Reflections From My Private Practice Journey | TPOT 199
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Release Date: 10/11/2021
How This Simple Method Transforms Private Practice Sessions | Tanya Dantus | TPOT 429
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What if the thing keeping your clients stuck isn’t what they’re talking about… but what they’re avoiding feeling? In this episode, I’m joined by Tanya Dantus, and we dive into a really practical way of helping clients move through what’s actually underneath the surface. Tanya shares her RIFRA Method, which stands for Root, Impact, Feel, Reflect, and Act, and how this process helps clients stop intellectualizing and start creating real change. We talk about why so many people struggle to access their emotions, how that shows up in therapy, and what it looks like to guide someone...
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Are Superbills Worth It in Private Practice? | Mark Florian | TPOT 428
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Thinking about taking insurance in your private practice or trying to figure out a better way to handle out-of-network clients? This is one of those decisions that almost every therapist wrestles with at some point. On one hand, insurance can help fill your caseload and make therapy more accessible. On the other hand, the admin work, lower reimbursement rates, and constant back and forth can leave you feeling stretched thin and frustrated. In this episode, I’m joined by Mark Florian, founder of Deputy Care, and we get into what is really happening behind the scenes with insurance,...
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Private Pay vs Insurance: What Therapists Get WRONG | Avivit Fisher | TPOT 427
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Private pay versus insurance is one of the biggest decisions therapists face, and honestly, it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we’re breaking down what therapists often get wrong when thinking about these two models. It’s not just about money or convenience. It’s about how you want to run your practice, who you want to serve, and where you’re willing to spend your time and energy. If you’ve been going back and forth on whether to take insurance, go private pay, or try a hybrid approach, this conversation will help you think about it in a much clearer way....
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Thoughts on AI and Tech Platforms in Private Practice | TPOT 426
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
What happens when you open the floor and let your audience ask anything? That’s exactly what we did in this episode, and the questions did not disappoint. We’re diving into the big ones therapists are quietly asking right now. Is AI going to replace us? Are companies like BetterHelp helping or hurting the field? And how do you actually stand out when clients can talk to a chatbot instead of a human? I’m sharing my honest thoughts on where all of this is headed, what most therapists are getting wrong about AI, and why the human connection in therapy still matters more than ever. If...
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Helping Clients Navigate Digital Overwhelm in Private Practice | Eli Singer | TPOT 425
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Most of us know the feeling. You pick up your phone to check one thing and suddenly twenty minutes have disappeared. For many people, this has become a daily pattern, and it is starting to show up more and more in therapy sessions. In this episode, I sit down with Eli Singer to talk about digital overwhelm and the complicated relationship many of us have with our phones and devices. Eli has spent years working in the digital world, including building one of the early social media agencies in North America. After stepping away from that work, he began focusing on helping people develop...
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How Therapists Can Use Social Media Without Feeling Fake | Jazzmyn Proctor | TPOT 424
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Marketing can feel uncomfortable for a lot of therapists. Most of us were trained to be neutral, private, and to keep the focus on the client. So when someone tells you that you need to show up on social media or talk about your work publicly, it can feel a little strange. But visibility matters more than ever when it comes to building a private practice. In this episode, I’m joined by Jazzmyn Proctor, a therapist, podcaster, and marketing mentor who helps clinicians show up online in ways that feel authentic and sustainable. Jazzmyn shares how she started building her presence while still...
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Scaling a Private Practice with Intensives, Classes, and Conferences | Dr. Wyatt Fisher | TPOT 423
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Couples therapy can be some of the most rewarding work we do as therapists, but it can also be one of the most challenging. Many couples don’t reach out for help until things feel like they’re falling apart. By the time they sit down in your office, there are often years of resentment, hurt, and miscommunication built up beneath the surface. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Wyatt Fisher, a psychologist and couples therapist who has spent years refining his approach to helping couples work through those deeper issues. Wyatt shares how his own personal and professional experiences shaped...
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Doing Couples Therapy as a Husband-and-Wife Team | Kiana & Andrew Joyner | TPOT 422
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
If you’ve ever thought about offering couples therapy in your private practice but felt intimidated by the complexity of it, you’re going to love this conversation. In this episode, I’m joined by Kiana and Andrew Joyner, a married duo who run their practice together and specialize in couples work. Kiana is a licensed therapist, and Andrew is a certified professional coach, and together they bring a really unique dynamic into the therapy room. We talk about what it actually looks like to do couples counseling as a husband and wife team, how they divide roles between therapy and coaching,...
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Diversifying Your Income Without Burning Out | Jenny Melrose | TPOT 421
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
If you’ve ever thought, “There has to be a way to make money in my private practice besides just seeing more clients,” this episode is for you. In this conversation, I’m joined by Jenny Melrose, host of the Practice to Profit podcast, and we dive into what it really looks like to diversify your income as a therapist. We talk about moving from one-to-one work into one-to-many offers, creating resources based on the same questions your clients ask over and over, and building income streams that do not require you to be in the therapy room 40 hours a week. Jenny shares practical ideas...
