The Practice of Therapy Podcast with Gordon Brewer
This podcast is here for therapists, counselors, social workers, psychotherapists, and mental health clinicians in their practice journeys. I'm Gordon Brewer and the person behind The Practice of Therapy Blog and Website that provides tools, resources and advice for people starting, growing or expanding their private practices. The podcast will help you learn from other experts in the field to move your private practice forward to success.
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Perry Rosenbloom | Using The New Social Genie In Your Private Practice | TPOT 107
12/04/2019
Perry Rosenbloom | Using The New Social Genie In Your Private Practice | TPOT 107
In this episode, Perry Rosenbloom, Founder of Brighter Vision, joins the show. Perry and Gordon discuss Brighter Vision’s most recent project, Social Genie. Is keeping up with social media challenging for your busy schedule? Perry and his team make social media a breeze with Social Genie. Later, Perry and Gordon talk about how to get your website the best search engine optimization. Meet Perry Rosenbloom Perry has always had a connection to the field of therapy and therapists, having family both working in the field and benefiting from it. He founded Brighter Vision in March 2014 with a passion to use business savvy and web development know-how to help therapists both fully realize their career ambitions and help the most people possible. Since then, Brighter Vision has grown to be the world’s best therapist website design company, as well as one of the most trusted names in our industry, helping thousands of therapists throughout the world. Brighter Vision Brighter Vision makes marketing simple for therapists. They have over 5,000 therapists on their platform who trust them with their websites. The website will look like you’ve spent thousands of dollars when, in reality, you only pay a few dollars a day. They have been at this for about five years now. After working with his mother-in-law, Perry knew he needed to help her with her digital presence. After some research, he realized how much he could assist the therapist market. He learned more about therapy and behavioral health – now, he focuses exclusively on therapists. They can build websites at an agency-like caliber at a fraction of the cost. It was a long strange journey to get where they are now, but they have 27 employees and have a lot of fun working with their clients. Social Genie One of the advantages Brighter Vision has is working with thousands of therapists. Because they work just in behavioral health, they understand the needs of the community from a marketing standpoint. They spent about six months talking to therapists about their pain points of social media. With Social Genie, after fifteen minutes of work, you can set up your social media or the next few months. You can edit and customize posts that are already premade. If you work with couples, you can use the couple’s campaign, the divorce campaign, and the infidelity campaign. Each campaign can have nearly 90 posts – you can schedule them however you wish. Then, you can upload your logo and have it embedded in all of your images. Some therapists spend hours working on social media to customize it. However, you can easily spend fifteen minutes working with Social Genie and be done with social media for months. Clients can request content and what sort of campaigns they are looking for. Then, Perry and his team will create the content. “Position yourself as an authority and start conversations.” Search Engine Optimization When you do SEO, it’s about providing content to Google that is relevant for what people are searching for. What services or specialties do you have? Then, write a specific page for your website on each of those individual specialties and services. Brighter Vision can easily add these pages to help with your SEO; they take a lot of the work from the client. Otherwise, there are lots of resources online about what Google needs for SEO. The better you rank on Google, the more people will see your website and the more clients that will join your private practice. Design Team When you sign up for Brighter Vision, you get your very own design team. The team will build you a first draft of your website in about two weeks. Then, you can talk to the team and edit the site how you want. Plus, there is a sticky note function on your website, so the design team can see exactly how you want to change the site. This takes out the hassle of having to email the design team back and forth. Once you are happy with your website, you can get unlimited support from the tech team. 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! Perry’s Resources Brighter Vision Social Genie Making Your Private Practice Website Work For You The Therapist Experience Podcast Resources TherapyNotes.com GreenOakAccounting.com Private Practice Owners: Mistakes To Avoid For A Stress-Free Tax Season Private Practice Start-Up Guide Session Note Helper G-Suite For Therapists Be a Podcast Guest Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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James Marland | Using Virtual Assistants In Your Private Practice | TPOT 106
11/24/2019
James Marland | Using Virtual Assistants In Your Private Practice | TPOT 106
In this episode, Gordon and James Marland talk all about virtual assistants. Hiring a virtual assistant for your private practice has so many benefits. Virtual assistants can save you both valuable time and money. Plus, James gives tips on how to find the right VA for your practice and ways to make the hiring process as smooth as possible. Meet James Marland James Marland is Chief Operations Officer at Move Forward Virtual Assistants with over 18 years of experience in social service and non-profit organizations. James loves the power of learning and holds a Master’s degree in Ministry and Business Administration. He started his career in the mental health field working in a shelter for children and has held positions in Family Based, Day Hospital, Crisis, Intake to Inpatient, Youth Minister, and Manager of a Mental Health Triage program. Along the way, James has learned people are resilient, inspiring, and capable of so much if we offer them hope and give them a vision and a path for success. James loves cooperative games of all kinds and can be found organizing a board game night with friends or playing a casual game online. He has lived in Lancaster County, PA for the last 11 years with his wife of 21 years and his active 14-year old son. He is currently writing a few times a month in his new blog “Two Steps Forward.” Finding a Virtual Assistant A job description is your first filter. Once you know what you want your virtual assistant to do, write down a description of who you want them to be. Understand why and what you are trying to accomplish. Most therapists didn’t go to school to answer the phone, schedule appointments, and fight with insurance companies. A VA frees up the therapist to do the things they love to do. James says experience is one of the best things to look for. Have they been successful in using technology? They should be able to bring the same experience over to your business. James’ first failure was hiring an event manager. They had a lot of the same skills a virtual assistant uses but didn’t have the office background. They lasted one day with James. Check and make sure they have the right skills to manage an office. Plus, your virtual assistant should have the right personality. They need to build rapport quickly, but not take it too far and cross boundaries. Getting along with others virtually is also an essential trait for a competent virtual assistant. Another thing James looks for is someone who is a problem-solver – they need to be able to take the resources the private practice owner gives them and solve any problems that arise. Manager Economics If two people can do the same task and the quality is pretty much the same, always have the lower-cost employee do the job. When you are thinking about how much a VA will cost or if you feel their work won’t be the same quality – at first, it probably won’t be the same quality. Over time, they will develop the skills to do the task at the same quality. For example, you can hire someone for $1,000 to paint the house, or you can hire someone for $500 to paint a house. All around, the quality will stay the same. Who do you hire? Manager economics says to hire the person who will cost less. A manager’s time is worth $100 to $200 an hour, whereas a VA is worth $20 to $30 an hour. Sure, you could save $30 by doing the task yourself; however, you could be losing out on $200 by doing it. Protecting Time We all have the same amount of time – how do you protect it? If water is valuable to you, then you don’t waste it. Time should be the same rule. We have all sorts of tools to manage our time, like calendars, alarm clocks, and reminders. A virtual assistant is just a tool to manage our scarce resource of time. Hiring Process Have useful inputs for your hiring pool. James likes to hire people he already knows or a referral from someone else. One of his best employees is someone who was referred to by someone else. A good job description will also help with the hiring process. If they don’t fit the job description, then they won’t be a good fit for the job. Also, map out the interview process. Do a 15-minute phone-screen to check for skills. Then, conduct the interview and give scores for each of their answers. That way, you can compare their answers to other people you are interviewing. 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! James’ Resources Move Forward Virtual Assistants Schedule with James Manager Economics 101 Video Time Saved by Outsourcing Interview Questions Progressive Delegation Board Resources TherapyNotes.com GreenOakAccounting.com Gordon’s Black Friday Sale! Use Code: Cyber19 Private Practice Owners: Mistakes To Avoid For A Stress-Free Tax Season AP 1094: How Do I Pitch My Product Better? Private Practice Start-Up Guide Session Note Helper G-Suite For Therapists Be a Podcast Guest Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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When Change Comes Unexpectedly In Private Practice | TPOT 105
11/18/2019
When Change Comes Unexpectedly In Private Practice | TPOT 105
In this episode, Gordon explains how private practice owners can embrace change. Change is going to happen; the sooner we can embrace the change, the easier it will be to handle it. Some ways to ease the potential pain of change will be preparing ahead of time. Have systems in place, capture everything, and break things up into smaller pieces. Later, Gordon speaks about the importance of having a professional will and the significance of being uncomfortable. Prepare Ahead of Time Gordon had no way of predicting his wife’s fall. However, he does have a network of friends in town that could help out. One of his good friends went to be with his wife in the hospital. Your network is important to remember when we think about being prepared for the unexpected. All Gordon had to do was send one text to his intake coordinator to cancel all of his appointments. The systems and people were in place for him to be prepared for the unexpected. Change is always going to happen. Capture Everything It is so essential to have a way to capture everything. Throughout the days and weeks, we get a lot of stuff handed to us. You need a way to capture all of these things. Gordon knows he needs some low-tech stuff – he uses a planner as a capture device. As things come up, Gordon starts writing it down and making a note of it. Writing everything down will help us look at our goals and bring it from inside of our brains and into the physical world. Another exercise is to brainstorm everything that you want to accomplish and throw it all on a whiteboard. It doesn’t matter how it’s organized – dump your brain! If you are pelted with unexpected changes, then do a brain dump. Break Everything Into Smaller Pieces Write everything down into individual steps, so you know how to accomplish something big you are faced with. Writing things down not only works in a situation where we are overwhelmed, but it works for running our practice in general. We all have a dream about how big we want our practice to be – take those dreams and write them down. Looking at those goals will make it less overwhelming. Write down three things you want to accomplish each day. If you start thinking about too many things, it will become overwhelming. Tackle one thing at a time, because this method is how we will get anything done. Multi-tasking doesn’t exist – we are not capable of handling matters in this way. Embrace Change The more we can embrace change, the better we can handle the change. When a toilet overfills, the only choice we have is to get into a mess. Embrace the fact that it’s going to be messy for awhile. After it’s fixed and cleaned, you will be back on the road of life. Anxiety has a way of tricking us into thinking we can’t handle things sometimes. Most of us are equipped to handle the things that are handed to us in life. It might be painful and uncomfortable; however, we can always work our way through it. Professional Wills If you were to die tomorrow, what would happen to your private practice? What would happen to your clients? It’s not something we need to dwell on, but we do need to have some things in place. For example, you need a plan for someone to get into your computers and log in to your accounts. How To Prepare A Professional Will For Your Practice 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 Therapy Notes - TherapyNotes.com GreenOak Accounting Private Practice Owners: Mistakes To Avoid For A Stress-Free Tax Season AP 1094: How Do I Pitch My Product Better? Private Practice Start-Up Guide Cool Resources Session Note Helper G-Suite For Therapists Be a Podcast Guest Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Brent Sweitzer | Getting Things Done (GTD) In Private Practice | TPOT 104
11/04/2019
Brent Sweitzer | Getting Things Done (GTD) In Private Practice | TPOT 104
In this episode of the Practice of Therapy Podcast, Gordon and Brent Sweitzer, LPC, RPT dive deep into the book, Getting Things Done by David Allen. Brent describes how the methods of GTD changed his life and some of his favorite tools from David Allen. Plus, Brent explains his recent jump into full-time private practice, despite not thinking he was 100% ready for the change. Brent Sweitzer Brent Sweitzer, LPC, RPT specializes in helping distant couples reconnect and in helping children play their way through difficult emotions through play therapy. He is a Registered Play Therapist, which means he has received special training and supervision in using the medium of play to work with children of all ages. He is also extensively trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, a well-researched approach that helps couples overcome long-standing conflicts in order to feel closer and communicate better. He runs his own private practice, Sweitzer Counseling, that serves the communities of Cumming, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, and the surrounding communities in Atlanta, GA. He is married and has two young children of his own. When he’s not connecting with clients or his family, he’s often exploring the great outdoors or strumming his guitar. Getting Things Done Brent found the book Getting Things Done, and it spoke to him so clearly. There are so many distractions and challenges with work now as therapists and entrepreneurs. As an entrepreneur, we have to define a lot of our work. Brent knew the book was the answer – he went all in and applied the methodology to his life since January. Gordon was also blown away by the book. David Allen breaks it down into manageable pieces. Getting Things Done for Teens Since Brent works with children, he is always looking for things that simplify the concepts from Getting Things Done. That why he is a big fan of Getting Things Done for Teens. There are these things called transformer tools – decide if you care about something and then decide if you are committed to doing it. It’s so simple but an unconscious choice. We can learn how to do it and respond to these challenges consciously. What Are Contexts? How much time do you have available? Imagine having a list of things you can do with a spare ten or fifteen minutes. Have a list of items already decided that would be possible to do in between clients or in line at the DMV. This method has been a real change for Brent. GTD is about efficiency – not in a cold kind of way. We only have 24 hours in a day, and we only have so much energy. GTD helps us to list the things that we can do that are mindless. Keep your life moving! Channel Your Inner CEO Brent loves being with people. He has a left side of his brain, but he wasn’t able to pull it up when he needed it. GTD has helped Brent think that way. Being a private practice owner means you are an entrepreneur and a CEO. You need to be thinking like an executive at least some of the time. OmniFocus OmniFocus is designed to align with GTD – Brent tried to use it with Trello. So far, it’s going well. For those people who are digitally oriented, Brent says it works well with Apple Reminders. It’s a great way to capture all your ideas while you are out and about or even exercising. However, it is essential to remember to go back and look at the ideas you captured. Full-Time Private Practice Marketing your private practice is a part-time job in itself. Brent didn’t know when he would be able to leap into full-time private practice. He wanted to start next year when his son joined Kindergarten. His leap into private practice happened a little sooner than he planned for. Brent needed time and focus on putting all of his knowledge into place. He put his foot on the accelerator to market his practice and himself to the community. He is actually going to be speaking at a mental health symposium at a high school about communication between parents and children. After Killin’It Camp, Brent was inspired to create the next step for people after his speeches. He is in the process of developing an email series – allowing himself to stay in contact with potential clients. 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! Brent’s Resources Sweitzer Counseling 678-701-7545 brent@sweitzercounseling.com Brent’s LinkedIn Resources TherapyNotes.com Ethical Business Practice for Psychotherapists Killin’It Camp Session Note Helper G-Suite For Therapists Be a Podcast Guest Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram OmniFocus Business School Bootcamp Practice of the Practice 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Connecting and Google G-Suite in Private Practice | TPOT 103
