Mission Statements are Hammer Pants

I was at a business conference not long ago when someone asked about Mission Statements. The facilitator said something about them being so 1990’s. Almost everyone in the room laughed a little and nodded. “Oops”, I thought. I’m less business-y in a lot of ways than these folks and thought they were a staple. Timeless like a nice white button down. Apparently, Mission Statements are Hammer Pants.

The New Mission Statements

So what can we use to guide us in business? The facilitators next words we…

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A Partner's Perspective

After publishing When Partners Have Concerns, a counselor requested a post from the perspective of a partner to share with his wife. I thought this was a pretty brilliant suggestion and immediately knew who I wanted to ask. 

I'd like to introduce you guys to my good friend, Jeff Hardesty. When my husband and I moved to Seattle, Jeff and his wife Allison were among the first people we met (you first met Allison in my maternity leave blog post). They invited us to a party a couple days later that …

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Work When You Want

Work When You Want

As a full time worker with a part time practice I was used to the 8-5 then 5:30-7:30 plus a half-day Saturday work week. God, I read that now and feel totally overwhelmed by the idea of it, but at the time I just chugged along… for 5 years. 5 years, guys. That’s a long ass time to work that many clinical hours.

I entered full time practice with the belief that clients NEED evening appointments. It didn’t even occur to me that I could end at 5 and head home. So I built that fir…

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Doing It Your Way, Enjoy Work

I had an eye-opening experience a few days ago. Agnes Wainman’s awesome Blissful Practice Facebook Group (similar vibe as the Abundance Facebook Group… hop in both!)  had an “Ask Me Anything” with storyteller extraordinaire Marisa Goudy.



Who To Trust

Like many of you, I’m constantly learning: reading blogs, listening to podcasts, diligently underlining whatever book I’m reading (pro tip: keep an index card as a bookmark and use it to make straight lines). Lately I’ve been on an efficiency kick. …

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10 Myths to Bust About Using an Online Business Manager

Our common friend Jo Muirhead suggested Frances and I meet. On Skype, across the country, I was floored by her experience and what Frances is up to.  If you’re one of those clinicians that really struggles to get your business shit together, Frances is your woman. She’s was the director for a big counseling practice, managing the business side for the company. As the owner of My Solution Services, she is passionate about making our jobs, and thus our lives, easier so we can do what we do best. I…

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Tell Me What To Do

The Mastermind Group I’m in is comprised of 4 entrepreneurial women. We’ve all started two or more businesses. We’re fairly strong personalities. We would all identify as feminist and tend to have a healthy amount of confidence. I say this so the following sentiment is kept in context.

We want to be told what to do. Keep your mind out of the Fifty Shades gutter… not like that. There are parts of each of our businesses that we genuinely just want some expert to tell us what to do because we reall…

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Saying No In Your Private Practice

There are a million ways we can talk about boundaries in your practice, and I’m sure I’ll hit most of them at some point, but today I want to talk to what happens when we fall into scheduling and fear-based victimhood. Oh yeah, I used the V-word. Let’s own it.

Time

Here’s what happens: someone calls and seems like a really great fit. You have space available since you’re still building. You want to see this client. They insist that they can’t make the times you offer, so you stretch a little and …

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The Private Practice Roller Coaster Ride

There are two ways to ride roller coasters: holding on or arms in the air. The same can be said for the private practice roller coaster ride you are all on.

I know, you’re supposed to keep contained within your little car of metal and foam padding, but man the exhilaration sometimes causes even a rule follower like me to throw my hands in the air with a hearty fun-filled scream.

And there’s also the fact that they’re terrifying sometimes, and not in the fun way. Did you guys see that report of th…

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Healing From Client-Related Trauma

*Trigger warning: description of violence follows*

I have a scar from a client, a man twice my weight, who locked his jaw on me and wouldn’t let go. I was once restrained by a young but strong girl and didn’t know how I was going to get out of it. As a house parent at 19 years old, I was placed alone with two men in their mid-30’s who had sexually assaulted a young woman and I wasn’t told about it, nor did I have access to their chart, until months in. A co-worker I traded shifts with was once pu…

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Business Half-Truths

I have a new pet peeve! It’s people who spout off business advice half-truths. (And before you worry, it’s no one in the Abundance Facebook Group; those folks will tell you the full truth).  These half-truthers know it’s more complicated than they say it is, but they don’t just fess up that a part of their brilliant idea/system sucks. Having bought into some of these, I want to tell you some pitfalls of these options so you can make a better informed decision. I want to stress that these strateg…

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