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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Rachel Bond | A Special Behind-The-Scenes Look of The Podcast | TPOT 200
10/18/2021
Rachel Bond | A Special Behind-The-Scenes Look of The Podcast | TPOT 200
In this episode, podcast editor and content creator joins the show. We talk about how The Practice of Therapy Podcast gets made. If you have a podcast of your own, Rachel gives tips for promoting it on social media. Plus, we chat about saving time on social media by batching content, creating a calendar, and even outsourcing. Tune in as Rachel talks about helping students for FREE with . Plus, I have an exciting announcement at the end of the show – you don’t want to miss it! Meet Rachel Bond graduated with her MBA in 2019. After college, she freelanced full-time as a writer, content creator, and podcast editor. Plus, Rachel completed the Disney College Program and two years of AmeriCorps service. Recently, Rachel and Dr. Alan Seidman started a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) called Affordable College Prep (ACP). As Vice President and Managing Director of Affordable College Prep, Rachel aims to help students from lower-income backgrounds make affordable college choices and complete higher education using their free coaching. Rachel loves to help students with their college applications, essays, and scholarship search. Learn more at How The Practice of Therapy Podcast Gets Made Gordon uploads audio from the interview, which is pulled from Zoom into Google Drive. From there, we go into an audio editing software and upload the audio into a template. Rachel takes time to comb through the audio and cut anything out. From there, we will plug the audio into Levelator. The Levelator is a free software that will level, compress, and normalize the audio in a matter of minutes. In iTunes, Rachel can finish the id3 tags. The id3 tags are bits of information that display on the track. For instance, she always makes sure there's an artist name, album name, year, genre, etc. At this point, everything is done for the audio, so it's ready for our podcast hosting service. We use – and they will distribute the podcast to all of the apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon. From there, Rachel will upload the complete audio into , which is a transcription service. Depending on how long the audio is, it could take a few minutes to 15 minutes to finish. Once finished, we will have a written version of the podcast, also known as a transcript. Using the transcript, Rachel will write the podcast show notes that get uploaded to and WordPress. You can always check out our show notes on the practiceoftherapy.com Promoting Your Podcast on Social Media Promoting your podcast on social media is a great tool to get listeners and guests on your show. Each social media platform is different, so it does take time to alter your posts, but it's worth it. For instance, in , you can change your graphics based on where you post them. Also, you can't post as much text on Twitter as you can on Instagram. Plus, the links don't work on Instagram as well as they do on LinkedIn. So there's a lot of tweaking that is time-consuming, but it's worth it. Saving Time With Social Media Outsourcing is a great way to save time on this. Another great way to save time on social media is by creating a calendar. It can help you visualize all your planned posts for the next weeks or months ahead. is a software designed to manage social accounts by scheduling posts to , Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and . IGTV is another social media tool you can utilize for your podcast. If you're recording a podcast, record with the video on! That way, you can use the video to promote your podcast, tease the episode, and introduce the guest to your audience. Free Advising With Affordable College Prep If you need help with anything college, Rachel wants to be the person to give a helping hand. All of the services are currently free to high school and college students. We help students with their college applications, essays, and finding scholarships. We also help students who are looking into grad school. According to the National Center for Education, about 59% of students seeking a bachelor's degree at a 4-year institution have completed that degree within six years. A big part of the problem is not finding the right school that will fit the student financially. Not only do we want to help students get into college, but we also want to see them graduate. You can follow us on Instagram @ You can also check out our website Rachel’s Favorite Practice of Therapy Podcast Episodes Check out the course: 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! Rachel Bond's Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Reflections From My Private Practice Journey | TPOT 199
10/11/2021
Reflections From My Private Practice Journey | TPOT 199
I learned a lot of things about starting a private practice the hard way. I'm grateful to share the lessons that I learned from my journey and help you not make the same mistakes that I did. First, I speak about the importance of knowing your 'why' on starting a private practice. Once you know your 'why,' other aspects of your business will begin to fall into place. Tune in as I dive deep into lessons learned around finances, marketing, outsourcing, and systems. Plus, I direct you to all sorts of resources that will help you on your journey. Thanks for being with me! Knowing Your 'Why' For Private Practice Why did you want to go into this profession, to begin with? Why did you want to go into clinical work, become a therapist, a social worker, psychologist, marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, or whatever you are within this particular profession? Your 'why' is an important piece to keep in mind as you build your private practice. So, I invite you to think about your inspiration. When we get busy with business, we can lose sight of our inspiration, and eventually, we will feel a little burnt out. Private practice is hard work! We have experienced a lot of struggles because of Covid, so knowing your why is more important than ever. Private Practice Isn't For Everyone One of the things that you need is a sense of wanting to feed the creative side of yourself. We can all feed our creative selves differently, but is a private practice adding to your creative side? One of the things that you need to be successful in private practice is an entrepreneurial spirit. In other words, you need to accept challenges along the way on your private practice journey. I love to learn about the business side of things; it's what inspired me to start The Practice of Therapy back in 2016. I started this podcast so I could share lessons learned around the business aspects of private practice. Learning About The Financial Side of Private Practice One of the first things you have to learn about private practice is the money side of the business. I put together a course on teaching people about the financial side of private practice. When you go into business, you need to have some money to kind of back that up. A lot of traditional companies do it through investors. In other words, they get people to give them money for some return on that investment. When we go into private practice, we want to be self-sufficient. If you're interested in learning more about managing the financial side of your practice, check out my course . Have Money Saved Before Starting Your Private Practice So, I started in private practice, doing it part-time and working for an agency. The extra income took the pressure off of me when I built my private practice. I wouldn't recommend diving into private practice unless you have enough money to back yourself up. I spent a year saving money, so I had a reserve. That way, if something happened, I had a buffer to protect me through emergencies. You need at least three to six months of income and expenses saved away before you jump into full-time. It will take a tremendous amount of pressure off of yourself. There Is More Than Enough Business For All of Us One thing that I've learned during the pandemic is that there is more than enough business for all of us. It's a matter of being able to put yourself out there and market your practice in a way that people can find you. That's all marketing is, is just making sure that you've got a website that is performing well and you are networking with the right people. If you are insurance-based, you need to be on the right insurance panels. I have a Facebook Live where I give all sorts of marketing ideas. You can watch the replay . Keep It Simple When I first started my practice, I made my systems and processes much more complicated than they needed to be. So one of the things I would recommend is to keep it simple and don't make it overly difficult for yourself. People start getting worried about regulations such as HIPAA, state requirements, and all that. You don't want to do anything illegal and unethical. However, these fears can hold us back. You don't need to make things overly complicated. The bottom line to HIPAA is that we protect client information; that's something we do anyway in our profession. Make sure that you encrypt your equipment, and you encrypt your storage of documents. Please read my blog about . Outsource Your Administrative Functions In Private Practice People are reluctant to invest in things that are going to be a better use of their time. When initially starting a practice, therapists do too much of the work that isn't a good return on their time. For instance, if you're still returning phone calls to your clients and scheduling your clients, then you might want to outsource. Whenever I do consult therapists, that's the first place I start. The more you can outsource your administrative functions, the easier it will be for your practice. You can bootstrap and do these things yourself when you don't have a lot of clients. However, at some point, you will have to outsource it. I recommend outsourcing if you have ten or more clients per week. Think About Ways To Diversify Your Income There are only so many clients you can see in one day. There are only so many clients you can see in a week. One of the things that you will want to think about doing is diversifying your income. If you're going to increase your revenue within your business, many people believe they need more clients. However, it might not be a good return on the investment of your time. So, the next logical step for a lot of people is starting a group practice. A group practice might not be for everyone. You need leadership skills, and you need to enjoy working with other people. Check out my free webinar . 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 Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Joe Sanok | Thursday Is The New Friday | TPOT 198
10/04/2021
Joe Sanok | Thursday Is The New Friday | TPOT 198
Have you ever thought about where the seven-day week comes from? In this episode, Joe talks about his brand new book, . The seven-day week was created four thousand years ago, and the forty-hour workweek was built in 1926. We are the post-pandemic generation that gets to say, do we want to do work the way we used to, or are we going to create something new? Tune in as we chat about productivity, slowing down, and the importance of outsourcing. Meet Joe Sanok Joe Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC is the person behind the #1podcast for therapists, Joe has helped hundreds of private practice owners in growing and scaling their private practices. Joe has also been a mentor and coach for Gordon in his journey and inspired him to start The Practice of Therapy. Joe says, “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 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!” Where Did The Seven-Day Workweek Come From? Where did the seven-day workweek come from? How do we understand just this concept of time to begin? A year makes sense: it's when the earth goes around the sun. Also, a day makes sense: it's how long it takes the world to spin. However, the seven-day workweek doesn't make sense. When the Babylonians over 4,000 years ago looked up in the sky, they saw seven essential things: the sun, the moon, earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. With that, they said we should have a seven-day week. The Romans had a ten-day week, and the Egyptians had an eight-day week. We think that this seven-day week is just how it is. Well, we could have had a five-day week and had seventy-three of them in a year. The Industrialists Gave Us A Forty-Hour Workweek Fast forward to the 1900s; the average person was working ten to fourteen hours a day, six to seven days a week. There were protests around this – people wanted a forty-hour workweek. There was a national lockdown because they were scared that these protests and the uprising would spread. In 1926, Henry Ford said he would start the forty-hour workweek. Henry Ford wanted to sell more cars, and he knew people were not going to buy a car to get to work faster. However, if they had a weekend and wanted to visit their friends and family quickly, they would buy a car. The industrialists gave us this model of how to view the world. It's Time To Slow Down To Get More Done The research shows that when we slow down, when we're not maxed out and stressed out, that's actually when our productivity and our creativity go up. When we slow down correctly, we truly can do better work. You shouldn't check your email after your kids are in bed; maybe you shouldn't work as hard on a Friday, perhaps you should rein in some of those hard and soft boundaries. When you are ready to kill it, how do you do that? We can use neuroscience to inform the way that you work so you get more done. Gordon is a fan of using the Full Focus Planner. It forces Gordon to slow down, think about things, and process stuff in a different way. Most of us are on our phones all day. With the paper planner, we can focus more on what we are doing. Stop Getting Distracted From What Means The Most Whenever you are distracted from your business for one minute, that's one minute less you will get to spend with your friends and family. If you spend half an hour roaming the internet, that's half an hour you could be playing with your children. When you do things that distract you, you are really stealing time from the people you love the most. Often, when we get distracted, it's a lack of planning. If your day is sketched out, then you won't have time for distractions. Think about what is the highest use of your time. Make sure that you blackout time to get done what you need to get done. The Importance of Outsourcing In Private Practice which means you are giving yourself less time to do the same tasks. If you have 20 tasks in a week, and you give yourself 20% less time, most likely, you're going to drop the ball on some things. That gives you some critical data of what's essential. You're not going to do the fifteen least necessary tasks. Instead, you're going to do the fifteen most important tasks. It's time to outsource the things that you can! There are those things that are not a great use of your time that you hate doing that still need to be done. Find a virtual assistant who can take things off of your plate. 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 Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Gabe Nelson | Preparing for Worst-Case Scenario In Private Practice | TPOT 197
09/27/2021
Gabe Nelson | Preparing for Worst-Case Scenario In Private Practice | TPOT 197
Today we talk about preparing for emergencies in private practice. As a solo practitioner, certain things need to be in place before you have an emergency on your hands. If you haven't started preparing yet, then it's not too late! Gabe Nelson joins the show to explain exactly what you need to do to be ready for the worst possible scenarios. Tune in as we chat about saving for emergency funds, getting the right insurance, and ensuring you are protected as a business owner. Meet Gabe Nelson With almost three decades in the financial services industry and more than a decade as an independent small business owner, Gabe Nelson already had an established thriving practice and solid reputation in his industry when he recognized an interesting trend among some of his favorite clients. More and more, he found himself working with self-employed professionals and solo-entrepreneurs. And as a business owner himself, he was fired up about helping them navigate the unique challenges they were facing – because he was just like them. He understood that independent professionals have specific needs. Most financial advisors don’t know exactly what it takes to transition from employee to independent contractor status or establish long-term financial security without relying on a regular paycheck. He also knew that with more of the workforce becoming self-employed every day, more people could benefit from working with an advisor who knows how to plan for the whole financial picture, including legal, estate, financial, retirement, life, disability, and more — with an entrepreneurial spirit. So he took his passion for providing a personal touch with hands-on problem-solving and solution-oriented comprehensive planning and decided to focus on serving solo entrepreneurs. Preparing For The Worst Possible Event We're talking about preparing for emergencies or preparing for the worst thing that could possibly happen. It would help if you protect yourself from a crisis as a practicing therapist. This preparation should come in handy whether you're running a solo practice or a group practice. There are certain things that you need to start thinking about and putting into place. For instance, make sure you have money set aside in case something happens. If something does happen to your practice, and you're not able to keep working or seeing your clients, then what is your plan? The pandemic was a great test run for a lot of people. The beautiful thing about therapy is that you can still see clients virtually and do a lot of your practice through telemedicine. Start Saving For Your Emergency Fund Today If you haven't yet, then it's time to set aside a certain amount of money in your practice. It would help if you considered how much money you are willing to save. It can be anywhere from three months to six months or even twelve months. Gabe recommends that solo private practice owners reserve twelve months of their income for emergency use. As a solo practitioner, that business checkbook is kind of like your personal checkbook. Many people think that if their business is doing well, they are going to be okay on the personal side. However, that is not always the case. Do You Have The Proper Insurance? The next step is to start making sure that you've got some adequate insurance in place to protect you from those types of things that could happen. No one ever likes to talk about insurance. I mean, no one's talking about life insurance, and they don't want to talk about disability insurance. These are all things that you need to start thinking about when you are an adult businessperson and running a practice. Make sure that you've got an adequate amount of life insurance in place. Gabe is a huge fan of just Straight Term Life Insurance; keep it simple, get as much coverage as you can, and for the lowest cost. Who Will Take Over Your Business? If something does happen to you, what is going to happen to your business? Do you have another set therapist or a firm that is set and ready to buy your practice from you? That way, you can realize all of those years of hard work you put together to benefit your family? Over the last ten years, the investment advisory world has gotten big into that because they realize the trust and relationships we build with our clients. That's a piece of protection that most solopreneurs don't think about. Find Protection As A Business Owner Lastly, it would help if you had some business owner protection. What if there is a fire at your workplace? What if there is a flood in your home? Do you have some of those protections in place that would at least give you some replacement of income? It would help if you had some insurance protections that would replace your computer or your software. Business owner's insurance is a policy that combines both property and liability coverage into one package. Don't forget to consider other types of insurance like life insurance and disability insurance. 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! Gabe's Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Dr. Lani Chin | Creating An App To Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 196