10/28/2019
Connecting and Google G-Suite in Private Practice | TPOT 103
In this episode, Gordon describes the inspiration behind his Session Note Helper – it was created to quickly write session and progress notes while using standard phrasing menu items and checkboxes. Gordon also explains the tools on G-Suite and how therapists can use G-mail and still be HIPAA compliant. Later, Gordon discusses the importance of connecting with people and some of his favorite highlights from Killin’It Camp. HIPAA HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Most of us forget what this actually means. Typically, we think of it as a big brother force that is always ready to slap us on the wrist. Gordon was looking for a way to send an email that was HIPAA secure. HIPAA requires a BAA (Business Associate Agreement). After doing some research, Gordon realized you could get a BAA from Google. However, you have to get the paid version of Google. At that time, it was called Google for Work – now it’s titled G-Suite for Business. The price point is very economical. G-Suite Gordon got the BAA from Google and was able to use the URL for his business as his email address. It costs $6 a month for the basic version and $12 a month for the more advanced version. >>Sign Up Here<< When you get a Google account, you will also get a whole suite of tools: Google docs, sheets, drive, and forms. Gordon’s e-course, G-Suite for Therapists, teaches us how to maximize our productivity using these tools. Session Note Helper Playing around with the tools, Gordon started to make templates. A lot of the stuff therapists do require writing the same things over and over again. Progress notes and sessions notes usually have the same type of phrasing. Gordon had a template he was using, and he thought there had to be a way to create a note for each client. Now, Gordon has come up with a Session Note Helper. At first, Gordon started to use Form Publisher, and it worked to produce a narrative in a Google Doc format. However, using Form Publisher was not HIPAA secure because they did not provide a BAA. Gordon’s Helper allows us to quickly write session and progress notes using standard phrasing menu items and checkboxes. Connecting with People At Killin’It Camp, Gordon was able to get to catch up with a lot of other private practice consultants. Despite being an introvert, Gordon was excited to talk to other consultants, network, learn from others, and teach about G-Suite. Now, The Practice of Therapy Podcast has loads of new guests to be in the show from people who were at the conference. 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 TherapyNotes.com Free Webinar: Business Entities For Private Practice Killin’It Camp Session Note Helper G-Suite For Therapists Be a Podcast Guest >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Sarah Leitshuh | Navigating The Overwhelm In Private Practice | TPOT 102
10/21/2019
Sarah Leitshuh | Navigating The Overwhelm In Private Practice | TPOT 102
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? In this episode, Gordon and Sarah Leitschuh, LMFT discuss the progression of practicing therapy to consulting people on the business side of private practice. Often, private practice owners crave the flexibility of being an entrepreneur. However, flexibility isn’t always a good thing as Sarah can attest to. Stay tuned to hear all the ways owners can navigate the overwhelm of private practice. Meet Sarah Leitschuh Are you ready to reduce the overwhelm that has overtaken your life as a result of trying to balance your work and personal life? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute Vibrant Therapist Clarity call and walk away with a strategy that you can implement today in order to find yourself feeling more energized and less depleted. You can access my schedule HERE. Flexibility in Private Practice Sarah quickly realized that flexibility could be a bad thing. She found herself overwhelmed – it was hard for her not to have enough time or energy for anything she wanted to do. Sarah was working all the time and not seeing the results she wanted to see. Plus, she was supervising others – her supervisees were saying the same things that she was thinking. Sarah knew there was something she wasn’t doing. There needed to be a way to show up to private practice and still have a life in the outside world. Taking Inventory We can find the path to doing things more easily – but we don’t necessarily have the big picture of what is contributing to our overwhelm. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself: what is contributing to your overwhelm? Where do you feel like you are wasting a lot of your time? Also, find out where you are leaking time, energy, and money. Once you fix these leaks, you will have more time to devote to things that could fill your bucket. Feeling Overwhelmed Private practice owners feel overwhelmed because of the constant need to document. Sometimes, their caseload is full of clients that they are not passionate about working with. Or, the schedule can be overwhelming. Your schedule may not be working out – are you scheduling too many things outside of therapy? These extra activities could be stressing you out. Gordon says therapists need to stick to their schedule. Do not let your clients run your schedule for you. Solid Boundaries Sarah says having boundaries is one of the ways to beat the overwhelm in private practice. Have limits as to which clients you can take into your practice. Have a solid list of referrals to give to your clients if you cannot take them in. Plus, have your set hours. If clients ask to see you outside of your hours – set your boundaries and let them know what is possible. Gordon says it was overwhelming when he started taking clients that were not his ideal clients. He is not a drug and alcohol addiction specialist – he gets a lot of calls about this, but his practice is not equipped to do this kind of therapy. Constant Evaluation Sarah recommends that quarterly or monthly therapists take a look at the state of their practice. Are you taking action to get you closer to vision? Or are you taking steps that are pulling you away from your vision? Evaluating regularly will keep your practice on track of meeting your goals and fulfilling your vision. Tabling For Later We do not have time for everything! It is beneficial to table things intentionally. At the end of 2019, some of the items on your brain dump list are not able to happen this year. Write this list down for 2020 to free up energy on things you can get done this year. It will no longer be hanging over your head for the rest of 2019. Find a blank spot on your calendar and make it sacred. Prioritize your well-being – it is just as important as seeing a client. 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! Sarah’s Resources Counseling Website Vibrant Therapist & Professional Development Website The Overwhelm Assessment for Stressed Out Therapists Sarah’s Facebook Other Resources Therapy Notes Free Webinar: Business Entities For Private Practice Killin’It Camp The Practice of Therapy Resources G-Suite For Therapists Be a Podcast Guest How To Make Money In Private Practice >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Michelle Hardman | Having A Primed Private Practice | TPOT 101
10/14/2019
Michelle Hardman | Having A Primed Private Practice | TPOT 101
In this episode, Gordon talks with Michelle Hardman, LPC from The Primed Practice. They discuss the importance of understanding how to run a business when starting a private practice. Therapists do not get training on how to run a business, so starting a private practice can be tricky. However, Michelle wants to bridge that gap of knowledge and coach therapists through the intricacies of running a business. Plus, Michelle tells us about her Primed Planner, the perfect tool to remind private practice owners to practice self-care, network, and follow-up with clients. Meet Michelle Hardman Even though she knew at 15 years old she wanted to be a therapist, life always has some interesting detours! After nearly 16 years in corporate human resources leadership, Michelle decided to follow her dream to counsel people in the context of their whole life rather than just their career life. Now, as a Licensed Professional Counselor and owner of a successful private practice, Michelle enjoys working with adults who have anxiety and/or trauma histories. Michelle is also a Certified Daring Way Facilitator, teaching curricula based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. While Michelle is honored to be in this clinical space, she still loves all things “business!” By leveraging her unique combination of corporate and clinical experience, as well as her MBA in strategic management, she is an exceptional business coach to fellow clinicians in private practice. By teaching clinicians about critical business elements such as marketing, branding, networking and business planning, as well as creating invaluable tools such as The Primed Planner™, Michelle is committed to helping amazing clinicians become confident business owners! Business Coach When Michelle grew her private practice, people kept asking how she did it. Michelle took for granted the things she knew from her MBA; she applied all her business knowledge without even knowing it. The idea of coaching on the business side of private practice grew organically. Michelle doesn’t have a secret sauce; she loves talking with clinicians and breaking down business for them. Clinicians will have an epiphany that the business side of practice doesn’t have to be so scary. Brené Brown Workshops Brené Brown’s work is so relatable and easy to break down into digestible bits. Her research and the way she presents it fascinates Michelle. Brené’s work is part of the human experience, so that is why it is easy to relate with. Michelle works with people who have anxiety and trauma, so shame almost always presents itself in those situations. Clinicians also feel guilt when they go into private practice because they feel like they are supposed to know how to run a business even though the courses were never taught in graduate school. Even though Michelle has an MBA, she still thinks it’s still scary. Therapist Shame It’s easy for self-care to fall off the radar; sometimes, therapists are the worst ones to stay on top of it. Michelle felt like an outsider coming into the world of private practice. In graduate school, we are taught to feel shame about running a profitable business. We are told that therapists shouldn’t be working to make money; they should be working to make a change. There’s a stigma that marketing and business do not help people; that is not true. We got into this business to help people; however, we deserve to have thriving lives of our own. Private Practice Sales Michelle says you don’t have to be a salesperson; you need to showcase your strengths and skills. Marketing is about relationships and cultivating those relationships; it’s not about selling. We should never be making a sale. Instead, we should be putting ourselves out there. If you repel people, then they are not the right fit for your practice. The small things matter most. We can only do so many things in a day, so think about the little things you can do today to move the needle forward. The Primed Planner If we are not trained in business, and it feels overwhelming and scary – having a tool that has those prompts along the way to keep us engaged will help our practices flourish. Michelle wanted to put an engaging structure around the business of private practice. The Primed Planner is published and available! It was developed in the spirit and love of Michelle’s company. The planner creates prompts for self-care, networking, and follow-up items. Yes, it’s a monthly and weekly calendar, but there is also an annual roadmap. Michelle’s planner allows us to take the time to think about our goals and the things that energize us. Goal Setting Michelle is a big believer in knowing what your core values are. When building a house, you want a strong foundation for it to sit on. In your business, if you do not have a strong message, your marketing will come off as inauthentic. We deserve a solid foundation. Think about your core values and how you align your business to build on those values. Then, we can start thinking about our goals for the actual business. If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to get there? 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! Michelle’s Resources The Primed Practice The Primed Planner Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Vimeo The Daring Way™ Email: Michelle@MichelleHardman.com Other Resources Therapynotes.com Free Webinar: Business Entities For Private Practice Killin’It Camp The Practice of Therapy Resources G-Suite For Therapists Be a Podcast Guest How To Make Money In Private Practice >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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SPECIAL EPISODE | Essential Elements of Private Practice | TPOT 100
10/07/2019
SPECIAL EPISODE | Essential Elements of Private Practice | TPOT 100
In this episode, The Practice of Therapy celebrates its 100th EPISODE! Gordon plays clips from some of his favorite episodes, including guests like Jeff Guenther, Allison Puryear, Joe Sanok, Kasey Compton, Mike Michalowicz, Paul Jarvis, Melvin Varghese, and David Hall. The clips cover a variety of private practice topics like marketing, return on investment, processes, systems, and how to find support. Jeff Guenther: Say More About That In this clip, Jeff Guenther talks about why some therapists get “ghosted” by their clients and he also gives specific examples. His podcast, Say More About That, dives deep into the client’s personal journey of finding a therapist and going to counseling. Jeff talks to people about why they wanted to go to therapy, what kind of therapist they were looking for, and why. He covers why some mental health counselors were excellent matches and why others didn’t work and also touches on what they thought therapy was going to be like and if it met their expectations. Say More About That asks their guests if they have advice for therapists to help them be better or more effective counselors. Jeff Guenther, LPC, is a therapist in Portland, OR. He has been in private practice since 2005 and currently leads workshops on how therapists can build their digital brand and attract more clients online. TherapyDen Say More About That Jeff Guenther | What Clients Are Saying About Their Therapists | TPOT Podcast 075 Allison Puryear: Marketing Isn’t Scary The most common struggle for private practice owners is being afraid to market and being uncomfortable with the idea of marketing. Some people think marketing is something a businessperson does, not a clinician. Allison says every client has their ideal therapist out there. It is up to the therapist, as an act of service, to help our clients find us and overcome their struggles. Know that it is about showing up and continuing to try and build your practice. If someone has a phone call during their first two weeks of private practice, then that’s an anomaly. If you build it, they will not come; you have to tell people about your practice to build it. Allison Puryear, LCSW is the person behind Abundance Practice Building, Abundance Party, and is a private practice coach and consultant. TPOT 006 |Allison Puryear, LCSW | Marketing Your Private Practice Without Fear Joe Sanok: Return on Investment (ROI) Depending on which phase of growth you are in, it will determine where and how a clinician in private practice should spend their time and money resources to get the best ROI. When you start your private practice, your greatest asset is the time you spend. In this phase, attention should be spent on bootstrapping and marketing your practice. Spend time making those community contacts and developing relationships with other professionals in your business. Plus, Joe explains the benefits of outsourcing as much as possible so you can continue running your practice and seeing clients. Joe Sanok is the person behind The Practice of the Practice Podcast and Blog. Joe