Aaron Potratz & Nathan Hawkins | Creating Successful Partnerships As Private Practice Owners | TPOT 112
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Release Date: 01/20/2020
Maureen Clancy | Integrating Diverse Healing Modalities in Private Practice | TPOT 327
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Maureen Clancy has been a licensed therapist and trauma expert for the past 20 years, helping women go through enormous life changes who have experienced childhood trauma. In this episode, Maureen shares her journey of integrating alternative healing modalities into therapeutic practice. She discusses her exploration of various methods such as energy work, acupuncture, and Reiki alongside traditional therapy, emphasizing the holistic nature of healing. Maureen reflects on the limitations of the conventional therapeutic profession and advocates for the incorporation of alternative approaches to...
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Kasey Compton | Journey to Self-Understanding: Insights for Private Practice Success | TPOT 326
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Kasey Compton is on a mission to help business owners find their entrepreneurial confidence. She went from bankrupt to Boss Babe when she took her first company from zero to three million in less than three years without ditching her life to do it. She owns three other businesses that have accumulated assets of over two million and are growing by the day. Her superpowers include cutting through the clutter to identify a strategic starting point, increasing efficiency through systems, and tapping into a person’s highest potential. She helps others by designing maps for their...
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Dr. Jan Carney | Empowering Professionals: The Importance of Public Health Education | TPOT 325
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Dr. Carney is Associate Dean for Public Health and Health Policy, and Professor of Medicine, at the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont (UVM). She is Chief of the Division of Public Health at the Larner College of Medicine and directs graduate public health education. In this episode, we cover Dr. Carney’s multifaceted approach to addressing various aspects of healthcare and public health. From guiding individuals through the maze of health information to advocating for systemic changes and collaborative efforts, Dr. Carney's insights underscore the complexity of...
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Dr. Connor McClenahan | Crafting Client-Centered Profiles: An Approach to Authentic Engagement | TPOT 324
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Dr. Connor McClenahan founded Here Counseling, which provides a membership model for private practice so therapists can run their own private practices independently while benefiting from group resources. Dr. McClenahan runs a private practice in Los Angeles and Pasadena and has taught, coached, and written on digital marketing for therapists. His new 100-page workbook helps therapists build a strategic marketing plan and grow their practices. In this episode, Dr. McClenahan dives into the delicate balance private practice owners face between self-doubt and sincere empathy. Advocating for a...
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Cameron Schober | Therapeutic Frontiers: Healing Innovation in Private Practice | TPOT 323
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Cameron Schober is an LPC-S and LMFT-S in the State of Texas, primarily practicing at The Hope Place in Mansfield, TX. Cameron’s main areas of clinical focus is treating trauma using a combination of Accelerated Resolution Therapy, psychedelic-assisted integration, and postmodern therapy approaches in conjunction with psychoeducation related to trauma and it’s effects on our nervous systems as well as our lives. In this episode, we talk about Cameron's journey through the realm of therapeutic practices, navigating challenges, and embracing novel approaches to healing. From grappling with...
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Carla Titus | Financial Foundations for Private Practice | TPOT 322
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Carla Titus is a finance expert with over 15 years of combined corporate financial planning, analysis, strategy, and online businesses experience. She provides fractional CFO services and financial consulting to business owners looking to grow their business profitably. Her priorities for her clients are to help them grow profits, have cash in the bank, and pay themselves well so they can build personal wealth. The journey to financial success in any business requires a solid foundation and forward-thinking strategies. Carla, a seasoned financial advisor, emphasizes the critical role of...
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Dr. Liz Lasky | Adapting Private Practice for Modern Needs | TPOT 321
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
This episode covers Dr. Liz Lasky's transformative shift from traditional therapy to coaching, driven by her quest for personal fulfillment and financial success. Embracing skepticism, she champions that therapists can thrive financially while providing valuable services, inspiring others to pursue their dreams. We speak about diverse opportunities for therapists, stressing the need for innovation in the evolving landscape of mental health care. She advocates for balancing roles as a business owner and entrepreneur, believing it's safe to have it all. Dr. Lasky reframes success, encouraging...
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Kristie Plantinga | A Guide to Effective Digital Marketing Tactics in Private Practice | TPOT 320
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Kristie Plantinga is a mental health nerd, writer, and marketer living in Colorado. She is the founder of TherapieSEO—a marketing agency serving therapists and coaches—and —a therapist directory that vets therapists so therapy-seekers can focus on fit, not quality. When she’s not writing about mental health and dreaming up creative content strategies, Kristie can be found snuggling her multiple terriers, sipping a homemade dirty chai, and half-helping her husband cook Lebanese food. This episode is all about navigating the evolving landscape of digital marketing. Kristie emphasizes the...
