Therapist Clubhouse A Podcast For Private Practice Entrepreneurs With Annie Schuessler

Can you build a therapy practice around your superpowers? How does that even work? Ivy Griffin calls herself “a highly sensitive therapist” and built her therapy practice to serve other highly sensitive people. She’s embraced being highly sensitive as a superpower, not just for her, but for her clients as well. Listen as she shares how she went from feeling overworked to energized. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Working with highly sensitive people Identifying herself as a highly sensitive therapist How she set up her work life and schedule to respect her own sensitivity The pros and cons to bringing interns into her private practice Her approach to helping her interns through the money and business journey The time she almost gave up on this profession (and why she didn’t) Letting go of worrying and stepping into stability in private practice Transitioning from an insurance based practice to private pay Accomplishing a ton by taking small steps consistently Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/

Let’s get real about what it’s like to grow a private practice while raising kids and paying off debt. Natashia is brave and honest enough to go there and to many other deep and usually unspoken places. Natashia is a successful therapist and public speaker in private practice. She serves women and couples entering into parenthood. Listen as she describes one pivotal moment that changed the way she makes decisions in her business. In our listener question, we give advice to a mom who is building a practice with 2 young kids and very little childcare.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Surviving the intern years and early parenthood without outside financial support Why it’s hard to move beyond the economic level of your family of origin Raising her fees (real numbers as usual!) How to value your pre-licensed work experience Developing her signature talk Filling and leading 4 groups in private practice Knowing when to create new groups and programs   Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/natas

Diversifying your private practice means serving people in new ways. He shares his journey from being a brand new entrepreneur to building Selling the Couch, a huge community for therapists. Melvin also talks about his dreams for his own therapy practice where he serves 2 niches: entrepreneurs and basketball players. Listen as he dives into lots of ideas for increasing productivity, staying honest and ethical as a business person, and taking steps to diversify your own therapy practice.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Taking the terrifying step into private practice His goal of having a 100% online therapy practice Creating his course about how to podcast Why outsourcing early and often is a key to success in private practice. Becoming an entrepreneur and CEO of your own therapy practice How to stop seeing money as a zero sum game The difference between working ON your business and IN your business The importance of a morning routine Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/melvin-varghese

You often hear that building a therapy practice in a saturated market is difficult. My friend Allison sees it as an opportunity! If you ever struggle with a scarcity mindset (and who doesn’t?), this conversation is for you. Listen as she shares her method for building a therapy practice in a new “saturated” city, and how she handles raising her fees. I hope you enjoy this lively, funny and real conversation as much as I did. Topics Discussed In This Episode: How she chose her niche: women in their 20’s struggling with anxiety and eating disorders Opening private practice in a new city Networking with 90 people in 90 days Developing her abundance mindset The opportunity of a “saturated market” Her current fee and how she got there Her decision to NOT go for a doctoral program Being on insurance panels temporarily and then getting off of them Running towards her fears How she gets ok with a new fee Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/allison-puryear

Running groups is an attractive option for a therapist. Clinically, we love the possibilities a group provides. As entrepreneurs, we love the idea of serving more than one person at a time, but it can be challenging to fill groups. Cynthia has managed to keep several groups full for the past 7 years, and I got the behind the scenes story of how she does it. We also talked about her journey starting out in private practice as a single mom and her next possible steps to expand her practice. You’ll love Cynthia’s openness and honesty about her entrepreneurial journey.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How her niche became harm reduction sort of by mistake All the marketing tools she used to build multiple groups Her hardcore networking strategy Why she’s becoming a sex therapist as well Using listservs successfully and thoughtfully Moving into mentoring the next generation of harm reduction therapists Fees for her groups and sessions (real numbers as usual!) Pros and cons of possibly expanding to a group pr

Clay lives in New York City, but he’s run his therapy practice from Rome, Aruba, and London as well. He started providing online therapy at the request of clients and made some mistakes early on. Then he learned everything therapists need to know about providing online therapy and started sharing that expertise with the rest of us. Now he runs a directory for people searching for online therapists. Clay has always been an innovator. He’s the founder of walk and talk therapy, the practice of walking outside during sessions. As an innovator, Clay has been out on a limb a few times. In this conversation, he talks about two scary moments in his business and what he learned from each one.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How he started Walk and talk therapy in central park How online therapy helps some people who would otherwise not get services Why he started a directory for online therapists Why it’s important to provide online therapy within the regulations The possibility of serving people internationall