is a speaker, mental health counselor, business consultant, and podcaster. Joe Sanok | How to Level-Up and Grow Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 11 Kasey Compton: Processes and Systems Kasey’s phenomenal growth (80 staff members and a million-dollar practice in just three years) came primarily out of her ability to create processes and systems to make the growth as seamless as possible. She put most of her effort on the front end into mapping things out so that the processes and systems were well defined. Kasey also said that she made some mistakes and learned from them rather than let them ultimately defeat her. For instance, her partner was high-strung, which made their workplace culture toxic. Three years later, the people who quit her practice are back and notice the immense changes. Kasey Compton built a million-dollar practice with over seventy-five staff members in less than two years from the ground up. She is the President/CEO of Mindsight Behavioral Group with multiple offices located in Kentucky. Kasey Compton | Systems, Processes & Growing a Million-Dollar Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 047 Mike Michalowicz: Profit First With Mike’s “Profit First” system, he turns conventional wisdom on its head and gives us another way of thinking about how we manage our finances and look at profit. The traditional way of thinking about making a profit is this: Income – Expenses = Profit It’s what we get to keep after everything else is paid for; operating expenses, salaries, and taxes. The problem is that the bigger we grow, the more our expenses grow too. It becomes a never-ending cycle that keeps our profitability at bay and keeps our businesses unhealthy. Mike says this line of thinking is kind of like saying, “my health comes last.” Mike says that a better way is to allocate our profit first rather than let our expenses and operating costs determine what we get. The premise is to allocate a percentage of the income on the front end for profit. It looks like this: Income – Profit = Expenses This, of course, seems like unconventional wisdom. Mike goes on to explain that by taking our profit first, we are better able to take control of our business’ health and operate at a level that is more sustainable and realistic. By Mike Michalowicz’s 35th birthday, he had founded and sold two companies – one to private equity and another to a Fortune 500. Today he is running his third multi-million dollar venture, Profit First Professionals. Mike’s Website Get the Free Clockwork Kit Mike Michalowicz | Using “Profit First” In Your Private Practice (Part 2) | with Kasey Compton | TPOT Podcast 050 Mike Michalowicz | Using “Profit First” In Your Private Practice | with Kasey Compton | TPOT Podcast 049 Paul Jarvis: Bigger Isn’t Always Better If people are working from home, then others think they do not have a legitimate business. Paul is a one-person business; he does work with contractors but has never hired an employee because he doesn’t want to be a boss. We should reconsider the idea that bigger is always better. Paul’s book isn’t about anti-growth; it is thinking critically about growth. The key is to think about how the business works and runs. If we grew our businesses, we would have to hire people and then become a manager. Is that the position you want to put yourself in? Paul Jarvis is a writer and designer who’s had his own company of one for the last two decades. His latest book, Company of One, explores why bigger isn’t always better in business. Company of One, The Podcast Paul’s Website Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business Paul Jarvis | How Keeping Your Practice Small Could Be Big… | TPOT Podcast 086 Melvin Varghese: Income in Private Practice If all you do is focus on income generation, you are eventually going to burn out. Time flexibility and creating a lifestyle that makes sense is far more critical than the money you will make. When a person reaches a net income of around $150,000 annually, then it just becomes unmanageable. Their quality of life will not increase with additional money. It is better to have a strong foundation that lasts long-term rather than something that takes off quickly and fizzles out. Melvin Varghese, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Philadelphia, PA. In 2015, he launched Selling The Couch, a podcast and blog to help our field learn the business and marketing lessons we don’t often learn in our training. Melvin Varghese, Ph.D. | Podcasting, And Entrepreneurship In Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 078 David Hall: Finding Supports From Others in Private Practice Private practice can be lonely sometimes; we should find like-minded people to support us in our journeys. David gives us thoughts on proximity and finding support. Support can come in many different forms, and David speaks on ways to find resources and how to get your name out into your community. Dr. Stephen “David” Hall heads up content and creative direction as the “Chief Maven” of PsychMaven. He began his work as a psychotherapist in 2005, and he currently holds clinical licenses in Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. The Narrative Institute PsychMaven David Hall | Being A Private Practice Maven | TPOT Podcast 087 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 Therapy Notes Free Webinar: Business Entities For Private Practice Be a Podcast Guest Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Jill Barnett Kaufman | Diversifying Your Income Within Your Niche | TPOT Podcast 099
09/30/2019
Jill Barnett Kaufman | Diversifying Your Income Within Your Niche | TPOT Podcast 099
In this episode, Jill Barnett Kaufman tells us all about the courses she provides for continuing education. Her latest course is on how parents can redirect children’s behavior. Jill describes the four reasons a child may be misbehaving and the ways we can identify these behaviors. Plus, Jill explains all the different niches she has been part of including parenting classes, court-ordered co-parenting classes, and her upcoming course on thriving through a divorce. Meet Jill Barnett Kaufman Jill Barnett Kaufman is an experienced therapist, a certified Parent Educator, and a Certified Divorce Mediator. She provides divorce counseling, couples counseling, co-parenting counseling, family counseling, and divorce mediation. She recently co-authored an online training for therapists entitled “Redirecting Children’s Behavior Training for Therapists” which has been approved for 6 CEUs through NASW. She is the mother of three adult children and is committed to helping raise a generation of children who have high self-esteem and a well-developed sense of responsibility for themselves and their community. Jill’s Course Jill researched her course, Redirecting Children’s Behavior Training for Therapists, and the specifics on getting approval from the Continuing Education Unit (CEU). Everything we do as therapists requires a lot of steps, and you need to jump through numerous hoops to accomplish it. It’s a fifteen-hour course, not all of it is necessary for therapists. Jill took the parts that she thinks therapists would need to know. Currently, it is six hours of classroom time and is available for people to take. Jill uses Teachable, it’s a straightforward platform with an excellent sales page, and everything is automated. Teaching Clients About Parents look at a child when they misbehave as being bad. Jill’s course, Redirecting Children’s Behavior Training for Therapists, will teach you how to look at a child as being discouraged instead of bad. Jill teaches therapists on the varying ways to encourage the child, so you’re not disciplining or punishing. Instead, you’re looking for positive ways to discipline so they are learning while understanding what they did was unacceptable. Goals of a Misbehaving Child There are four goals of a misbehaving child: Attention Power Revenge Avoidance You discipline the child differently depending on the intention of the child. You find out the goal of the child by analyzing the way you are feeling. If you are feeling irritated, their goal is attention. If you are feeling angry, their goal is power. If you’re feeling hurt their goal is revenge. If you are feeling pity for the child, then their goal is an avoidance. Parenting Expert Niche You need to involve the parents to give them the proper skills to parent their child. Therapists can develop a niche working with children and will want to have a session or two with their parents. You can also go to schools – Jill has done training for teachers and parents at schools. This helped Jill get her name out into the community. Now, Jill has people contacting her consistently because her name is out there as a parenting expert. Court-Ordered Parenting Classes There’s a course in Jill’s state that she would have to take to be approved for court-ordered parenting classes. With this course, Jill knows people who have developed a curriculum based on this work to teach the course to parents. However, Jill’s niche is divorce and co-parenting. Judges have ordered parents to take co-parenting classes with Jill. There is no special certification you need to do these sessions with parents. Thriving Through Divorce Jill is working on an online course about thriving through a divorce. The course is for people who are struggling with their separation. The reason Jill came up with this idea is that there are not enough things out there to support people who are going through a divorce. Also, Jill likes the idea of having something out there that she can share with people without having to do the one-on-one sessions. 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! Jill’s Resources Jill’s Website Jill’s LinkedIn Redirecting Children’s Behavior Training for Therapists use code: GORDON Other Resources GreenOak Accounting Free Webinar: Business Entities For Private Practice The Practice of Therapy Resources Be a Podcast Guest How To Make Money In Private Practice >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Smart Passive Income 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Juan Santos | Being Genuine And Authentic In Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 098
09/23/2019
Juan Santos | Being Genuine And Authentic In Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 098
In this episode, Gordon speaks with Juan Santos about what it was like for Juan to open a private practice straight out of graduate school. Plus, Juan gives valuable tips on how to market a private practice. He says the essential factor is to be your most genuine and authentic self when spreading the word about your practice. Later, Gordon and Juan discuss a unique niche – immigration evaluations. Meet Juan Santos Juan Santos is a Licensed Professional Counselor in North Carolina. He is married to his wife, Elizabeth Livingston Santos, together they operate Santos Counseling PLLC a family-owned private practice. Mr. Santos is a father to his 5-year-old daughter Nola and 3-year-old son Alexander. Mr. Santos and his family enjoy traveling, outdoor activities, and spending time with family and friends. Mr. Santos specializes in helping couples build healthy sustainable relationships and supporting individuals with their immigration case by writing immigration evaluations. He utilizes his experience in working with immigration attorneys and writing hardship evaluations to guide clinicians interested in the specialty. Juan is currently a doctorate student at the University of the Cumberland’s where he is a pursuing a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. Mr. Santos hopes to utilize his doctorate studies to strengthen his clinical skills. Mr. Santos has attained recognition in publishing courses and self-help books aimed to address issues ranging from anxiety to relationship, he was the recipient Winston Salem State University Alumni Achiever 2015, the Winston Salem Under 40 Leadership Achiever, and the 2015 Notable Latino of the Triad Award. Juan has presented his work in immigration hardship evaluations with GoodTherapy, the LPCANC fall conference 2018, and on a notable podcast. Marketing Juan started his private practice journey with support; he was so fortunate to have someone that put him under his wing. Juan wasn’t taught how to run a private practice or how to utilize marketing in graduate school, so this assistance was essential. Juan stays genuine in his marketing practices; he is true to himself. At first, he struggled with being himself because, at school, they were taught about professionalism. His first professional videos did not go well because people could tell it was not his authentic self. Private Practice Post Graduate School Juan is the type of person to jump into the pool before learning how to swim. After getting his degree, Juan knew he wanted to start a private practice right away. Juan utilized his mentor to help him with things that Juan would need to learn to succeed. Plus, he read books and listened to podcasts to push himself. Immigration Evaluations Juan helps his clients who are working with attorneys on their immigration status. Depending on the type of case will depend on the type of evaluation needed. For instance, an example of a hardship case is when a citizen of the United States has an undocumented partner. The clinician is going to work with the citizen about documenting would it be like to be without their partner. This will lead to potential diagnoses and recommendations. The attorney will then use this information in court when they are presenting their client’s case. Marketing Your Niche Primarily, Juan partners with immigration attorneys, clinics, and churches to get his name out in the community. More than likely, these are places his ideal client is going to visit. Next, Juan explains how to market a private practice using social media. The first thing to do is look for a platform. Where do you think your clients spend most of their time on? For instance, Instagram is getting more younger folks than Facebook is. Social media should be to support those out there who will navigate towards their goals, whether it’s with Juan or without Juan. Marketing doesn’t have to be looking for the sale; be genuine above all else. Being Bilingual in Private Practice If you are not bilingual, some services will bring a translator to your meetings. When Juan works with couples, he shares his experiences with having a wife who is not bilingual. Differences in languages and culture can massively affect our relationships at home and work. As clinicians, we all go through some culture class. However, one consistent problem in relationships is communicating through the lenses of our cultures. Our society has a significant diversity overlap, so understanding these barriers will go a long way. Juan’s Resources Juan’s Website Call Juan: 336-707-1723 Email: juansantos@santoscounseling.com Other Resources GreenOak Accounting Be a Podcast Guest How To Make Money In Private Practice G-Suite for Therapists >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram The Power of Vulnerability Building a Storybrand Jump – Steve Harvey 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Mio Yokoi | Mental Wellness As A Private Practice Niche | TPOT Podcast 097
09/16/2019
Mio Yokoi | Mental Wellness As A Private Practice Niche | TPOT Podcast 097
In this episode, Gordon speaks with Mio Yokoi, a registered psychotherapist, podcaster and Supporter of Growth. First, Mio explains why mental health needs to be an ongoing discussion rather than something people only are concerned about when in distress. Then, Mio describes how she was fortunate enough to get her private practice website up and running over ten years ago; age is helpful when Google is ranking websites. Stay tuned to hear some ways Mio has diversified her income, and Mio explains the ways she has overcome the obstacles that come along with starting a podcast. Meet Mio Yokoi Mio Yokoi is a registered psychotherapist, podcaster and Supporter of Growth, based out of Toronto, Canada. Her main goal is to serve meaningfully, through working with clients in her private practice and by consulting with other helping professionals to help them be of service in the most ideal way possible for them. Her podcast, Life Stuff 101, is devoted to sharing stories and insights to inspire as many people as possible to make their mental and emotional wellness a top priority. Her website is Solidwellness.org. Mental Health Should be an Ongoing Concern Mio has been in private practice for ten years now. She wants people to think of their mental and emotional wellness as an ongoing need versus only when they are in severe distress. Mio developed the idea that we should be thinking about our mental and emotional health just as much as we think about our physical health. We think about our physical health on an ongoing basis to ward off illness and other physical distress. When Mio first started her practice ten years ago, she wanted to provide more accessible therapy services. At the time, Google searches were not a big thing. So, with her marketing background, Mio was able to put up her website in a short period, and it gained a lot of traffic. Marketing a Niche The ways to market online have expanded since Mio first started. One thing Google looks for with SEO is the age of the website. Mio has had her website up for ten years. It gets a lot of traffic and ranks well on Google. Depending on the day, she may still come up on the first page results. For people starting now, Mio says SEO is going to be tough; there are so many more people online these days. However, you need a website because it’s a 24/7 business card. Diversifying Income When Mio first started her practice, she immediately wanted to think of ways to diversify her income sources because Google can be unreliable. At any given time, Google can decide not to rank your website well. A few months ago, Google changed their algorithms, so Mio’s website dropped. Plus, Mio didn’t want to rely solely on client work. Think of it as a table; you want to have four solid legs that provide you with a solid foundation. Mio has done consulting work and workshops to help diversify her income. Currently, Mio is working on establishing an online business, that’s one of the reasons why she contacted Pat Flynn. Starting a Podcast People are surprised to hear Mio has challenges with verbal fluency. It takes a lot of internal work for Mio to speak and get her ideas across. Inside there is a lot of action happening. Pat Flynn offered Mio access to his Power-Up Podcasting® course, which helped out immensely. Figuring out podcasting on your own can be challenging, so having the steps laid out is extremely helpful. If Mio didn’t get the push from Pat and the resources he provided, she would be overwhelmed and still trying to figure it all out. You can listen to Mio’s podcast HERE. 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! Mio’s Resources Be on Mio’s Podcast: mio@solidwellness.org Solid Wellness Life Stuff 101 AP 1081: Where Do I Start to Build an Audience and Community Online? Other Resources GreenOak Accounting Power-Up Podcasting® Killin’It Camp G-Suite for Therapists Fall Into Cash >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Beating The Overwhelm In Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 096