09/20/2021
Dr. Lani Chin | Creating An App To Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 196
Dr. Chin is here to chat all about her new app, CE Hub. CE Hub is a tool for mental health professionals to store their continuing education certificates and track their units earned toward licensure. You can upload your certificates, and CE Hub will take care of the rest. Tune in as we talk about diversifying your income, the importance of outsourcing, and the nuts and bolts of creating your very own application. Meet Dr. Lani Chin In therapy, my goal is to assist you in addressing issues that are difficult to confront on your own, which often manifest as anxiety, depression, or dissatisfaction in relationships and/or your career. I approach our work together collaboratively, by helping you to articulate your thoughts and feelings in a safe, confidential, and nonjudgmental environment. My task is to encourage you to express yourself, clarify your goals, and explore the obstacles that have held you back. I listen, reflect, and use clinical methods based on my training and expertise. I strive to help you develop strategies that support the progress you desire. I listen for the patterns in your life and help you identify them so that you can develop a clearer understanding of your life experiences and develop new, more satisfying ways of relating. My understanding as a therapist is informed by my training and clinical experience but also grounded by a long-held commitment to my own psychological work and development. The Double Pandemic of Social Isolation Dr. Chin works with people that identify as being different. So whether they are cultural minorities or people in the LGBTQ community, those are mostly the people she works with. Also, Dr. Chin works with individuals, couples, and anyone who identifies as different or feels like they're outside. Usually, Dr. Chin's clients feel a level of isolation in general. Plus, the pandemic has been incredibly difficult. People already feel isolated because they are different on top of the isolation from the pandemic – it's a double whammy for patients. Track Your Continuing Education Certificates Dr. Chin launched the CE Hub App. It's a new, easier way to store and track your Continuing Education certificates. You can safely and conveniently store all of the documents you need to renew your license in one place. Plus, the app lets you track your progress along the way, so you know exactly where you stand. No longer will therapists have to search for misplaced certification, there will be no more guesswork about how many credits you've earned, and no more miscounting when it's time to renew. How The CE Hub App Works First, people log in. The first screen asks you questions about the certificates that you've earned. So you'll enter the title, the number of credits earned, and whether or not it was a live course. You can indicate that on the app and then save a copy of the certificate as a PDF. Then you enter in your license information and what your profession is like psychologist, marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, or licensed professional counselor. You'll also input what state you're in and the number of units you need to complete. Creating Goals Around Continuing Education You can keep a mental goal for yourself. If you want to pursue EMDR training or have X number of diversity credits that you've earned, you can set your personal goals within the app that might go beyond what the state requires. The app then matches what you've entered against what the requirements are. It puts that information into a pie chart. So it graphs out how many certificates you've done, and then it breaks it down by category according to what subject area the credit was in. It stores the certificates for you. So it's all through PDF. Then, if anything happens where you need an additional copy of the certificate, you can get on there and email the PDF to yourself. Outsourcing Work When Creating An App Dr. Chin outsourced the work for her app. She first started with a wireframing of the app. Dr. Chin knew what screens she wanted in the app and the function that they would provide. She's been fortunate that they could translate what she drew and made a pretty nice representation of what she had imagined. The app went from PowerPoint to a fully functioning application. To find people to work on the app, Dr. Chin did a lot of interviews. She wanted someone who understood mental health workers and what psychologists do. If you're looking to outsource, Dr. Chin recommends checking out UpWork. How Creating An App Can Diversify Your Income Dr. Chin likes to do a variety of things during the workweek. Doing an online course wasn't part of her personality – it didn't seem to resonate with who she is. So, Dr. Chin decided to make an app as a way to diversify her income. After talking to her peers, people were excited about the CE Hub App. It's always great to diversify income because you never know what is going to happen. Also, being strictly in private practice can be very overwhelming. The app is a helpful way for Dr. Chin to interact with people in a different context. 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! Dr. Lani Chin's Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Dr. Lani Chin | Creating An App To Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 196
09/20/2021
Dr. Lani Chin | Creating An App To Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 196
Dr. Chin is here to chat all about her new app, CE Hub. CE Hub is a tool for mental health professionals to store their continuing education certificates and track their units earned toward licensure. You can upload your certificates, and CE Hub will take care of the rest. Tune in as we talk about diversifying your income, the importance of outsourcing, and the nuts and bolts of creating your very own application. Meet Dr. Lani Chin In therapy, my goal is to assist you in addressing issues that are difficult to confront on your own, which often manifest as anxiety, depression, or dissatisfaction in relationships and/or your career. I approach our work together collaboratively, by helping you to articulate your thoughts and feelings in a safe, confidential, and nonjudgmental environment. My task is to encourage you to express yourself, clarify your goals, and explore the obstacles that have held you back. I listen, reflect, and use clinical methods based on my training and expertise. I strive to help you develop strategies that support the progress you desire. I listen for the patterns in your life and help you identify them so that you can develop a clearer understanding of your life experiences and develop new, more satisfying ways of relating. My understanding as a therapist is informed by my training and clinical experience but also grounded by a long-held commitment to my own psychological work and development. The Double Pandemic of Social Isolation Dr. Chin works with people that identify as being different. So whether they are cultural minorities or people in the LGBTQ community, those are mostly the people she works with. Also, Dr. Chin works with individuals, couples, and anyone who identifies as different or feels like they're outside. Usually, Dr. Chin's clients feel a level of isolation in general. Plus, the pandemic has been incredibly difficult. People already feel isolated because they are different on top of the isolation from the pandemic – it's a double whammy for patients. Track Your Continuing Education Certificates Dr. Chin launched the CE Hub App. It's a new, easier way to store and track your Continuing Education certificates. You can safely and conveniently store all of the documents you need to renew your license in one place. Plus, the app lets you track your progress along the way, so you know exactly where you stand. No longer will therapists have to search for misplaced certification, there will be no more guesswork about how many credits you've earned, and no more miscounting when it's time to renew. How The CE Hub App Works First, people log in. The first screen asks you questions about the certificates that you've earned. So you'll enter the title, the number of credits earned, and whether or not it was a live course. You can indicate that on the app and then save a copy of the certificate as a PDF. Then you enter in your license information and what your profession is like psychologist, marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, or licensed professional counselor. You'll also input what state you're in and the number of units you need to complete. Creating Goals Around Continuing Education You can keep a mental goal for yourself. If you want to pursue EMDR training or have X number of diversity credits that you've earned, you can set your personal goals within the app that might go beyond what the state requires. The app then matches what you've entered against what the requirements are. It puts that information into a pie chart. So it graphs out how many certificates you've done, and then it breaks it down by category according to what subject area the credit was in. It stores the certificates for you. So it's all through PDF. Then, if anything happens where you need an additional copy of the certificate, you can get on there and email the PDF to yourself. Outsourcing Work When Creating An App Dr. Chin outsourced the work for her app. She first started with a wireframing of the app. Dr. Chin knew what screens she wanted in the app and the function that they would provide. She's been fortunate that they could translate what she drew and made a pretty nice representation of what she had imagined. The app went from PowerPoint to a fully functioning application. To find people to work on the app, Dr. Chin did a lot of interviews. She wanted someone who understood mental health workers and what psychologists do. If you're looking to outsource, Dr. Chin recommends checking out UpWork. How Creating An App Can Diversify Your Income Dr. Chin likes to do a variety of things during the workweek. Doing an online course wasn't part of her personality – it didn't seem to resonate with who she is. So, Dr. Chin decided to make an app as a way to diversify her income. After talking to her peers, people were excited about the CE Hub App. It's always great to diversify income because you never know what is going to happen. Also, being strictly in private practice can be very overwhelming. The app is a helpful way for Dr. Chin to interact with people in a different context. 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! Dr. Lani Chin's Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Austin Kirkland | Fall Into Cash During September | TPOT 195
09/13/2021
Austin Kirkland | Fall Into Cash During September | TPOT 195
In this episode, Austin Kirkland from joins the show. We chat all about the campaign. It's is a month-long event throughout September when they provide mental health professionals with the tools and steps to help them make more money in the fall months. If you want to get a head start on boosting your practice by becoming a Brighter Vision customer, then is one of their most significant sales. Tune in as we chat about improving your website, the importance of search engine optimization, and why you need to start blogging. Meet Austin Kirkland Austin Kirkland is a Senior Account Executive at . Austin has been a part of the Brighter Vision team for almost 3 years, but outside of work, he is a photographer! In fact, he was just commissioned by the Denver Parks and Recreation to shoot all their cityscapes for their 2021 print materials. If you’re interested, you can see his work on Instagram at @austinkirklandphotography. What Exactly Does Brighter Vision Do? Brighter Vision makes marketing simple for therapists. They work one-on-one with therapists to get a custom website built that's unique to their practice. More important than the website itself, will help market your services. They want to make sure that when a potential client searches for therapists, you will be one of the first options on Google. If you are intimated by building a website, then Brighter Vision is the way to go. Is Social Media Overwhelming? Try Social Genie! Social Genie has a library of thousands of social media and blog posts that you can edit, customize, and schedule across all platforms in a matter of minutes. As a client of , you can decide what type of content is posted. For instance, you can choose to have a post about anxiety released every single Monday. It takes only a matter of minutes to set up. As a client, you will also have the ability to view the schedule and see the upcoming posts. Plus, you'll have the option to and delete posts as you see fit. All About The Fall Into Cash Campaign Brighter Vision's campaign is a month-long event throughout September when they provide mental health professionals with the tools and steps to help them make more money in the fall months. There'll be weekly blogs, webinars content over the entire month. Between all of us, we will be giving away about $17,000 worth of giveaways. Additionally, you also get a very, very heavy discount on the services with . They love to provide free information and resources for therapists looking to grow their practices and fall into cash. Get Help With Your Private Practice Website There are two types of clinicians that works with when it comes to their website work. There's the clinician that doesn't have a website, and this is going to be their very first website. Often, this clinician doesn't have a niche yet; but Brighter Vision can still help market their services. While on the other hand, there are clinicians who currently have a website. More often than not, they are fed up with how the website is going. So, Austin likes to ask what they like about the website and what they don't like about it. More often than not, Austin can bring pretty much any aspect from their old website to their new website. How Search Engine Optimization Works and The Importance of Blogs Without search engine optimization, your website's not going to be found unless they know the exact address of it. SEO is a code that describes your website to Google. That way, Google knows who to show your website to. One of the most important things to do around search engine optimization is blogging. A significant factor with how well a website will rank over time is simply how often it's being updated. Google wants to show its users relevant and up-to-date content. So by updating your website, then you are telling Google that you have new information. A great way to do that regularly is through blog posts. 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! Austin's Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Tosha Rollins | Autism Therapist Education in Private Practice | TPOT 194
09/06/2021
Tosha Rollins | Autism Therapist Education in Private Practice | TPOT 194
