyone. You have to have a bit of a mindset shift from being an employee to becoming a self-employed person. This is something you have to get your head around. Look at your reasons why you want to be in private practice. For most people, they wish to have the autonomy of creating their schedule. Listen to Why Knowing Your Why Is Important In Private Practice. Business Models Next, think about what sort of business model you want to use in your practice because, like it or not, being in private practice is like running a business. You have to have business savvy in running your practice. In the private practice startup guide, there are some links to one of the most popular blog posts that I did early on about setting up a private practice because there are lots of different ways to set it up. Read Business Models in Private Practice. Find A Private Space One thing that you need is a place or a method to meet with clients. You will need to have a private space to do that. During COVID, telehealth is now the predominant way of providing services. Essentially, you can have an online practice, and that's a massive game-changer in terms of saving costs and being able to cut down on overhead. That's something to consider, starting online without even having an office space. Now more than ever is a great time to go into private practice or be a mental health provider because there is a shortage of us folks. Understand The Financial Side A lot of people make a mistake when going into private practice if they jump into it too quickly. You've got to make sure that you've got a financial buffer for yourself. Also, you need to have a clear picture of what sort of income you need from your practice to support your lifestyle. One of the things that you need to do as a business owner is to have a financial buffer. If you didn't see any clients for a month, would you be able to pay yourself plus be able to cover your expenses? I recommend putting a lot of effort into creating that buffer for yourself. It may be beneficial for those folks that might be transitioning from agency work to start your practice part-time. Learn more in the Money Matters in Private Practice Course. Marketing Your Private Practice How are people going to know who you are? People should be to find you so that you can help them. Marketing is just merely a relationship-building exercise. It is making sure that you're putting yourself out there for people to find you because believe me, people are looking for us. People want help, and people want to be able to connect with the right person and find people who can help them with the things they're struggling with. The first part of marketing is merely networking; being able to build relationships within your community. The other part of that is with the niche that you defined for yourself. It's essential to establish a specialty area for yourself because it will make it easier for the right clients to find you. Listen to Niche Marketing in Private Practice. Outsourcing Tasks As you grow, one of the things that will happen is that you can get busy with a lot of stuff that doesn't bring you any income. That's when you want to begin to automate and outsource. The big mistake that people make is they create a mindset about money that doesn't work when it comes to business. One of the things about being able to run a business is you've got to be prepared at different times be able to invest in your business. You'll either be investing your time or your money and sometimes both. Think of it as a learning period, being able to set up things on your own, if you're comfortable with that, all of those things is an investment of your time. You should be able to, at least over time, get a return of the investment of your time in your practice. In other words, it will pay off in the long run. Money Mindset Think about your mindset, and mainly your money mindset is not to be afraid to spend money. One of the things that I hear from people is that they're scared to spend money on things that are going to give them a return on their investment. For example, a Psychology Today listing costs about $30 a month. That is absolutely a good investment because if you got just one client from that, it would pay

In this solo episode, Gordon gives tips and tricks on pivoting in private practice. Whenever you're thinking about making a change, the first thing to consider is "why?" What is driving your decisions and is private practice the right fit for you? One way to think about your "why" is by doing a brain dump. Get all your thoughts out on paper - Gordon does this every single week. Stay tuned as he speaks about knowing your numbers in private practice and the importance of outsourcing. Think About Your Why COVID has caused most of us to think about what we are doing and how we can change things. Think about your "why." Why are you thinking about going into private practice? Many people want to make more money in private practice. However, why do you want the money? Think about your lifestyle. What is the life that you want to create for yourself within your practice? What is going to feed you emotionally, spiritually, and physically? A person can go into private practice and realize that it's no different than working nine to five for someone else. It's not the best fit for everyone. You need to have a massive drive to succeed in private practice. An entrepreneurial spirit is an absolute must – there should be a growth mentality there. At the end of the day, you have to be a self-starter, and you have to hold yourself accountable. If you're not wired this way, then private practice may not be the best fit. Understand Your Numbers If you are in private practice and you're not making a profit, you will not survive. Get a clear picture of your numbers as you begin to change things in private practice. If you're thinking about adding another person to your practice, make sure you understand your practice's financial side. Do a deep dive into your numbers and understand how all the financial pieces work. How much do you