Manoj Kanagaraj | Insurance Paneling Options with Grow Therapy | TPOT 182
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Release Date: 06/14/2021
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What if the biggest thing holding your private practice back isn't your marketing strategy but your mindset? In this episode, I'm joined by Tyana Tavakol to talk about the beliefs that shape the way we build our practices. We explore scarcity versus abundance, the value of finding your niche, and why trying to appeal to everyone often keeps you from connecting with the clients who need you most. We also dive into building an online practice, creating meaningful professional relationships, and learning to trust your own expertise instead of comparing yourself to everyone else. If you've ever...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Are you burning out in private practice without realizing it? In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, Gordon talks with Kristin Oja, DNP, founder of STAT Wellness, about optimizing stress resilience and preventing burnout. Kristin shares a functional medicine perspective on why burnout is not always caused by work alone. Often, it is the buildup of stressors outside of work, including sleep, caffeine, exercise, relationships, technology, self-talk, and lack of recovery. Kristin explains the idea of the “stress bucket” and how even good things, like exercise, intermittent...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Is SEO dead, or is it just changing? In this episode, I’m joined again by Natalie Moore, a licensed marriage and family therapist and SEO coach for therapists in private practice. Natalie breaks down the difference between SEO and AIO, or artificial intelligence optimization, and explains why therapists don’t need to panic about AI search replacing traditional SEO. We talk about how private practice owners can make their websites easier to find on Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI search tools. Natalie shares why specialty pages, Google Business Profiles, clear niche messaging, and...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What happens when the therapist is the one who needs support? In this episode, I’m talking about the very real challenges therapists face when life disrupts their ability to work. Private practice can offer freedom and flexibility, but it can also leave clinicians vulnerable when illness, grief, natural disasters, burnout, or unexpected emergencies come up. We’ll look at why therapists need a safety net, how financial stress impacts clinicians, and what it means to prepare your practice for the unexpected. From emergency grants and burnout prevention to referral networks and professional...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Can you really build a successful private practice right out of grad school? In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, I talk with Jarrod Hoffman about building a private practice right out of grad school and the lessons he has learned in those early years of practice ownership. Jarrod shares his experience of stepping into private practice, navigating pricing, working through imposter syndrome, and learning how to communicate the value of the work he does. We also talk about why niching matters, how our own stories often shape the clients we feel called to serve, and why private...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
When I started my private practice nearly 20 years ago, there were not nearly as many resources available for therapists as there are today. I learned a lot by trial and error, and looking back, there are definitely some things I would do differently. In this episode, I’m sharing what I wish I had known when I first started private practice. One of the biggest lessons I learned is that I made things more complicated than they needed to be. From keeping paper records to waiting too long to outsource, I can see now how simpler systems would have made a big difference early on. I talk about the...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Are you charging enough in private practice, or does guilt keep getting in the way? In this episode, Gordon is joined by Bianca Hughes, LPC, therapist, speaker, mentor, and founder of Authentically BU and the Soulful Clinician Collective. Bianca shares how she moved from hospital work into private practice and the mindset shifts that helped her build a career that feels aligned, sustainable, and authentic. Gordon and Bianca talk about money mindset, imposter syndrome, marketing, confidence, and why therapists need to see themselves as both clinicians and business owners. Bianca also shares why...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Phebe Brako for a really thoughtful conversation about what it means to make therapy more culturally responsive. So many of the clinical theories we learn were developed through a Western lens, and while those theories can be helpful, they don’t always fit every client, every family system, or every cultural background. Dr. Phebe talks about why therapists need to examine their own worldview, stay curious about their clients’ lived experiences, and be willing to adapt the models they use in the therapy room. We talk about culture, family systems, CBT,...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Private practice has changed a LOT over the last few years… and therapists are still trying to figure out what comes next. In this episode, Gordon talks with Lex E. Santi about the evolution of therapy after telehealth, online platforms, insurance shifts, and changing client expectations. They dive into why more clinicians are entering private practice, why clients still crave in-person connection, and how companies like BetterHelp, Alma, and Headway are reshaping the profession. They also explore the pressure therapists feel to market themselves, build niches, and create an online presence...
info_outlineThe Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Grief is something every one of us will face at some point, and yet most of us have no idea what to say when someone is hurting. In this episode, I’m joined by Shelby Forsythia, a grief coach, author, and host of the Grief Grower podcast. Shelby shares her own story of profound loss and how it shaped the work she does today, helping people navigate grief in a way that actually honors what they are going through. We talk about why so many common phrases miss the mark, what grieving people are really experiencing beneath the surface, and how grief doesn’t just affect your emotions, it...
info_outlineToday 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
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.