09/09/2019
Beating The Overwhelm In Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 096
Have you ever been so overwhelmed in your private practice that it completely took over your day? In this episode, Gordon gives helpful tools and resources to beat the overwhelm and take control of your day. In particular, Gordon utilizes self-care, his daily planner, and the getting things done philosophies. Self-Care Focus on the things that matter most in your life, and don’t lose sight of that. Self-care is essential for therapists and counselors because it allows us to recharge and be fully present for our clients. If we have not been taking advantage of self-care for the week, we may face the dangers of burnout. Gordon mentions how he practices self-care by finding time to help out his family and taking hikes. Breaking Things Down Gordon has to remind himself to focus on his time management skills continually. He is not a naturally organized person, and he has to regroup now and then. By regrouping daily instead of weekly it makes it easier to find things. Have a system in place, so you know what is most important and what is least important. In some cases, you may have to stop what you are doing entirely and tend to those things, like family emergencies. Gordon points out sometimes we assign jobs as “urgent” even if they are not urgent, just important. Marking everything as urgent will lead to severe burnout. The other quadrants are urgent but not important and not important, not urgent. Gordon points out that social media can be a time waster and often results in doing mindless stuff. Take Time To Plan Your Day Gordon currently uses a planner each morning to figure out how he will spend his day. He recommends using a pencil and pen planner because it forces us to slow down and focus on our day. Gordon uses the full-focus planner, spending that type of money on a planner encourages him to use it. Plus, it has time management and productivity tools built into the planner. The goals you write down should be tied down to the weekly goals, which in turn are tied into your big-picture goals. This concept made sense to Gordon. Focus on a few things at a time daily; the whole purpose of the planner is to track what we are doing. Navigating Our Inboxes If you can do something in 2 minutes or less, and it is not going to take a lot of energy, then do it as soon as possible. Once you have done that, trash it or archive it. Another thing you can do with your inbox is delegating it to someone else. For instance, Gordon forwards things to his administrative assistant all the time – she handles all of his appointment requests. Whereas, projects are things that are going to take more time, put them in your calendar. A lot of times, we do not schedule tasks that take some time to do. With this podcast, Gordon delegates Friday morning to send it to his virtual assistant. Another thing that comes into our inbox are things that may be a reference for later. Gordon stores those using Evernote. Overall, the getting things done inbox philosophy includes these five steps: 1. If it can be done in 2 minutes or less, do it immediately. 2. Trash it or delete it. 3. Delegate things by handing it off to somebody else. 4. Assign it to a project by using your calendar. 5. References are things you want to save for later. 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! GreenOak Accounting Fall Into Cash How To Make Your Practice Financially Secure Introducing the Eisenhower Matrix Evernote FREE Webinar: How To Make Money In Private Practice >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Rob Reinhardt | Creating Income From Products In Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 095
09/02/2019
Rob Reinhardt | Creating Income From Products In Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 095
In this episode, Rob Reinhardt and Gordon discuss some tips on creating products to diversify income for your private practice. Rob explains how his first product Describe cards, came to be. Describe is a deck of cards that supports over three dozen games for people of all ages. Then, Rob explains how he came up with the second deck and the activity board. Later, Rob gives tips on things you need think about before starting your product line and the two wrap up by talking about private practice websites and the occasional need to outsource. Meet Rob Reinhardt Rob Reinhardt, LPCS, M.Ed., NCC has his own successful counseling practice and is CEO of Tame Your Practice. Known for his expertise in reviewing and recommending EHRs for therapists, Rob previously worked in Information Technology for over ten years and has lived around technology his entire life. Describe Cards The words that Rob is regularly trying to get from is clients are adjectives. Emotions are adjectives. Rob started to tinker with cards that had adjectives on them; it’s easier to pull out words when they are on the cards. Rob asks his patients to pick out five cards that describe themselves and five cards that represent somebody else. Over the years, he has refined and developed into a deck of cards with over three dozen activities. Plus, he has launched a second deck and an activity board. Rob doesn’t want the only market Describe products to counselors and therapist, loads of other people buy the products too. For instance, teachers, families, and coaches are all fans of the products. However, will people outside of counseling and therapy be buying the activity board? Activity Boards When Rob is at conferences promoting his describe cards, he wanted something interactive for the people attending. He made selfie boards, laminated adjectives, and had people come into the booth and take a selfie with the adjectives. It helped people be social and understand how the describe cards worked. People started asking him how much it costs to buy the boards; he didn’t see this coming. He probably would not have thought of this if people hadn’t asked him for it first. Diversify Your Income Take time and prioritize, make sure the idea is viable before starting down the path. We only have so many hours in the day, figure out which ideas you are going to focus on to be successful. If Rob followed every idea, none of them would have been successful executions. Here are some helpful tips Rob follows when creating a product: 1. Conceive – Come up with the idea, and what does it look like? 2. Assess – Talk to other people and ask how they see it. What are the needs associated with this product? 3. Evaluate – Can you do this? If you do research and you find out it’s $30 to produce, how much are people going to pay for the product? 4. Logistics – Now you need to create the product or service and maintain it. Product Pricing Pricing will depend on what you are producing, what your market looks like, and what your goals are. A lot of people will create an eBook and give it away for free because they can use the eBook to draw in people, so they end up on your website. How many people will you end up gaining from it and does it pay for itself? If you are looking for a self-sustaining product and revenue-generating, then you have to look at it what it costs for you to produce and how much people will buy it for. Also, you need to consider if it will be worth your time and effort in the long run. If it only generates $20,000 a year, it may take up too much of your time to be worth it. Think of the long-term, is it a one and done thing, or will it continue to evolve? Websites Even though Rob’s website is not the product, he wants to appear to be a tech expert, so Rob knew he needed an excellent website. Plus, he needed a mobile-friendly and clean site. Pieces of it were outsourced. For instance, he is not a graphic designer, so he had the artwork done for him. The website itself was crafted by Rob using WordPress. Sit down and crunch the numbers, will it be cost-effective to hand off your website to someone else? Gordon changed servers recently, so he hired someone to do it for him. It was well worth the money that he spent. WordPress has so many moving parts, not knowing certain aspects will indicate you may need to outsource. 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! Rob’s Resources Electronic Health Records in Private Practice “Tame Your Practice” Therapy Tech with Rob & Roy Describe Cards Other Resources GreenOak Accounting The Paperwork Packet Join the Mastermind Group FREE Webinar: How To Make Money In Private Practice >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Litsa Williams | Expanding Your Niche To Provide Resources Beyond Therapy | TPOT Podcast 094
08/26/2019
Litsa Williams | Expanding Your Niche To Provide Resources Beyond Therapy | TPOT Podcast 094
In this episode, Litsa Williams and Gordon discuss helping people with an issue that affects all of us at one point or another in our life, grief. Litsa and her partner, Eleanor Haley, have created an endless supply of resources for people who are in the grieving process. Plus, they have resources for professionals who help others that require grief support. Later, they discuss creative coping and the idea that re-grieving is entirely normal. Meet Litsa Williams I have taken a winding road, from England and a Master’s in Philosophy, to Baltimore and a Master’s in Social Work, to working with homeless adults, troubled kids, and grieving families. It is those individuals who have taught more than I could ever have hoped to learn in my 20 years of schooling. Though I never imagined myself here I am confident it is where I am supposed to be. I live in Charm City, with my husband and my rescue pit bull. And I believe that 5 minute late is absolutely on time. Grief Support Grief is a natural part of life. It’s an adjustment people are going to have to cope with at some point. About 85% of people can cope with grief without getting formal grief counseling as long as they receive normalization, validation, and social support. Unfortunately, when we look at this space where people do not need extra support, where does it come naturally? Litsa and Eleanor asked if there was something that they could create in the online space that would offer so many new ways to share information and build community. Creative Coping Both Litsa and her partner, Eleanor Haley, used photography as a real tool for self-expression and coping with their grief. They started talking about this and wanted to find other people who would be interested in it. As soon as they started talking about it, people were immediately online and wanted to know more about how to connect photography with grief. They ended up creating webinars, online courses, blog posts, and podcast episodes. People are excited about getting this information in a convenient format. Print Materials Litsa and Eleanor also create print materials for funeral directors, hospitals, grief centers, and hospices. They were often given brochures and booklets to hand out to patients during grieving times. The leaflets were outdated because they have not been updated for 30 years. Litsa loves seeing how her new materials are used as the first step to the introduction of grief for so many people. What’s Your Grief Blog At this point, Litsa and Eleanor have nearly 600 articles. They try and cast an extensive net and still publish every week. There has long been a disconnect between academia and the regular people out there for grieving materials. Sometimes the resources for people struggling are underestimated; their blog translates their knowledge into understandable terms for everyone. Plus, they cover topics like talking to kids about suicide, miscarriage loss, and creative expression. Also, they offer hands-on ideas for professionals to help their grieving groups. Re-grief We re-grieve experiences, and that is a normal part of life. For kids, this is especially important because they re-grieve at every developmental stage. When kids get older, they revisit those losses through new lenses they now have. We as adults do that as well. When we hit life milestones, we suddenly re-grieve losses even if it happened thirty years ago. It doesn’t mean we did not grieve right; it just means it is part of our journey. When we see things in the media, we will feel empathy for other humans, and our losses will wrap into those thoughts as well. 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! Litsa’s Resources What’s Your Grief? Grief 101: A Primer For Helping-Professionals What’s Your Grief on Facebook What’s Your Grief on Instagram What’s Your Grief on Twitter Photographing Grief Email: whatsyourgrief@gmail.com Other Resources Practice Solutions GreenOak Accounting The Paperwork Packet Join the Mastermind Group FREE Webinar: How To Make Money In Private Practice >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Dr. Alan Wolfelt The Five Stages of Grief 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Holly Chantal | Packaging Your Practice To Attract Your Ideal Client | TPOT Podcast 093
08/19/2019
Holly Chantal | Packaging Your Practice To Attract Your Ideal Client | TPOT Podcast 093
In this episode of the Practice of Therapy Podcast, Gordon talks with Holly Chantal about how she helps therapist, counselors and other service providers package and present what they have to offer in a way that attracts your ideal clients. Holly and Gordon discuss what should go on your “about page” and how it should make people connect with you. Then, Holly explains why narrowing down your client base will help you get more clients. Plus, she describes how a therapist can start their online messaging and the benefits of packaging. Meet Holly Chantal For the last decade, Holly Chantal has been helping visionary service professionals bring their brand, business model, and marketing systems into alignment with their next stage of growth. If you’re looking for someone that can quickly grasp your vision and what you do in all of its complexity then help you decide the best path forward then Holly is the woman to call. Holly’s clients call her an integrator because she helps them take their big-picture vision or idea and reverse engineer how to bring it to life in a way that feels right for them. About Pages What Holly likes to do on about pages is sharing core philosophies. If you have particular quirks or niches share them here. Maybe you have a unique scheduling tool, or there is something unusual that you do – put that on the about page. People will decide if they like your approach instead of the more functional reasons they would become your client. It is more about connecting with people and being able to represent who you are as a therapist. If people connect with you, you are probably going to enjoy working with those clients more than people who may not be a good fit for you. Client Attraction For therapists, especially, it is challenging to limit your client base because you want to serve everyone. Holly helps her therapists work through mindset things and how they attract clients. Think about which clients you want to attract. Some people love working with people who have identity disorders. While others like working with people who have anxiety or depression. When you are looking for help, you want someone who is jazzed about the problem they have, not someone who is a generalist. What are your passions, callings, and the magic that you have working with clients? Once you uncover this, you can start to attract more clients to your practice through messaging. Messaging When coming up with your messaging, it is important to compare yourself to your competition. Once you know how you differ, you can talk about yourself and your beliefs. This will give you three to five topics to discuss in Facebook live, on a blog, or in a newsletter to clients. Share little tidbits about your modalities and why they work. Therapists do not want to come across as “salesy,” but you can create a message that does that for you. Packaging The typical norm is open-ended engagement on a session to session basis. Many people are coming to you that have had bad experiences in the past with therapy, so there’s a stigma they have. When you can create packages, you are giving them a roadmap for what the experience will be like, and they can see how their progress is measured. It will provide them with something more tangible to hold on to, and it will be easier to sell long-term engagements. You might be able to create higher-end packages and start getting out of the time for money model. Specializing is helpful if you have decided what kind of work you want to do, and you know the modalities you are bringing into your practice then you can lay this out in a big-picture way for your clients. You can give an estimate of how long the therapy will take, topics covered, homework to work on, and other things that will come in the package. 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! Holly’s Resources Website Facebook Email: hello@hollychantal.com Overcome Your Business Blindspot Other Resources The Paperwork Packet (coupon code: podcast93) Software Pundit’s Best Mental Health Blogs and Podcasts of 2019 Join the Mastermind Group >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Killin’It Camp 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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David Sturgess | Transitioning From A Hospital Setting To Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 092