Today, Tosha Rollins joins the show. She turned her passion into a private practice niche. One of the most important things about finding your niche is looking at what speaks to you. For Tosha, it's working with clients that have autism spectrum disorder. Research shows that only 2 out of 44 therapists feel comfortable working with autistic clients. So, there is a massive demand for referral resources and families that need our help. Tune in as Tosha speaks about the , working with autistic clients, and the importance of continuing education for autism resources. Meet Tosha Rollins Tosha Rollins is a Licensed Professional Counselor in South Carolina, and owner of Rollins Counseling, LLC. She is also a wife to Travis, and momma to three sons, ages 8-22, and stepmom to Kaylee, who is now in college. She loves adventures, traveling, nature, and spending time with her family. She started the Autism in Action Podcast because she wanted to help families connect with autism resources, services, and support. She became frustrated trying to find an autism-trained counselor for her oldest two children on the autism spectrum and realized the shortage of trained professionals across the country. She decided to create the Autism Therapist Network to teach & mentor mental health clinicians how to feel more confident and competent working with autistic clients and families affected by autism. When she is not seeing clients, homeschooling her youngest son, podcasting, she is spending quality time with her family and planning her next adventure. Finding Autism Resources and Ongoing Education Tosha's two oldest sons have autism spectrum disorder. After the diagnosis, Tosha decided to go into private practice and serve people on the spectrum. Research shows only 2 out of 44 mental health clinicians feel comfortable working with the autistic population. Unfortunately, this makes it hard for families to access services. A lot of times, it comes down to competency, skill sets, and education. So many parents of autistic children complain about how hard it is to find mental health services for their children. In fact, 1 in 5 families has to move because they don't have access to services. Children with autism grow up to be adults with autism. There is a lack of services after children age out of school; it's a big concern. It's estimated that anywhere between 70,000 and 100,000 children aged out of high school services with minimal transitional supports in place. A Therapist Community That Is Increasing Mental Health Autism Resources Tosha's primary mission is to educate clinicians and collaborate on the skill sets they need to improve on. Often we get comfortable with a specific niche or population. However, we need to do continuing education to meet our licensure requirements. Sadly, there's not a lot of training out there for the autism niche. Tosha is a fan of Pesi and the courses they offer. In fact, they have a . Their training provides the education you need to deliver effective transformational strengths-based interventions, strategies, and approaches to support your clients. Tosha created the to help people expand their clinical skillsets for working with autistic clients. She provides online educational workshops and peer-driven clinical consultation groups to help you learn more about autism. In addition, the is great for networking opportunities because of its online directory for all of its members. Lastly, their resources are perfect for anyone that wants to best support their autistic clients. Mental Health Therapy and The Autistic Client Therapists need to be open-minded, adaptable, and flexible when working with the autistic population. You might have a particular intervention that is structured for CBT. However, you may have to modify it for your client's executive functioning or cognitive ability. So, therapists need to get a good overview of their clients' executive function, cognitive ability, and emotional regulation. Make sure that your client understands their emotions. Also, ensure that they have plenty of resources to take home and use as visual prompts. That way, your clients can regulate when they are not in therapy. The number one consideration for working with the autism population is to make sure that you have the education behind it. In order to be comfortable and competent, you need to understand person-centered planning. Plus, you need to understand cognitive behavioral therapy and have an excellent toolbox to pull from when working with these clients. These are all things that Tosha teaches on her . She has expert spotlights that come in and share their words of wisdom. The more you can grow your network, the more that you can learn. 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! Tosha's Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Russell DuBois | Measurement-Based Care In Private Practice | TPOT 193
08/30/2021
Russell DuBois | Measurement-Based Care In Private Practice | TPOT 193
Russell DuBois joins the show to talk about Blueprint and the importance of measurement-based care. Blueprint automatically gathers client data, measures client outcomes, and get insights at the point of care to make more informed treatment decisions. The more therapists can stay curious about their work, the more likely they are to avoid burnout. Tune in as we talk about how clients, clinicians, and group practice owners can benefit from using a measurement-based mental health care service like . Meet Russell DuBois Dr. Russell DuBois is a psychologist specializing in psychological testing, pediatric & behavioral health psychology, and technology for innovation in mental healthcare. He has over 30+ published research studies, book chapters, and professional presentations at national and international conferences and acts as a peer-reviewer for multiple scientific research journals. Dr. DuBois has held clinical and research training positions at top institutions including Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, Alpert Medical School at Brown University, and Northeastern University. He is the Clinical & Research Director at , a leading digital mental health screening, and assessment platform. His areas of expertise include: mood disorders, eating disorders, mindfulness, mental health technology and innovation, clinical data science, pediatric psychology, health psychology, and psychological testing and evaluation. Preventing Burnout With Measurement-Based Care We're all busy, strapped for time, and struggling to keep up with the requirements to be a therapist. A lot of us go into our therapy sessions blind. Clients show up every week, we ask how things are going, and it gets really repetitive. It's challenging if you are doing therapy full-time because the repetition can lead to burnout. When you lose a sense of curiosity, that is a massive sign of burnout. Curiosity is at the heart of staying engaged as a therapist. Measurement-based care helps you be much more informed about your clients and their lived experiences. You have a lot of information that you can learn from and use during the session to help you out. That way, you aren't flying by the seat of your pants. When you're able to collect information and get data about your clients that you never thought you would otherwise, you can approach your work with clients in an inquisitive way, which is healthy from a burnout perspective. The Basics Behind Blueprint Russell has over 100,000 clients on his platform. Blueprint will listen to both the needs and the problems of therapists. is a digital platform that operates at three levels: clients, clinicians, and group practice owners. Russell built Blueprint on top of decades of research proving that measurement-based care improves client outcomes and reduces the time-to-remission. They track and analyze a combination of data, including symptoms, lifestyle metrics, and wearable devices, to give you a deeper understanding of a client's mental health to better personalize care. Why Clients Enjoy Blueprint Clients can download the app and track crucial information about their mental health and wellness. So they can track things like trends in their mood and their energy. Plus, they can record their sleep quality and social engagement over time. Clients can connect their blueprint app to their GPS in their health kit on their phone so that they can track the number of steps taken each day and how long they are spending at home each day. It's a wonderful tool for clients to improve self-awareness and to understand themselves a little bit better. How Blueprint Helps Clinicians Clinicians or therapists can use a blueprint to become more informed about their clients. There are different types of screening measures that clinicians can use. is a big fan of aligning the measurements library that our partners have with the kind of work their clinicians do. For instance, they have measures on couple satisfaction, family cohesion, and mindfulness. Whatever it is, there is probably a measurement on Blueprint for it. Through that process, clinicians or therapists can access all this information in real-time to help learn and educate themselves about their clients over time. Overall, clinicians can rely on this data to provide this higher quality measurement-based care. Improve Your Group Practice With Blueprint Blueprint is not only great for clients and clinicians; is excellent for group practice owners. Blueprint is an easy way to track and report on population outcomes. Plus, you can grow your revenue by submitting insurance claims for blueprint assessments. You don't need to be a data scientist; you don't need any measurement background; it's all done for you through the software. Plus, when clients experience this measurement-based care, their engagement in treatment goes up—measurement-based care reduced dropout rates by twenty percent. For a group practice owner, that's a critical measurement to know. 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! Russell's Resources Email: Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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How To Structure Your Practice | TPOT 192
08/23/2021
How To Structure Your Practice | TPOT 192
One of the questions that I get asked a lot is just around how to structure your practice. So, in this episode, I walk through with you exactly how I have my practice structured. I talk about the process from the time we receive a client intake form to when we discharge a client and all the things that happen along the way. I speak about both the business and clinical side of my practice. Lastly, I make sure to point out all the software we use to keep our practice running as smoothly and as efficiently as possible. How We Do Our Intakes In addition to the other clinicians working with me, we also have a part-time intake coordinator. The vast majority of people that come to us usually is through our website . In addition, we do get a fair number of direct referrals from doctors' offices and insurances. We are an insurance-based practice, and we get many referrals from people who find us in the insurance company directories. People will contact us predominantly through phone calls. At our practice, we use . It is a modern, work-from-anywhere solution for today's agile, mobile, and always-on growing businesses. Our intake coordinator can use her app at home to answer phone calls. Usually, one of the first things you want to outsource is somebody to answer the phone. Keep in mind that it is great to have a system that is accessible from anywhere in the country. Setting Up Appointments In TherapyNotes The one thing about TherapyNotes that I love is that it's also linked to a clearinghouse. Since we're insurance-based, all of the insurance claims are filed through . We set up the patient's biographical information, and we do our documentation; all of those sorts of things are completed through . In other words, the whole clinical side of our practice is managed through . However, there are some forms that we have in . When we have a new client, we send them to the portal. They fill out all their intake paperwork, and we do all the billing through TherapyNotes. Filing Individual Insurance Claims Now, as far as filing individual insurance claims, I've got that outsourced as well through . make sure all the claims are ready to be sent in. Plus, they follow up if there are problems with a claim or if the insurance company rejects it. Both of these things can be very time-consuming; that's why I decided to outsource those tasks. If you have time to do those things, you can do all of that in conjunction with TherapyNotes. For my size practice, it's more cost-efficient to outsource those items. What You Need For Online Therapy Each therapist within our practice sets their own schedule. They also are made aware of when clients owe money, or when we need to collect the copay. We follow up individually with each client about what they owe us, and if they owe a copay or not. is a wonderful platform to handle all of this. Plus, TherapyNotes has a telehealth portal that can be used to do sessions with people. During Covid, we were using . They make telemedicine simple and easy to use for both therapists and patients. The downside of the free version of is that you could only see one client at a time. Another platform we used during Covid was . Valuable Tools That Make My Practice Efficient For faxes, we use a service called . If we need to fax providers or fax things to people, we use that service. enables you to send, receive, annotate, digitally sign and manage faxes without printing a single physical document. I use as my main accounting software. However, in , you have to be careful about not using client names. I have a course out there called . It goes into the whole accounting side of running a private practice. is the payroll service that I use. I enter payroll twice a month to pay my clinicians. Plus, we can get our health insurance through . Everything syncs automatically — time tracking, new hires, benefits plans, and more. 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 Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Whitney & James Owens | Using The Enneagram In Your Practice | TPOT 191
08/16/2021
Whitney & James Owens | Using The Enneagram In Your Practice | TPOT 191
Whitney and James Owens join the show to talk about the origins and usefulness of the Enneagram. They explain how identifying your Enneagram type will be beneficial in your life and the importance of understanding how this impacts your clinical work. Understanding relationship patterns within the lens of the Enneagram will allow the therapeutic relationship to thrive as the clinician helps the client or clients see their own personality within the relationship. Tune in as we chat about meeting treatment goals and having success in work and relationships through the Enneagram. Meet Whitney & James Owens Whitney Owens (MA, LPC) and James P. Owens (MDiv, MA) are helping professionals with a passion for empowering others. Whitney is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Private Practice Consultant. She is the owner of a group private practice, Water’s Edge Counseling, in Savannah, Georgia. In addition to running her practice, she offers individual and group consulting through Practice of the Practice. She hosts a weekly podcast called the Faith in Practice Podcast to help clinicians start and grow their practices with a faith-based background. Whitney has presented multiple times at professional counseling and practice conferences throughout the United States. James is an Enneagram teacher and founder of Working the Enneagram, LLC. He received his Enneagram certification through the Enneagram Spectrum Training with Jerome Wagner. James holds a Master of Divinity, as well as a second Master's degree in Christian Practice. As both a pastor and teacher, James helps churches, small businesses, and other organizations understand how to utilize the Enneagram to positively impact their members and missions. James has been interviewed on several podcasts and has spoken to multiple groups on the Enneagram specifically in conjunction to counseling/psychotherapy practice and clinical work. Whitney and James have been married since 2007 and together they are the parents of two beautiful girls. The Importance of Knowing Your Enneagram Type You can spend many hours, days, and years understanding the Enneagram. One of the unique things about the Enneagram is it expresses the motives behind people's behaviors. As a therapist, we have to know ourselves to do good work. If you know your Enneagram, it helps you understand your motives in therapy. Whitney is Enneagram type 1, which means she is the reformer and is very controlling. When Whitney started as a therapist, she wanted to know exactly what to say at all times. Since Whitney knows that about herself, she found ways not to control the sessions and not to control her clients. Identifying Your Strengths And Weaknesses The Enneagram will help identify the motives behind your actions. In addition, the Enneagram will assist you in determining your strengths and weaknesses and identify the ways you behave when you're doing very well and the ways you act when you're not doing so well. The system is not static; it's a dynamic system. The Enneagram acknowledges that we all are different when in stressful situations vs. happy and secure situations. James is a type 5; he can take on a leadership role when he is doing well. However, under stress, James tends to move towards the characteristics of type 7. As you learn your type and discover more about yourself, you'll identify the directions that you go in when you're doing well and doing not so well. Using The Enneagram With Your Clients If you understand your client's Enneagram number, and they're sharing things going on in their life, then you can listen to where they're coming from to know where they're at. Clients might act like they're doing okay, but then they share something that's moving into other numbers that you know are not the healthy place for them. So, you can help clients bring their positive characteristics to the table. The Enneagram is a great way to evaluate your client's levels of emotional health. Each Enneagram type also has its own levels of functioning. As you become familiar with each type, you'll be able to see those characteristics in your clients. The Seven Deadly Sins For Your Enneagram Type Each Enneagram type has a deadly sin. So, you actually want to find the spiritual discipline that is the opposite of your sin. When you go into your root sin, you need to practice the opposite to find a healthy place. Here is a list of the deadly sins and what spiritual discipline will help you get to a healthy place: - Type 1: Anger. You should practice serenity and letting go. - Type 2: Pride. You should practice humility. - Type 3: Deceit. You should practice authenticity. - Type 4: Envy. You should practice balance. - Type 5: Avarice. You should practice being non-attached. - Type 6: Anxiety. You should practice courage. - Type 7: Gluttony. You should practice sobriety. - Type 8: Lust. You should practice innocence. - Type 9: Complacent. You should practice action. Helping Clients Improve Their Relationships The Enneagram can allow you to help your clients with their relationships. The Enneagram is extremely helpful for marital counseling. Once you understand your partner's Enneagram, people can find a new appreciation and patience for their partner. When your clients understand their own number, it helps them understand how they interact with other people in their lives. Whitney says she does Enneagram work in her group practice. In fact, Whitney says they discuss their Enneagram types and how much they understand themselves during the interview process. Plus, knowing people's Enneagram types helps you appreciate your employees. 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 & Whitney's Resources Email: [email protected] Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Whitney & James Owens | Using The Enneagram In Your Practice | TPOT 191
