Private Practice Success Stories

Do you want to know a question I get asked all the time? I get asked, “Jena, when should I invest in an EMR system?” I’m excited to share a special solution with you today!

My simple answer is always this, the moment you start seeing your first client is when you should be thinking about having an EMR, or electronic medical record.

In this episode, I’m sharing a very special offer from Simple Practice and how you can use it to transform your private practice.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why time management is so important when you’re first starting out
• How Simple Practice will help you save more time and make more money
• Real-life examples of how Simple Practice has helped my students

I truly believe Simple Practice is an investment in your practice’s professionalism and efficiency!

To save money on Simple Practice and get a free 7 day trial + 40% off for six months + a 1:1 onboarding call, use my link: www.startyourprivatepractice.com/simple to claim this offer.

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Claim this special offer from Simple Practice: http://www.startyourprivatepractice.com/simple

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Are you a newly graduated SLP already wondering if private practice is for you? You will love this episode!

My guest today is Katja Piscitelli, a speech-language pathologist with a pediatric private practice in Sacramento, California. She launched her private practice, Total Spectrum Speech Therapy, immediately after her clinical fellowship at just 25 years old. You may know her from Instagram as @bohospeechie.

After graduating, Katja knew that she wanted to start her private practice right away. after taking a school job, she joined the Start Your Private Practice Program and started seeing private clients on the side.

In this episode, Katja shares the backstory of starting a private practice so early on in her career, as well as how she developed her niche.

With a passion for helping autistic children and their families thrive, Katja Piscitelli has dedicated herself exclusively to working with autistic children. She has taken an even deeper dive into Gestalt Language Processing for the last five years.

Her experience has taught her that each child is unique and requires personalized support—there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Through Boho Speechie and her practice, she seeks to help therapists and parents understand how to support their autistic children in developing language in a way that is clear, affirming, and accessible.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why Katja didn’t worry about lack of experience when starting her own practice
• How a part-time job offers consistency as you build your practice
• Navigating payer sources as a new practice
• Katja’s experience with growing quickly and hiring more and more SLPs
• Her advice to those thinking about private practice but haven’t taken the leap yet

Not everyone is meant to take the “traditional” route of working in schools or hospitals. I hope Katja’s story inspires you to pursue what you’re passionate about!

If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help support you - just like we supported Katja - please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com.

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Follow Katja on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bohospeechie/

Check out the resources on her website: https://www.bohospeechie.net/

Katja’s practice: https://www.totalspectrumtherapy.org/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Does working in schools have you feeling stuck with no control over your career? If you want to get that control back, this episode is for you!

Today I am joined by Darla Gardner, an SLP with a pediatric private practice outside of Dallas, Texas. Darla worked for over 20 years as a school-based SLP. After learning the school administration wanted her to move to a different campus, she decided to join our Start Your Private Practice Program and start a private practice instead.

In this episode, Darla shares her private practice startup journey, from how she kept overhead costs low, to the fulfillment she gets from meeting the needs of her community.

Darla was a school-based SLP for 21 years. During this time, she developed a passion for partnering with parents to intentionally target early speech and language skills in the home. After discovering that low-income, pre-school-aged children in her area were on 18+ month waiting lists for speech therapy services at clinics more than 20 miles away, she decided to open her own clinic, Wonderfully Made Therapies.

Through her private practice, she can serve the children most at risk for later academic concerns by providing early speech and language services close to home.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Darla’s history of working in schools
• Recognizing the gap between what the school offered and what her patients needed
• How she went about furnishing her practice for cheap
• What happens when you get out of your head and put yourself out there
• How private practice lets her work with parents more than she could in the schools
• The variety of services Darla’s practice offers now and what she hopes to offer in the future

If you want to better meet the needs of your community in a way the schools can’t, I hope Darla’s story will inspire you!

Whether you want to start a private practice (like Darla!) or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Follow Darla on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msgardeniasspeechroom/

Check out Darla’s TPT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/ms-gardenias-speech-room

More of Darla’s resources: https://www.speechroomresources.com/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Are you afraid of marketing to doctors because you are intimidated or don’t want to come across as pushy or salesy? Be sure to tune in to this episode!

If you find approaching doctors intimidating, you are not alone! We know they are busy and well-respected in the medical field. So it’s easy to feel like you don’t have the confidence or experience to ask for referrals.

But this fear is only holding you back from growing your practice and helping more people. This is something that comes up a lot and I’m excited to talk about how to move past it.