08/12/2019
David Sturgess | Transitioning From A Hospital Setting To Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 092
In this episode, Gordon talks with David Sturgess, LPC about making the transition from working in a hospital setting to full-time private practice. David was able to make that transition over time by starting part-time with his private practice working just a few evenings a week. David shares how he was able to decide when to go full-time with his practice. Also, Gordon and David discuss understanding the financial leap into private practice. Start part-time before completely committing to quitting your day job. Then, they talk about why outsourcing your website may save you money in the long run. Meet David Sturgess David Sturgess is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Marietta, Georgia. He owns Foundry Counseling, LLC just off the Marietta Square. He is a National Board Certified Counselor (NCC) and holds the Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS) credentials in Georgia. For the last decade, he has been a clinician in Georgia’s short- to long-term Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs). During the last two years of working in the hospital settings, he operated his private practice part-time. In the Spring of 2019, he left the treatment facility environment to do private practice full-time. His experience and focus have been with adolescents and their families learning how to cope and heal from trauma, self-harm, and life-threatening behaviors, as well as psychosis. He is intensively trained in TF-CBT, Trauma-Informed Care and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. He facilitates training in these areas for different agencies and churches in Georgia, to empower people to identify when someone close to them needs a more personal level of care and connect with mental health professionals. In private practice, he works with individuals and families to build peace and confidence in their lives as they cope with the daily challenges of their needs, as well as the caregivers supporting the client. Aside from adolescents and families, he works with 20-30-year-olds in learning how to manage the stressors of leaving college and creating their new lifestyles; as well as helping men learn strategies to manage the unique needs they carry and often do not find a confidential place to work. Understanding the Financial Leap David and Gordon spent a few mastermind sessions talking about this topic. Handle your personal finances as well as setting up business finances. Minimize the debt risk to your home, not in terms of your mortgage, but all of the monthly payments that you need to make. The transition will take your income from a guaranteed paycheck to a variable income, where one month can be significant and the next month not so much – you will still have those payments you need to make. Get rid of as much debt as possible on the personal side. There are a lot of great therapists out there, but they don’t know how to run a business, so their private practices have failed. While on the other hand, there are a lot of great business owners, but they are not therapists. Starting Private Practice Part-Time To limit financial liability, David suggests starting a private practice part-time so you can begin building a financial buffer while still having a guaranteed paycheck. Make sure you are still in good standing with your employer. David was not prepared to be full-time in private practice financially; he did it on the side to pay down student loan debt. He recognized that his employer would not give him the raise to help him do that. As David’s first night filled up, he moved into doing his private practice two nights a week. It is one of those things you have to weigh in the beginning stages of private practice. If you are working a full-time job, and you depend on that income, don’t quit your day job too quickly. Be prepared financially to make the transition. Outsourcing Websites David’s website broke the other day; it’s a thorn in his side. When people start a business, they often cannot afford to pay someone to run their website, so they decide to bootstrap it. There are pros and cons to this method. You will find yourself in a situation where you cannot financially afford it. The amount of time that David has wasted trying to do it himself and it not working, probably would have been better off paying someone to run it for him. When you outsource things that are sucking your time, that’s the time you can turn into seeing a client and gaining revenue. Skills Groups David brought on another therapist to his practice; they worked together at his old employer. They have a similar skill set and experience in a hospital setting, so it was a good fit. Having the opportunity to do the skills groups are a great way to increase revenue. Multiple people in the same room are paying an individual price to participate in the group. David is not losing the hour just because there are two therapists in the same place. By the time they split the revenue, they are making the same they would in an hour. Plus, they get to serve more people at the same time. The Benefits of A Mastermind Group Gordon finds people are hungry for is a way to have a community that is a little more than social media. The mastermind group that he runs is limited to 6 or 8 people. It is a way for people to get together to talk about their practices and struggles. David was recently part of the mastermind group; Gordon’s next group will be starting in September. To sign up, click HERE. 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! David’s Resources Facebook Page www.foundrycounseling.com Other Resources TherapyNotes.com Join the Mastermind Group >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Killin’It Camp 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Whitney Owens | Contractors vs. Employees in Group Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 091
08/05/2019
Whitney Owens | Contractors vs. Employees in Group Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 091
In this episode, Gordon talks again with Whitney Owens, LPC and they discuss the difference between hiring independent contractors versus employees. Overall, hiring an independent contractor is less paperwork, but you will also have less control over their supervision. Then, Whitney explains how she uses promotion groups to bring clients to her practice and how she plans to help private practice owners incorporate faith into their businesses. Plus, the two talk about their upcoming trip to Killin’It Camp! 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. I have been invited to local organizations such as churches and schools to educate on leadership, adolescent issues, parenting, family concerns, and mental health. As well, I have spoken at retreats focused on helping women heal and find themselves. I have also spoken at youth meetings to adolescents. Please let me know about your next event and how I can help. Contractors vs. Employees Working with an independent contractor, you cannot tell the therapist what they can and cannot say. Whitney wanted to provide more supervision to her counselors. The same day her last contractor put in her two weeks was the first day she had an interview for a W-2 employee. Having a contractor is less paperwork, but you will not have as much control. There is way more teamwork with her employees vs. when she had contractors. Plus, morale is a lot better because everyone feels part of the business; they have team meetings, discuss the work they do together and participate in more events. At Christmas, they went out together, and Whitney can pay for continuing education. Run your numbers to understand which one will be more profitable depending on your structure. Promotion Groups One of the ways Whitney has been able to market her practice is through community promotion groups. Whitney has several connections within a group called Southern Mamas; you pay every six months, and you get to put up something once a week. They add it to their electronic newsletter, and you get to showcase your banner. Whitney says to try new things and see what sticks. Also, make sure to know your numbers when trying out new promotions. For instance, Whitney knows she needs to book three sessions to make up the cost for Southern Mamas. Faith in Private Practice Whitney had a big idea to help consult other practice owners on how they want to make faith a part of what they do. She also helps with the therapist’s verbiage on their website to attract the right type of clients. Some people want to make faith part of everything they do in their practice, including their name and branding. Whereas others do not want it incorporated with their advertising or branding, but their practice is faith-informed. Gordon tells his clients that he is a clergy person, but he does not have a religious agenda with his counseling. If you are thinking about a faith-based practice, slow down, and think about what kind of practice you want to have and what type of clients you are looking to attract. The most exciting part should be creating your branding and clients, slow down, and consider what you are building. 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! Whitney’s Resources Waters Edge Counseling Whitney Owens | Starting Fresh & Growing Fast in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 036 Email: Whitney@watersedgecounseling.com Call: 912-319-5553 Other Resources Practice Solutions Faith as a Niche in Private Practice 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Cool Resources G-Suite For Therapists Killin’It Camp 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Stacey Lanier | Starting A Second Business Within Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 090
07/29/2019
Stacey Lanier | Starting A Second Business Within Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 090
In this episode, Gordon and Stacey Lanier, LPC-MHSP discuss their time working together and Stacey’s new business ventures. Stacey describes her transition to private practice and also her tipping point. Then, we learn all about Stacey’s latest business venture – The Atelier, a wellness co-working space for people to have a community of other professionals. Plus, Stacey reveals some of her most significant barriers when it comes to starting this next phase of her professional career. Meet Stacey Lanier Stacey is a Licensed Professional Counselor, therapreneur, in Nashville where she has been in private practice for twelve years. She is a trauma specialist, a therapist to therapists who also provides supervision to counselors seeking licensure. With her business partner, Dr. Ila Foster, Stacey recently co-founded The Atelier, a co-working wellness space. Stacey has two boys; a college sophomore and a rising high school senior. The Transition to Private Practice Stacey would advise people to have a plan. Give much forethought and find a mentor, a support person, and a community of people who will set you up for success. Do not just jump in with no safety net. When things get complicated, you should know that you are moving in the right direction. Don’t act impulsively; be intentional about what you are doing. Stacey’s Tipping Point Stacey already had a network of colleagues – she reached out to them to let them know what she was doing and asked them directly for referrals. Also, she got involved in the community and became part of some professional associations. Stacey was anxious about her practice and getting enough clients. So, her friend told her a metaphor that has stuck with Stacey to this day: when you’re growing something you have to consider that it sleeps, it creeps, and then it leaps. Stacey’s tipping point was when she could not answer the phone because she was seeing clients. Not being able to answer the phones was the “aha” moment that her practice was working. She started to reach out for help to get her website built and found a virtual assistant. The Atelier The Atelier is everything Stacey needed when she first started her practice. She did not get a lot of guidance or direction early on. Twelve years ago, there were no podcasts or private practice coaches. She created this wellness co-working space for people to have a community of other professionals who understand what it is like to build a practice from the ground up. Also, clinicians will have a robust community to receive referrals and ask questions. Private practice can be isolating; this community makes people feel like they are not by themselves when becoming successful practitioners. Plus, they can utilize the space to grow their businesses and see clients! Barriers for The Atelier It is taking a tremendous effort to get the word out so they can reach their target market. Stacey hired a marketing firm to help them to do just that. Another barrier is trying to help other practitioners understand that this is possible for them. Yes, it is a scary step and a leap of faith. However, you can still do it and experience success with help from others that will make you feel comfortable. 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! Stacey’s Resources Lanier Counseling and Consulting Stacey’s LinkedIn The Atelier The Atelier on Facebook The Atelier on Instagram Other Resources BrighterVision 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Cool Resources G-Suite For Therapists Practikat Greenoak Accounting TherapyNotes Killin’It Camp 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Joe Sanok | How To "Kill-it" In Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 089
07/22/2019
Joe Sanok | How To "Kill-it" In Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 089
