Libsyn Directory

BEST OF Telehealth Episodes | TPOT137

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Release Date: 07/13/2020

Gary Katz | Build a Group Practice on Connection, Not Chaos | TPOT 388

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

🎧 Ready to Grow Your Practice Without Losing Your Soul? This Episode’s for You. In this episode, Gordon sits down with Gary Katz—psychotherapist, group practice owner, and intimacy expert—who’s scaling his business across state lines without sacrificing connection, clinical quality, or his sanity. Gary opens up about what it really takes to grow a group practice that feels good, not just on paper, but in your body, your calendar, and your team culture. From building tight-knit pods of therapists to letting go of perfection and people-pleasing, this conversation is packed with honest...

Edy Nathan | Supporting Clients Through Complex Grief in Private Practice | TPOT 387

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Let’s talk about grief. (I know—what a fun little opener, right?) But hang in there, because Edy Nathan doesn’t talk about grief the way most people do. There’s no clinical detachment or textbook jargon here. Edy speaks from the kind of deep, personal knowing that only comes from living it. She lost her partner at 27—a heartbreak that didn’t just shatter her world, but reshaped it completely. Instead of stuffing it down or soldiering through, Edy got curious. She studied grief, sat with it, wrote about it, and eventually made it her life’s work. Today, she helps others see grief...

Kerry Thomas | Mood, Food, and Medicine in Private Practice | TPOT 386

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

What if your private practice could be a place where people stop trying to fix themselves—and start actually feeling what’s going on inside? In this powerful episode, Kerry Thomas pulls back the curtain on her 25-year journey in mental health, sharing how a personal wake-up call challenged everything she thought she knew about therapy, medication, and what it really means to heal. We talk about the connection between nutrition and mood, why numbing emotions isn’t the answer, and how private practice therapists can stop pathologizing normal human experiences. This one’s...

Julie Herres | Private Practice Tax Changes Ahead | TPOT 385

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Let’s be honest: when someone says “Let’s talk tax law,” most of us want to fake a Wi-Fi outage and run for cover. But when Julie Herres joins The Practice of Therapy Podcast, you actually want to lean in. Somehow, she manages to make the ever-shifting sands of tax policy sound (dare we say it?) friendly — like a conversation over coffee with a really smart friend who also color-codes her spreadsheets. So, what’s happening with taxes in 2025? Buckle up, practice owners, because there’s a whole lot of “maybe” in the air. But Julie’s here to help us wade through the...

Dori Lewis | Should you Consider Integrating Psychedelics into Trauma Work in Private Practice? | TPOT 384

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

What if the path to healing trauma isn’t just through talk therapy, but through carefully guided psychedelic experiences? In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, I sit down with Dori, an experienced therapist and psychedelic facilitator, who shares her deeply informed perspective on the nuanced, responsible, and transformational use of medicines like ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin mushrooms. Dori doesn’t just follow trends—she’s been on the frontlines, participating in research, working underground before legalization, and now helping clients access inner healing...

Tamar Blue | Creating a Safer Space for Peer Support and Digital Therapy | TPOT 383

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Are you ready to discover a powerful new way to support your clients—and yourself? In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, Gordon sits down with Tamar Blue, founder of , a revolutionary platform that empowers therapists, coaches, and mental health advocates to create secure, community-driven support groups online. Whether you're a provider looking to scale your services or someone seeking a safe space to heal and connect, this conversation is packed with insight, innovation, and heart. Don’t miss this inspiring story of how one woman turned a passion for peer support into a...

Steve Bisson | Let the Work Find You: Niching with First Responders Through Podcasting | TPOT 382

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

What Happens When the Work Finds You? Steve Bisson didn’t plan to become a go-to therapist for first responders—but sometimes, purpose arrives without a roadmap. In this episode, Steve shares how a chance encounter on a crisis team back in 1999 set off a chain of events that led to a passionate, purpose-filled career. From riding along in police cruisers to launching a podcast that speaks directly to the hearts of firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement officers, Steve’s story is a powerful reminder that when you say yes to the work that moves you, incredible things happen. Whether...