In this special solo episode, I’m talking about how to confidently market your private practice to doctors and specialists without feeling pushy, salesy, or overwhelmed.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How to reframe your fear of selling yourself to offering a solution instead
• Why consistency will be key for developing long-term relationships
• My helpful resource for establishing referral relationships

I hope this episode will help you take that first step to building successful referral relationships!

Want more help getting referrals from doctors and specialists without feeling pushy or annoying?

Inside Marketing to Doctors Made Easy, I share my exact system that helps you establish referral relationships with doctors. You’ll get scripts, email templates, and a step-by-step guide to building those referral relationships.

So, if you’re ready to stop letting fear hold you back and start getting consistent referrals from doctors, check out Marketing to Doctors Made Easy.

To grab your copy, just visit growyourprivatepractice.com/doctors and don’t forget to look at the page to find a money saving coupon!

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Grab your copy of Marketing to Doctors Made Easy: http://growyourprivatepractice.com/doctors

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Are you interested in branching out from working as a clinician with kids and working to support their parents instead? You’ll love this episode!

My guest today is Kelli Meyer, a speech-language pathologist who bridges the gap between parents and SLP. Through her own efforts and with the help of Private Practice Success Stories, she learned how to make money on her terms and pursue what she was passionate about.

In this episode, Kelli discusses her role in offering consultations and coaching to support parents.

Kelli Meyer is a proud mother of two and a passionate pediatric Speech Language Pathologist. With a specialized focus on Childhood Language Development, she is dedicated to empowering parents, caregivers, and professionals alike through informative content creation.

Welcoming her son into the world in 2024 reignited her desire to support families on their communication journey. From crafting engaging courses to leading enriching play classes and workshops, her mission is to equip parents, educators, and professionals with the tools and knowledge to effectively nurture their child’s communication skills.

Through The Speech Scoop, her platform on YouTube, she’s had the privilege of reaching nearly 4 million viewers and fostering connections within her community of fellow moms.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Kelli’s background in speech therapy
• What happened when Covid forced her to find new ways to help parents seeking help
• How Kelli's approach extends beyond direct therapy, focusing on empowering parents with knowledge and tools for daily use
• A typical day in Kelli’s unique career
• The variety of sources that make up her income
• Kelli’s advice to those curious about working more with parents
• The importance of following your path to fulfillment - even if it’s not the traditional route

If you've been thinking about starting a private practice and want to use a consultative or parent-coaching model, this is a must-listen episode!

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Kelli’s website: thespeechscoop.com

Follow the Speech Scoop on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thespeechscoop

Follow the Speech Scoop on Instagram: http://instagram.com/thespeechscoop

Find the Speech Scoop on YouTube: http://youtube.com/thespeechscoop

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

If you've been thinking about private clients and either have a passion for working with adults or have kids you want to be home for, this episode is for you!

Today I’m talking with Heather McCurdy, mom to triplets and owner of an adult-focused private practice, Mindful Speech Therapy, in Valparaiso, Indiana.

After hearing about it from a friend, Heather used the Start Your Private Practice Program to create a practice that aligns with her values and lifestyle.

In this episode, Heather shares how her private practice journey gave her the freedom to continue working with adult clients and stay at home to raise her triplets.

Heather McCurdy is an adult-focused private practice owner and serves patients in-person and virtually in the state of Indiana. Heather loves treating patients with post-traumatic brain injury (including athletes post-concussion) and dementia. When Heather's not working, she enjoys spending time with her three kiddos.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• What happened when Heather realized her job wasn’t fulfilling anymore
• How she gets referrals in a way that avoids being pushy and dealing with competition
• Heather’s balanced approach to managing her private practice and family life
• How private practice allows her to be a better parent to her kids
• The different payer sources that allow Heather to see a variety of clients
• What other opportunities she’s considering thanks to the flexibility of private practice

If you want to pursue adult-focused SLP, you will love Heather’s story! Private practice not only made Heather her own boss but allowed her to stay in her zone of genius.

If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help support SLPs and OTs who want our help to start and grow their practices, please visit www.IndependentClinician.com/resources

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Heather’s website: mindfulspeechtherapy.com

Follow Mindful Speech Therapy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulspeechtherapyllc/

Learn more about how our programs can help you with starting or growing your private practice: https://www.independentclinician.com/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

If you’ve been feeling so burned out from work that you’re thinking about quitting the field altogether, this episode is for you!

Joining me today is Anna Humes, an occupational therapist with a pediatric private practice in San Diego, California.

After personal reflection and listening to the Private Practice Success Stories Podcast, Anna took the leap to establish her own business. Her practice, Well Played Pediatric Therapy, quickly became financially successful, allowing her to exceed her previous income within four months.

