Why You Desperately Need Diverse Referral Sources

I was chatting with a therapist-friend the other day who told me the story of how his practice went from very few clients to full in the span for a couple months. A local behavioral health agency lost the psychologist who did their testing and boom! my friend’s business blew up. As one of very few psychologists who enjoys testing in his city, he was in a great position to fill the need. Having a niche is awesome.

 

I’ve been worried about him since that conversation. He was no longer working on bu…

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Pregnancy and Maternity Leave in Private Practice: EVERYTHING You Need to Know

Yesterday I had to cancel two clients because I couldn’t stop puking. How’s that for an intro?! And by yesterday, I mean the day I wrote this… I’m going to hold on to it until it’s time to tell you guys that I’m pregnant. I didn’t have this problem when I was pregnant with my daughter or with the pregnancies we lost. It didn’t occur to me that I’d have to cancel on anyone because I’m very rarely sick and I basically have to be told to take time off by my husband for it to even occur to me. I kno…

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Failing in Slow Motion

I’ve always heard this notion that failure is a part of business. That you can’t succeed without failing. I always found it unsettling to read and, having had plenty of successes without failures, hoped it was meant for OTHER people in OTHER industries. I saw these Pinterest pins about it and read these quotes and decided they were there to normalize it for those who struggled rather than take it like a harbinger of future failure for those who were succeeding.

Until last week.

I talk to my therap…

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10 Ways to Be Patient When the Phone Isn't Ringing

10 Ways to Be Patient When Your Phone Isn't Ringing

For most of us there’s lag time between networking our buns off and getting that first client. By lag time I mean a scary, panic-inducing, freak out span of time where you have to keep reminding yourself to chill out. If you’re still working full time, you’re wondering if you’re ever going to be able to quit this agency job. If you quit to devote all your time to your private practice, you may be raking ourself over the coals for this decision. …

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Start Before You're Ready

How many big life changes have you really been ready for, as opposed to a societal “it’s time” kind of pressure? Were you truly ready for college? That face-plant you took in the dorm bathroom after a night out may be an indication. If you’re like me, you left for college when you did because you graduated from high school and it’s just what’s expected when you’re successful in school.

Were you really ready to get married or was it the next step in your relationship after a certain age or amount …

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Can Introverted, Non-Go-Getters Succeed in Private Practice?

Howdy, introverts! From the emails, Facebook Group conversations, and discussions in both the Abundance Practice-Building Group and Individual Consultations I’m clear there are a lot of you here! Thank goodness!

I’m going to answer a question I get at least once a month. It usually goes something like this: “I’m really introverted and not a go-getter; do I have any chance at succeeding in private practice?”

My answer is “Absolutely!” Sometimes people read my story and think I’m going to preach my …

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Earning a Rep as a Generous Person Can Help You (Shocker!)

Let’s go ahead and assume you buy in to the idea that there are plenty of clients out there and that you don’t have to worry about your “competition” at all. If you’re not bought in, I have a free video coming out next month to help with that. But in our imaginings where you’re totally comfortable with that idea, you have a lot more space to be generous, right? You don’t have to waste your time and energy trying to get a leg up on someone else.  Let’s spend your strategy brain cells on positive …

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How Important Are Cheerleaders, Really?

Starting your own practice is daunting. And while it’s more intimidating than it is hard (if you have a solid plan), white knuckling it and trying to do it all alone is a recipe for disaster. You can succeed without hiring a consultant but you will have an extremely hard time if you don’t have people on your side. Let’s talk about why cheerleaders are so important.

There will be times when you are convinced you can’t do it. We all have these moments early on where that sneaky gremlin whispers in …

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Fear-Mongering, Bullies, & Jealousy

If I had a dollar for every time one of my practice-builders was discouraged by someone feeling stuck in their own agency job, I’d have a lot of dollars. Maybe we should start fining those naysayers a negativity tax.

I’ve had people announce that they were going to private practice and be flat out told they’re going to fail by someone who has never gone into private practice; someone who had no idea what he was talking about. We have to be so careful about these messages, especially early on when…

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Don't Be A Client Hoarder

Today we’re going to travel into the future! Exciting! We’re focusing on when your practice is full to bursting. Now before you say I’m putting the cart before the horse consider that this will actually do some early-practice mindset shifting.

Let’s talk a bit about waiting lists, shall we. It’s a pretty exciting thing to be full. If you’re like me when I first got full, at first you may try to cram new clients in to spaces without realizing it displaces current clients. Maybe you loosen your bou…

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