Libsyn Directory

Salley Schmid | How To Self-Publish & Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 187

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Release Date: 07/19/2021

The Mindset Shifts That Make Private Practice Feel More Sustainable | Tyana Tavakol | TPOT 441

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...

Private Practice Stress: What’s Filling Your Bucket? | Kristin Oja | TPOT 440

The 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...

How AI Search Is Changing Private Practice Marketing | Natalie Moore | TPOT 439

The 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...

How to Protect Your Private Practice From the Unexpected | Jeanine Rousso | TPOT 438

The 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...

Building a Private Practice Right Out of Grad School | Jarrod Hoffman | TPOT 437

The 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...

What I’d Do Differently If I Started Private Practice Today | TPOT 436

The 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...

From Imposter Syndrome to Confident Private Practice Owner | Bianca Hughes | TPOT 435

The 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...

How to Make Therapy More Culturally Responsive | Dr. Phebe Brako | TPOT 434

The 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,...

Why Private Practice Looks So Different Now | Lex E Santí | TPOT 433

The 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...

What to Say to Someone Grieving (Most People Get This Wrong) | Shelby Forsythia | TPOT 432

The 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...

More Episodes

In this episode, Salley Schmid takes us through her journey to creating journals for her clients. Not only is creating products a great way to diversify your private practice income, but it also is a fantastic way to help people who wouldn't typically be in your reach. One of Salley's journals is a tool for clients to calm their emotions and thoughts when they are running amuck. Tune in as Salley talks about the self-publishing process, what to know before writing a book, and the importance of multiple income streams in private practice.

Meet Salley Schmid

I am a Kansas native, having been transplanted to Texas from Colorado. I am pretty sure I was supposed to be born in Colorado, but my parents forgot to move there. For several years now, I gladly call Waco, Texas my home and love this community and the people I have come to know and call my friends. I consider it a privilege to begin a business in such an entrepreneurially focused community. My passion is helping people succeed. I am the proud mother of teenage twin daughters. They keep my heart very full. I am blessed with a very supportive husband. I also enjoy time with his son, who is the same age as my twin daughters. My favorite times in life are with my family, especially when all 5 of us can be together.

I earned a Master of Science in Family Therapy from a small school in Wichita Kansas, Friends University in 1996 and a Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University. I have worked in a counseling and administrative capacity since that time in out-patient, in-patient, day treatment, residential, foster care, educational, and private practice settings. I have worked in the field of mental health and human services since 1985.

I understand and respect the important role personal values play in self-evaluation, change, growth, healing, relationships, and success. I practice from a holistic and resilience-based approach to helping people. I help people explore their strengths and learn to harness the success that already lies within them for visible, life and relationship change. Discovering the hindrances present in life and while planning to overcome those obstacles to achieve their best.

"One of my greatest honors has been to help people emerge strong and successful on the other side of a difficult or unplanned life transition"

Currently, I provide Professional Development Training for human service professionals as well as Counseling services.

My counseling practice specializes in helping people transition to a place of strength after experiencing trauma, traumatic grief, and difficult or unplanned life transitions. I work with individuals (adolescents and adults), families, and parents from a family systems perspective. I have extensive experience working with individuals who have experienced trauma, traumatic grief, divorce, parenting difficulties, blended families, and attachment difficulties. I am Certified in the Daring Way by Brene` Brown as well as being a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer.

Creating A Journal For Clients

The pandemic had a lot of gifts that were hidden in it. One of those hidden gifts was Salley putting into book format the visual processes she does with clients. Her clients are responding very well to it. It's a journal that's really designed to help people understand how they get emotionally dysregulated and give them some tools to get out of emotional dysregulation. The journal is great for clients when they aren't able to get on the therapist's couch. However, it's not meant to be a replacement for therapy. Instead, it's a supplement for therapy. Check out Sticky Emotions Journal

Working On Your Products

The longest process was the art journal because Salley worked on it for a couple of years to draw all of the images in it. Then, she got them turned into digital images. To create a book on artist-quality paper is very expensive. Salley quickly realized that it would not make any money or serve enough people. A friend of Salley's told her about Direct Publishing. So, she gave up her hope of artist quality paper and introduced her art journal on Amazon. It became a big success! Plus, Salley can sell them out of her office. Check out Find Your True North: A Soul Finding Art Journal.

Learn About Self-Publishing

Salley looked at different self-publishing options, and the cost was high. Trying to get a publisher was also tricky. Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is super user-friendly. Salley didn't have to learn a lot. Instead, KDP tells you everything that you need to do. It's one of the fastest and most efficient ways to self-publish a book. For eBooks, authors can directly upload their book files, and it will appear in the Kindle store as an eBook for readers to purchase and instantly download.

What To Know About Creating A Book

It is imperative to have someone edit your work and look at it. When you're writing, you know what you mean. However, does someone else understand what you mean? Another set of eyes will be invaluable on your self-publishing and book-writing journey. If you're looking to have art in your book, you will need to find someone who knows how to digitize art. Don't try and do everything yourself because you can't know it all. Also, don't be afraid to invest money in places where there is the expertise that you don't have.

Diversifying Income In Private Practice

Having a book allows Salley to have another set of income. Salley is running a business – she needs to earn income. Products are a wonderful way to make extra money. Plus, Salley gets to extend her reach. Now, she gets to add value to people and can bring healing and transformation into their lives. Not everyone wants therapy, and not everyone can afford it. Salley's products make the healing work more accessible for people. Lastly, Salley is passionate about what she does. Remember to do the things that you're passionate about.

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