Tonight's Wednesday Check-in was EVERYTHING! 🔥

Shoutouts to Michelle, Adele, Shay and Z for jumping in and sharing their multiple streams journeys. Hearing Shay talk about cutting her "think time" down to 3 days before acting on ideas? That hit different.

And Adele - girl, I see you with that "quit standing in the way of your own success" reminder. We ALL needed that.

What we covered:

• Why your therapy skills translate to WAY more than you think

• The multiple streams bundle that's helping folks map their next moves

Premium members - you already have access to the Multiple Streams Foundation Bundle we talked about. Non-members can grab it for FREE for the next 48 hours at patreon.com/privatepay

Grab the Multiple Streams Bundle too! Free until Friday Sept 5 at 11:59pm.

Plus - the book is officially out! "Private Pay Practitioners Playbook" hit #1 bestseller in practice management (still pinching myself). Rolling out to more platforms soon - I'll keep you posted on availability.

Next Wednesday: Special guest joining us for live coaching around making the leap to private pay. You don't want to miss this one.

See you there!

Just uploaded my conversation with Allyson Clemmons, LCSW - and this one's about more than just business strategies.

What We Explored:

• Her realization that graduate school prepared her to be a therapist, not a business owner

• Managing the loneliness of solo practice while wearing multiple hats

• The entrepreneurial brain differences that help some of us take risks others won't

• How living in Greece for 2 years shaped her multi-state licensing strategy

• Why she gives away free therapy sessions because her rates allow her to

The Real Talk: Allyson shares her journey from someone who knew she was "too feral" to be a W-2 employee to building a sustainable practice that works with her life, not against it.

Learn more from Allyson: https://www.bridgetownclinical.com/ and allysonclemmons.com

Premium Members - this adds to your growing library of real practitioner stories and strategies. It's the kind of honest conversation about the challenges and breakthroughs that help you navigate your own path.

Not a Premium member? This interview shows the mindset shifts and practical lessons that separate therapists who struggle with the business side from those who make it work for them.

Ready to stop feeling like you're winging the business parts of practice?

Fall energy is hitting DIFFERENT this year! 🍂

Just finished our Premium Weekly Check-In and I'm buzzing with excitement about what this season holds. There's something magical about fall - maybe it's my birthday month bias, but clients always seem to show up with this renewed commitment to change.

Real talk: Fall is prime time for launching something new.

Whether it's a group, intensive, or workshop - this is when people are ready to invest in themselves. They're done with the summer distractions and ready to get serious about their healing.

I've been thinking a lot about what makes someone say "yes" to joining a group or booking an intensive. It comes down to one thing: Are you addressing their deepest fear?

For my folks, it's usually the terror of losing everything - relationships, careers, family connections. When you can speak directly to that pain point, that's when the magic happens.

Here's what I'm planning for fall:

• Launching my new book - The Private Pay Practitioners Playbook (September can't come fast enough!)

• Recording more meditations for Insight Timer

• Maybe a weekend workshop (still deciding...)

But the real secret sauce? Never stop networking. I don't care if you're booked solid - keep those relationships warm. Your future self will thank you.

The Fall Launch Prep is ready and waiting in the Premium vault. It's packed with strategies for identifying your clients' pain points, pre-qualifying prospects, and setting up offerings that actually fill.

What's cooking in your practice this fall? Drop a comment - I love seeing what y'all are creating!

Non-members: You can grab the guide without committing to another subscription (because Lord knows we all have enough of those! 😅) It's in Vault Vol 5!

Real signs that networking burnout is creeping in:

• Dreading your Facebook groups or CE events (even when you need them!)

• Getting defensive about your private pay rates when colleagues question them

• Feeling low self-esteem and questioning your worth

• Resentment toward clients, yourself, or colleagues

"If you're getting really defensive about your rates all the time, that's a sign of potential burnout because you're overworking and probably over-tolerating someone else's BS." - DJ

Stop Over-Explaining Your Worth

• Own your private pay decision without apology

• Simple script: "I choose to be private pay because it's sustainable for me, my practice, and my family."

• No more leading with "I know I should probably take insurance, but..."

The 99% Rule DJ networks almost exclusively with other private pay practitioners now - and for good reason. Insurance-based therapists want to network with other insurance providers, so why force a mismatch?

