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Gabe Nelson | Preparing for Worst-Case Scenario In Private Practice | TPOT 197

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Release Date: 09/27/2021

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

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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...

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

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Julie Herres | Private Practice Tax Changes Ahead | TPOT 385 show art 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...

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

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

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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...

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

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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,...

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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...

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Today we talk about preparing for emergencies in private practice. As a solo practitioner, certain things need to be in place before you have an emergency on your hands. If you haven't started preparing yet, then it's not too late! Gabe Nelson joins the show to explain exactly what you need to do to be ready for the worst possible scenarios. Tune in as we chat about saving for emergency funds, getting the right insurance, and ensuring you are protected as a business owner.

Meet Gabe Nelson

With almost three decades in the financial services industry and more than a decade as an independent small business owner, Gabe Nelson already had an established thriving practice and solid reputation in his industry when he recognized an interesting trend among some of his favorite clients.

More and more, he found himself working with self-employed professionals and solo-entrepreneurs. And as a business owner himself, he was fired up about helping them navigate the unique challenges they were facing – because he was just like them.

He understood that independent professionals have specific needs. Most financial advisors don’t know exactly what it takes to transition from employee to independent contractor status or establish long-term financial security without relying on a regular paycheck.

He also knew that with more of the workforce becoming self-employed every day, more people could benefit from working with an advisor who knows how to plan for the whole financial picture, including legal, estate, financial, retirement, life, disability, and more — with an entrepreneurial spirit.

So he took his passion for providing a personal touch with hands-on problem-solving and solution-oriented comprehensive planning and decided to focus on serving solo entrepreneurs.

Preparing For The Worst Possible Event

We're talking about preparing for emergencies or preparing for the worst thing that could possibly happen. It would help if you protect yourself from a crisis as a practicing therapist. This preparation should come in handy whether you're running a solo practice or a group practice. There are certain things that you need to start thinking about and putting into place.

For instance, make sure you have money set aside in case something happens. If something does happen to your practice, and you're not able to keep working or seeing your clients, then what is your plan? The pandemic was a great test run for a lot of people. The beautiful thing about therapy is that you can still see clients virtually and do a lot of your practice through telemedicine.

Start Saving For Your Emergency Fund Today

If you haven't yet, then it's time to set aside a certain amount of money in your practice. It would help if you considered how much money you are willing to save. It can be anywhere from three months to six months or even twelve months. Gabe recommends that solo private practice owners reserve twelve months of their income for emergency use. As a solo practitioner, that business checkbook is kind of like your personal checkbook. Many people think that if their business is doing well, they are going to be okay on the personal side. However, that is not always the case.

Do You Have The Proper Insurance?

The next step is to start making sure that you've got some adequate insurance in place to protect you from those types of things that could happen. No one ever likes to talk about insurance. I mean, no one's talking about life insurance, and they don't want to talk about disability insurance. These are all things that you need to start thinking about when you are an adult businessperson and running a practice. Make sure that you've got an adequate amount of life insurance in place. Gabe is a huge fan of just Straight Term Life Insurance; keep it simple, get as much coverage as you can, and for the lowest cost.

Who Will Take Over Your Business?

If something does happen to you, what is going to happen to your business? Do you have another set therapist or a firm that is set and ready to buy your practice from you? That way, you can realize all of those years of hard work you put together to benefit your family? Over the last ten years, the investment advisory world has gotten big into that because they realize the trust and relationships we build with our clients. That's a piece of protection that most solopreneurs don't think about.

Find Protection As A Business Owner

Lastly, it would help if you had some business owner protection. What if there is a fire at your workplace? What if there is a flood in your home? Do you have some of those protections in place that would at least give you some replacement of income? It would help if you had some insurance protections that would replace your computer or your software. Business owner's insurance is a policy that combines both property and liability coverage into one package. Don't forget to consider other types of insurance like life insurance and disability insurance.

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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 wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, “Like” us on Facebook.