Libsyn Directory

Consultant's Conversations On The Importance of Building A Community In Private Practice | TPOT 201

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Release Date: 10/25/2021

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

Treating Neuroplastic Pain in Therapy and Private Practice | Dr. Melissa Tiessen | TPOT 419

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

What if chronic pain isn’t a sign that your body is broken—but that your nervous system is trying to protect you? In this episode, Dr. Melissa Tiessen, a clinical psychologist and neuroplastic pain specialist, joins the show to unpack a paradigm-shifting way of understanding chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms. Drawing on neuroscience, trauma-informed therapy, and real-world clinical experience, Melissa explains how pain can exist without tissue damage—and why that realization can actually be good news. You’ll learn how neuroplastic pain develops, why symptoms can move,...

Diversifying a Private Practice Through Couples Work | Erin Valente | TPOT 418

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

What if couples therapy isn’t about fixing the other person at all? In this episode, Gordon sits down with Erin Valente, a couples therapist based in Los Angeles, to talk about one of the most common mistakes couples make when they come to therapy—and why real change doesn’t live with one partner, but in the relationship itself. They explore why couples work can feel intimidating for therapists, how regulation and co-regulation shape meaningful conversations, and what it really takes to help couples move out of blame and into connection. Erin also shares how she’s structured her...

Free Continuing Education for Therapists | Tobin Richardson | TPOT 417

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

In today’s episode, I’m excited to introduce you to Tobin Richardson, the founder of a platform called Save the Therapist. When I first learned about what Tobin is building, I knew this was something many of you would want to hear about. Continuing education is a requirement for all of us, but let’s be honest. It can be expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes hard to fit into an already full schedule. Tobin saw that problem firsthand and decided to do something about it. He created a platform that offers high-quality, accredited continuing education for therapists that is completely...

Preventing Burnout in Private Practice | Dr. Julie Merriman | TPOT 416

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

There are some conversations you record where you know right away that they’re going to land differently. In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr. Julie Merriman, a therapist, professor, and longtime advocate for helpers who are quietly burning out. We talk about something that hits close to home for many of us in this profession: what happens when we’re really good at helping everyone else, but don’t know how to receive ourselves. Julie shares how so many therapists become what she calls “floating heads of competence.” We’re full of knowledge, skill, and clinical insight, yet...

When Narcissism Walks Into Your Therapy Office | Dr. Anthony Mazzella | TPOT 415

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “Why is this client so hard to reach?” or “Why does every conversation turn into a power struggle?” this episode is for you. Today, I’m joined by Dr. Anthony Mazzella, a psychoanalyst who specializes in working with narcissistic dynamics. We go far beyond surface-level conversations about narcissism. This isn’t about labels, buzzwords, or quick fixes. It’s about what’s actually happening underneath the behavior and what truly helps. We talk about why arguing over “reality” never works, why confrontation often backfires, and how...

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I am lucky to have many of my good friends and peers join the show. Uriah Guilford, Jessica Tappana, and Whitney Owens are here for a casual conversation. First, we dive into the importance of diversifying your income. We open up about what it's like to run a practice as well as another business. Both isolation and imposter syndrome can show up for us; we talk about ways to overcome and navigate our limiting beliefs. Later, we chat about the importance of finding a community to build you up, make you feel confident, and allow you to be vulnerable on your journey.

Meet Uriah Guilford

I am a licensed therapist & group practice owner. I want to help you be more productive, profitable & happy with your business and your life. Basically, work less and get more done!

If you have achieved any level of success in your private practice then you can relate to the following. You have more tasks to complete than hours in the day. You work super hard because you are passionate and want to grow. Sometimes you neglect your self-care and other important things in your life. Not so great right!?

That is why I have built a team of amazing virtual assistants for practice owners just like you! Hiring a virtual assistant in 2012 was one of the best decisions I ever made. It allowed me to double my business income without feeling like I was losing my mind. Actually, go on vacation and not be tied to my iPhone the whole time.

And serve my clients better! It made such a massive difference for me and it can for you as well! If this sounds interesting, check out our services page and the most frequently asked questions we get all the time.

Meet Whitney Owens

I enjoy working with both adults and adolescents on an individual basis. I have experience working with those suffering from depression, anxiety, self-harming behaviors, identity formation, relational issues, and other mood disorders. I use a variety of therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. I have been seeing clients since 2009 in a variety of settings. While earning my Master in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University, I saw young adults at a residential treatment facility. In 2010 I moved to Colorado where I spent four years working at an inpatient and day treatment facility. Also while in Colorado, I joined a group practice and saw teenagers and adults.

In 2014 I moved back to Savannah and started Water’s Edge Counseling. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a member of the American Counseling Association and the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia. In addition to counseling, I also offer a number of other services including training and speaking engagements.

Meet Jessica Tappana

Jessica Tappana started her private practice on her maternity leave about 20 months ago. After filling up in only a matter of months, she decided to bring on other therapists as 1099s and transitioned Aspire Counseling into a group practice. Worried about how she would fill the caseloads of these new therapists, Jessica tried several different marketing strategies. Ultimately, she decided to focus on getting her website to the first page of Google and began teaching herself SEO at nights after her kids were in bed. Slowly after gathering a couple of tips here and there, she got her website to the first page for nearly every keyword she targets. Aspire Counseling has grown to now include five therapists and a virtual assistant! In fact, all of the therapists are nearly full, and Jessica hopes to find a few more quality team members in the months to come.

Create Another Business For An Additional Income Stream

A theme that people hear from me a lot on the podcast is how it's important to diversify income. Uriah, Jessica, and Whitney all run at least two businesses. There are a lot of unique challenges that come with owning multiple businesses. One of the great things about having two businesses is constantly waking up excited. If you're less excited about one business, at least you can get excited about your other project. However, having two businesses can come with a lot of stress, and people from the outside looking in don't get to see that side of things. No matter what, you can wake up every day and bring 'you' into that business.

Battling Isolation and Imposter Syndrome In Private Practice

As practice owners and business owners, it can get very isolating at times. So, sometimes imposter syndrome shows up. Uriah says one of the most valuable things for battling the isolation and imposter syndrome is feedback. Feedback is invaluable on your private practice journey. When you have people you can gain feedback from, you will walk away with thousand times more confidence. Everyone struggles with their business, so if you can hear other people's experiences, it will make you feel less isolated. Plus, this feedback will shape the future of your business for the better.

Find Support No Matter Where You Are In Your Journey

Regardless of where you are in private practice, you need support. Find a group of people that you trust to help you on your journey. Make sure you're comfortable with this group, and you can be vulnerable with them. The power of a group is having a community where you can share anything. As therapists, we all know the importance of group work and community. A mastermind group can be a powerful tool to uplevel your practice and uplevel your business. It will give you the confidence to keep working on your business and take the next step.

Take A Risk, Get To Know Others, and Create A Community

Private practice is hard, and managing people is hard. So, make sure to take care of yourself so you can have energy in your businesses. Get out of your comfort zone and meet people. If you're not already in one, create a community for yourself. Get involved and take risks in getting to know people. In general, therapists are pretty safe people. It would help if you weren't too scared to reach out to someone and get to know them.

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