In this episode, Gordon talks again with Joe Sanok about the importance of making connections and developing relationships in building your private practice. They also talk all about Killin’It Camp which is an upcoming conference that runs from October 20-23, 2019 in Estes Park, CO. Gordon and Joe discuss how attending the conferences are an investment in personal development as well as the future success of your private practice. Joe tells us all about why we should connect more with people in-person and connect less over social media. Meet Joe Sanok In 2012 I launched Practice of the Practice to blog about what I was learning about business, marketing, and private practice. Since then, my income has gone up over 2,000%. In the beginning, I was making around $1000 per month. In 2015, I grossed over $200k! In fact, every month I post exactly what I made and how I made it. It’s important to me, because we don’t usually talk about money and how to make it in an ethical way. I want to increase your influence and your income! Killin’It Camp This conference is for people starting and growing a practice, they are just getting some traction, and they are sick of boring conferences. Typical conferences have a couple of morsels of information after spending thousands of dollars. While on the other hand, Joe is into putting on unique meetings that people leave with tons of stuff done and have a feeling of great accomplishment. There is enough information out there that you can figure this out on your own. However, you will need to spend countless hours on Google, YouTube, and podcasts. Why not just be around people who have done it and rocked it out before? There is something about being in-person with people and making quick, intimate connections while being vulnerable to others. Connecting with Like-Minded People The importance of making connections with people who are successful and doing things that they know work is essential for a successful private practice. Being in a cohort of people will allow each other to help the group rise up. We want to surround ourselves with other people who are growing in the same direction. The authentic support will allow each other to stay grounded and not let your head get too big. Killin’It Camp Schedule The first night is to find your people that you want to go deeper with. Joe wants people to feel connected with others right away. Monday and Tuesday will be more extensive sessions and breakout sessions. TherapyNotes recently came on as a major sponsor that will allow them to put on some surprises for their guests. Joe does not have the corner of knowledge and innovation. Collectively, they will be able to put on something unique. How to “Kill It” in Private Practice Find a community of people you can go more in-depth with. It is essential to surround yourself with the right people. People that kill it have found ways to get information that they can act on quickly. Hire a coach or sign up for a program to find a shortcut for the process. Consuming information makes changes. The knowledge is only as helpful as the action you take. Schedule time to take action and evaluate how you are using your time. Having a virtual assistant and utilizing TherapyNotes are ways to scale your practice. YMCA of the Rockies Joe started out by doing low ropes and high ropes courses and initially thought he would be doing adventure-based therapy. His first year out of grad school, he applied to be the regional chair. For three years, he was the regional chair of the Midwest, and he would go to the YMCA of the Rockies, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains National Park. The YMCA has kept their prices really reasonable. The hotel rooms do not include TVs, no distractions! There are all sorts of free activities you can sign up for like guided hikes. It is secluded enough that you won’t have an urge to get on your phone and check Facebook. Sign up for the conference now before prices go up! 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! Joe’s Resources Practice of the Practice Killin’It Camp Other Resources Brighter Vision FREE Masterclass: Knowing Your Numbers in Private Practice. 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram TherapyNotes 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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Spreading The Word About Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 088
07/15/2019
Spreading The Word About Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 088
In this episode, Gordon talks about what is needed to bring clients to your practice and the various “touch-points” and tipping points that make that possible. In many ways, this episode is about marketing but goes in a little deeper to discuss some of the concepts Gordon has learned from Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point; How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference. Maven, Connector, and Persuader According to The Tipping Point, there are three types of people: connectors, mavens, and persuaders. Connectors are people who can make connections with others. We are only separated from every other person on the earth by six degrees. Another type of person is a maven, someone who collects information and knows a lot about stuff. Lastly, a persuader is a person who has the gift of persuading others into things. Those of us who are therapists in many ways fit in the persuasion character. We are persuading our clients to find changes in themselves. Most of us have these three characteristics intrinsically by virtue because of the type of profession we are in. We have the ability to engage with people, we have the knowledge, and the persuasion. When we think about marketing our private practice, we should utilize these skills and make connections with the right people. Get More Clients in Your Practice We need clients to be sitting in front of us, so we can charge our fees and be paid for what we do. When Gordon first started in private practice, it seemed like the number of clients he was getting was hit or miss. He was doing all of this stuff, but he wasn’t getting any clients. Keep doing what you are doing, it takes time! At some point you will reach a sticking point, something will resonate with someone. People need to know that you are providing services. It is essential to get out and do things – like making sure your website has SEO and blogging to get content out there. How Clients Find Therapy 1. There are people out there that recognize they need help, so they will search you out directly. It usually is because they have a particular problem they are dealing with. When these people search for you online, you need to have the right search terms embedded in your website. For example, if someone is depressed, they might search “I’m feeling depressed, how do I find help?” So you will want the word depressed to be linked to you in one way or another. 2. There are people out there that need help but do not realize they need the support yet. You can market to this. People may be experiencing anxiety or depression, but they don’t have the label for it. Clients will describe their life to Gordon. For example, “I don’t sleep well. I can’t turn my brain off.” Typically, Gordon will give it a label and the light bulb will go off in their head. Try and use this type of language in your social media so they can make the connection. 3. People who refer to you. In particular, relationships with doctors and other professionals who see people that are struggling but may not realize they need help. The professionals will give the referral for them to see you. 4. They are not experiencing any problems, but because they know about you, they remember who you are. They may not need help themselves, but they can recall you when something does come up. Keep Marketing There is no one foolproof way of getting clients through the door. You have to get your name out there and get yourself known. When you reach a certain critical mass in your practice, you will reach a tipping point of your practice. Keep doing all those things that you know are good marketing practices. There is no magic bullet with a particular method. You can do several different things. Be persistent and patient with the process. Gordon is consistently putting stuff out on the internet and persistently making a connection in the community. Many of Gordon’s clients refer his practice to a friend. Also, because he is active in the community, he gets many referrals from doctors and other professionals. If you keep it up, it will pay off! 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 Brighter Vision- Website Design and Branding Being a Private Practice Maven FREE Masterclass: Knowing Your Numbers in Private Practice. 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Follow @TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook
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David Hall | Being A Private Practice Maven | TPOT Podcast 087
07/08/2019
David Hall | Being A Private Practice Maven | TPOT Podcast 087
Gordon’s first ever guest on the Practice of Therapy Podcast is back! Dr. David Hall of PsychMaven discusses how he has felt unqualified in more than one business venture. One of the ways David has followed his passion is by starting a continuing education group called The Narrative Institute. Also, David touches on some ethical issues in private practice and gives a little sneak peek into what he and Gordon will be presenting on at the 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences. Later, David and Gordon discuss why you should diversify your income and how to start earning passive income. Meet David Hall Dr. Stephen “David” Hall heads up content and creative direction as the “Chief Maven” of PsychMaven. He began his work as a psychotherapist in 2005, and he currently holds clinical licenses in Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. He has built up multiple counseling practices in his years as a clinician, first in Georgia and then in his home state of Tennessee. In 2015, he led the start-up of an independent psychiatry clinic, Haven Family Psychiatry, in Knoxville, TN. Dr. Hall maintains a psychotherapy caseload and supervises postgraduate therapists in the practice he leads in the clinic, Haven Counseling Center at Haven Family Psychiatry. Feeling Unqualified David started a continuing education group called The Narrative Institute. He had no idea how to start one of these groups, he figured it out as he went along. He also figured out how to run a private practice as he went along. A lot of people are hesitant to jump in, they do not feel qualified to do something. David has done lots of things that he hasn’t felt qualified to do. Doing continuing education events has led David to create PsychMaven. He first became familiar with word maven in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Tipping Point. A maven is an enthusiast or a connoisseur who is interested in spreading the information they get and wish to be helpful. Ethics The first paid workshop David did for The Narrative Institutewas an ethics workshop. He did it because it was a topic that everyone needed to know. He was also determined to make ethics relevant and not boring. For the most part, ethics can be very relevant. The topic they will be touching on at the 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences is ethics in private practice. Doing things ethically and above the board is essential as a smart business move. It will keep your business sustainable. In addition, they will discuss fee disbursements and accurate advertising at the conferences. Passive Income and Diversifying Income Many entrepreneurs are interested in creating passive income. David creates on-demand continuing education to supply passive income. Some states require fifty percent of the workshops you do to be in-person. However, many states do not place any limits on doing continuing education online. Once you take out the barriers of geography and time for ongoing training, then the doors will open. Find something that feels exciting and natural to you. There is not just one way to diversify your income. Imitating someone else in a way that is not organic to yourself will eventually be a burden. Find something that you love to create an alternative source of 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! David’s Resources The Narrative Institute PsychMaven on Teachable: use coupon code: GORDON (ends 7/14/19) Life-Hacks for Caseload Building (Free Mini-Course) Psychotherapist Start-Up Kit PsychMaven PsychMaven on Facebook PsychMaven on Instagram PsychMaven on LinkedIn Haven Family Psychiatry Other Resources Brighter Vision Building a StoryBrand with Donald Miller 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course FREE Masterclass: Knowing Your Numbers in Private Practice. July 12th at 12 noon Eastern Follow TPOTpodcast 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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Paul Jarvis |How Keeping Your Practice Small Could Be Big... | TPOT Podcast 086
07/01/2019
Paul Jarvis |How Keeping Your Practice Small Could Be Big... | TPOT Podcast 086
What if the real key to a more productive and fulfilling career was not to create and scale a new start-up, but rather, to be able to work for yourself, determine your own hours, and become a sustainable company of one? In this episode, Paul Jarvis explains why the smarter solution is to do just that. Gordon and Paul also discuss how to work toward simplicity and the importance of building relationships in business. Meet Paul Jarvis: Paul Jarvis is a writer and designer who’s had his own company of one for the last two decades. His latest book, Company of One, explores why bigger isn’t always better in business. He’s worked with professional athletes like Steve Nash and Shaquille O’Neal, corporate giants like Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz, and entrepreneurs with online empires like Danielle LaPorte and Marie Forleo. Currently, he teaches popular online courses, hosts several podcasts and develops small but mighty software solutions. Bigger Isn’t Always Better If people are working from home, then others think they do not have a legitimate business. Paul is a one-person business, he does work with contractors but has never hired an employee because he doesn’t want to be a boss. We should reconsider the idea that bigger is always better. Paul’s book isn’t about anti-growth, it is thinking critically about growth. The key is to think about how the business works and runs. If we grew our businesses, we would have to hire people and then become a manager. Is that the position you want to put yourself in? Working Towards Simplicity Think about all the processes that are involved and see where they can be made more efficient or cost effective. People will pay for a lot of different software products and subscriptions. Bookkeeping software can be expensive, that’s why Paul still uses a worksheet. The fewer expenses you have, the sooner you can reach profitability each month. Paying for a scheduling program makes total sense and is worth the investment. There are so many other things you can reconsider how much you are paying for and if it is necessary. In the beginning, working towards simplicity is hard work because it requires critical thinking and questioning. However, once you make your processes more straightforward, it will be worth it in the long run. Building Relationships Paul loves marketing, it is one of his favorite things. People who are not in sales feel a little queasy about it. Marketing is really just communicating with other people. When Paul has a new product, he makes an announcement that it could be of value to others. If someone hits reply to Paul’s newsletter, he’s going to see it and respond. A lot of businesses in tech focus on acquisition over retention. They want more new customers. That’s an expensive, costly, and challenging way to do business. Think about the customers you already have, and how can you help them more? Make it so they don’t want to leave or stop paying. For Paul, this is more interesting and more exciting because he already knows his customers. Paul’s Resources Company of One, The Podcast Paul’s Website Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business Other Resources 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! Brighter Vision PsychMaven 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course FREE Masterclass: Knowing Your Numbers in Private Practice. July 12th at 12 noon Eastern 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTpodcast, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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Tara Vossenkemper | Knowing How You Are Doing In Your Practice | TPOT Podcast 085
06/24/2019
Tara Vossenkemper | Knowing How You Are Doing In Your Practice | TPOT Podcast 085
In this episode, Gordon talks with Dr. Tara Vossenkemper about how to know what you are doing as a clinician is working. Tara recently started a group practice and looks at lots of different numbers to determine how the business is operating. Also, Tara and her clinicians use multiple different methods to determine if their clients have valuable experiences during therapy. Stay tuned to hear about anonymous feedback surveys, DAS screening, Outcome Rating Scales, and Session Rating Scales. Meet Tara Vossenkemper Tara Vossenkemper is the owner of The Counseling Hub, a group practice in Columbia Missouri, a clinician within her practice, and a burgeoning private practice consultant under her own name [www.taravossenkemper.com]. Clinically, she is heavily invested in working with couples and relationships, as well as existential crises. She’s also really into the business logistics of running a group counseling practice and constantly strives for improvement. Tara takes very few things seriously in life, with the exception of her clinical work, the health of her practice, the growth of her clinicians, and helping other practices flourish. Measuring the Group Practice Tara has seven clinicians and uses the 1099 (contractor) model of hiring people, although she would like to switch to a W-2 (employee) model. She specializes in couples work, marriage counseling, and existential crises. Tara does not have KPI’s (key performance indicators) in mind. Some things that she does pay attention to are conversion rates, number of sessions, number of cancellations, attendance rates, retention per clinician, gross revenue per clinician, and profit per clinician. Dashboard Tara started with an Excel spreadsheet and would track on her KPI’s. Her Excel sheets automatically do the calculations on their own like averages, running totals, and quarterly totals, whereas initially, she was counting everything up. Now she is using Google Sheets because they allow you to import cells from other sheets. Tara can spend hours working on the dashboard, it’s fun! Gordon says you can create a Google form that will automatically populate to a Google sheet. The Google sheet will then do the calculations for you. These are some of the favorite tools that come with Google G-Suite. Measuring Efficiency Tara assesses whether or not her clinical work is effective by doing check-ins with her clients. She asks questions such as: How is it working for you? How are we doing? Are we a good fit for each other? She has these obvious and essential conversations with her clients to ensure they are working well together. Anonymous Feedback Surveys Tara has also started implementing anonymous feedback surveys. They send out surveys after the intake sessions and after the termination of sessions. The first leg is focused on the clinician and asking questions like if they are safe and heard. The termination survey is about the clinician and also the effectiveness of the therapy. Did the client get what they came for? DAS Screening Giving clients a DAS (depression, anxiety, and stress) screening is part of their intake. It is not a diagnostic measure, it just a screening tool. Not only do they use the screening at intake, but they use it for follow-ups at three and six months. Ideally, in therapy, the depression, anxiety, and stress numbers should be decreasing. ORS and SRS In addition, Tara and her clinicians use an Outcome Rating Scale (ORS). It helps them determine how the client has been feeling and how well they have been doing in certain areas of their life. For instance, the client determines how they are doing individually, interpersonally, socially, and overall. They will also use a Session Rating Scale (SRS) that determines how well they related with the clinician. The sheets were created by Barry L. Duncan, Scott D. Miller, and Jacqueline A. Sparks. Low Scores Tara is pretty particular about what people they bring on as clinicians. Very rarely do they have concerns on session rating scales. If they get a low score, you can help that person develop as a clinician and deepen their interactions with clients. You also want to be thinking about if the person is working with the right clientele. Perhaps you are setting them up with someone who has other needs than what the clinician provides. Tara’s Resources The Counseling Hub www.taravossenkemper.com Email: Tara@TaraVossenkemper.com Other Resources 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! Brighter Vision 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences Killin’It Camp G-Suite for Therapists >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course FREE Masterclass: Knowing Your Numbers in Private Practice. July 12th at 12 noon Eastern Outcome Rating Scale (ORS) 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTPodcast, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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Hiring Employees and Contractors in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 084