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Private Practice Profit Margins: What’s Healthy (and What’s a Red Flag) | Gretchen Roberts | TPOT 420
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Running a private practice usually means you did not set out to become a numbers person. You are trained to help people, not to read profit and loss statements or stress about tax projections. But the reality is this. If you own a practice, you are running a business. In this episode, I sit down with of to talk about the financial side of private practice in a way that feels practical and doable. We unpack how to use your financial reports as a management tool, what healthy profit margins actually look like, and the payroll mistakes that can quietly drain your profit. We also talk about cash...
info_outlineI learned a lot of things about starting a private practice the hard way. I'm grateful to share the lessons that I learned from my journey and help you not make the same mistakes that I did. First, I speak about the importance of knowing your 'why' on starting a private practice. Once you know your 'why,' other aspects of your business will begin to fall into place. Tune in as I dive deep into lessons learned around finances, marketing, outsourcing, and systems. Plus, I direct you to all sorts of resources that will help you on your journey. Thanks for being with me!
Knowing Your 'Why' For Private Practice
Why did you want to go into this profession, to begin with? Why did you want to go into clinical work, become a therapist, a social worker, psychologist, marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, or whatever you are within this particular profession? Your 'why' is an important piece to keep in mind as you build your private practice. So, I invite you to think about your inspiration. When we get busy with business, we can lose sight of our inspiration, and eventually, we will feel a little burnt out. Private practice is hard work! We have experienced a lot of struggles because of Covid, so knowing your why is more important than ever.
Private Practice Isn't For Everyone
One of the things that you need is a sense of wanting to feed the creative side of yourself. We can all feed our creative selves differently, but is a private practice adding to your creative side? One of the things that you need to be successful in private practice is an entrepreneurial spirit. In other words, you need to accept challenges along the way on your private practice journey. I love to learn about the business side of things; it's what inspired me to start The Practice of Therapy back in 2016. I started this podcast so I could share lessons learned around the business aspects of private practice.
Learning About The Financial Side of Private Practice
One of the first things you have to learn about private practice is the money side of the business. I put together a course on teaching people about the financial side of private practice. When you go into business, you need to have some money to kind of back that up. A lot of traditional companies do it through investors. In other words, they get people to give them money for some return on that investment. When we go into private practice, we want to be self-sufficient. If you're interested in learning more about managing the financial side of your practice, check out my course Money Matters In Private Practice.
Have Money Saved Before Starting Your Private Practice
So, I started in private practice, doing it part-time and working for an agency. The extra income took the pressure off of me when I built my private practice. I wouldn't recommend diving into private practice unless you have enough money to back yourself up. I spent a year saving money, so I had a reserve. That way, if something happened, I had a buffer to protect me through emergencies. You need at least three to six months of income and expenses saved away before you jump into full-time. It will take a tremendous amount of pressure off of yourself.
There Is More Than Enough Business For All of Us
One thing that I've learned during the pandemic is that there is more than enough business for all of us. It's a matter of being able to put yourself out there and market your practice in a way that people can find you. That's all marketing is, is just making sure that you've got a website that is performing well and you are networking with the right people. If you are insurance-based, you need to be on the right insurance panels. I have a Facebook Live where I give all sorts of marketing ideas. You can watch the replay HERE.
Keep It Simple
When I first started my practice, I made my systems and processes much more complicated than they needed to be. So one of the things I would recommend is to keep it simple and don't make it overly difficult for yourself. People start getting worried about regulations such as HIPAA, state requirements, and all that. You don't want to do anything illegal and unethical. However, these fears can hold us back. You don't need to make things overly complicated. The bottom line to HIPAA is that we protect client information; that's something we do anyway in our profession. Make sure that you encrypt your equipment, and you encrypt your storage of documents. Please read my blog about HIPAA Anxiety In Private Practice.
Outsource Your Administrative Functions In Private Practice
People are reluctant to invest in things that are going to be a better use of their time. When initially starting a practice, therapists do too much of the work that isn't a good return on their time. For instance, if you're still returning phone calls to your clients and scheduling your clients, then you might want to outsource. Whenever I do consult therapists, that's the first place I start. The more you can outsource your administrative functions, the easier it will be for your practice. You can bootstrap and do these things yourself when you don't have a lot of clients. However, at some point, you will have to outsource it. I recommend outsourcing if you have ten or more clients per week.
Think About Ways To Diversify Your Income
There are only so many clients you can see in one day. There are only so many clients you can see in a week. One of the things that you will want to think about doing is diversifying your income. If you're going to increase your revenue within your business, many people believe they need more clients. However, it might not be a good return on the investment of your time. So, the next logical step for a lot of people is starting a group practice. A group practice might not be for everyone. You need leadership skills, and you need to enjoy working with other people. Check out my free webinar Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income.
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!
Resources
Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free.
Blueprint Health: First month free with promo code TPOTPODCAST
Using Google Workspace As A Practice Platform Course
Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income
HIPAA Anxiety In Private Practice
Money Matters In Private Practice
Marketing and Diversifying Income
Killin'It Camp
Get Your Copy of The Full Focus Planner
Join the Google Workspace for Therapists Users Group
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.