get per session? What does it cost you per session? Break things down in that way. Outsource Your Admin Work Once you reach a critical mass with your clients, spending time on admin work is not a good use of your time. You make money by seeing clients, so don't spend too much time working on admin work. Once you outsource your admin work, you'll find that it pays for itself. That way, you have more free time to see clients. The hardest part around this is a mindset shift. You have to get your head around the idea of return on investment. In order to make money, you need to spend money. Think about the math! Do A Brain Dump Think about all of the things that are important to you. Every week, write down everything you need to do and everything you want to accomplish. Take a sheet of paper and jot down all of the things that you wish to change in your private practice. This way, you can capture all of those thoughts. Map out how you want to get to where you want to go. If you're creative, you can take these thoughts and create a visual map on a poster board. Cut Out The Deadwood Have a space that is comfortable for you and allows you to do the things that you want to do. Throw things away or donate items that you do not need anymore. This is called cutting out the deadwood. You can do this in private practice. Look at your systems and processes. Are there things that you are doing that no longer serve you? Maybe your clients are filling out too many forms. Think about how you can streamline your systems. Also, think about your subscriptions. It may be time to change your cell phone plan. Are you paying for things that you don't use? Then it's time to clean things up and cut the deadwood. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Resources TherapyNotes.com - use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months free. Self Care Podcast Interview with Gordon Brewer Business Models for Private Practice Paul Jarvis |How Keeping Your Practice Small Could Be Big... | TPOT Podcast 086 For all of my digital products and courses, I am offering a 20% discount for the month of August. Use the promo code "AUG2020" to get the discount. G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course > Session Note Helper 3.0 Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Blog post and free download: Cool Resources Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest "Like" us on Facebook

What opportunities have you found during COVID-19? Rachel Barbanel-Fried joins the show and reveals the opportunities she is taking advantage of during this time. If you haven't thought about it yet, consider how your priorities are changing for the next year. Plus, Rachel explains why therapists need to be comfortable talking about money. Stay tuned as we speak about the importance of finding your niche and considering lifestyle when styling your perfect practice. Meet Dr. Rachel Barbanel-Fried Dr. Rachel Barbanel-Fried, aka Dr. RBF, is a clinical psychologist, writer, and optimal performance consultant based in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. She consults with executives and organizations looking to elevate performance and reach new levels of success in the workplace and beyond. She also sees individuals, couples, and families in a therapeutic setting who are looking to move forward towards growth, change, and healing. Dr. RBF utilizes an evidence-based, collaborative approach. She's direct, down-to-earth, and non-judgmental, specializing in working with people from diverse backgrounds. Talking About Money When you have a private practice, you are a small business owner, and you are creating something of your vision. Rachel assists other clinicians to build their practices, and she helps them figure out a work-life balance. Most clinicians do not want to run a business. So, they need to work on getting comfortable with money and talking about money. We need to be comfortable talking about uncomfortable things. For many of us, it's awkward to tell clients what our fees are. Rachel got stiffed from a client because she was uncomfortable talking about money. Now, Rachel is really good at talking about money. For instance, she collects fees at the time of service. Know What You Do Well Know what you do well in, and know when you need to refer out. If you're not the right person for your client, your job should be to assist them in getting the help they need. That's why it's essential to define your niche. When you work with clients who are a good fit for you, it makes for better clinical work. You never want to look at your schedule and not be excited to see your clients. At the very least, you want to feel like you're enjoying what you're doing. That doesn't mean you need to be psyched every day, but you need to feel good at what you're doing. Start With Your Lifestyle There is a number that is associated with your lifestyle. What do you need to bring home for you and your family every year? Then, work backward from that. So, how much do you need to make on a daily basis? It's a great approach to private practice. If you don't know where you are going, then how are you going to get there? Take stock of what works for you and what doesn't work for you. Therapy During COVID Rachel walks while on the phone with her clients during therapy. It enables her clients to get out and get back into the world during COVID. It has been so useful for Rachel; she actually doesn't want to give it up. What opportunities can you think of during COVID? Hopefully, you have had time to think of your priorities during our current situation. What do you want your life to look like for the next year? Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Rachel's Resources Website Facebook Instagram Resources TherapyNotes.com - Use the promo code "GORDON" and get 2 months free. G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Join the G-Suite for Therapists Users Group Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Cool Resources Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest "Like" us on Facebook