Therapist Clubhouse A Podcast For Private Practice Entrepreneurs With Annie Schuessler

Do you sometimes freak out about whether private practice can really work for you? Maryellen Mullin has important advice for you: collaborate and ask for help. She’s leaned into her superpowers and created a business she enjoys running. Rather than focusing on just one thing, Maryellen’s business allows her to do many things she loves. Listen as she dives into her journey. Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Doing many different things in her business instead of choosing just one “Messy parenting”, a workshop she presents for organizations Running a long-term group for mothers & daughters Using Gottman Institute research with teens and their parents Hiring both an intern and an independent contractor Starting a business networking group for therapists and other small business owners Why she loves being self-employed Stepping into a mentoring role at this stage in her career How she made the leap to full-time private practice How she sets her fees Why it’s impressive when you know what you don’t know S

If you’ve wanted to create a new offer in your business, but haven’t known how to do it, you’ll want to hear this. Maya Benattar has taken bold steps in the past year in her business. She created a new workshop, “Reclaim Your Rhythm,” for helpers and healers. Listen as we talk about how she filled up her workshops, the vulnerability of leveling up, and tuning into the rhythms of your business.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Creating a workshop for helpers and healers helping them find calm in the chaos How she came up with the idea for the workshop and designed it Leaning into her email list to fill her workshop Tuning into your internal rhythms How to tune into your rhythms within your business The vulnerability and boldness of leveling up Next steps and new offers in her business Her fees (real numbers as usual) Working through money mindset issues Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/52

Narissa Harris says “I’m a black woman first and a clinician second.” Her happy place is working on awareness around African American culture. She’s extremely generous in her approach to helping therapists find their way to more humility and sensitivity. She dives into how she created her workshops, built her practice, and became her own boss.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Offering workshops on cultural awareness Creating several effective Cultural Awareness workshops Dealing with the resistance of people who are afraid to discuss racism Her monthly newsletter, “Walk A Day In My Culture” Being raw and unapologetic Being profiled and knowing her husband is profiled Her fees (real numbers as usual) Getting through low moments in her practice Cycles of ebbs and flows in her private practice Making the transition to private practice Using insurance as a part of her private practice Reminding herself that she’s the boss of her business Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/51

How are you doing with social media? Patrice N Douglas will show you how to have fun with it. In this conversation, she shares her passion for destigmatizing mental health issues and ways she uses to social media to get her message out. She also dives into how she uses social media to support other therapists. Not only is Patrice not competitive with her peers, she’s a champion of their work.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Providing online therapy Creating and selling “Black Minds Matter”  and “Therapy Saves Lives” T-shirts Specializing in anger management How she balances her time between agency and private practice Her big why: Destigmatizing mental health issues Her Therapist of the week spotlight on Instagram Developing her brand with a branding specialist Networking online with other therapists Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/patrice-n-douglas

Think you’ve got to be someone else in order to succeed in your business? Nope. April Snow shares how she ignored the noise and listened to her wise inner voice as she was setting up her private practice. She knew she wanted to work with Highly Sensitive People, and that’s what she does, quite successfully. Listen as we dive into her entrepreneurial journey.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Taking the leap and niching with highly sensitive people Clearing away the noise and taking her time with business decisions Managing the overwhelm of private practice with self-care and systems Taking self-care seriously Starting a community for Highly Sensitive Therapists Being OK with seeing fewer clients every week Her journey of taking her fee from 120 up to 175 and soon higher Getting comfortable with money Her writing routine The Highly Sensitive Therapists Retreat in July in Santa Cruz Marketing without getting overwhelmed A sneak peek at her 5-year plan Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/ap

Sarah Leitschuh believes you could be feeling calmer and happier in your life. She helps therapists find ways to feel more energy outside the therapy room. Just a few of the keys are: creating systems that work, saying no more often, and prioritizing self-care.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Recognizing when you need help Knowing when to say no Her own examples of saying yes to too much Tips on getting your email under control Figuring out what only you can do and what you can delegate Looking at systems in your business and figuring out how to make them work for you Blocking out time for tasks Her fees for both therapy and coaching and how she feels about them Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/sarah-leitschuh

Traci Ruble wants you to play bigger. She’s tired of the false message that the more powerful one of us is, the smaller others have to be. She believes that the bigger you are, the more room you make for others to be big too. As a public speaker, founder of a therapy center, and creator of the Sidewalk Talk movement, she’s had lots of opportunities to navigate this challenging territory. Listen as we dive into her journey of embracing her power.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Creating a group private practice called Psyched In SF Managing our inner dialogues of self-criticism Creating a movement called “Sidewalk Talk” to be out in the community, listening Balancing her different kinds of work, parenting, volunteering, and partnering How she delegates big parts of her work life Owning her Superpower of public speaking more and more Getting support from her inner circle and ignoring the opinions of others Distinguishing her smaller self from her more powerful self Being generous to other women who inspi