06/17/2019
Hiring Employees and Contractors in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 084
In this episode, Gordon answers questions he has received from multiple listeners concerning hiring employees or contractors, and how to pay them. First, Gordon explains the difference between hiring an employee versus hiring a contractor. Hiring a contractor is undoubtedly the more straightforward route and will mean less oversight and less paperwork for the business owner. Hiring an employee is more complicated for the business owner as they will have to withhold certain taxes and pay different insurances. Stay tuned to find out why Gordon switched all his contractors over to employees at the beginning of the year, and then Gordon explains the different ways to compensate your therapists. Independent Contractors Having independent contractors is a great model for having people on board. The advantages of having a contractor are less paperwork and less oversight on your part. You do not have to worry about withholding income tax, Medicare, and social security; the contractor will be responsible for doing this on their own. The contractor is operating as a separate business entity from your practice. You will be more hands-off with a contractor, the IRS is particular about that. One mistake a lot of people make is hiring people as contractors but treating them as employees. Be familiar with your state laws around contractors, some states do not allow you to hire contractors for your practice. Talk to someone who is an employment expert to make sure you are aware of these things. Employees Employees report to you directly, you have to do withholding taxes, pay for unemployment insurance, and provide some sort of workman’s comp insurance. Hiring an employee is more complicated and requires a lot more paperwork. Because hiring a contractor is more straightforward, it does not mean it will be better for your practice. At the beginning of the year, Gordon switched all his contractors to employees. This switch happened because Gordon started to pay better attention to his numbers and what it costs him to keep them on. It was a better deal for the business to switch them over to employees from a profit perspective. Compensation The typical fee split for most places is 50/50. Some sites do a 60/40 split, therapists keep 60%, and the practice holds 40%. Another way to compensate is a flat rate per session. In other words, you agree to an amount you will pay per session. A more traditional method of compensation is by paying the therapist an hourly rate. Lastly, you can compensate by paying a salary. The way you choose to compensate people is going to depend on the size of your practice, understanding what the cost of labor is, and knowing your overhead. Ethics Gordon has heard from some people that they are discouraged from doing a fee split because of an ethical standpoint. Regardless of how you pay your employees, all of them are fee splits. In other words, you are collecting a certain amount from a client and then paying your employee with that money. For the practice to stay open, it has to make a profit. You have to keep part of the fee that is collected from your clients. All of these compensation plans are fee splits if you think about it that way. Percentage Fee Splits Usually, the percentage method works better for contractors. Typically a fee split is only paid out to your contractor after you have collected the money from the client. With insurance, there is a delay in getting paid, you have to wait for the claims to get filed before paying your therapist. Flat Rate Flat rates work well with both employees and contractors. Let’s say you collect $100 per session, and you pay your therapist $50 per session. If you are on insurance panels, you might only get $85 per session or $60 per session. You still agree to pay your therapist $50 per session. You need to have some money in the reserve to do this. It a good idea to have a financial buffer to cover costs, expenses, and paying yourself. Two months minimum or more is best for your financial buffer. Do your numbers, and find out what you need to have on hand. Hourly and Salary Rates If someone works eight hours that day, you pay them at an hourly rate. It could be $15 – $20 an hour, and you pay them whether or not they are seeing clients. (The average salary for counselors and therapists in the U.S. , as of 2019, is around $43,000 a year.) Incentives and Benefits If you want to give somebody a raise, you have to know how to do that. Work out with each individual therapist what their rates are. Gordon has levels of therapists; he has interns, level-1 therapists, and level-2 therapists. Once a therapist has been with Gordon for 2 years, then they have the opportunity to move up to a level-2 therapist which will come with higher rates across the board. What sort of benefits are you going to offer in your practice? Gordon wanted to be able to offer health insurance and profit sharing plans to his therapists so that is a big reason he switched from contractors to employees. Resources Mentioned… 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! Brighter Vision >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course Business Models for Private Counseling Practices Julie Herres | Private Practice Accounting and Bookkeeping Strategies | TPOT Podcast 082 Smart Passive Income StoryBrand FREE Masterclass: Knowing Your Numbers in Private Practice. July 12th at 12 noon Eastern 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTpodcast, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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What I Have Learned So Far About Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 083
06/10/2019
What I Have Learned So Far About Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 083
In this episode, Gordon discusses some things he has learned so far about private practice. Being in private practice is an ongoing process as you grow. It is important to be prepared to change things as time goes on. Ultimately you can do what you want to do in your way. Don’t measure what you are doing by what others are doing. Always celebrate the small wins, and focus on one thing at a time. Know when to outsource and invest in things to make allow you the best use of your time. Ongoing Process Being in private practice is an ongoing process, you cannot set it and forget it. You cannot approach it in this way because there is constant change. Embrace the idea that you are going to be continually changing and updating things. One thing most people get stuck on is doing everything the right way. There is no one correct way, do it the way you want to do it and be happy with that. Find an EHR Another lesson about private practice is to find the electronic health record system that works best for you. Gordon loves TherapyNotes because it helps him stay organized and HIPAA compliant. If you want to have a paperless office, then you should find an EHR system that will allow for that. However, there are some people out there that prefer to be low-tech and do paper paperwork, which is perfectly fine! Don’t Compare Remember not to compare your beginning point with somebody’s middle. There are a lot of very successful private practice consultants out there that are good friends with Gordon. If he were to measure what he is doing with what someone else is doing, it would create a lot of anxiety. Some of the people out there have been doing it a lot longer than Gordon, so comparing the two would not make sense. Celebrate the Small Wins You do not have to always go for tremendous growth. There is a concept that bigger is better, and success is measured by some sort of magic number. One of the things Gordon has figured out and learned along the way is that your lifestyle is essential. How you live your life, and your comfort level is more important than going after the shiny objects. It is better for you to make your practice profitable rather than overgrowing. Break Things Down When we get overwhelmed, the best thing to do is to break things down into smaller pieces and do one thing at a time. If you could imagine having your garage crammed full of stuff all the way to the ceiling and you were tasked with reorganizing it, you would just do one item at a time. You would start in one corner, take everything out, and decide what to do with it one piece at a time. In your practice, just work on one thing at a time and make it work really well. Ultimately, being in private practice allows you the freedom and flexibility to do things your way. There are best practices that will help you succeed, but in the end, it is YOUR practice. You get to be the boss and decide what works best for you. Being transparent…Some of the resources listed below are affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using those links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Resources Mentioned Brighter Vision >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course TherapyNotes Cool Resources 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTpodcast, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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Julie Herres | Private Practice Accounting and Bookkeeping Strategies | TPOT Podcast 082
06/03/2019
Julie Herres | Private Practice Accounting and Bookkeeping Strategies | TPOT Podcast 082
In this episode, Gordon and accountant Julie Herres discuss common mistakes private practice owners make in regard to accounting. The first mistake is not knowing your numbers. Some standard numbers every owner should know are how much you are bringing in, your overhead, variable costs, and how much you need to take home each month. Another common mistake private practice owners make is not spending enough money?! Julie explains how essential it is to start spending money in order to make more money. For instance, once you have a waiting list, it must be time to start a group practice. Another example of spending money to make more money is when you need to outsource things to become more productive. Meet Julie Herres Julie Herres is the owner of GreenOak Accounting. The firm provides bookkeeping, accounting, CFO and tax services to mental health private practice owners throughout the United States. When Julie founded GreenOak Accounting she started working with a few therapists. Over time, more and more therapist referrals came in and she started noticing trends across the practices that were thriving. Based on those trends she developed success ratios as a way to quickly determine the health of a practice. Today, GreenOak Accounting’s focus on mental health private practice is intentional and geared towards helping business owners understand the story that their numbers are telling. Julie understands what’s involved in managing and growing a practice and is uniquely positioned to be a trusted advisor to clients. Knowing Your Numbers GreenOak Accounting lets private practice owners take a chunk out of their day and allow them to focus on their business. Not knowing your numbers is the first mistake private practice owners make. You need to know high-level things like how much you are bringing in each much, your overhead, your variable costs, and how much you need to take home each month to take care of your family. Private practices owners tend to take money out of the business when they need it. This method can severely hurt business operations eventually when it catches up with you. One example of knowing your numbers is knowing how much your advertising costs. Then, you can calculate how much it costs you to bring in a new patient to your practice. Not Spending Enough Money Another big mistake private practice owners make is not spending enough money. At one point in your practice, it will make more sense to outsource some of your efforts. For instance, you can outsource answering the phone and working on your website. By paying someone twenty dollars an hour to do these things, you could be making fifty to one-hundred dollars an hour in the meantime. Most therapists outsource their bookkeeping and answering questions from their websites. Whenever something starts stressing you out, stop doing it! Renting Space Where do you want to be in six to twelve months? If you’re going to start a group practice, set yourself up for success, so you have that room for growth. Cheaper is not always better when it comes to renting space. You could also get a shorter lease so that way, the commitment will not hold you back when your practice starts to grow. Paying Your First Hire Too Much You have gotten to a point where you are overwhelmed, you are seeing too many patients, and you have a waitlist. At this point, you know you need to hire someone to help out. Many private practice owners will make them an offer that is typically too much and is not scalable. If you were to scale it times ten, you would need a bigger space and admin. Gordon was very generous when he first hired therapists to work for him, and it really was not sustainable. If you know your numbers well, then you will know exactly what your payroll should be. Profit First Success ratios are when you split expenses into four main categories: 1. Overhead 2. Administrative Pay 3. Salaries 4. Owner’s Pay For solo practitioners: 1. Overhead: 20% – 40% 2. Administrative Pay: 0% – 10% 3. Salaries: 0% 4. Owner’s Pay: 50% For group practices: 1. Overhead: 15% – 25% 2. Administrative Pay: 5% – 10% 3. Salaries: 50% – 60% 4. Owner’s Pay & Profit: 15% – 30% Resources Mentioned Being Transparent… Some of the resources below are affiliate links. This simply means that when you use the links to make a purchase, we receive a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks fo using the links! Julie’s Resources GreenOak Accounting Call GreenOak Accounting: (571) 208-2065 Julie’s LinkedIn Other Resources Brighter Vision Killin’It Camp TNAMFT Conference Money Matters in Private Practice | The Course G-Suite for Therapists The Empathy Rising Podcast Mike Michalowicz | Using PROFIT FIRST in Your Private Practice Mike Michalowicz | Using PROFIT FIRST in Your Private Practice (part 2) Kasey Compton | Systems, Processes, & Growing a Million Dollar Private Practice 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTpodcast, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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Marissa Lawton | Alternative Business Models in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 081
05/26/2019
Marissa Lawton | Alternative Business Models in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 081
