There are moments in therapy where you genuinely don’t know what to say.

The client is looking at you.

It’s uncomfortable.

In this episode, I’m walking you through what’s actually happening in those moments, why they feel so destabilizing, and how to stay present without rushing to perform or fix.

We talk about:

Why not knowing what to say triggers self-doubt

What’s happening clinically in those moments

How to respond without forcing an intervention

And how real confidence in therapy actually builds over time

This isn’t about having the perfect response.

If you want more structure for building confidence in session and in your practice, start here:

If you’ve ever sat in your office wondering where your next client is going to come from, you’re not alone.

Many therapists assume referrals will happen naturally if they do good work and create a solid online presence. But the reality is that referrals don’t happen by accident; they happen because specific conditions are in place.

In this episode, Lisa Reidsema breaks down the real mechanics behind referral-based private practices. You’ll learn why strong clinical work alone isn’t enough, where most referrals actually originate, and how to build professional relationships that lead to consistent client referrals without feeling salesy or transactional.

This episode covers:

• The biggest myth therapists believe about referrals

If you want to build a private practice that fills through professional relationships and trusted referrals, this episode will show you how the process actually works.

Start with the Private Practice Starter Kit:

Let’s talk about money.

Not the theoretical version of money where we all agree therapists deserve to be paid well.

The real version, where you’re sitting across from a potential client, they ask what you charge, and you feel your throat tighten before you say the number. Or worse, you say the number, and then immediately offer a discount before they even ask.

Most therapists aren’t underpaid because the market won’t support higher rates. They’re underpaid because somewhere along the way, they started believing their work wasn’t worth what it actually costs to do it in a way that holds up.

In this episode, we’re talking about why you’re worth more than you’re charging, how to set a rate that supports your life, and how to say that number out loud without apologizing.

This isn’t about getting rich. It’s about not breaking yourself while you help other people.

If you’re early in private practice and you want the full roadmap, what to do first, what comes next, and what doesn’t matter yet, start with the Private Practice Starter Kit.

You can get it at:

Finding and owning your specialty is one of the shifts that quietly changes everything about how your practice feels.

In this episode, Lisa explores what happens when your work stops feeling scattered and starts to organize itself around what’s already working. Early in practice, most clinicians keep their scope broad out of fear,  fear of missing opportunities, fear of limiting themselves, fear of not being “ready” yet. That stage isn’t wrong, but it can become overwhelming when everything feels equally demanding and nothing feels anchored.

Lisa shares how specialties actually form  not through invention or branding exercises, but through noticing patterns in your sessions, your energy, and your outcomes. Certain clients feel easier to hold. Certain conversations feel more natural. Certain results repeat themselves. A specialty emerges when you name what’s already true about your work instead of trying to create something new.

You’ll hear why owning your specialty doesn’t limit your practice but gives it a center, one that sharpens confidence, steadies your presence, improves referrals, and makes decision-making simpler across your business. Lisa also walks through the elements that come together when a specialty clicks: values, expertise, audience, and offer, and why this focus is more about assimilation than marketing.

This episode is for clinicians who feel capable but overextended, skilled but scattered, and ready for their work to feel more intentional and coherent.

Private Practice Foundations: Your First 90 Days in Private Practice begins exactly here. We start with specialty, then build focus, sequencing, systems, and decisions in the right order. The next cohort begins February 16. Learn more at craftyourpractice.com.

Thank you for listening to The Craft Your Practice Method Podcast.

Your first three months in private practice set the tone for your entire business. In this episode, Lisa Reidsema, LMHC, walks through a clear 90-day framework: first establishing your foundation, then building systems, and finally beginning visibility and referral efforts. This episode is perfect for therapists who are launching or relaunching their practices and want to move with intention instead of overwhelm.

This episode gives you the overview. If you want the step-by-step implementation , with scripts, schedules, and templates, enroll in Private Practice Foundations.

In this episode, we’re going back to the foundation, what it really means to craft a private practice with intention. You’ll learn how to shift from clinician to business owner, identify your core systems, and start building structure that supports your freedom as a therapist.

If this episode resonated with you, explore the Private Practice Foundations course, it walks you through your first 90 days step-by-step.