For the Overwhelmed:

• Don't over-follow up - One email, maybe check in 6 weeks later when you have something meaningful to share

• Set timers when working on projects to prevent those 6-hour spirals

• Have an exit strategy for networking calls that aren't a good fit

For Introverts (We See You!):

• Scale it back: One-on-one chats over big groups

• Virtual coffee dates on Zoom work perfectly

• Schedule when your bandwidth is high, not when you're forcing it

• Email/text only networking is totally valid

• Give yourself permission to leave early and schedule downtime after

My "one red flag is enough" rule - Exit immediately if they:

• Only talk about themselves, ask zero questions about you

• Push back on your model or rates

• Make inappropriate comments about clients or your specialty

Exit script: "It doesn't sound like you and I would be a good fit for sending referrals to one another, but I really appreciate the time you've taken to meet with me."

• Adventure-based networking

• Chamber of Commerce connections

• Calendly systems that let networking contacts choose the meeting format and location

• Reaching out with value - sharing relevant resources, not asking for referrals

"We gotta be able to do this thing, right? Being able to take care of ourselves and get the energy flowing that's going to support us in showing up and being present is necessary." - DJ

Your sustainable networking approach should:

• Fit YOUR energy and availability

• Build genuine relationships, not transactional connections

• Protect your boundaries while staying open to opportunities

• Generate referrals without burning you out

DJ is sharing a comprehensive handout with all these strategies plus actionable steps you can implement immediately. This is pure gold for building a referral network that sustains rather than drains you.

What resonated most with you from this talk? Drop a comment and let us know which strategy you're implementing first! 👇

If you missed our powerful live conversation, you can now watch it anytime! Black therapists from across the country shared their authentic experiences navigating private practice and private pay systems.

What you'll hear:

✨ Raw, honest stories - From growing up with messages like "we don't do therapy" to building thriving practices

✨ Insurance reality check - Why practitioners are leaving panels (spoiler: it's not just the money)

✨ Transition strategies - How therapists successfully moved to private pay

✨ Marketing gold - Including one practitioner's game-changing podcast outreach strategy

✨ Microaggressions exposed - Real experiences with companies trying to change authentic voices

✨ Community wisdom - The power of networking and supporting each other

Powerful moments you'll experience:

"I don't need anyone else to tell my story. I will tell it." - DJ on taking control of his narrative

"Rest is actually resistance. And it's your birthright. You know what I mean. Like you get to rest. You deserve to rest." - Natalie on breaking conditioning and overwork culture

"They're not going to look at us as an expert unless they can hear that we sound like an expert to them... I'm gonna show up with my hoops on a podcast I'm gonna show up with my locks on the podcast I'm gonna talk just like I'm talking to y'all, because this is the same way I talk to my clients." - Meghan on authentic marketing

Featured voices include:

• Natalie sharing her trauma work and insurance exit story

• Elisha discussing generational perspectives (her mom was the only Black psychologist in her county in the 80s!)

• Angela navigating social work training that discouraged private practice

• Nia explaining the importance of culturally appropriate therapy

• Meghan dropping serious podcast marketing knowledge

• And more incredible practitioners sharing their journeys

This isn't just another business talk - it's about lived experience, professional growth, and building generational wealth in our community.

Perfect for:

• Black practitioners considering private pay

• Anyone wanting to understand the real challenges we face

• Therapists looking for authentic marketing strategies

• Those seeking community and connection in this work

WATCH FOR FREE - No paywall. No restrictions. Just real conversation from real practitioners.

Come for the business insights, stay for the community wisdom. 💪🏾

This 40-minute conversation with Dr. Jason Herndon goes places most practitioners won't—into the real internal work of pricing as Black therapists, the assumptions we carry, and the boundaries that actually serve our communities.

On the dangerous assumption about Black clients: "I think there is this idea that, like, if you want to serve black people, you need to somehow charge less or take insurance or do Medicaid right, which I think really actually is guided in the assumption that, like, lots of black people, are poor, which is not true."

Jason's honest pricing confession: "I think that my own sort of internal money anxiety was ready to say, like, you're charging too much. You're a tool of the capitalist system, right? Like you're a bad therapist, right? Just all the silly things that we tell ourselves."

The boundary that changed everything: "I do not want therapy to become a place that you are avoiding because you owe me money. I let that happen once... And for me that was really a lesson. It's like I cannot let that happen again."

On the cost of our creative work: "What's the cost of monetizing your passions? When are you doing things that are for money? And how do you approach that work? When are you doing things that are just outlets for other reasons?"

