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

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 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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