08/16/2021
Whitney & James Owens | Using The Enneagram In Your Practice | TPOT 191
Whitney and James Owens join the show to talk about the origins and usefulness of the Enneagram. They explain how identifying your Enneagram type will be beneficial in your life and the importance of understanding how this impacts your clinical work. Understanding relationship patterns within the lens of the Enneagram will allow the therapeutic relationship to thrive as the clinician helps the client or clients see their own personality within the relationship. Tune in as we chat about meeting treatment goals and having success in work and relationships through the Enneagram. Meet Whitney & James Owens Whitney Owens (MA, LPC) and James P. Owens (MDiv, MA) are helping professionals with a passion for empowering others. Whitney is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Private Practice Consultant. She is the owner of a group private practice, Water’s Edge Counseling, in Savannah, Georgia. In addition to running her practice, she offers individual and group consulting through Practice of the Practice. She hosts a weekly podcast called the Faith in Practice Podcast to help clinicians start and grow their practices with a faith-based background. Whitney has presented multiple times at professional counseling and practice conferences throughout the United States. James is an Enneagram teacher and founder of Working the Enneagram, LLC. He received his Enneagram certification through the Enneagram Spectrum Training with Jerome Wagner. James holds a Master of Divinity, as well as a second Master's degree in Christian Practice. As both a pastor and teacher, James helps churches, small businesses, and other organizations understand how to utilize the Enneagram to positively impact their members and missions. James has been interviewed on several podcasts and has spoken to multiple groups on the Enneagram specifically in conjunction to counseling/psychotherapy practice and clinical work. Whitney and James have been married since 2007 and together they are the parents of two beautiful girls. The Importance of Knowing Your Enneagram Type You can spend many hours, days, and years understanding the Enneagram. One of the unique things about the Enneagram is it expresses the motives behind people's behaviors. As a therapist, we have to know ourselves to do good work. If you know your Enneagram, it helps you understand your motives in therapy. Whitney is Enneagram type 1, which means she is the reformer and is very controlling. When Whitney started as a therapist, she wanted to know exactly what to say at all times. Since Whitney knows that about herself, she found ways not to control the sessions and not to control her clients. Identifying Your Strengths And Weaknesses The Enneagram will help identify the motives behind your actions. In addition, the Enneagram will assist you in determining your strengths and weaknesses and identify the ways you behave when you're doing very well and the ways you act when you're not doing so well. The system is not static; it's a dynamic system. The Enneagram acknowledges that we all are different when in stressful situations vs. happy and secure situations. James is a type 5; he can take on a leadership role when he is doing well. However, under stress, James tends to move towards the characteristics of type 7. As you learn your type and discover more about yourself, you'll identify the directions that you go in when you're doing well and doing not so well. Using The Enneagram With Your Clients If you understand your client's Enneagram number, and they're sharing things going on in their life, then you can listen to where they're coming from to know where they're at. Clients might act like they're doing okay, but then they share something that's moving into other numbers that you know are not the healthy place for them. So, you can help clients bring their positive characteristics to the table. The Enneagram is a great way to evaluate your client's levels of emotional health. Each Enneagram type also has its own levels of functioning. As you become familiar with each type, you'll be able to see those characteristics in your clients. The Seven Deadly Sins For Your Enneagram Type Each Enneagram type has a deadly sin. So, you actually want to find the spiritual discipline that is the opposite of your sin. When you go into your root sin, you need to practice the opposite to find a healthy place. Here is a list of the deadly sins and what spiritual discipline will help you get to a healthy place: - Type 1: Anger. You should practice serenity and letting go. - Type 2: Pride. You should practice humility. - Type 3: Deceit. You should practice authenticity. - Type 4: Envy. You should practice balance. - Type 5: Avarice. You should practice being non-attached. - Type 6: Anxiety. You should practice courage. - Type 7: Gluttony. You should practice sobriety. - Type 8: Lust. You should practice innocence. - Type 9: Complacent. You should practice action. Helping Clients Improve Their Relationships The Enneagram can allow you to help your clients with their relationships. The Enneagram is extremely helpful for marital counseling. Once you understand your partner's Enneagram, people can find a new appreciation and patience for their partner. When your clients understand their own number, it helps them understand how they interact with other people in their lives. Whitney says she does Enneagram work in her group practice. In fact, Whitney says they discuss their Enneagram types and how much they understand themselves during the interview process. Plus, knowing people's Enneagram types helps you appreciate your employees. 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 & Whitney's Resources Email: [email protected] Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Paul Petroski | Generate Passive Income With An Online Course | TPOT 190
08/09/2021
Paul Petroski | Generate Passive Income With An Online Course | TPOT 190
In this episode, Paul Petroski speaks about creating online courses that create extra income for private practice owners. Plus, we talk about the mindset shift that needs to happen to make more money. Private practice owners need to think about their practice in different ways to diversify income. Depending on how your practice is set up, you can reach a ceiling with the amount of income you bring in. Tune in as we chat about different ways to create income streams in private practice and the mindset shift that needs to take place to build a successful business. Meet Paul Petroski Paul Petroski has spent the past 20+ years helping organizations design and deploy learning solutions that improve bottom-line performance. His experience spans the business landscape from Fortune 100 companies, such as IBM and CSC (now DXC Technologies), to San Francisco-based startups. Several years ago, Mr. Petroski found himself sitting in his Counselors office as he was navigating a major life change. Having such a profound experience and transformation working with his Counselor, Mr. Petroski saw the opportunity to bring these two paths of his life together. At that point, he began helping Counselors and Therapists build passive income by turning their years of experience into online courses. Through his work, he has helped Counselors build their personal brand, free up time by generating multiple streams of income, and rethink what it means to build their overall practice. In his free time, Mr. Petroski is relearning how to live life through the eyes of his 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter, is an aspiring drummer, and loves to ride through many bike paths that Colorado has to offer. The Mindset Shift To Build Your Practice The first step in taking the journey down building an online course is thinking of your practice as something big. It would help if you stopped thinking about your private practice as a practice; instead, think about it as a business. Shift that mindset from a practice owner to a business owner. Then you start thinking about the proper ways to grow a business outside of getting people into your practice. Think about the business side of what you're trying to accomplish and how to grow your income. The Importance of A Niche To Diversify Income Think about how you can turn your into an income stream. Maybe you've seen success with marriage counseling. How can you help more people with their marriages instead of just the people you see in your practice? An online course will help you go from the one-on-one method of making income to reaching many people simultaneously. No longer will you need to trade your time for money. Building An Online Course There's an upfront cost associated with getting your online course off the ground. However, once you reach that breakeven point, all other sales will be straight profit. Plus, you'll get a vast reach of people. Building an online course is a smart investment for people who are looking to diversify their income streams and find a larger audience. Creating Passive Income Within Your Private Practice If you haven't already, you need to check out ; they have a one-stop-shop for content, training, and resources on building a successful and thriving online business. Passive income is the idea that you can create something that gives you the ability to make money in a nontraditional way. With passive income, you can have assets that allow you to make money without your direct involvement. It's not entirely passive because there is some level of maintenance and attention required. Online courses will have upfront work and costs. In addition, there is some SEO work that will need attention periodically. Producing Your Online Course The production aspect of creating an online course is the biggest fear for private practice owners. Most people don't know how to develop well-produced videos and only have a smartphone to create content. Well, there are different ways that you can create an online course. Some people will record themselves live while using a DSLR camera. Other times people make a voiceover PowerPoint where their content is more of the focus, and they're putting an audio recording over the presentation. If you're advanced in the technology space, then it's easy to get started on production. If this type of technology is new to you, Paul recommends getting a coach or finding an expert to assist. You Are An Expert: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome A lot of times when it comes to business, we hear the concept of . When thinking about creating an online course, counselors are worried that no one will buy it. Think about how long you've been a counselor and how many clients you have helped. You have an experience that would be of benefit to people. The reality is that you are an expert. Once you can get over , then you will be successful in selling your online course. 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! Paul Petroski's Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Chris Swenson | Self-Publishing for Therapists, Coaches, and Consultants | TPOT 189
08/02/2021
Chris Swenson | Self-Publishing for Therapists, Coaches, and Consultants | TPOT 189
In this episode, Chris talks about the process he uses to books. If you don’t think writing a book is worth it, Chris is here to tell you otherwise. You may not make a ton of money from royalties; however, self-publishing has many other benefits. You can diversify your income when you’re known as an authority figure and as an expert in your field. Tune in as Chris dives deep into the self-publishing process, including the importance of an outline, an editor, and how to navigate imposter syndrome. Meet Chris Swenson is the author of the recently published book, “Private Practice Warrior.” He is the Owner/Founder/solo-operator of Rhino Wellness Center which is Chris’ successful full-time solo practice in rural Colorado. Chris is a true Private Practice Warrior who is currently developing a program called, “Private Practice Warrior – A Powerful Mindset for Ambitious Practice Owners – The “Way” to True Fulfillment in Life and Business. To receive a free pdf copy of “Private Practice Warrior” and a special bonus, click The Benefits of Writing A Book Some people want to write a book, but they don’t think they’ll make a significant amount of money from it. Chris says you may not make a lot of money from the royalties, but the benefits will pay off in the long run. When you write a book, you’ll gain a lot of credibility as an expert in your industry. When you are an authority on your topic, you’ll get invites to speak at events and programs. It’s like having a business card – you can show people what you have done and put yourself out there. The Self-Publishing Process First, start with an idea. What is something that you have always wanted to write about? If you help people with something all the time, that can be an excellent topic for your book. When you have an idea in mind, check out other books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Spend some time looking at the reviews for similar books. That way, you can see what people liked about the books and what people think the author could improve. Next, you’ll want to identify your purpose for writing the book. The purpose will guide you through the process. If you forget why you’re writing a book, then you are going to get off track. Pick A Style and Start Your Outline Think about the style of book you are looking to write. Are you going to be more on the traditional and scientific side of writing? Or will you write your book more like a story? You can follow a character as they learn life lessons. After you know the style, then you need to start your outline. The outline helps with the writing process – it can be challenging to start. One way to start an outline is by doing a brain dump. Write everything and anything that you think of in your head. From there, you can bundle ideas into themes. Get as creative as you can with the outline; it will make the writing process more streamlined. Finding Time To Write Your Book When you’re finding time to write your book, that’s where the purpose comes into play. Remember why you decided to write the book in the first place. If you don’t have a purpose for writing the book, you will never find time to finish it. To help with the process, come up with a writing plan. If you know what day you want to publish by, then you can work backward. Think about how many chapters you need to write each week to finish the book on time. If you don’t finish in time, it’s okay! Keep trucking along and continue writing. Chris likes to speak into his phone instead of writing it down. That way, the process goes by way faster. Should You Hire An Editor? A lot of people who will recommend that you hire an editor to go over your book. Remember that there are different kinds of editors. Some people will edit for content, development, and even grammatical. If you’re not sure where to find an editor, you can hire a freelance one using the website . When you edit your own book, you may keep adding and adding things – it will drag the process on. So, please stick to your schedule and get it done. If you need to add more, then don’t be afraid to write another edition. Create Your Title & Cover While the book is being edited, you can finally start thinking of a title and draft the cover of your book. Chris loves to use for his covers. If you’re publishing an eBook, then is the way to go. If you want something that looks a little more professional, then you can hire a graphic designer. Again, you can check out to hire a freelancer for the job. Always go back to the purpose and who you want to reach. That way, it will determine if you need a cover for an eBook, printed book, or both! Imposter Syndrome As An Author You’re never going to overcome as an author. Instead, it would be best if you worked through the thoughts and the feelings you have. Those thoughts are going to be there – you need to accept them and embrace them. Then, you can move through it and continue the writing process. If you are going to put yourself out there, you will hear the whispers of imposter syndrome. Part of the process is accepting those whispers. These are the same topics that our clients deal with all the time. Think about what you would tell your clients about dealing with their internal critics. It’s better to take imperfect action than perfect action. Put the draft out there and finetune your book afterward. 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! Chris Swenson's Resources Get your free copy of Email Chris: [email protected] Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Leah Leynor | The Therapist In The Attic | TPOT 188
07/26/2021
Leah Leynor | The Therapist In The Attic | TPOT 188