DJ's Internal work revelation: "I had to get into my recovery to work on my money right, and learning that it was connected to like traumas and stuff like I had to dig in. I had to work the steps right."

This conversation will challenge everything you think you know about serving your community while building a sustainable practice. Both of us had to do deep internal work to get here—and we're sharing exactly what that looked like.

Ready to do the work?

What an incredible conversation!

I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Shauna Pollard (Dr. P), a licensed psychologist specializing in executive functioning and ADHD for high-achieving professionals. As a PSYPACT member serving clients across 42 states, she shared invaluable insights about social media marketing from a BIPOC perspective.

Follow Dr. P on Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drshaunap/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drshaunap/

Website: https://drspllc.com/online-therapy/

🔑 Key Takeaways from Our Conversation:

Her Strategic Approach:

- **LinkedIn and Facebook** have been her money-making platforms (not Instagram)

- Uses social media as a “repository” for high-achieving clients who research thoroughly before committing

- Focuses on relationship building over direct marketing - “I’m probably a marketer’s worst nightmare”

Content Strategy That Works:

- Podcasts and collaborations over daily posting (she’s done 7 this year!)

- Repurposing content across platforms with platform-specific formatting

- Long-form content that can be chopped up for multiple uses

Networking Gold:

- Uses QR codes for LinkedIn and Instagram when meeting people in person

- Actively participates in professional Facebook groups (like ours!)

- Fills network gaps intentionally - reaches out when she needs specific connections

BIPOC-Specific Insights:

- Social media helps connect more directly with community

- The importance of authentic voice in content - she keeps heavy control over her messaging

- Finding the right marketing support can be challenging when your experience is unique

Boundary Setting:

- Learned to say no when podcasts clustered

- Video content prep is different - “it lives in perpetuity”

- Finding your lane vs. trying to be everywhere

💡 Practical Tips Shared:

✅ Claim your username on all platforms even if you don’t use them

✅ LinkedIn strategy: Keep all professional connections - you never know who will share your content

✅ Content creation: Find the format that matches your personality and energy

✅ Networking: Connect people on social media after meeting in person

✅ Platform optimization: Consume content on platforms to understand what works

🎯 Her Bottom Line:

“Have fun with social media, make friends, read people’s posts, comment, find your professional friends and follow them - that way you can support each other.”

Dr. P’s approach proves you don’t have to be “always on” to be successful. Her focus on authentic relationship building and strategic platform use has created sustainable visibility that actually converts.

Questions from this conversation? Drop them below! I love seeing how these insights spark ideas for your own practice.

Last night’s session was packed with real talk, strategy, and grounded reflection on what private practice actually requires. I shared:

• The biggest myths that held me back early on

• How my mindset had to shift to build something sustainable

• The emotional toll of people-pleasing in business

• What I would absolutely do differently if I started today

💡Whether you’re still debating the leap or already navigating the trenches, this one is for every therapist who’s tired of waiting for permission.

Watch the video or listen to the audio. Enjoy!

This weekend, ya'll showed up live to talk about what it means to build creative, income-generating, and soul-nourishing work outside the therapy room.

We talked identity, burnout, side hustles, and joy—and I got to share the story behind launching Jade & Whim, my green-themed lifestyle shop born out of grief, whimsy, and growth.

👀 If you missed it live, you can still watch the full replay above.

📄 You can also add your own side hustle or creative work to our shared community spreadsheet:

👉 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MC4ODYnLMPzDKdNSBYLwKoPHDE04qPNG/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109976907207733751522&rtpof=true&sd=true

You’re allowed to be more than a therapist.

Private pay isn’t the only dream worth chasing—and sometimes the most aligned thing you can do… is something totally different.

See you next time on Beyond the Couch!

Audio only version now attached!!

Natalie Spautz, LMFT, joined me to unpack the growing impact of VC-backed tech companies on private practice—and how therapists can respond with clarity, courage, and community.

We talked about:

✅ What actually happens when tech disrupts care

✅ Why private practice is political

✅ How to navigate money with integrity

✅ Natalie’s anticapitalist approach to practice-building

✅ And why collective liberation belongs in every business model

Whether you’re feeling the pressure to scale, questioning your rates, or just trying to stay grounded in your values—this conversation is for you.

🔗 Learn more about Natalie’s work:

www.privatepracticemoney.com | www.consciouspartnership.com

@privatepracticemoney | @theconsciouspartnership