Does documentation stress you out? Maelisa Hall shares how you can create a more peaceful relationship with your private practice paperwork. As a documentation expert and a person living with ADHD, Maelisa has tons of tips to help you change your relationship to the paperwork monster.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: How she found her business bestie and started a podcast with her Taking a work retreat to get stuff done Closing her therapy practice to focus on her online business Why paperwork is so painful and daunting for some therapists Some ways to make documentation work for you and your personal preferences When to do your notes if you don’t want to do them between sessions The importance of talking about your documentation worries so you can get help Making a sustainable plan for taking care of documentation How ADHD impacts her own story with documentation and time management Her advice about taking pressure off of yourself as an entrepreneur Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/ma

If you ever fear that you can’t serve the people who need you AND make a great living, you’ll want to hear Selma’s story. She’s the creator of the podcast The Parent-Child Relationship Guru and she serves children and families who struggle with trauma and attachment issues. Selma has created a business that gives her a balanced life and helps her avoid burning out. Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she delegated to cut WAY down on the time she was spending on her podcast How she keeps referrals coming in Her fees (actual numbers as usual) and how she arrived at them How she went from a scarcity mindset to embracing being an entrepreneur Simplifying her business so that it serves her right fit client and keeps her doing what she’s great at Offering in-person therapy, online consultations, and parenting classes How she’s set her schedule Her advice for an overwhelmed therapist Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/selma-bacevac

Dr. Natalie Jones tells us that when you’re a private practice entrepreneur, you’ve got to be constantly working on yourself, growing, and opening up to helpful feedback. Listen as she talks about the limiting beliefs she’s worked through and how she’s established herself as an expert in her field.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Working with criminal offenders and folks who have been victims of narcissistic abuse Charging a higher fee than most of her colleagues Creating the podcast A Date With Darkness and how much time she puts into it Building her profile as an expert witness How she sets up her schedule wearing many hats The way she thinks about public speaking: as conversation and story-telling The limiting beliefs she’s needed to work through to own her own business Making sure she’s compensated through her fee for all the non-face-to-face work she does Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/natalie-jones

Do you believe you have to do things you hate in order to fill your practice? Chris has a few ways of keeping her practice full, and she enjoys all of them. She shares how she maintains a balance between parenting, private practice, and being a singer-songwriter. If you want to create a private practice you’ll love for years and years, you’ll want to hear her story.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Choosing a niche related to her own life journey (parents and future parents) Negotiating different roles in her life (parent/singer-songwriter and therapist) Setting fees and what gender has to do with it How she keeps her practice full Her networking strategy Advice for a therapist planning a maternity leave Finding the right schedule for her life Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/chris-weipert

Dr. Laura Louis has a successful business as a therapist, consultant, and public speaker. I discovered a few unexpected things during this conversation: 1. She’s an introvert. 2. Public speaking didn’t come easily to her at first. 3. She still gets nervous before she gives a talk. Listen as she shares some of the mindset work it took to get to where she is now, and lots of nitty-gritty tips about how to get started with speaking and how to up your game if you’re already speaking.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How to negotiate your fee for paid speaking gigs How to find places to speak and make a pitch Working through imposter syndrome, fear of rejection, and fear of asking for money How to protect your energy during a speaking engagement Hiring her team and what your very first hire should be Building an online presence to promote yourself as a speaker How she balances her many roles Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/laura-louis

Have you ever considered walk and talk therapy? Jeni shares the special opportunities of working outside and also the pitfalls to avoid. Listen as she dives into setting up her therapy practice without an office.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How being homeschooled as a kid gave her a sense of outside the box possibilities How she navigates informed consent and holds the frame with walk and talk therapy Choosing the places to have walk and talk therapy How her directory listings help her clients find her Pros and Cons of NOT having an office Her fees (actual numbers as usual) Our discussion about “worth” and setting fees Quitting her day job Jeni’s advice for a therapist who wants to try walk and talk therapy Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/jeni-yarbrough

Does your life make room for creativity? Adriana Marchione is an expressive arts therapist and an indie filmmaker. In our conversation, she talks about the tension between finding stability and following her passions. If you’ve ever wondered how to make room for projects outside of therapy, this is for you.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Retreating from art when she got sober and then creating a new and healthier relationship with art Her journey to becoming an artist in recovery and an expressive arts therapist Making 2 indie films in the last several years The fine line between altered states and addictive behavior for some artists How she balances being an artist and a therapist The 3 prongs of her work: artist, therapist, and educator Why our businesses go through seasons and don’t stay static Her workshop, Story In Motion, that helps participants use art to heal Providing workshops and other offerings around the world Her fees (real numbers as usual!) Her tension around charging her fees The fina

