As therapists and small business owners, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we have to do it all ourselves. But here’s the truth: doing everything on your own isn’t sustainable—and it definitely isn’t scalable.

Today, I’m talking to Jennifer Crawford and Meredith Eaton of Move Forward Virtual Assistants about delegation as a superpower.

Tune in to hear about:

• How to calculate the real ROI of hiring an assistant
• The most common (and most helpful) tasks therapists delegate
• Three smart questions to ask when you’re ready to hire
• How to be better at delegating
• The benefits of hiring a specialized VA who’s trained in mental health administration

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or wondering when to bring in support, this conversation is for you.

More from Jennifer and Meredith:

• Move Forward Virtual Assistants https://moveforwardvirtualassistants.com/

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram @braveandwell
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for my course — From Therapist to CEO
• Book a Brave Boss VIP day
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

Dealing with insurance can be one of the most confusing—and costly—parts of running a mental health practice. From clawbacks and claim denials to underpayments and long look-back periods, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

That’s why we invited Jeremy Zug on the podcast this week.

Jeremy Zug is a nationally-recognized expert in insurance billing and revenue cycle management, with a distinguished career driving financial health and operational excellence for mental health professionals. He also co-founded Practice Solutions with his wife Kathryn in 2017.

Tune in to learn about:

• Why clawbacks happen (and how to minimize their impact)
• How to decide which payers to work with
• Strategies for negotiating higher reimbursement rates
• The shift toward value-based care and what it means for you
• How to troubleshoot (and prevent) claim denials

If you want clarity and confidence in navigating insurance and billing, this episode is packed with actionable insights you won’t want to miss.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Serif Health
• Simple Practice
• Therapy Notes
• Checkpoint EHR

More from Jeremy:

• www.practicesol.com
• https://www.instagram.com/practicesolutionsbilling
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/practice-solutions-llc/

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram @braveandwell
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for my course — From Therapist to CEO
• Book a Brave Boss VIP day
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

Welcome back to Brave and Well! In this episode, I’m joined by operations expert Brie Chrisman for a powerful conversation on why the behind-the-scenes structure of your practice is just as important as the client work you do.

Brie is the founder and CEO of Boss Co, an operations management company that works 100% virtually. With over 15 years of experience in the project management and operations fields, she has revolutionized the way businesses operate by introducing the solution for overwhelm for CEOs. Her commitment to being human-first has led her to serving CEOs in the mental health field.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by systems, struggled with inconsistent referrals, or wondered how to make your practice more sustainable and profitable, this one’s for you.

Tune in to hear about:

• How standard operating procedures (SOPs) can dramatically reduce overwhelm
• What to do when potential clients say, “these rate are too high”
• Why referrals may have slowed down this year—and strategies to bring in new clients
• The overlooked importance of intake forms in building trust and efficiency
• How to spot and fix hidden profit leaks in your practice

More from Brie and Boss Co:

• https://heybossco.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/hey_bossco/
• https://www.facebook.com/heybossco
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/brie-chrisman/

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram @braveandwell
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for my course — From Therapist to CEO
• Book a Brave Boss VIP day
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

Have you ever taken on a new client, then gotten into your first session and realized it wasn’t a good fit?

In this episode, we’re exploring the client journey from the moment someone starts looking for a therapist to their first session in your (virtual) office.

Tune in to learn the key steps you can take to create a seamless and welcoming intake process. In less than 30 minutes, I’ll walk you through how to:

• Identify what your client needs
• Build a welcoming intake process
• Answer client questions clearly & confidently
• Streamline your operations to boost retention
• & Continuously improve your process over time

 
Mentioned in the episode:

• Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Private Practice Circle
• Group Practice Circle

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO & get 10% off with the code PODCAST
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

I’ve been a working therapist for a over decade, and in that time I’ve worked in schools, private practice, group practice, therapy tech (at my company Social Note), and as a clinical supervisor.

Across those positions, I’ve learned a lot about building a therapy business that supports you and your clients. So in today’s episode I’m sharing what I’d do differently if I was getting started right now — including one of my biggest business regrets from my early years.