In this episode, Gordon talks with Marissa Lawton about thinking outside the box in regards to how you are going to run a private practice. Most people in graduate school tend to go through it with an idea of getting clinical training, then working for someone else. However, there are many different ways your career can lead you. One way to diversify income is by solving a particular problem and learning how to articulate precisely what you do. Later, Marissa discusses how to shift your mindset from therapy to entrepreneurship and explains the difference between coaching and therapy. Meet Marissa Lawton “I’m passionate about bringing my two loves together: strategy and therapy, to help my therapeutic community thrive in the online space. It is seriously one of the most important aspects of my life to help other therapists create on-brand messages that target their ideal clients and build the private practices they’ve always longed for.” Marissa’s mission is to help clinicians in various stages of private practice to create online marketing plans that attract clients with integrity and authenticity. Marissa says, “there is seriously no point in portraying yourself online in a way that contradicts who you are in session, no matter how many calls it brings you. When you invite me to help you with your online marketing, you’re partnering with someone who takes your practice, your goals, and your dreams into consideration. You’re getting a guide who promises to walk alongside you every step of the way.” Income Streams The big choice Marissa helps people make is if they are going to create a practice of their own or are they going to be more self-reliant and create an income stream of their own. Marissa likes to help people with coming up with their individual income streams. People get stuck with the one-on-one business model, trading money for your time. However, you can start group coaching and serve people from all over the country or even the world. No longer does your income need to come from the business model that we are most familiar with. This is the reason Gordon was pushed to start his podcast in the first place! Mindset Shift The most significant mindset shift Marissa sees is that a lot of therapists still do not see themselves as entrepreneurs. Starting a private practice is very much starting a business. Whereas, other people have the entrepreneurial bug and are continually looking for the next thing. It takes a simple mindset reframing to understand that they are capable of running a successful business. Some people may not want to start a group practice, but they are still looking for ways to scale their business. Entrepreneurship Embrace the idea that you are an entrepreneur is the first step to increasing income streams. Entrepreneurs do not have to be someone like Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, that is only one type of entrepreneur. There are different types of entrepreneurs: 1. Achievement – people like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. 2. Social – people who are looking to make the world a better place. 3. Lifestyle – people who may choose entrepreneurship for the lifestyle that comes along with it. Coaching vs. Therapy What’s the difference between coaching and therapy? Coaching solves a specific problem. One of Marissa’s clients does a three-month coaching package, and all she is doing is addressing the issue of fighting couples. The first 30 days are figuring out what couples should do just to stop fighting. Day 30 – 60 they are working on some de-escalation strategies. From day 60 – 90, they are figuring out to stop the fight in the first place. Coaching is a great way to diversify your income and create another stream of revenue. Being transparent… some of the links below are affiliate links. This simply means we receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you use the links to purchase. Thanks for using the links! Resources Mentioned Therapy Notes Practice Solutions Money Matters in Private Practice Marissa Lawton’s Resources Marissa’s Website The Empathy Rising Podcast Side Hustle Support Group 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTPodcast, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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Vanessa Lech | Diversifying Income and Unconventional Private Practice Strategies | TPOT Podcast 080
05/20/2019
Vanessa Lech | Diversifying Income and Unconventional Private Practice Strategies | TPOT Podcast 080
In this episode, Gordon talks with Vanessa Lech about her anger management and addiction niches. Vanessa reveals some unconventional private practice strategies and shares ways to diversify your income streams. Find out why Vanessa says the number one way to diversify your income is through your thought process. Then, Gordon and Vanessa discuss working with people in the criminal justice system and becoming a court mediator. Meet Vanessa Lech In one way or another, I have worked in the healthcare industry for most of my adult life. I previously served in the U.S. Army and now own and serve clients at Carolina Addiction and Anger Management PLLC,located in Raleigh, NC. I continuously channel my creative passions, love of design and art with my knowledge on various topics having written non-fiction books, created an anger management therapy game/tool for licensed clinicians and creating/hosting a podcast that I am VERY proud of entitled: “Unraveled: Addiction & Anger Management” where expert guests are featured. When I’m not working, I’m most likely spending time with my dogs and resting up for whatever the future may have for me. Diversifying Income Often therapists believe all their sessions need to have one-on-one attention. Individual therapy can be really draining for some, so doing only one-on-one sessions is an easy way to experience burnout. Some therapists end up doing eight to twelve of these sessions in one day. Many people try to look at diversifying income after they have reached the point of burnout; however, this is an awful time to start looking. Therapists should be looking to diversify their income as a preventative action rather than an afterthought. The number one way to diversify your income is your thought process, you have to be creative in your thinking. For Vanessa, it all started when she was still in school and she started writing her own books on health and wellness topics. These creative projects are a passion for Venessa and help her relieve stress while also diversifying her income; the books helped energize her and simply started as a hobby. Venessa has an online retail store that is entirely separate from her private practice. Anger Management Game Vanessa was working at a crisis center, and her peers did not want to work with clients in the criminal justice system. While working with these clients, she noticed a shortage of adult therapy tools; so, she created a gender-neutral therapy game. At first, Vanessa used glue and old business cards. After seeing how well it worked, she got it professionally made at a factory in the United States. This game was never about making money, she started it to assist with her work and realized other people could benefit from using it too. Unconventional Practices With a big move to Virginia on the horizon, Vanessa is thinking about doing DUI groups for court-ordered people after the transition. Currently, Vanessa does a lot of court-ordered type anger management groups. Her practice is unconventional in the sense that it will be virtual, groups, individuals, voluntary, and court-ordered. Having a variety will prevent burnout, people are moving toward virtual the world, and she enjoys working with people in the criminal justice system. There is also a need for people to work with the military community, most people are not familiar with the requirements of people in the military culture. Vanessa has seen firsthand a lot of clinicians run away from calls with lawyers. You cannot be scared of people in that world if you are going to work with clients in the criminal justice system. You will have to market your services and have your systems in place. However, a lot of lawyers wants to hire other lawyers to be mediators. Another thing to keep in mind is that some states have rules and may require you to do things at a specific rate. Resources Mentioned Being transparent… Some of the links below are affiliate links which simply means if you purchase using the links we get a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Practice Solutions Money Matters in Private Practice Vanessa Lech’s Resources Therapist Assets Carolina Addiction and Anger Management Instagram: @govanessalech Podcast: Unraveled 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTpodcast, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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Brad Pliner | Why You Should Use An EHR In Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 079
05/13/2019
Brad Pliner | Why You Should Use An EHR In Your Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 079
In this episode, Gordon speaks with Brad Pliner, the CEO, and Founder of TherapyNotes. Brad discloses his background and what inspired him to start TherapyNotes. Then, we learn why clinicians who use TherapyNotes will pass an audit with flying colors. Brad explains the benefits of keeping notes in an electronic health record system and how security is the top priority of TherapyNotes. TherapyNotes even keeps backups for your records, so Brad suggests ditching the paper record keeping method altogether. Later, Brad and Gordon discuss using EHR with insurance panels and the way TherapyNotes has streamlined the process of submitting a claim. Meet Brad Pliner Brad Pliner is the CEO and co-founder of TherapyNotes, LLC. He graduated with his Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Drexel University. Shortly after Drexel, Brad launched Pliner Solutions, Inc., which provided custom web application development and IT consulting services, including to several clients in the healthcare industry. Later, upon recognizing a market need for good practice management and electronic medical records solution for behavioral health, he started TherapyNotes with his wife, psychologist Debra Pliner, Ph.D. TherapyNotes quickly became the leading practice management software for behavioral health therapists, counselors, and psychologists. The Golden Thread When Brad did web development, he got to learn about lots of different types of industries. Now he knows all about what it means to be a therapist and run a practice. TherapyNotes caters to smaller private practices. Most psychologists and therapists do not like the business side of private practice. Gordon’s favorite thing about TherapyNotes is the to-do list, it helps him to ensure his notes get completed. People get audited all the time; when they are using TherapyNotes, they pass with flying colors. What was on your claim will match exactly what is on your notes. You cannot submit a claim unless you write the notes first. Features like automatically copying information from prior notes make writing them a breeze. Clinicians can type up progress notes in about four or five minutes using this tool. Electronic Health Record Systems If you wait too long, it will be difficult to adjust to EHR. As you grow your practice, you can then utilize the additional features TherapyNotes has such as automatic calendar reminders. Brad suggests immediately starting with an electronic health record system. Documenting and storing your records in a HIPAA compliment matter is essential to keep your systems in place and ensure proper payments are being made. The sooner, the better! Insurance Panels & EHR You do not have to be in network with an insurance company to submit claims. Even if you are out of network and you want to help your clients get reimbursed sooner, Brad suggests using online claims. In TherapyNotes it will tell you whether or not enrollment is required, they will get you the forms you need at no additional charge. Many insurance companies do not require any enrollment and will accept claims immediately. TherapyNotes has billing partners they work with and they are very familiar with the platform. Do you need backup records? With every one of their clients, TherapyNotes makes sure the records are safe and will notify the client if there is a problem. Brad suggests that clinicians do not keep separate records because it will be another item on their plate that they will have to keep HIPAA compliant. TherapyNotes keeps their own backups in multiple locations to make sure if there is a significant disaster that all the records will still be safe. Appointment Reminders Patients can request appointments, cancellations, or adjustments for the clinician. Just because a patient requests an appointment, does not mean they are booked. The clinician will approve it or either call or work it out with the client. Appointment reminders are a feature of the platform that their clinicians love. A robotic voice will call their clients and remind them of their appointments. The cost of this is easily offset because you will be reducing your no-shows. Integrated credit card processing assists with no shows as well. No one wants to come in for therapy and then have to deal with the payment, that is another reason to get your client’s credit card information on file. Being transparent... Some of the resources listed below are affiliate links. This simply means we receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you use the links to make a purchase. Thanks for using the links! Brad’s Resources TherapyNotes TherapyNotes on Facebook Resources Mentioned G Suite For Therapists E-Course G Suite AWeber 191: How to Use G Suite As a Tool For Managing a Private Practice 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTpodcast, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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Melvin Varghese, PhD | Podcasting And Entrepreneurship In Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 078
05/06/2019
Melvin Varghese, PhD | Podcasting And Entrepreneurship In Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 078
In this episode, Gordon speaks with Melvin Varghese of Selling the Couch Podcast. Melvin shares what inspired him to start the podcast and all the challenges he has faced along the way. Eventually, people reached out to Melvin and wanted to know exactly how to start a podcast. This led Marvin to create webinars and an online community to help others get started on their podcasting path. Meet Melvin Varghese Melvin Varghese, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Philadelphia, PA. In 2015, he launched Selling The Couch (sellingthecouch.com), a podcast and blog to help our field learn the business and marketing lessons we don’t often learn in our training. On the podcast, he interviews successful practitioners about how they’ve built their businesses and shares lessons he’s learning on his own business journey. The podcast was one of the top new podcasts when it launched and has since been downloaded over 700k and is heard in over 125 countries. Melvin also founded The Healthcasters (sellingthecouch.com/healthcasters), a community of over 200 health/wellness business owners using podcasting to share their message while growing their businesses. Selling the Couch Melvin loves the thought of doing an audio podcast because he doesn’t have to be all dressed up. The second reason he started a podcast is to be part of a growing medium. He realized we are at the tip of the iceberg in terms of podcasting. It has grown now; fifty-one percent of the US population is listening to podcasts. Seven years ago if you asked someone what a podcast was, they would have no idea! At first, Melvin was terrified of starting a podcast. He is shy and had a bit of imposter syndrome. It took a lot of courage; ultimately he did not want to live a life of regret. Income in Private Practice If all you do is focus on income generation, you are eventually going to burn out. Time flexibility and creating a lifestyle that makes sense is far more critical than the money you will make. When a person reaches a net income of around $150,000 annually, then it just becomes unmanageable. Their quality of life will not increase with additional money. It is better to have a strong foundation that lasts long-term rather than something that takes off quickly and fizzles out. Podcasting Melvin figured out everything on his own and made just about every mistake in the book. After starting his podcast, people began reaching out for help with starting their podcast. He thought about creating a community for health and wellness business owners to start podcasts. Melvin has an e-course, an online community, and monthly phone calls. Podcasting is a service-based platform; you get to share your knowledge and expertise. People from all over the world can hear what you say. For example, Melvin’s first episode had nine downloads (five from family members). Now it is approaching 700,000 downloads. He records his podcast from a home office in Philadelphia. Melvin’s Resources Selling the Couch Selling the Couch Facebook Community The HealthCasters Email: Melvin@SellingTheCouch.com Resources Mentioned Being transparent… some of the resources below contain affiliate links. This simply means that if you make a purchase using the link, we get a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! 191: How to Use G Suite As a Tool For Managing a Private Practice Practice Solutions Money Matters in Private Practice >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide<< Products from Amazon.com -46% Company of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business Price: $14.15 Was: $26.00 -58% Rework Price: $10.98 Was: $26.00 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 on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Instagram @TPOTpodcat, Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.
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