When You're Unmotivated

If you're unmotivated in private practice, I’m not going to tell you to get over it. When you’re unmotivated there’s probably a reason. That reason may need to be addressed or it may need to be set aside or it may need to breathe a little. Let’s check in to see what’s going on and what to do about it.
  1. You’re burned out. Totally the #1 reason I hear from the practice-builders I work with. Many are working a job while building their private practice. They’re also doing their best to be a good…

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Real Connection Requires Courage: How to Write Great Copy

Nikki Bonsol is awesome. She's a designer and copywriter who REALLY understands what we do, partly because of her experience working in social services. I'll be honest, I've worked with a copywriter before who really didn't get what we do and it was a huge disappointment and financial mistake. I've been a little leary of copywriters for therapists ever since until I "met" Nikki. Nikki gets that we have professional boundaries. She gets that we need to find that balance of professionalism and aut…

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How and When To Be Professional in Private Practice

Part of the allure of having your own practice is creating your own rules: starting and ending your work days when you want, going on vacations without asking permission, getting away from dress codes and bureaucracy.  There are ways in which being overly professional hinders your practice, like with website copy. Sometimes people go a little overboard with their freedom and it can impact their relationships with their clients and their reputation in the community. Here are some guidelines to ke…

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2016: The Year of Not Hustling

So, I hate New Year’s Resolutions. They feel forced. If you want to change something, you should start now instead of waiting for some magical date. (Ok, do you hear that? That’s the hustler in me. I’m fighting her like crazy.)

Let’s restart...

One of the things I recognized about myself in 2015 is that I have a hustling problem. Too much of my identity is rooted in achievement. It always has been. All the podcasts and books and business instagram accounts and everything talk about “living like no…

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SEO Fact & Fiction

SEO FACT & FICTION: Getting your private practice website to show up in Google

Let me tell you a little bit about James. We met through our mutual friend Joe Sanok who suggested I may be the most excited person alive when I heard about what James is creating. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I wasn’t there & that’s how it happened in my head. See, because of his interview with me, Joe knows I’m in love with networking. James is creating this app called Flow that helps you keep track of e…

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Why Consultation is the Business Version of Supervision

If I were to tell you that all you had to do to become a therapist was to read some blog posts and  books and then you’d be prepared to manage clinical relationships, crisis intervention, relapse prevention, someone with delusions threatening you, sit with someone in their deepest moments of despair, what would you think? Some people with a voracious appetite for learning, friends who were therapists that they could go to, and a natural ability to navigate boundaries could turn out some great se…

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How to Balance Building Private Practice with Your Other Job

Today's Guest Post is from Bina Bird, of Haslet, TX. Bina's an active member of the Abundance Practice-Building Facebook Group (feel free to hop in for some great community and support) and it has been awesome to watch her transition from a total newbie to private practice, to getting enough clients that it's TOUGH to work full time. I love this blog post because she lays it out simply in nuts and bolts fashion as she's going through it (vs. my version that involves hindsight). Check out her awe…

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Surviving the Pre-Licensed Stage: Staying Motivated When You Feel Like Quitting

This month’s guest post is from Seida Hood, MSW. She has been an active member of the Abundance Practice Builders Facebook Group (c'mon in, you're welcome to join) from it’s early stages and has given and gotten lots of great support there. As a pre-licensed therapist, she is in the trenches with the rest of you on the path to get the magical letters after your name after years of work. I love this post because it so beautifully encapsulates the soaring highs and demoralizing lows of early priva…

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How to Survive a Networking Event

Here’s the optimistic picture most people create about networking: You’re at a “networking event” in your new favorite outfit, feeling confident, looking great. Your most polished self is ready to dazzle them with your obvious charm, intelligence and sparkling white teeth. People hang on your every word and greedily collect your cards. They have a caseload full of people to send you on Monday. They’re so glad they met you.

Here’s the pessimistic picture: You’re at a “networking event.” It feels l…

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Networking for Fun and Profit (By Focusing on the Fun)

Networking is one of the single most important factors in practice-building. I know it’s not what you want to hear but I’m about to make it easier for you.

Here’s the deal: we all know there are sucky therapists out there. We can tell in a single conversation what kind of a space they hold, how well they actually listen, if they seem empathetic, if they off handedly call yo “babe”. I’m going to interrupt myself with this quick story: I was at a dinner sponsored by an Eating Disorder Treatment Cen…

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