Reflections From My Private Practice Journey | TPOT 199
The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
Release Date: 10/11/2021
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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....
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
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.