Libsyn Directory

Accepting Insurance and Third-Party Payors In Your Private Practice | TPOT 204

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Release Date: 11/15/2021

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...

The Unconventional Path: Why Your Practice Doesn’t Need Another Resolution | TPOT 414

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

As we step into a new year, many of us feel it—that quiet but persistent pressure to do more, fix more, and somehow have everything figured out right now. New goals, new systems, bigger numbers—and for practice owners, that pressure can feel especially heavy and often pretty lonely. In today’s episode, I want to invite you to think about January differently—not as a month for pushing harder or becoming more efficient, but as a chance to slow down and get honest about what you can actually hold. Drawing on Barbara Brown Taylor’s Home by Another Way and Oliver Burkeman’s 4,000 Weeks,...

How AI Can Transform Private Practice Marketing | Greg Goodman | TPOT 413

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

I am so excited for today’s episode because we’re diving into one of the most transformative tools in private practice right now: AI. And joining me is someone who has been living at the intersection of mental health, creativity, and digital marketing for nearly two decades—Greg Goodman of Goodman Creatives. Greg isn’t a therapist, but his story is rooted deeply in the world of mental health. Inspired by his father’s work as a clinician, he built a career helping therapists share their voice, grow their practices, and create meaningful impact through smart, authentic marketing....

Why Private Practice Owners Feel Overwhelmed (and How to Fix It) | Samantha Parrinello | TPOT 412

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

If you’ve ever ended a workday wondering, “Where did all my time go?”—this episode is going to change the way you run your business. In today’s conversation, I sit down with executive coach Samantha Perinello, a powerhouse in helping business owners reclaim their time, streamline their operations, and finally build the kind of practice that doesn’t rely on them for every little task. Samantha has a remarkable track record—her clients regularly get back 10 to 14 hours every single week—and she’s here to break down exactly how that happens. We dive into the real reasons so many...

How Personal Calling Shapes Your Private Practice | Derrick Boger | TPOT 411

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

In today’s episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, I’m excited to introduce you to someone who made a big impact on me at the Wise Practice Conference—Derrick Boger. Derrick is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, military veteran, former firefighter, and the founder of Transformation Christian Counseling in Greensboro, North Carolina. His journey into the therapy world is rooted in a lifelong commitment to serving others, and you’ll hear that passion come through in every part of our conversation. In this episode, Derrick and I dive deep into what it really looks like to...

The Exit Plan Every Therapist Should Have (But Most Don’t) | Carla Titus | TPOT 410

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Welcome back to the Practice of Therapy Podcast! I’m Gordon Brewer, and I am so glad you’re here today because we’re diving into a topic that every private practice owner needs to be thinking about—whether you’re brand new or decades into the work. I’m thrilled to welcome back my friend and financial powerhouse, Carla Titus. Every time Carla joins us, she brings clarity, strategy, and a whole lot of honesty about what it really takes to run a profitable, sustainable practice. And today, we’re talking about something most of us don’t think about until we’re exhausted, burned...

How Traditional Therapy Misses the Mark for Men | Marc Azoulay | TPOT 409

The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer

Today’s episode is one I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. We’re diving into a topic that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough in our field—men’s mental health—and why so many traditional therapy approaches miss the mark when it comes to helping men heal. My guest is Marc Azoulay, LPC, LAC, CGP, ACS—the founder of Men’s Therapy Online and host of The Men’s Therapy Podcast. Marc brings a powerful blend of psychoanalysis, neuroscience, and Buddhism to his work, and he’s built an incredible community that helps men get real, get connected, and get results. In...

More Episodes

In this episode, I talk about some of the myths and misperceptions people have about being on insurance panels. I delve into this topic and let you know what I've learned about it from my insurance-based practice. First, I speak about the stigma around accepting insurance in private practice. If you accept insurance, you are just as valid and can be just as successful as private practice owners who are cash-based. Tune in as talk about the pros and cons of insurance panels, why I chose to be insurance-based, and where to start when you decide to accept insurance.

The Stigma Around Accepting Insurance In Private Practice

Many people are curious about accepting insurance and if they should or not. There is no correct answer. If you start to delve into your mindset and think about it all, it might just be something that you should consider doing. When you look at all that is out there, there are so many great resources around building a private practice. It seems like most people are encouraging cash-pay. There seems to be a little bit of a stigma against having an insurance-based practice. Many people say that you don't want to be controlled by insurance companies. If therapists don't have a cash-based practice, they're second-class citizens for being an insurance-based practice. I don't agree with that at all! In fact, my success comes from being insurance-based.

The Pros and Cons of Being An Insurance-Based Practice

There are a lot of pros and cons to being on insurance panels. Certainly, one of the cons of being insurance-based is that you've got to have more systems and processes in place. You've got to do more work on the front end to get prepared for insurance. You need specific systems when you start accepting third-party payors and being reimbursed by insurance companies for your services. The biggest con is that there is some work on the front end of being insurance-based.

The pros for being insurance-based are that you've got a built-in referral source by being on insurance panels. I would say at least half the people that we find are from their insurance. In other words, they checked with their insurance provider first to see who would accept their insurance in the area. When making an appointment with us, people ask, how much does it cost? Plus, they ask if we accept insurance. That's why I wanted to be an insurance-based practice. People depend on their insurance, and I want to help those people.

Ready To Accept Insurance? What To Do First

Where do you start? Research your area to find out which are which insurance panels are the most prevalent. In my area, most people have Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance. Another thing to research is looking at significant employers in the area. Then, check which insurance those companies use. Next, use that data to decide which insurance companies you want to be paneled with. Another thing to note is that when an insurance company offers you a contract, that's negotiable! Make sure to negotiate what rate you will accept.

Systems and Processes Around Filing Insurance Claims

Figure out your systems and your processes around filing insurance claims. If you're on insurance panels, you need a traditional way to send claims off. The best way I know to do that is through an electronic health record system. TherapyNotes helps my practice with this. It's a few clicks of a button to get your insurance claims sent to the insurance companies to be reimbursed. For the most part, insurance companies have a pretty quick turnaround for electronic health claim submissions. Within a week of sending off the claim, we are getting paid. There's a myth that you have to wait a long time to get paid from insurance companies – that's not true! So, make sure you have a way to submit claims and make it as automated as possible.

Cash-Based and Insurance-Based Private Practices

If you're not ready to be entirely reliant on insurance, there's a hybrid option! You can have a mix of cash-paying clients and clients that use insurance. Give people a choice on whether or not they want to pay for therapy through a third-party payor. Remember to set your full fee at a reasonable place; your fee needs to be your FULL fee. The insurance company will pay you what they pay you. Then, you write off the difference between the full fee and the contract rate. If they choose not to use insurance, you can offer a sliding scale based on family income. We don't go and check their income; instead, we go on the honor system. Ensure that the lowest rate on your sliding scale fee schedule is in the ballpark of your average reimbursement rate from insurance companies. If you want more tips about deciding to panel with 3rd-party payors, check out this FREE webinar coming up: https://practiceoftherapy.com/insurancepractice.

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