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Malka Shaw | Combating Anti-Semitism: Strategies for Therapists in Private Practice | TPOT 319
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Malka is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey, New York, and Florida. She has been in the mental health field for over 25 years and has successfully run her private practice for the last 15 years. In response to the events of October 7th and the ongoing situation, Malka Shaw, LCSW and Stacey Shapiro, LCSW, have co-founded the Kesher Shalom Project. This initiative, led by seasoned trauma specialists, has trained over 2000 therapists globally. Their training equips therapists with vital tools to aid Jewish clients during the conflict, covering trauma assessments, practical...
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Jason Frishman | Presence and Mindfulness: Balancing Work and Family | TPOT 318
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
has been working for over 20 years to support individuals, groups, families, organizations, and businesses. Jason is excited to bring over two decades of work in offices, institutions, kitchens, farmers’ markets, woodlots, and boardrooms to wild new environments. Whether as a psychotherapist, the creator and founder of JourneyMen, public speaker, thought leader, or narrative consultant, Jason believes that our lives are adventurous, and we can and should be active, engaged authors of our own adventure stories! In this episode, Jason critiques the societal norms that suppress male...
info_outlineIn this episode, Aaron Potratz and Nathan Hawkins join the podcast to discuss starting a partnership in private practice. They reveal some vital things you will need to know before committing to a partnership; you especially need to know the identity of your practice and where you see your business going. Later, the two explain why there is no competition between them and the importance of trust in a partnership.
Meet Nathan Hawkins
Nathan Hawkins is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has been working in the field for almost 17 years. He is a certified trauma professional and performs EMDR and also utilizes Hypnosis at times as well. He is an approved clinical supervisor in the state of Oregon. He is the owner of Life Encounter Counseling which he established in 2004. While maintaining his own client load he supervises the clinical and administrative work of 4 employees and a clinical intern program. The success of Life Encounter Counseling birthed a passion to multiply the work of counseling in different ways. One of those directions leads to him co-founding another private group counseling practice, Life Discovery Counseling Services with Aaron Potratz in 2016. Life Discovery Counseling Services has grown from 1 location to 2 successful locations that serve opposite sides of the Portland Metro. He supervises and manages the counselors and staff in both of those locations with Aaron. Nathan loves to teach and also intermittently fills in at Multnomah University as an Adjunct Clinical Supervision Professor.
Meet Aaron Potratz
Aaron is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oregon, the owner of Discover Counseling, and co-owner of Life Discovery Counseling Services – two private group counseling practices. Aaron maintains his own client caseload while also managing and supervising his counseling staff. He started out as a solo practitioner in 2007, expanded to a group practice in 2015, and started his second practice with his business partner, Nathan Hawkins, in 2016. Between the two businesses, he has 10 clinicians and one support staff. Aaron also does consulting for small businesses, helping them become more efficient and productive. He especially enjoys helping other therapist business owners grow their practices and focus in on the areas they are most passionate about.
Building Trust
Nathan and Aaron get along really well. There went through a honeymoon phase; however, there wasn’t much depth at first. As time went on, they had to lean on each other and give each other additional information. Plus, they were vulnerable when speaking about their businesses and gave honest feedback about the direction of their companies. They play up each other’s strengths and complement each other’s weaknesses.
Integrating Practices
When Nathan and Aaron first started with the shared space, they had a lot to think about, like rent, square footage, and office space. It is easy to make assumptions when you find a partner – even small things need to be discussed. Nathan and Aaron have separate businesses. However, the way they treat their employees is identical. These people are in the same space, so they need to be treated equally. When you are dreaming about combining practices, this may not be something you think about upfront.
Competition
You know what you’re good at, and you stick with those things. Aaron and Nathan have niched down and found what they do well. They both know what clients they work best with. If a client doesn’t fit one practice, then they will refer them to the other practice. Getting competitive with other therapists doesn’t make sense; there are more than enough clients out there for everyone. We will be doing a disservice if we are not giving our clients the right therapist.
Tips for Starting a Partnership
Both Aaron and Nathan have their own identities for their businesses. One reason they got together is because of how isolating private practice can be. However, it would be best if you spent some time understanding what you like to do on your own. Do not be in a big hurry to get together with another practice. You have to know who you are on your own before starting a partnership. Plus, Aaron and Nathan say how essential, to be honest, and open with your partner.
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 for Nathan & Aaron
Life Discovery Counseling
Life Encounter Counseling
Life Encounter Counseling on Facebook
Life Encounter Counseling on Instagram
Call Nathan: (503) 446-2135
Email Nathan: [email protected]
Discover Counseling
Discover Counseling on Facebook
Discover Counseling on Instagram
Call Aaron: (971) 222-8166
Email Aaron: [email protected]
Resources
BrighterVision.com
How To Be Financially Successful For 2020
Business Models for Private Counseling Practices
Money Matters in Private Practice
Session Note Helper
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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