Jeremy Zug | Private Pay, Insurance, or Hybrid? Decide For Your Private Practice | TPOT 381

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

What if the two most important questions in your practice— 'Is this financially viable?' and 'Am I doing the work I love?' — didn’t have to compete? In this eye-opening episode, Jeremy dives deep into the strategic crossroads every private practice owner faces, especially when considering whether to take insurance, stay private pay, or explore a hybrid model. He breaks down the real numbers, state-by-state reimbursement differences, and the often-overlooked red flags in insurance relationships—like sneaky non-quantitative treatment limitations and the true cost of claim denials....

James Marland | Stop Trading Hours for Income: Scalable Growth in Private Practice | TPOT 380

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Are you tired of the “time for dollars” trap—where every vacation, sick day, or even slow week hits your bottom line? In this episode, James Marland gets real about the burnout that comes from trading hours for income and why the solution isn’t just slapping together an online course. He dives into what it really takes to build something scalable and sustainable—without losing yourself or your sanity in the process. Whether you’ve toyed with the idea of creating a course or you’re just craving more freedom in your practice, this conversation is a must-listen. It's honest,...

Dr. Robyn Miller | Preparing For The Worst: Professional Wills in Private Practice | TPOT 379

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

What happens to our clients when we’re suddenly not there to care for them? In this powerful and eye-opening episode, Dr. Robyn Miller dives into the difficult but essential topic most therapists avoid: what happens when a therapist dies or becomes incapacitated. With compassion, clarity, and deep professional insight, Dr. Miller reveals the ethical, legal, and emotional chaos that can follow when we don’t have a solid closure plan in place—and how TheraClosure offers a dignified, comprehensive solution. If you’re a mental health professional who’s ever told yourself, “I’ll...

More Episodes

In this Best Of Telehealth episode, we feature four previous guests who know about running a successful virtual private practice. You will hear from Clay Cockrell, Jonathan Van Viegen, Jeremy Zug, and Danielle Blessing Taylor. The four speak about various topics like the importance of having a website and how to work with clients internationally. Plus, they give tips and tricks on making your virtual private practice run smoothly. As COVID is still among us, now is the time to think about how we will continue to serve clients virtually.

Meet Clay Cockrell

Clay Cockrell, LCSW is a therapist based in New York City and is the founder of several counseling oriented endeavors. Most recently he is the founder of Onlinecounselling.com – a listing directory with the mission of helping clients all over the world to find the therapist or life coach that will best meet their needs. The site also works through their educational resources and podcasts to help counselors work online in an ethical, responsible, and legal manner. A majority of proceeds from the site are donated to non-profit arts. Clay started his career as the creator of Walk and Talk Therapy (www.walkandtalk.com).

Where Are You Licensed?

The first question therapists will have licensure. Who can you work with? Back in the day, there weren’t a lot of regulations. People will think if you’re sitting in New York, then the therapy is happening in New York. However, that’s not how it works. The only thing that matters is where your client is sitting. Is your client sitting in Nebraska? Then that’s where you need to be licensed.

Can You Work With Clients Internationally?

There is a caveat. What about people outside of the United States? There is a massive mental health need all over the world. It would be best if you did some investigation on this. Think about your ethics and the different regulations around the globe. With the exception of Canada, no countries regulate virtual therapy. Clay says that he has clients all over the world. It’s a personal choice. Clay has the ability to work with people who need his services; therefore, he works internationally.

You Need a Website and Advertising

Your private practice needs a website. On that website, you will need to explain that you provide this service. Make sure it’s on your homepage. Plus, make sure you have another page about online therapy. On this page, make sure you describe the benefits of online therapy. Advertising is also essential. You can have your ad only show in a specific area. That way, people who are looking for you will find you. Find out where your target audience is and advertise to them. This is where the importance of having a niche comes in. Make sure you know who your ideal client is!

Meet Jonathan Van Viegen

Husband, Father of 2, Marriage and Family Therapist, Entrepreneur, and Coach, Jonathan Van Viegen, MA, MFT, CCC is the Founder and CEO of the Online Therapist Academy.

Jonathan helps therapists all over the world attract new clients and build thriving online practices so they can do more of what they love to do while serving their clients with passion, integrity, and authenticity.

Jonathan built a successful therapy practice in Canada before selling it all to travel full-time with my family. After transforming his struggling online practice into a 6-figure business, he decided to help other therapists do the same. His therapy website is: https://jonathanvanviegen.com/

The Do’s of Online Therapy

DO your research. Make sure you have the proper licenses to practice.
DO have a goal in mind. You can be both a coach and a therapist if that’s your plan!
DO protect your license. Make sure you operate under the necessary authority.
DO take action. Put one foot in front of the other. You can pay for mentorship – it will be a journey.
DO be consistent. Regardless of how you build your practice, get your momentum.