During the pandemic, most of us started conducting psychotherapy sessions through 100% Telehealth. "The Therapist In The Attic," Leah Leynor joins the show to talk about her transition from her thriving private psychotherapy practice office to the attic. Plus, Leah speaks about her consulting work and what private practice owners are struggling with today as the pandemic winds down. Later, we talk all about becoming an insurance-based practice and what sorts of things you need to consider before accepting insurance. Tune in as we chat about diversifying your income, negotiating rates with insurance companies, and marketing your private practice. Meet Leah Leynor Leah Leynor provides a variety of counseling services to families and individual children, teens, and adults in Cary, North Carolina. She holds a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pfeiffer University, a massage therapy diploma from the American and European Massage Clinic, and a Bachelor's degree in political science from Rider University. She is a certified hypnotherapist with specialized training in trauma counseling and family systems. She is a proud member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the North Carolina Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (NCAMFT). The Therapist In The Attic During the pandemic, Leah ultimately moved her practice from in-person to her attic. The attic was the perfect place for privacy and for consulting with clients. Whenever Leah called herself the therapist in the attic, people would laugh. For Leah, the attic was a way to connect with others in complex, uncertain, and stressful times. Plus, when you think about it, we are all somewhat "stuck in the attic." Leah hopes to relate to the varied experiences many of us have been experiencing in these uncertain times. What Private Practice Owners Are Struggling With Today Most private practice owners have a high level of anxiety because of the pandemic. Many people question if private practice is the right move for them or if they need to start changing their business plans. Plus, they have anxiety around dealing with stressed-out clients while managing their businesses' administrative side. On top of private practice responsibilities, many owners are looking after their children participating in online classes. Finally, people are considering if life will go back to the way it was or adjust to a new normal. Becoming An Insurance-Based Practice When thinking about becoming an insurance-based practice, there are a few questions you should ask yourself first. - What brought you to this decision? - Where do you see your practice going? - What would you like to see in your practice? You don't have as much control over your fees with insurance-based practices because the insurance companies determine it. So, you need to set your expectations accordingly. You can't just ask the insurance company to change your prices. Plus, you'll want to consider how your marketing and website efforts are going. You'll need to ensure the right people see your advertising when using insurance panels. Negotiating A Higher Fee From An Insurance Company Negotiating a higher fee will depend on the insurance company. Sometimes, you have to put the negotiation in writing. The insurance company may ask what your proposed rate would be. Other times, you need to find the contract negotiator representative and call them directly. Then, you can start the negotiation process. You have to find out what the process is for the specific insurance company. If the insurance company is not taking negotiations, then you should figure out why. The best time to negotiate is a couple of months before recredentialing. 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! Leah’s Resources Call: 919-268-2182 Resources July Sale on Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Salley Schmid | How To Self-Publish & Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 187
07/19/2021
Salley Schmid | How To Self-Publish & Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 187
In this episode, Salley Schmid takes us through her journey to creating journals for her clients. Not only is creating products a great way to , but it also is a fantastic way to help people who wouldn't typically be in your reach. One of Salley's journals is a tool for clients to calm their emotions and thoughts when they are running amuck. Tune in as Salley talks about the self-publishing process, what to know before writing a book, and the importance of multiple income streams in private practice. Meet Salley Schmid I am a Kansas native, having been transplanted to Texas from Colorado. I am pretty sure I was supposed to be born in Colorado, but my parents forgot to move there. For several years now, I gladly call Waco, Texas my home and love this community and the people I have come to know and call my friends. I consider it a privilege to begin a business in such an entrepreneurially focused community. My passion is helping people succeed. I am the proud mother of teenage twin daughters. They keep my heart very full. I am blessed with a very supportive husband. I also enjoy time with his son, who is the same age as my twin daughters. My favorite times in life are with my family, especially when all 5 of us can be together. I earned a Master of Science in Family Therapy from a small school in Wichita Kansas, Friends University in 1996 and a Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University. I have worked in a counseling and administrative capacity since that time in out-patient, in-patient, day treatment, residential, foster care, educational, and private practice settings. I have worked in the field of mental health and human services since 1985. I understand and respect the important role personal values play in self-evaluation, change, growth, healing, relationships, and success. I practice from a holistic and resilience-based approach to helping people. I help people explore their strengths and learn to harness the success that already lies within them for visible, life and relationship change. Discovering the hindrances present in life and while planning to overcome those obstacles to achieve their best. "One of my greatest honors has been to help people emerge strong and successful on the other side of a difficult or unplanned life transition" Currently, I provide Professional Development Training for human service professionals as well as Counseling services. My counseling practice specializes in helping people transition to a place of strength after experiencing trauma, traumatic grief, and difficult or unplanned life transitions. I work with individuals (adolescents and adults), families, and parents from a family systems perspective. I have extensive experience working with individuals who have experienced trauma, traumatic grief, divorce, parenting difficulties, blended families, and attachment difficulties. I am Certified in the Daring Way by Brene` Brown as well as being a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer. Creating A Journal For Clients The pandemic had a lot of gifts that were hidden in it. One of those hidden gifts was Salley putting into book format the visual processes she does with clients. Her clients are responding very well to it. It's a journal that's really designed to help people understand how they get emotionally dysregulated and give them some tools to get out of emotional dysregulation. The journal is great for clients when they aren't able to get on the therapist's couch. However, it's not meant to be a replacement for therapy. Instead, it's a supplement for therapy. Check out Working On Your Products The longest process was the art journal because Salley worked on it for a couple of years to draw all of the images in it. Then, she got them turned into digital images. To create a book on artist-quality paper is very expensive. Salley quickly realized that it would not make any money or serve enough people. A friend of Salley's told her about Direct Publishing. So, she gave up her hope of artist quality paper and introduced her art journal on Amazon. It became a big success! Plus, Salley can sell them out of her office. Check out Learn About Self-Publishing Salley looked at different self-publishing options, and the cost was high. Trying to get a publisher was also tricky. is super user-friendly. Salley didn't have to learn a lot. Instead, tells you everything that you need to do. It's one of the fastest and most efficient ways to self-publish a book. For eBooks, authors can directly upload their book files, and it will appear in the Kindle store as an eBook for readers to purchase and instantly download. What To Know About Creating A Book It is imperative to have someone edit your work and look at it. When you're writing, you know what you mean. However, does someone else understand what you mean? Another set of eyes will be invaluable on your self-publishing and book-writing journey. If you're looking to have art in your book, you will need to find someone who knows how to digitize art. Don't try and do everything yourself because you can't know it all. Also, don't be afraid to invest money in places where there is the expertise that you don't have. Diversifying Income In Private Practice Having a book allows Salley to have another set of income. Salley is running a business – she needs to earn income. Products are a wonderful way to make extra money. Plus, Salley gets to extend her reach. Now, she gets to add value to people and can bring healing and transformation into their lives. Not everyone wants therapy, and not everyone can afford it. Salley's products make the healing work more accessible for people. Lastly, Salley is passionate about what she does. Remember to do the things that you're passionate about. 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! Salley’s Resources Resources July Sale on Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Salley Schmid | How To Self-Publish & Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 187
07/19/2021
Salley Schmid | How To Self-Publish & Diversify Private Practice Income | TPOT 187
In this episode, Salley Schmid takes us through her journey to creating journals for her clients. Not only is creating products a great way to , but it also is a fantastic way to help people who wouldn't typically be in your reach. One of Salley's journals is a tool for clients to calm their emotions and thoughts when they are running amuck. Tune in as Salley talks about the self-publishing process, what to know before writing a book, and the importance of multiple income streams in private practice. Meet Salley Schmid I am a Kansas native, having been transplanted to Texas from Colorado. I am pretty sure I was supposed to be born in Colorado, but my parents forgot to move there. For several years now, I gladly call Waco, Texas my home and love this community and the people I have come to know and call my friends. I consider it a privilege to begin a business in such an entrepreneurially focused community. My passion is helping people succeed. I am the proud mother of teenage twin daughters. They keep my heart very full. I am blessed with a very supportive husband. I also enjoy time with his son, who is the same age as my twin daughters. My favorite times in life are with my family, especially when all 5 of us can be together. I earned a Master of Science in Family Therapy from a small school in Wichita Kansas, Friends University in 1996 and a Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University. I have worked in a counseling and administrative capacity since that time in out-patient, in-patient, day treatment, residential, foster care, educational, and private practice settings. I have worked in the field of mental health and human services since 1985. I understand and respect the important role personal values play in self-evaluation, change, growth, healing, relationships, and success. I practice from a holistic and resilience-based approach to helping people. I help people explore their strengths and learn to harness the success that already lies within them for visible, life and relationship change. Discovering the hindrances present in life and while planning to overcome those obstacles to achieve their best. "One of my greatest honors has been to help people emerge strong and successful on the other side of a difficult or unplanned life transition" Currently, I provide Professional Development Training for human service professionals as well as Counseling services. My counseling practice specializes in helping people transition to a place of strength after experiencing trauma, traumatic grief, and difficult or unplanned life transitions. I work with individuals (adolescents and adults), families, and parents from a family systems perspective. I have extensive experience working with individuals who have experienced trauma, traumatic grief, divorce, parenting difficulties, blended families, and attachment difficulties. I am Certified in the Daring Way by Brene` Brown as well as being a Certified Positive Discipline Trainer. Creating A Journal For Clients The pandemic had a lot of gifts that were hidden in it. One of those hidden gifts was Salley putting into book format the visual processes she does with clients. Her clients are responding very well to it. It's a journal that's really designed to help people understand how they get emotionally dysregulated and give them some tools to get out of emotional dysregulation. The journal is great for clients when they aren't able to get on the therapist's couch. However, it's not meant to be a replacement for therapy. Instead, it's a supplement for therapy. Check out Working On Your Products The longest process was the art journal because Salley worked on it for a couple of years to draw all of the images in it. Then, she got them turned into digital images. To create a book on artist-quality paper is very expensive. Salley quickly realized that it would not make any money or serve enough people. A friend of Salley's told her about Direct Publishing. So, she gave up her hope of artist quality paper and introduced her art journal on Amazon. It became a big success! Plus, Salley can sell them out of her office. Check out Learn About Self-Publishing Salley looked at different self-publishing options, and the cost was high. Trying to get a publisher was also tricky. is super user-friendly. Salley didn't have to learn a lot. Instead, tells you everything that you need to do. It's one of the fastest and most efficient ways to self-publish a book. For eBooks, authors can directly upload their book files, and it will appear in the Kindle store as an eBook for readers to purchase and instantly download. What To Know About Creating A Book It is imperative to have someone edit your work and look at it. When you're writing, you know what you mean. However, does someone else understand what you mean? Another set of eyes will be invaluable on your self-publishing and book-writing journey. If you're looking to have art in your book, you will need to find someone who knows how to digitize art. Don't try and do everything yourself because you can't know it all. Also, don't be afraid to invest money in places where there is the expertise that you don't have. Diversifying Income In Private Practice Having a book allows Salley to have another set of income. Salley is running a business – she needs to earn income. Products are a wonderful way to make extra money. Plus, Salley gets to extend her reach. Now, she gets to add value to people and can bring healing and transformation into their lives. Not everyone wants therapy, and not everyone can afford it. Salley's products make the healing work more accessible for people. Lastly, Salley is passionate about what she does. Remember to do the things that you're passionate about. 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! Salley’s Resources Resources July Sale on Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Aaron Carpenter | Tips For Private Practice Branding | TPOT 186
07/12/2021
Aaron Carpenter | Tips For Private Practice Branding | TPOT 186
Aaron Carpenter has worked with hundreds of therapists, creating logos, practice websites, and mental health professional portals. He is here to give you some ideas around your branding, niche, and how you're putting yourself out there so that people can find you. The key to having a successful marketing campaign in private practice is by being clear about how you can help people. Tune in as Aaron gives tips for your website, marketing, and branding in private practice. Meet Aaron Carpenter Aaron Carpenter founded Legendary Lion Creative Agency in 2011. Since then, he’s worked with hundreds of therapists creating logos, practice websites, and mental health professional portals. Aaron and his firm work with mental health professionals to improve their digital presence through Mental Health Marketing where new resources and toolkits are made available to therapists for free every month. You can learn more at . Questions To Ask About Your Marketing Before you start coming up with designs for marketing your brand, there a few questions that you need to ask yourself: What does my space look like? What makes me unique? Why did I get started in private practice? Why did I choose my business name? Going through this activity will help you get clarity around your business and how you want to portray yourself visually. Most private practice owners do not have training in marketing. So, something we need to learn is the importance of creating a brand and understanding what that means for you and your business. The Importance of Creating A Brand When people create marketing materials, they think it's getting too salesy. However, marketing can be a way to build rapport and trust with potential clients. Branding is like the clothes that you wear. If you showed up to work in your pajamas, it wouldn't be the best foot forward. It's time to think about what feeling you want your clients to feel while at your practice. Usually, there is something unique that will help your clients be comfortable. Branding is a significant investment. If 100 potential clients reach out to you, how many of those are not taking you as seriously as you would like to be taken? That's why you need to spend energy on your online brand. Covid Changed The Online World During Covid, everyone had to move their business to the online world. So, online you need to portray your personality – it's a big deal to take the time to explain yourself online. If a web page takes a tenth of a second slower to load, you will lose website visitors. Look at your website and determine how well it is running and if people are getting a great sense of your branding. Tips For Improving Your Website If you are doing your website and branding yourself, then it's critical to keep it simple. People are not interested in your credentials. Instead, they are interested in your approach to therapy. Also, your website should have dedicated pages to the services that you provide. In addition, make sure it's easy for people to connect with you. Have a phone number in your header and have a contact page where people can fill out a form. People who are looking for therapy are in an interesting spot. The more mediums that you can open up, the better off you will be. Make It Easy For Your Potential Clients When people are looking for a therapist, they're uninformed buyers. So, they have no idea how they're going to connect with you. You'll be better off if you can create imagery and storytelling to help clients understand what it's like to work with you or what it's like to be a patient in your practice. Clients want to know that you are professional. So, it's critical to spend time and energy on your website and on your brand. 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! Aaron’s Resources Resources July Sale on Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Jamey Schrier | Why You Should Outsource In Private Practice | TPOT 185