Tune in to learn from my successes and my mistakes. You’ll hear about:

• Why fall is my favorite season in private practice
• The power of retreats, workshops & support groups
• How to hit the ground running with relationship-building
• The importance of establishing (& sticking to) your niche
• The money shift that made a big impact for my business

 
Mentioned in the episode:

• Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Private Practice Circle
• Group Practice Circle

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO & get 10% off with the code PODCAST
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

Lately it feels harder than ever to market yourself and stand out as a private practice therapist. Doesn’t it?

I’m hearing this from many of my Brave & Well clients, and I want to help!

So today I’m sharing five ways to creatively market your practice, so you can continue to do the work that you love without burning yourself out in this era of Therapy Tech.

In this episode, I walk you through how to leverage your assets, creatively maximize your specialties, generate revenue, and meet your clients where they’re at in the process.

Tune in for practical advice covering:

• Why I’m focusing on SEO strategy over social media strategy
• Easy passive income ideas
• Ways to implement & set up package pricing
• How to use pay-over-time merchants to support clients
• Why I’m setting up intensives, modality-specific pricing, and flexible formats
• How to create a learning library or subscription model for easy, recurring income
• New ways LinkedIn can help grow your business

And if you enjoy this episode, please share it with your therapist friends, and leave us a five-star rating and review!

 
Mentioned in the episode:

• Episode 25: SEO, AI & Digital Marketing for Therapists with Kristie Plantinga
• Klarna
• Kambria Evans & the EMDR Intensive Design Kit
• Squarespace memberships

 
More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

 
Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO & get 10% off with the code PODCAST
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

Welcome back to Brave and Well Podcast! Today I’m returning to the mic to share where I’ve been for the past few months… including how I brought my group practice (and myself) back from the brink of many challenges this spring.

Tune in to hear about:

• What happens when a business faces financial challenges
• Why I decided to get help from outside my regular support network
• How it feels to downsize your admin team & take tasks back
• Filling the holes in your offerings to raise revenue
• Ways I changed our hiring practices & compensation structures
• Practicing transparency with your team
• How to create KPIs that help everyone improve
• Where my group practice is at now

 
Mentioned in the episode:

• Brave & Well Episode 10: The CEO Mindset — How to build & maintain an empowered team in your practice with Brandy Mabra
• A CEO Only Does Three Things by Trey Taylor

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO & get 10% off with the code PODCAST
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

This week on the Brave & Well podcast, I am joined by none other than my husband, Bryan Newton!

Bryan joins me to share his story and to talk about how we co-founded a small tech company as parents of small children.

Together we explore the realities of running multiple businesses, raising a family, and pivoting time and time again.

Tune in as we explore:

• Bryan’s journey into software engineering
• Why we started our company together
• What it’s like to be founders of color without VC-funding or generational wealth
• What’s next for us

 
More from Vanessa & Bryan:

• Learn about SocialNote
• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with Vanessa!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO

Today on Brave & Well, I’m joined by Kasey Compton, a group practice owner, small business consultant and author of the upcoming book, In Search of You.

Together we explore how Kasey found more joy in the present by reflecting on things she learned as a child. We also discuss Kasey’s journey as a writer, group-practice owner, and high-achieving mom — including how she found self-love and transformed her relationship with her children since writing her first book.

Tune in as we explore:

• Self-reflection and different modes of therapy
• Embracing your inner child to cultivate joy and self-love
• The pressure on women to look forward
• Being present and finding joy inside yourself

More from Kasey:

• Visit her website
• Pre-order In Search of You
• Follow Kasey on Instagram
• Connect on Facebook

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO!

Welcome back to the Brave & Well podcast! In today’s episode, I’m sharing even more vulnerably than I usually do and talking about my experience as a Latina, first-gen, Mexican American woman, mother, and therapist.

Tune in as I explore:

• Decolonizing mental health
• Overcoming fear and bias as a therapist
• Centering people (including myself) over profit
• Making room for unexpected challenges
• The importance of integrating personal identity into the business space

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO & get 10% off with the code PODCAST
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!