“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” -Winston Churchill

Getting Momentum Online

It took about twelve months for Jonathan to get momentum. Jonathan learned everything himself using webinars and training. Today, Jonathan has three sales calls. People show up to book calls with Jonathan; he doesn’t have to go out and find people. It took a lot of work and effort. If it were too easy, then everyone would do it.

Online Coaching vs. Online Therapy

With therapy, your client will come to you with the content. With coaching, we go to our clients with the content. We are teaching them skills that will help with their daily lives. We aren’t supposed to label our clients – why are we labeling how we assist them? Psychotherapy isn’t the be-all and end-all intervention for our clients. We can offer people coaching or therapy – you do not need to mix the two. There is no reason that we can’t provide both.

Meet Jeremy Zug

Jeremy grew up in the Pacific Northwest where he discovered his passion for people. He decided to go to college in Chicago to further develop his skills working with people and pursue a degree in counseling. While in Chicago he worked for a group practice as a practice biller and marketing manager. This initiated his desire to pursue learning about the business of private practice, particularly medical billing. He now lives in Michigan with his wife of 3 years. They both are pursuing their passion for helping helpers maintain sustainable and compliant billing practices. In his free time, Jeremy loves reading, fishing, biking, hiking, and camping.

Telehealth Claims

How can you determine whether your patient’s copay will be waived? There are some excellent resources, but the best way to do that right now is to call the insurance companies. You’re going to want to say: is telemental health covered on an outpatient basis for this patient? Then, give them the insurance information and the date of birth because that will lead the provider representative to tell you what they have. What we’re seeing as a trend is if the patient had telehealth benefits into their benefits before COVID-19, they are covered at one-hundred percent. If they didn’t have those benefits, the patients still have copays and deductibles applying through this time. It’s confusing for many people, but as providers, we can do the best job we can by being as clear as possible. We want to be as transparent as possible with that.

Telehealth is the New Normal

Providers can do a good job as far as lobbying with their government officials on telehealth being the new normal. Telemedicine is effective, and you can reach more people. Jeremy knows that insurance companies often get a bad rep, but this has been an enormous agenda item for them for a long time. Please send a letter to your governor, your senator, and congress members to push for it. Telehealth can also make the lives of the private practice owner easier too. Telehealth will make it more convenient to choose your hours, and therapists can even be available for clients who are overseas.

Meet Danielle Blessing Taylor

Danielle Blessing Taylor is a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist in DC, MD, VA, and PA who has been providing therapy since 2010 and has built her ever-growing private practice which was created in 2015. In addition to specializing in Telehealth, she also specializes in helping individuals, families, and couples to cultivate healthy relationships. She helps people to make sense of their past and create healthy changes for a happier life within themselves and in relationships with others.

Telehealth Tips

Danielle shows private practice owners how to position the camera at the top of the screen and put their head at the top of the screen. That way, it looks like you’re making more eye contact. If the internet goes out, Danielle encourages therapists to restart their computers and update their browsers. Also, clearing the cache in the browser and updating the actual computer system will help with any audio issues.

Danielle gives a tips and tricks sheet to her clients for the initial set up, which also explains how to troubleshoot if they have issues. Also, think about where you will be practicing therapy virtually. You need to be comfortable at home in a private space, where nobody can hear you. Do not be in a moving car. Danielle says it’s important to know where your clients are. If the client is in a different place, you need to be licensed in that state. Especially in the summer, clients will be on vacation all over the place, and not even realize that it will affect their therapy.

Telehealth Is The New Normal

Gordon was surprised how smooth the transition was for telehealth. However, some clients did not want to do it. Gordon is seeing 1/3rd of his clients online. At first, telehealth can be uncomfortable. Therapists are used to seeing people in person. It’s a little weird not being able to see people from the waist down. So, Danielle has started asking specific questions on her questionnaire. For instance, now, Danielle asks: do you have any physical limitations? Sometimes, you can’t even tell if someone is in a wheelchair when you’re talking online. Telehealth has become second nature for Danielle. Plus, her clients are so open when they are in the comfort of their own home.

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