Ernesto’s life changed when he made peace with his old money story and started creating a new one. In our conversation, he shares the profound changes he experienced when he was able to work through his money blocks. We also delve into Ernesto’s advice for therapists creating videos. Find out the keys to a powerful welcome video and common mistakes to avoid. You’ll walk away from this episode less afraid and more inspired to create a video.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: His current fees and his history with setting fees Making peace with his money story How his relationships with his clients changed when he raised his fees Why he’s skeptical of business owners who don’t have ups and downs Advice Ernesto would give his younger self Avoiding the comparison trap How video helped him attract way more clients than ever before How he’s taken a leadership role with video in the therapist community How he creates videos to highlight both personality and content Tips for creating a video blog How to not get wei

What if managing your money could feel like a self-care ritual, like eating nourishing food or going to a yoga class? Bari Tessler created a methodology to help us make peace with money, incorporating all parts of ourselves: emotions, body, and spirit. In our conversation, she dives into her own journey to creating the unique business she has now. She shares how things changed drastically 9 years ago when she became a parent. What she learned will help you navigate your own business and life.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she integrates the two fields of money and therapy Realizing she would never work for anyone else again How dancing led her to somatic therapy Why the common tough love money method didn’t work for her Creating her own money methodology incorporating all parts of ourselves, including emotions and the body A few examples of using her own money tools in her life Moving through big crossroads, stuck places and questions we need to resolve around money Changing her business model in

Jennie Steinberg has always had an entrepreneurial streak, but it took some time to find the optimal way to run her practice. Listen as she talks about blogging consistently and creating a therapy center with a social justice focus. As you hear about her risks, you may want to take some bold steps of your own.     Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Starting a group practice in the past year How she knows when it’s time to bring in another therapist Identifying her niche and the niches of the other therapists in her practice Maintaining a philosophy of social justice Going from hustling in her marketing to scaling back and simplifying Why her blog articles have gotten bolder and less teach-y What it’s like when she posts daring articles How many sessions she likes to have each week now that she’s a center owner Her fees and the fees of the center’s therapists (real numbers as usual) Her story of how she got through a difficult cross-country relocation Our about when you know you’re ready to expand to a group

Mercedes Samudio didn’t know that writing a book would be such a profound process. She had already carved out a space helping parents and families, and the writing process helped her clarify it even further. In our conversation, she delved into her entrepreneurial journey and got real about the emotional and financial ups and downs of being a private practice entrepreneur.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she decided to write the book Shame Proof Parenting Working with a book coach Opening up and being vulnerable as an author Finding her message and mission How she transitioned into parent coaching Why she stopped offering packages and went to a session by session model How her website content and book draw in the right clients Her fees (actual numbers as usual!) Working from home over video and phone Experiencing feelings of self-doubt when she doesn’t meet her own expectations Dealing with the financial ups and downs of private practice Learning to reach out rather than hiding or isolating Integra

It’s time to talk about letting your freak flag fly. Emily Swanson believes we each have a medicine for this world. By embracing her nature-based work, she’s growing her business, standing out from the crowd, and feeling more balance in her life. Listen as she talks about letting go of what she thought other people wanted her to be.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she healed and came back to life with eco-therapy as a client Working with highly sensitive people, trauma, and substance issues Why sensitivity is a gift that’s needed in our world Her business growing in directions she didn’t anticipate Her ideal work week Her fees (real numbers as usual!) Balancing business with life The difference between urgent and important Sleep as a priority for taking care of yourself and your business When your work is seen as “woo” Running nature-based and drum-journey groups for women Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/emily-swanson

John says that when he started out in private practice, he had a clinical entity, but not a business entity. He has embraced being a business owner AND serving many clients who have limited resources. John shares his experiences negotiating with insurance companies, becoming a Gottman Method Certified Therapist, and creating an online presence that brings in plenty of clients who are a good fit for him.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Starting out as a generalist and getting more focused over time Working with chaotic clients who are stressed on many levels Offering a workshop that didn’t get any enrollments, and what he learned from it Being a black gay therapist and the dearth of therapists who share those identities Becoming a Gottman Method Certified Therapist The cost of living in the Bay Area and how it impacts therapists and clients Holding his ground with insurance companies when asking for more money Getting clear on who his right fit client is Niching within the niche of couples therapy 2 ways