If you don’t set up your schedule and life the way you want to, why do you even have your own business? Olga believes in carving out the boundaries you want for your life, then building your private practice around them. She gets real about the struggle she went through in the first year of private practice, and how she came out the other end a stronger and more grounded entrepreneur.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Setting fees Turning off her private practice in the evenings Working with people healing from eating disorders Reaching out to teens and young adults Managing her personal and professional boundaries on social media Getting ideas for content Offering a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course Creating and holding your cancellation policy       Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/olga-rocklin

Paul talks about his entrepreneurial journey in building a therapy practice and then creating a national organization for affordable therapy. He shares openly about his struggles in making Open Path sustainable and the shift that finally made it thrive. Listen as he talks about creating momentum, setting goals with an open mind, and the practices that keep him nourished and grounded. You’ll hear Paul crack me up several times. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   His realization that he wanted to create an organization for affordable therapy A different view on sliding scale How Open Path went through growing pains and now serves almost 10,000 clients Creating Being Seen, a unique directory that supports therapists in building their practices Balancing his therapy practice with his other ventures How he arranges his optimal schedule What he charges (real numbers as usual!) Why he accepts insurance Practices he uses to restore himself regularly   Show notes at

What’s the path to creating a business that brings you money, joy and life balance? My guest Rebecca Wong shares her entrepreneurial journey. She’s found that leaning into her relationships allows her to create some amazing things, including a robust therapy practice and The Practice Of Being Seen, a community for therapists. She digs into some keys to writing stand-out copy for your website that you can implement right away.     Topics Discussed In This Episode:     Taking brave steps her business Planning with her business partner using both practical tools and intuition Leaning into working with assistants What we need from our partners and loved ones as therapists Imposter syndrome and how to work through it Working through low or scary moments in her business Getting grounded as an entrepreneur and as a person How we can bring our real selves more fully into our marketing Ways to make your copy stand out and speak to your right-fit clients     Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/rebecca-

This is a conversation about transformations. Alexis shares how she worked through fears of scarcity as she took the leap into private practice. She talks about the transition from running a low fee practice to a full practice with a much higher fee. We dive into how she sets up her practice with plenty of room for parenting and restorative practices.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Finding good referral sources in the early years of private practice The scary leap to private practice Working through her doubts and fears about entrepreneurship How putting herself out there in her last career as an actor helped her in this career Figuring out your optimal number of sessions per week Her journey raising fees over the years and working through money issues Deep money work with clients around fees How she sets up her schedule for work/life balance Handling consultations that aren’t a good fit     Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/alexis-lezin

Dr. Joy Harden-Bradford, host of the podcast Therapy For Black Girls, shares her entrepreneurial journey with us in the clubhouse. She serves Black women, including those who are recovering from breakups or going through the stress of grad school. We talk about how she aligns her business with her mission, the fears she faced as she put herself out there with her podcast, and how she gets publicity for her awesome work. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Moving through perfectionism Imposter syndrome Speaking to your potential clients in their language Expanding her business model to include coaching How she got into Essence twice How to get publicity for your practice authentically How she gets ideas for content     Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/dr-joy-harden-bradford

Tom Bruett has managed to fill a daytime group and bring in lots of right-fit clients in his first year of private practice. And he’s still an intern. He shares how he leans into his superpowers to bring his right-fit clients into his practice. If you’re an intern, you’ll love the concrete advice and you’ll be inspired by his success.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How he uses blogging to market his practice Outsource what isn’t in your zone of genius Transitioning into using online scheduling How he uses social media effectively Working through niche questions and fears Tips for using Facebook ads How hiring a web designer helped him level up Why interns sometimes feel discouraged   Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/tom-bruett

Cara Wilde did a personal pagan ritual in 2010 and asked for guidance on how to serve her tribe. What she discovered changed her life and her business forever. Now she provides all of her channeling services online, both through an online course and 1:1 sessions. In the clubhouse, Cara talks about how to get closer to your zone of genius in your business and life.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she created her online course (and made it harder than it needed to be) Embracing video as her optimal form of content creation Advice for therapists who feel stuck and want to take a leap Why she needed to leave conventional therapy to step further into her zone of genius. Finding out who she’s meant to work with after at first being willing to work with anyone Creating her offers by listening to the needs of her tribe How she protects her energy and avoids burnout as a highly sensitive person Why she urges therapists and healers to consider running a group or online course Charging 6 times more than she d