07/05/2021
Jamey Schrier | Why You Should Outsource In Private Practice | TPOT 185
Everyone knows that you need to you do what you do. However, once you , it's time to figure out who will help on your private practice journey. I have Jamey Schrier on the show. He helps teach practice owners from all over North America how to build the business of their dreams and achieve practice freedom. We chat all about knowing your why, the importance of , and why finding help in private practice will be a total game-changer for your business. Meet Jamey Schrier Today, I live in Rockville, Maryland with my wife Colleen and kids Jack and Gracie. I’ve got an amazing (and growing) team that helps me teach practice owners from all over North America how to build the business of their dreams and achieve practice freedom. I’m an Amazon #1 Bestselling author. I put on highly engaging workshops that generate breakthrough after breakthrough of ideas. And I still get to spend a lot of time with my family – and I have plenty of time for sports, fun, and working on my passions. All of this was possible because I decided it was time to take control of my life and my business and create practice freedom. And now, it’s my goal to help people from all over the United States create the business and the lifestyle of their dreams. Why Are You Making Money? When we talk about the foundation of your business, you need to you chose this profession and why you chose to open up your own practice. Ultimately it's going to relate to really what you're about and how you plan to provide yourself a better life. Your life is not designed to do business all of the time. No one wants to spend all their time and energy on their business. However, your business should provide a . So, what is the that you want? Do you want to spend more time with your family? Do you want to travel more? How much money do you need to achieve your goals? It's okay to make money! Making money is a reflection of how many people you're helping. The Importance of Outsourcing Jamey started investing in himself as a business owner. Step one in investing in yourself is calling yourself an entrepreneur. You are an entrepreneur because you're relying solely on your own work. So, it's time to embrace that and not shy away. The first thing that Jamey delegated out was bookkeeping. When you , you have more time, you're less stressed, you're working smarter, and you're working more efficiently. So, Jamey started to look around at all of the things he doesn't like doing or is not the best at. Next, he hired someone to answer the phones. Overall, work smarter, not harder, and find ways to . Find Assistance on Your Private Practice Journey All private practice owners sell expertise and sell a solution to a problem. Business is all about testing, trying something, learning from mistakes, and changing how you do things. Therapists need to change their operating systems. It's time to let go of old habits that are no longer serving you. It's okay to let go, and it does not make you weak. In fact, letting go will make you strong. As a business owner, you influence a role that no one else in your business has. So, it's time to learn how to be a leader and operate in that mode. Open yourself up to the people that can help you. We can't do private practice on our own, we shouldn't do it on our own, and there's no glory in trying to do it on our own. 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! Jamey’s Resources Resources July Sale on Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Michaela Bucchianeri | How To Practice In Multiple States | TPOT 184
06/28/2021
Michaela Bucchianeri | How To Practice In Multiple States | TPOT 184
Michaela is a licensed psychologist and copywriter for health and wellness professionals. She joins the show today to speak about expanding your reach with marketing, specifically in multiple states. First, therapists need to redefine marketing and how it looks for them. Plus, Michaela talks about the importance of an 'About Page' and how you can uplevel the copy you use on your website and social media. Meet Michaela Bucchianeri Michaela Bucchianeri [mih-KAY-luh BOO-kyuh-NEHR-ee], PhD, LP, is a licensed psychologist and copy coach for health and wellness professionals. She shares practical guidance to help healers and helpers get clear on their unique value, communicate it with heart, attract and serve the people they love working with most… and actually have fun along the way! Expanding Your Reach With Marketing First, get clear with your reach goal. What territories are you looking to expand into? Depending on who you want to reach will dictate what you write on your website, and what SEO will work for your practice. No matter where you want to find people, make sure your potential clients get a cohesive picture of who you are. Also, make sure to do location-specific outreach. There’s a layer of complexity, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Think about which communities you are a member of – get to know your local communities and local issues. We Need To Redefine Marketing Therapists didn’t go to school for marketing. At the same time, we need to get over it and redefine it. We have to operate differently on social media. We can’t just ask about traumatic situations on Instagram. Instead, we have to frontload relationship building through marketing and education. From there, potential clients will reach out to you for assistance. Plus, you have to convey to people in as few words as possible what life will be like when they come to therapy. How To Write Copy For Your Website Therapists are natural copywriters and natural communicators. Start by creating a copy bank of words and phrases from people you are trying to reach. This can be a simple spreadsheet where you store terms that your clients are using to describe what is bringing them to therapy. Plus, you need to mention the benefit that people will receive from therapy. What is their life going to be like after seeing you? Think about what your clients would say to this question: If you woke up tomorrow, and none of this was a struggle for you anymore, what would be different? Over time, you accrue lots of different examples of this copy from clients. The Importance of Having an About Page The about page gets a lot of traffic. Luckily, your about page doesn’t have to be complicated. Instead, it’s about making the about page more concise, so people do not have a hard time reading it on your website. Michaela wants to help you stand OUT while standing firmly IN your own personality and integrity. She is ready to help you be more intentional with your copy to beat overwhelm and get that page up. You can learn more about Michaela by checking out her website 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! Michaela’s Resources Resources July Sale on Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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4 Ways To Be In Private Practice as a Clinician | TPOT 183
06/21/2021
4 Ways To Be In Private Practice as a Clinician | TPOT 183
Is the traditional private practice a good fit for you? This episode is all about the different ways you can be in private practice and why it may or may not be suitable. First, Gordon explains what type of clinician would excel at private practice and how it can be a great challenge for most people. Then, Gordon dives into the four different ways to be in private practice as a clinician. Tune in for tips and tricks on how to start, grow, and expand your practice. Is Private Practice Right For You? Private practice isn't necessarily for everyone. It takes a certain kind of person to be in private practice. The number one reason people want to go into private practice is because of the autonomy that it gives them. Being your own boss and just working for yourself is appealing because it gives you a lot of flexibility in your time. However, it's not for everyone. Many people want to work for someone else because they get benefits, they're an employee, their income is predictable, and they may have a retirement plan and health insurance already ready to go. People that are in private practice need to have an entrepreneurial spirit about them. Private practice owners need to like the challenge of entrepreneurship. However, many people do not like the challenge and the risk that is involved with private practice. If you are interested in private practice but you're not interested in growing something big, then you don't have to. You can have a very successful private practice as a solo practitioner. Since Covid, it's possible to build just completely online practice. That's one model of private practice. . This will help you compare the 4 different models. Working As An Independent Contractor Another model of private practice is putting yourself out there as an independent contractor. One way you can do this is through popular online platforms like BetterHelp, Talkspace, etc. When you sign up to be a therapist on platforms like these, you are signing up as an independent contractor. They will provide you with a platform, and they will provide you with clients. For some people, that might be very appealing. Even if you are an independent contractor, you are still self-employed. This is one thing that many people will get in trouble with because you still have to pay your self-employment taxes. Find An Accountant And An Attorney For people who are still going the full contractor route, form a separate entity for yourself like an LLC. Talk to an accountant and an attorney about your options. That way, you will have more protection. If you're contracting yourself out, you're just contracting out your LLC. There are different ways you can be taxed as an LLC, so it will be critical to get an accountant's opinion. Depending on how much you are making is how you should set up your entity. Growing A Group Practice Another thing you should think about is going into a group practice. Maybe you're already a solo practice. If you love the entrepreneurial sides of things, leading people, the excitement of growing a company, and bringing on more and more people, then start a group practice. Whether you are thinking about a part-time contractor or bringing on full-time employees, there are some factors that help you know when the situation and timing are right. Check out the to learn more about growing group 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 Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Manoj Kanagaraj | Insurance Paneling Options with Grow Therapy | TPOT 182
06/14/2021
Manoj Kanagaraj | Insurance Paneling Options with Grow Therapy | TPOT 182
Today I am lucky to have Manoj Kanagaraj from join the show. is a multi-state behavioral health group on a mission to help independent providers thrive. There are many benefits to working with Grow Therapy, and Manoj explains who will thrive working with them. If you are looking to dive into private practice, Therapy might be right for you. Tune in as we talk about how will help you collect from insurance companies, the importance of a community on your journey, and how to get started with . Meet Manoj Kanagaraj Manoj Kanagaraj is an MD/MBA Candidate at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School. He is also co-founder of , a startup enabling mental health professionals to offer more affordable, accessible, and integrated behavioral care. All About Grow Therapy is a technology-enabled mental health group on a mission to help clients find affordable mental health care. They help their clinicians from a back-end standpoint. That way, mental health professionals don't have to worry about getting paid by insurance companies or having some base source of referrals. For clients with insurance, they could pay nothing. However, this will vary depending on their insurance plan. Overall, Grow Therapy is infrastructure or a back end for somebody who wants their own private practice to get more support, or it's for someone who hasn't started a private practice before. Many people want to take the step to private practice, and helps those clinicians. Collecting From Insurance Companies Once you see a client, will offer an estimated time of when you can expect that to get paid and how much would be based on the contract we have with the insurance company. Then, the Grow Therapy team will submit the claim, do all of the follow-ups, and go straight to the clinician's account. Technically, the clinicians are contractors for Grow Therapy. Grow Therapy started in Florida, and they built a pretty large community there. In Florida, they have close to 350 mental health professionals. Plus, they have a thriving community, and it's growing nicely. Now, they are moving into a handful of other states like Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and DC. Having A Community With Grow Therapy Anyone that joins gets invited to their online community. You have the chance to meet hundreds of other folks who have taken the same leap or have been on this journey. Manoj says it's also been nice to see leaders grow and autonomously take positions within the community of starting peer support groups around specific topics. Mental health professionals are some of the best people, and luckily the community has flourished on its own. How To Get Started With Grow Therapy The important thing is whether we're if whether you're licensed in the states we currently are active in. However, it should be expanding pretty soon. The first step would be to go to and enter some basic information about yourself. Then, someone will be in touch with you for an interview. Check out the provider page 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! Manoj’s Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Andréa Jones | Beating Social Media Overwhelm in Private Practice | TPOT 181
06/07/2021
Andréa Jones | Beating Social Media Overwhelm in Private Practice | TPOT 181
Are you ready to make an impact? Andréa Jones helps coaches, consultants, thought leaders, and passion-led online business owners impact and empower more people through strategic social media marketing strategies. First, we talk about how to fight the overwhelm of social media. Then, we dive into the importance of starting small and staying consistent. Tune in as Andréa gives loads of social media tips, including the ABCs of writing captions. Meet Andréa Jones Andréa Jones is fiercely committed to empowering businesses to utilize the power of social media in a positive and impactful way, without being overwhelmed and drained by it. With over 7 years of experience in the game, Andréa hosts the acclaimed podcast Savvy Social Podcast, leads a team providing done-for-you service inside of her marketing agency that was named a , and serves over 200 students in her membership . You can find her online at or . Fighting The Overwhelm of Social Media Feeling overwhelmed by social media is natural; social media can feel like another language sometimes. To fight the overwhelm, choose a platform that you are most comfortable with to get started. If you already have a personal Facebook account, then it can be easy to create a Facebook account for your private practice. Next, think about how you should spend time on these platforms. Andréa says you should focus on a time limit for social media. There's so much that goes into posts, and it may add to that overwhelming feeling when you spend too much time on one. So when you sit down to write those posts, try to spend one hour a week working on your social media content. Sometimes in that one hour, you may only put together one caption and snap a photo of your location, and that's okay. Throughout the week, check your account for ten minutes each day. Checking daily really helps build the muscle and the skills needed to do social media. Start Small With Social Media When we look at social media, sometimes we're looking at a team of people working on their social media accounts. People who are in private practice still hire a group of people to help them with their work. Even though you see a selfie, you see a video; sometimes, there's a team of people behind that. When you compare yourself to other people on social media, you're not giving yourself a fair chance. Overall, you will want to start small when it comes to your social media. Over time, you can add more people to help you out with your posts and your content. The Importance of Consistency First, start with one social media platform. Instead of having consistent posts, be consistent with the time that you spend on social media. You will get better at it naturally; just like anything, you will get better the more you practice. Focus on one platform and get consistent. Before you dive into social media, Andréa has an exercise that you can do. On one side of a piece of paper, write the word "before." On the other side, write the word "after." Now, think about your clients. What do they feel before working with you, and what do they feel after working with you. Write down all of these feelings. Later, these feelings can all be turned into social media posts. The ABCs of Writing A Caption Your captions on social media should follow the ABC rule. A: Grabbing attention in some way. Why would someone stop at your post when they are scrolling through social media? B: Benefit statement. Tell your followers why you want to help them and how you are going to do that. Focus on the feelings of your potential clients. C: Call to action. This is the part where we're extending our hands out; we're inviting them to take that next step with us. 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! Andrea’s Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Lisa Noble | Developing A Marketing Plan in Private Practice | TPOT 180
05/31/2021
Lisa Noble | Developing A Marketing Plan in Private Practice | TPOT 180
This episode is all about having a marketing plan for your private practice. I am lucky to be joined by Lisa Noble; she is a Brand Strategist and Web Designer. First, we talk about how relationship-building can be one of your most significant assets for marketing and getting more clients into your practice. Then, Lisa dives into social media trends and answers the question: which social media platform should I be on? Later, Lisa gives the scoop on how she starts from scratch when building a successful marketing plan for private practice owners. Meet Lisa Noble I’m Lisa M. Noble and as a Brand Strategist and Web Designer, I work with female therapists and entrepreneurs who are eager to build and grow their client loads. I specialize in brand and marketing strategies to help my therapists get the traffic and marketing pieces to running a private practice. I started this business because as a professional web designer working in corporate I learned that a website with no strategy behind it is just a pretty brochure. In that role, I got an insider's look and saw exactly how to create strategies that help businesses grow and make websites that convert sales. For over 15 years I’ve worked with business owners, therapists, and private practice owners, confused, and frustrated about how to move forward with their businesses so I know exactly what works and what doesn't! I believe that every therapist should work with the clients they would love to work with. Relationship Building To Boost Marketing When starting a marketing strategy, talk with your colleagues. Talk with people who are in your niche as well as those who are outside of it. When you start talking to them, you can first find out what they've already done as private practice owners; they've already paved the way and done some of the marketing that you need to do. In addition, these people will be a good referral source because their private practice will get full, especially now with what's going on during the pandemic. Please send an email to other private practice owners and ask them to get coffee or send them a Zoom invite. When it comes down to it, marketing is about building relationships. Social Media Trends In Private Practice Video is massive on social media right now. Many people don't want to hear it, but it's time to step out of your comfort zone and start making videos. People are trying to connect and decide who they want to talk to. So, get on video and show your mannerisms, show what you look like, how you speak, tell them your philosophies about certain things, and reveal your formula to help them. That way, potential clients can get an idea of how you will talk to them. Videos are the very key to bringing business in the door. If you're not sure which social media platform to start on, that is okay! You'll want to be on the social media platform that your ideal client is on. So, think about who your ideal client is. What do they like to do? Where do they like to hang out? What is their favorite social media platform? Then, you can determine what kind of social media platform you need to be on. Also, remember that social media is constantly changing, and different demographics jump on trends at various times. So, be sure to keep up to date with what's going on in the virtual world. Starting Your Marketing Plan From Scratch First, you'll want to know who your ideal customer is and get to know them. You'll want to know what your professional goals are and the goals of your ideal client. Next, you can create a logo and start looking at your social media channels. After, make a brand style guide that will cover every aspect of your business. What mood will your brand give off? What colors do you want to use? What fonts will you write in? Later, you can create your website and add content. You'll want to make sure to set up pages; it's so helpful when you're thinking about SEO. Not many people realize that SEO needs to be part of their marketing strategy. Eventually, PR will come into play. Sadly, many times, people will try to do a marketing plan by just throwing darts at the board and not really having a good plan in mind. If you don't know where you're going, then how are you going to get there? It's critical to have a plan in mind! 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! Lisa’s Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Judd Carlton | Retirement Planning In Private Practice | TPOT 179
05/24/2021
Judd Carlton | Retirement Planning In Private Practice | TPOT 179
The sooner you start planning for retirement, the better off you're going to be in the long run. Even if it's just a tiny bit that you save towards your retirement, it's going to make a big difference! Judd Carlton is a financial advisor serving families, individuals, and businesses in Morristown, NJ. He explains the importance of thinking about retirement as soon as possible. Then, we dive into the more financial aspects of your practice. For instance, if you've got a group practice, Judd describes why you may want to create either a 401(k) for your employees or some other retirement plan within your practice. Plus, Judd reveals the differences between SEP IRA & SIMPLE IRA Plans. Meet Judd Carlton is a financial advisor serving families, individuals, and businesses in Morristown, NJ, and beyond. He specializes in finance for business owners and mental health professionals, helping them align the finances of their practice with their long-term financial planning and investment objectives. graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University with a BA in Economics and has an MS in Accounting from the Silberman College of Business at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He also holds the CFP® and AIF ® designations. is also a husband, father of three girls, and dog dad. He posts, blogs, and makes YouTube videos on financial subjects that may be of interest to business owners, psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health group practice owners. Think About Retirement Early It's essential to start thinking early about retirement because, in the world of investing, time is on your side when you have a lot of it. The earlier you get started then, the better things will work out for you because of the power of compounding. Even starting five years or ten years sooner can make a huge difference. As you change and develop in your career, you might jump from an employee role to a self-employed role; then, the complication accelerates. The wise choice when it comes to investing in your retirement is to be conservative. You never want to have an issue or feel stressed about money. Once you cross those hurdles, it's good to start thinking about what's next. So that's often where Judd will offer some guidance about managing your cash flow while saving up for retirement. How To Approach Retirement There's a couple of ways to approach setting up the right retirement plan. First, you need to consider what kind of business structure you are working with. If you have a solo practice, saving for retirement will be a lot simpler to figure out. If you have a group practice, things are going to be more complicated. However, both will have great opportunities. A great way to start is with small and simple things. As time goes on, you can really be more methodical and look at every possibility. Hiring therapists can be challenging when there is a mental health crisis. So, you may want to offer therapists a 401(k) option as an incentive. Even as a small business, you can create a 401(k) that feels just like what a fortune 500 company might have. Later, you can start thinking about a pension plan. SEP IRA & SIMPLE IRA Plans Judd recommends a few different options when it comes to retirement plans. SEP (Simplified Employee Pension) plan provides employers a method to make contributions to the employees' retirement and their own retirement. The SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees) gives employees a way to make salary reduction contributions, and the employer makes matching or nonelective contributions. Each plan has a limit on how high you can go. SEP goes a little bit higher, and there's less flexibility with this plan – everyone is going to get the same percent. Any financial planner or accountant can help you figure out which plan is right for you and your practice. Why You Should Consider A Roth IRA The Roth IRA was introduced for people who are early in their career or for people who do not want to save. Some of the regular IRA plans are not that helpful when you are in a lower tax bracket. When you put money into the Roth, you don't get any deductions. However, that money is going to grow for years and years. When you take that money out, it's going to be completely income tax-free. That's going to be tremendous savings; it's a powerful tool. If you're newer to your career and you want to start saving money, Judd highly recommends starting a Roth IRA. 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! Judd’s Resources Email Judd: Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Whitney Owens | Consulting, The Enneagram, & Religion In Private Practice | TPOT 178
05/17/2021
Whitney Owens | Consulting, The Enneagram, & Religion In Private Practice | TPOT 178
In this episode, Whitney Owens opens the show by explaining the importance of having grace and acceptance on your private practice journey. If you aren't as productive as you want to be, learn from your mistakes and make better choices moving forward. Whitney also explains why she does a time study to determine where she spends most of her working hours and what she can improve on in the future. Plus, Whitney reveals why learning more about Enneagrams has taken her business to the next level, and we chat about using faith in private practice. 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 . 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. Practice Grace And Acceptance The most important thing is that private practice owners need to provide themselves is grace and acceptance. When a day doesn't go the way you want it to, or maybe you don't prioritize everything the way you would wish to, it's best to learn from it. Always take a lesson from the mistakes that you make and make better choices moving forward. Never beat yourself up for something! Delegating has been huge for Whitney as she works on managing more and more in her personal life and professional life. She relies on her husband tremendously when she needs help around the house and their children. Conduct A Time Study A time study is significant because our time gets away from us, and we have no idea where we spend it. From a financial standpoint, it's essential to know where your time is going. If you have a side hustle for your practice, think about where you spend your time and which one is bringing you more income. Also, think about where you can delegate more. If you're spending too much time in one area and not getting enough money, consider having more delegation efforts. That way, you can focus your time on the area that will bring you the most income. Making a list will help you see where you can save time throughout the day. Consider Joining A Mastermind Group Do you want to grow a faith-based group practice? Whitney's favorite thing about consulting is the group work that she gets to do with people. Specifically, she loves mastermind groups because you see these great connections come together in a small group of people working on their business. Whitney's mastermind group is for people who have a faith-based practice. In the group, they talk about religion when appropriate, but they also work on their businesses. Luckily, Whitney and her group get to pray for each other and use their faith to help make business decisions together. If you want to learn more about Growing Your Faith-Based Practice with Faith in Practice Mastermind, check out the link: . Learn More About Enneagrams When Whitney learned that the Enneagram Type 1 has a critical voice in their head at all times, she was confused. Whitney thought that everyone had a critical voice in their head. Also, Enneagram Type 1 carries anger around with them; they are angry at the world for being so messed up. These simple things spoke to Whitney. After digging into the Enneagram Type 1, Whitney understands herself so much better. Now Whitney uses it to understand other people and help other people know themselves. In fact, Whitney is planning an Enneagram Type 1 training for all of her staff next week. Overall, Whitney does it with all her clients, and she does it with everyone she consults; it really helps move treatment and businesses along. Learn more about Enneagrams by checking out Ian Cron's work: . 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 Email: [email protected] Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Jessica Tappana | Life Balance and SEO Tips for Private Practice | TPOT 177
05/10/2021
Jessica Tappana | Life Balance and SEO Tips for Private Practice | TPOT 177
In this episode, Jessica from Simplified SEO Consulting joins the show. First, Jessica explains how she has learned to accept her imperfections when it comes to time management. Remember, therapists can't be all things to all people all of the time! Plus, Jessica tells us what she has done to make her email inbox so much more manageable. Tune in as Jessica gives loads of tips on SEO and how to get your counseling website to rank higher on Google. Meet Jessica Tappana Jessica Tappana started her private practice on her maternity leave about 20 months ago. After filling up in only a matter of months, she decided to bring on other therapists as 1099s and transitioned Aspire Counseling into a group practice. Worried about how she would fill the caseloads of these new therapists, Jessica tried several different marketing strategies. Ultimately, she decided to focus on getting her website to the first page of Google and began teaching herself SEO at nights after her kids were in bed. Slowly after gathering a couple of tips here and there, she got her website to the first page for nearly every keyword she targets. Aspire Counseling has grown to now include five therapists and a virtual assistant! In fact, all of the therapists are nearly full, and Jessica hopes to find a few more quality team members in the months to come. Meanwhile, Jessica has discovered a passion for teaching other private practice owners what she has learned about website Search Engine Optimization. As a private practice SEO Consultant, she has had the opportunity to work with therapists from around the country sharing her SEO secrets. She’s both optimized websites for private practices AND has taught therapists how to do the SEO work themselves through Zoom meetings and enjoyed watching their sites begin to climb to the first page of Google even in larger metropolitan areas like Atlanta or Houston. Recently Jessica released a that teaches therapists all the necessary information they need to know and has received positive feedback across the board from other practice owners who are raving about the vast amount of information covered in only seven e-mails. Accepting Imperfections Around Time Management Accepting your imperfections and accepting your reality will be critical when it comes to time management. Some people always think they can see one more client during the day. However, you’ll start to realize that’s not always practical. In reality, you can do better if you accept your limitations as a private practice owner and as a therapist. Drawing boundaries will help you stay more present in everything that you do. Remember, you can’t be everything to everyone all of the time. When you have healthy boundaries between work and your personal life, you will be a better therapist because of it. Managing Your Email Inbox Jessica has started getting some help with managing her email inbox. Many people find that they put incredible pressure on themselves to respond to emails immediately or within twenty-four hours. Depending on how full your inbox is, that can be impossible. That’s why Jessica is outsourcing help for her email work. Of course, there are emails that she needs to respond to personally. However, those go into a particular folder for her to check periodically. In fact, Jessica is getting help from Uriah Guilford, who made an appearance on . His has been a total game-changer for Jessica and how she runs her inbox. Outsourcing Your SEO Jessica outsources a lot of her private practice SEO. Even though Jessica is knowledgeable in SEO, she has trained all her staff to do it. Jessica realized that she doesn’t need to be the one to optimize all of her blog posts. When Jessica first started her website, absolutely no one was clicking on it. However, Jessica learned everything she needed to know about SEO and applied it to her counseling website. Now, Jessica has a full practice and a thriving business. At , Jessica helps her clients get to the top of search engines. That way, therapists can fill their caseloads and reach their ideal clients. If you’re looking to learn more about SEO, Jessica has . SEO Tip: Content Is Key Content will be your best asset when it comes to SEO for your private practice website. Therapists are always worried about writing the right thing. When you write a lot on your website, therapists often think that their potential clients aren’t going to read the content. Well, Jessica says a great way to improve readability is by creating subheadings for your content. That way, if someone is scanning the page, they can find exactly what they are looking for when reading the subheadings. You need enough information on your website for Google to know what your content is all about. If you don’t have enough content, Google won’t pull your website up when someone is making a search. Having A Niche Is Critical For Your SEO When you have a niche, SEO content will be a breeze. Instead of having fifty different specialties, you can narrow it down to a select few. When you narrow it down, you can write all sorts of things about those niches. If you niche down and write a whole page about depression, that’s a great start. Then, write blog posts on how to combat depression, tips for dealing with depression, what to know about depression. That way, Google starts to see that this website knows a lot about depression. When people search for help with depression, your website will pop 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! Jessica’s Resources Email: Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Uriah Guilford | Managing Your Time and Being Productive In Private Practice | TPOT 176