Sara built a full practice and continues to bring in plenty of referrals by using her natural ability to connect with her colleagues. Rather than pushing herself to engage in marketing she doesn’t enjoy, she leans into her superpowers: curiosity, openness, humor, and enjoying people. We talk about how she stopped being a jerky boss to herself and became the kind of boss she likes working for. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Marketing when you’re an extrovert Redefining networking as being yourself with other people Building a therapy practice without ever selling yourself Why it works well for people to weed themselves out of her practice How she gets away with NOT niching How being a parent influences her business How she makes her business parent-friendly How tracking her referrals has kept her sane over the years Handling cancellations and no shows Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/sara-lesser

Tiffany leaned into her experience living between worlds as she created her private practice and her consulting business. She explains why “full fees are the new black,” and questions whether a sliding scale is the best way to give back. I hope you enjoy our chat even half as much as I did.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Establishing a niche with under-represented women of color in tech How she brought in clients by networking outside the therapy community How she uses copy and images on her site to call out to her potential clients Why niching down has not limited who she gets to work with Raising her fees higher than almost every therapist she knew Busting the myth that you can’t make good money in private practice Finding her entrepreneurial community Questioning the myth of the noble (poor) therapist   Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/tiffany-mclain

Jeff Guenther shares his journey from having anxiety attacks when he opened his private practice to now running 5 therapy-related businesses. He explains his method of identifying what project he will take on next and how he balances his many roles. Get ready to feel inspired by Jeff’s entrepreneurial spirit.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Choosing and then changing his niche in his therapy practice Transitioning from agency work to private practice Working through some serious anxiety when he started a private practice How he uses feedback to improve his businesses Finding the right people for his team at the right times Creating therapyden.com, a progressive counseling directory in the Bay Area How he balances (or sometimes doesn’t balance) his roles in his businesses Show notes at coachingwithannie.com/podcast

Other therapists told Karen she couldn’t have the kind of private practice she now has. We talk about how she designed that private practice, how she attracts clients, and all the ways she’s gone against her colleagues’ advice. As she goes deep and talks about her mindset work, you’ll want to engage in your own.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she identified her niche after struggling for several months What she actually charges and why it’s a relatively high fee Why it’s hard to talk about her fee with other therapists Why her fee is on her website and yours probably should be too How she handles networking as an introvert Her emotional money mindset  work The moment she realized she wanted to run her therapy practice differently How she sets her schedule the way she loves it   Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/Karen-Smillie

How do you create a website that brings in your right-fit clients? Kat Love, creator of Empathy Sites, explains what we each need to overcome in order to create an effective online presence. They get real about the mistakes therapists are making and how to fix them. They share how they stay productive and inspired and what they do when they lose focus. Join us for this honest conversation full of Kat’s wisdom and advice.   Topics discussed in this episode:   Writing great copy that is free of “psycho-babble” The importance of identifying your niche The process of getting clear on your superpowers How websites will change in the next 5 to 10 years Finding the sweet spot of inspiration and productivity Why they created their new program, Empathy Sites The journey of a therapist from newbie in private practice to confident entrepreneur The importance of staying away from comparison and knowing that you’re enough   Show notes at coachingwithannie.com/podcast

Lily Sloane shares the journey of creating both a private practice and her ground-breaking podcast “Therapist Walks Into A Bar” on this episode of Therapist Clubhouse. She talks about the risks and rewards of sharing her real self in her podcast, dealing with the ups and downs of running a business, and planning for the future HER way.   Topics discussed in this episode:   Creating “Therapist Walks Into A Bar” and how she chooses new topics Redefining the idea of being an expert with room for honesty and vulnerability Her future plans for her podcast Creating a schedule that prioritizes happiness and effectiveness Keeping her expenses low and maximizes her financial freedom Fighting isolation in her private practice Creating balance in being CEO, clinician and podcast creator Riding the ups and downs of a small private practice with less shame and fear Setting business goals flexibly and creatively Creating meaningful relationships to bring accountability and collaboration into her business Shownotes at coa

This is the place to get support in being a private practice entrepreneur. We’ll get real, and talk about what it takes to create a unique and profitable private practice. I’ve seen so many therapists take charge of their businesses to create what’s right for them. That’s what therapist clubhouse is all about. Enjoy your work. Enjoy your life. Save for retirement. Market in a way that feels honest and creative. If all of that sounds good to you, join me for Therapist clubhouse on May 2nd. In every episode, we’ll hear the story of a therapist who created the business only they could create. You’ll hear how they figured out stuff like online marketing, networking, identifying their niche, setting their fees, creating new services, and developing an entrepreneurial mindset. You’ll hear about their struggles too. I’m committed to helping you get the inspiration and the information you need to make your private practice better. Starting Now. I’m Annie Schuessler. The podcast is Therapist Clubhouse. I hope you’ll g