05/03/2021
Uriah Guilford | Managing Your Time and Being Productive In Private Practice | TPOT 176
In this episode, Uriah of joins the show. Uriah thinks that life is too short to burn out early. So, Uriah gives us tips on conquering the overwhelm and growing your practice seamlessly with the least amount of stress possible. First, we chat about how you can conquer the email by using the inbox zero method and only checking your inbox three times a day. Later, Uriah reveals the three keys to and we talk about personal knowledge management. Meet Uriah Guilford I am a licensed therapist & group practice owner. I want to help you be more productive, profitable & happy with your business and your life. Basically, work less and get more done! If you have achieved any level of success in your private practice then you can relate to the following. You have more tasks to complete than hours in the day. You work super hard because you are passionate and want to grow. Sometimes you neglect your self-care and other important things in your life. Not so great right!? That is why I have built a team of amazing virtual assistants for practice owners just like you! Hiring a virtual assistant in 2012 was one of the best decisions I ever made. It allowed me to double my business income without feeling like I was losing my mind. Actually, go on vacation and not be tied to my iPhone the whole time. And serve my clients better! It made such a massive difference for me and it can for you as well! If this sounds interesting, check out our and the most we get all the time. Helping Therapists Conquer Email Overwhelm Do you feel frustrated and overwhelmed with your email inbox? In Uriah's , there are basically seven days of tips that have pretty quick action steps. On day two, he talks about batching; it's the simple idea of taking similar tasks, putting them together, and doing them simultaneously. So when you apply that to email, it means checking and processing email at certain times, but not throughout your day, not constantly. Uriah has made a massive change just this week - whenever his workday is done, he will close his email so that when he gets back to the computer the next day, he won't see his emails right away. Uriah created a schedule to process emails three times a day: nine, twelve, and three. Uriah hasn't been perfect. However, this week has made a huge difference so far because he is getting a lot more things done when he is spending hours away from his inbox. Typically, when someone has an email – they feel the urge to respond to it right away. Take away the urge! Reaching Inbox Zero Inbox zero means processing all your emails to the point where there are zero emails left. Uriah personally likes to be at inbox zero. Whether you have ten emails or one hundred emails, responding to the essential people and taking care of the things that are top priorities will be crucial. When you pay less attention to your inbox, you may not process every email you have. However, you can snooze the emails that are not urgent for you to respond to that day. Gmail has the most powerful tools for organizing – it lets you create filters and sort messages to prevent inbox overload. The Three Keys of Productivity Uriah highly recommends checking out . In the book, Michael speaks about the three keys of : elimination, automation, and delegation. So, Uriah likes to strategize with therapists to remove things from their calendar and their to-do list. We automatically add things that we think we need to be doing to our calendar. So whatever you can eliminate from your schedule and your to-do list is going to help you free up your time and let you focus on the important stuff. Also, automate anything that you can! For instance, Gmail has filters that you can help automate your email process. Lastly, delegation is Uriah's favorite productivity hack. Anything that you can get off your plate and have somebody else take care of for you will immediately free up your time and help you be more productive. The Problem Of Success When you start a private practice, you have a revenue goal. However, you don't know what it will feel like you when you get there. Handling all the calls while seeing clients while updating QuickBooks is going to be . Also, we may not be the best person to be taking on all of these different tasks. You can find a competent person, whether it's a or somebody you hire, that comes into your office to take over that role. If you are busy seeing clients, then your phone is going to be sent to voicemail. In the meantime, those people are calling other counselors and shopping around. So, it's critical to have someone answer your phones while you're in session – you simply cannot do both! Most people wait too long to hire someone to help with their phones. Personal Knowledge Management Personal knowledge management encompasses how we take in, collect, and access all kinds of information. If you just think about it as a therapist, all of the CPUs, training, and information that we collect over time becomes hard to organize and find when you need it. Uriah has been actually using , it's been around for a long time. He uses that for basically everything. Whenever Uriah has an idea, he writes it down! The nice thing is that a lot of them are tagged, and they're easily searchable. He uses to track his goals, it's basically his second brain. Another app that Uriah loves is – it's a task manager you can trust for life. 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! Uriah’s Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
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Kathryn Esquer | Private Practice Challenges, Open Note Policy, & Consulting in 2021 | TPOT 175
04/26/2021
Kathryn Esquer | Private Practice Challenges, Open Note Policy, & Consulting in 2021 | TPOT 175
Are you ready to go from burnt-out to connected and confident? Kathryn Esquer created a professional organization for the next generation of therapists called the . We chat about how her group has evolved during Covid and current concerns about the mental health crisis. We speak about the problem with mobile mental health apps and what you need to know about the open note policy that started on April 21st. Tune in as we talk about the importance of consultation on your private practice journey. Meet Kathryn Esquer Kathryn Esquer is a Clinical Psychologist and MBA graduate. She currently works in her rural hometown in central Pennsylvania providing outpatient mental health services integrated into primary care. She loved her career, but COVID helped her realize that something was missing from her private practice. The clinical work was rewarding, but she felt professionally isolated and uninspired. She also knew consultation was a critical part of the ethical practice but didn’t know where to find it. So, Kathryn created the for modern therapists to crowdsource the knowledge and experiences of other private practice teletherapists so that members can develop their clinical and business skills, all while staying connected to their mission and preventing burnout. The Teletherapist Network During Covid Kathryn didn't want to practice teletherapy alone. That's why she created a premier organization for the next generation of therapists in private practice at . It has been really great to have that support throughout Covid from other therapists. Luckily, Kathryn has been able to rely on her newfound peers in a way that she was not able to do remotely at the start of Covid. Kathryn says it's impeccable to hear all different perspectives from around the United States. Plus, there are even international members. So hearing what's going on in India, Australia, or the UK has been fascinating. Connecting across vast distances and time zones has been a humbling experience. Find A Community For Referrals One of the biggest things Kathryn hears is that a lot of us are entirely full and above capacity as private practitioners. Everyone has a massive waitlist. Plus, therapists are having trouble finding referrals of therapists who are not full. While on the other hand, there are therapists that are having difficulty filling their caseload. For Kathryn, she wants to figure out how to reduce the gap. How do we help the clinicians looking for clients and match them to the appropriate referral? We need to figure out how to get the people who are overbooked and overworked less stressed. At the , they have been working on referrals every single day. There needs to be a better system. Kathryn says it’s so important for therapists, psychologists, and counselors to tap into our communities. That way, we can refer to each other and help build each other's practices. A lot of people seeking mental health treatment are falling through the cracks. Sadly, they don't know where to turn. Therapists can't save the world. However, if you can come up with a system or a community to find and give referrals, then it will be a massive help. Mobile Mental Health Apps The advent of mobile and mental health apps has been a huge pain point. New clinicians or clinicians who have moved states need income but don't have time to wait. Sometimes these clinicians feel their only options are these companies that pay horrendously. However, these companies might be great for clients and connecting them with easily accessible mental health resources. However, they're diluting and bringing down the value of our services. People going into private practice undervaluing what they are worth. Therapists need to realize that their services are worth a lot more than they think. Open Note Policy Any certified EHR system needs to grant access or remove any barriers from the patient to access their health records for their clinical notes. Starting April 21st, you will need to reduce the obstacles for your clients to see their notes. This brings up a whole new dynamic in terms of clinical documentation for mental health. There is utility in a client reading their notes. For instance, they will see what their doctor recommended in case they forget. Therapists should proceed with caution on how we document things and how we communicate with our clients about what's being documented. Ultimately it will help us have greater transparency and accountability in the field. However, it's such a significant shift right now that many people are having a hard time with that. The Importance Of Consultation Kathryn didn't realize how much she was missing until starting the . She had no idea what was going on in the world of therapy until she began to hear from other therapists around the country and around the world. Consulting with peers is essential for clinical work. It is the best quality control we have for clinical services. Also, it's great for our energy levels. That way, you don't feel like you are missing something, and you don't have to be checking for resources constantly. It's great for your peace of mind. Lastly, consulting is excellent for your burnout control. It's so helpful to talk to other people about your experiences. We underestimate the power of community in our burnout. Ultimately, consulting is helping us be better people and better clinicians. 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! Kathryn’s Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
/episode/index/show/practiceoftherapy/id/18851369
info_outline
Kathryn Esquer | Private Practice Challenges, Open Note Policy, & Consulting in 2021 | TPOT 175
04/26/2021
Kathryn Esquer | Private Practice Challenges, Open Note Policy, & Consulting in 2021 | TPOT 175
Are you ready to go from burnt-out to connected and confident? Kathryn Esquer created a professional organization for the next generation of therapists called the . We chat about how her group has evolved during Covid and current concerns about the mental health crisis. We speak about the problem with mobile mental health apps and what you need to know about the open note policy that started on April 21st. Tune in as we talk about the importance of consultation on your private practice journey. Meet Kathryn Esquer Kathryn Esquer is a Clinical Psychologist and MBA graduate. She currently works in her rural hometown in central Pennsylvania providing outpatient mental health services integrated into primary care. She loved her career, but COVID helped her realize that something was missing from her private practice. The clinical work was rewarding, but she felt professionally isolated and uninspired. She also knew consultation was a critical part of the ethical practice but didn’t know where to find it. So, Kathryn created the for modern therapists to crowdsource the knowledge and experiences of other private practice teletherapists so that members can develop their clinical and business skills, all while staying connected to their mission and preventing burnout. The Teletherapist Network During Covid Kathryn didn't want to practice teletherapy alone. That's why she created a premier organization for the next generation of therapists in private practice at . It has been really great to have that support throughout Covid from other therapists. Luckily, Kathryn has been able to rely on her newfound peers in a way that she was not able to do remotely at the start of Covid. Kathryn says it's impeccable to hear all different perspectives from around the United States. Plus, there are even international members. So hearing what's going on in India, Australia, or the UK has been fascinating. Connecting across vast distances and time zones has been a humbling experience. Find A Community For Referrals One of the biggest things Kathryn hears is that a lot of us are entirely full and above capacity as private practitioners. Everyone has a massive waitlist. Plus, therapists are having trouble finding referrals of therapists who are not full. While on the other hand, there are therapists that are having difficulty filling their caseload. For Kathryn, she wants to figure out how to reduce the gap. How do we help the clinicians looking for clients and match them to the appropriate referral? We need to figure out how to get the people who are overbooked and overworked less stressed. At the , they have been working on referrals every single day. There needs to be a better system. Kathryn says it’s so important for therapists, psychologists, and counselors to tap into our communities. That way, we can refer to each other and help build each other's practices. A lot of people seeking mental health treatment are falling through the cracks. Sadly, they don't know where to turn. Therapists can't save the world. However, if you can come up with a system or a community to find and give referrals, then it will be a massive help. Mobile Mental Health Apps The advent of mobile and mental health apps has been a huge pain point. New clinicians or clinicians who have moved states need income but don't have time to wait. Sometimes these clinicians feel their only options are these companies that pay horrendously. However, these companies might be great for clients and connecting them with easily accessible mental health resources. However, they're diluting and bringing down the value of our services. People going into private practice undervaluing what they are worth. Therapists need to realize that their services are worth a lot more than they think. Open Note Policy Any certified EHR system needs to grant access or remove any barriers from the patient to access their health records for their clinical notes. Starting April 21st, you will need to reduce the obstacles for your clients to see their notes. This brings up a whole new dynamic in terms of clinical documentation for mental health. There is utility in a client reading their notes. For instance, they will see what their doctor recommended in case they forget. Therapists should proceed with caution on how we document things and how we communicate with our clients about what's being documented. Ultimately it will help us have greater transparency and accountability in the field. However, it's such a significant shift right now that many people are having a hard time with that. The Importance Of Consultation Kathryn didn't realize how much she was missing until starting the . She had no idea what was going on in the world of therapy until she began to hear from other therapists around the country and around the world. Consulting with peers is essential for clinical work. It is the best quality control we have for clinical services. Also, it's great for our energy levels. That way, you don't feel like you are missing something, and you don't have to be checking for resources constantly. It's great for your peace of mind. Lastly, consulting is excellent for your burnout control. It's so helpful to talk to other people about your experiences. We underestimate the power of community in our burnout. Ultimately, consulting is helping us be better people and better clinicians. 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! Kathryn’s Resources Resources Join the Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind He is also President and Founder of . He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. Follow us on and ,
/episode/index/show/practiceoftherapy/id/18851372