In this episode, Anna will share her journey of starting her private practice and her diverse career path, which included working in multiple outpatient clinics, school contracts and even taking a two-year break from occupational therapy.

Anna started Played Well Pediatric Therapy in 2023 after 13 years in the field. Her career has spanned across the United States in outpatient, school, and early intervention settings.

Played Well is a work of love, passion, and the mindful practice of building through phases, implementing systems, and reducing stress to better serve her clients and herself.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The most common reason that leads therapists to burnout
• Why she took a break from occupational therapy and worked at Starbucks
• How private practice helped her get back to her love of OT
• Getting started easily and inexpensively
• What surprised her about trying new settings and demographics
• Using short-term goals to encourage and guide you along the way

You deserve joy and fulfillment in your work! Private practice is a great solution for those who want to make a difference for their patients, but also avoid burnout and maintain the passion that got them into the field in the first place.

If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help support SLPs and OTs who want our help to start and grow their practices, please visit www.IndependentClinician.com/resources

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Anna’s new website: https://www.playedwellpediatrictherapy.com/

Follow Anna’s practice on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playedwell.ot/

Follow Anna’s practice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565960667150

Learn more about how our programs can help you with starting or growing your private practice: https://www.independentclinician.com/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

If you’ve been thinking of starting a private practice, but want to start part-time before diving into full-time, tune in for this episode!

I interviewed Kathleen Salata, a dedicated speech-language pathologist and the owner of Journey Pediatrics Therapy Services in Livonia, Michigan.

Kathleen joined the Start Your Private practice program in 2020 and used the pandemic period to get her business all set up. She began her private practice on the weekends while maintaining a full-time job at a hospital.

In this episode, Kathleen shares her journey of transitioning from having a part-time private practice to leaving her full-time job and being in private practice full-time.

By August 2021, Kathleen had secured a sublease for a room to use on weekends while maintaining her full-time job. In June 2022, Kathleen transitioned to working at her practice full-time. Today, Journey Pediatrics Therapy Services occupies a three-room suite complete with a waiting room and sensory gym.

Kathleen treats a wide range of speech and language disorders at her clinic, with a particular passion for working with children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to communicate.

Outside of her professional life, Kathleen got married in September 2023. While her husband completes his residency in St. Louis, she remains in Michigan, fully committed to the growth of her practice. In her free time, Kathleen enjoys discovering toys for her clinic at garage sales, spending quality time with family and friends, and staying active with cross-fit.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How Kathleen got started in the field
• What her private practice looked like just starting out
• Making the transition from part-time to full-time in her own practice
• The marketing strategies that help clients find her
• Her plans to hire in the next six months
• The freedom your private practice offers in terms of time off
• Kathleen’s advice to those on the fence about starting a practice

Kathleen’s story is a great example to those wanting to start small and grow from there. I hope she inspires you to take the next step on your own private practice journey!

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice (like Kathleen!), I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Kathleen’s website: https://journeypediatricstherapy.com/

Follow Kathleen’s practice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/journeypeds/

Follow Kathleen's practice on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journey_therapy/?hl=en

Get help starting or growing your practice: https://www.independentclinician.com/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Do you have a specific end goal for your private practice, but aren’t really sure how to get there? This episode is perfect for you!

I sat down with Heather Anderson, a speech-language pathologist with a private practice in Monroe, Michigan. Heather started out as a medical SLP, later became a pediatric SLP to start her own private practice, and now sees all ages through her practice, Your Voice Speech Therapy.

I helped Heather get started through the Start Your Private Practice Program. As her business took off, she leveled up to the Grow Your Private Practice Program, which has helped her create a thriving practice doing what she loves.

In this episode, Heather shares what it was like starting her practice on the side of a full-time job, why she pivoted to pediatric services, and how that flexibility eventually allowed her to get back to her zone of genius and experience huge growth.

Heather graduated from The University of Toledo in 2016 with a Master of Arts. Her first exposure to speech pathology was as a junior in high school in 2008. While looking through possible majors at The University of Toledo, the title of speech-language pathology instantly caught her attention. Her mother recommended shadowing a speech-language pathologist at the hospital where she worked, and after taking her advice, decided after just one hour that it was the career for her.

After graduation, Heather began working in a transitional care setting (a segway from acute care into a skilled nursing facility). While working in transitional care, she also worked in acute care at Toledo Hospital, where she learned valuable information for evaluating and treating strokes (in the neuro ICU), dysphagia, cognitive disorders, tracheostomies, motor vehicle accidents, and traumatic brain injuries. She also became certified to perform swallow studies (MBSImP certified).

Heather then went into an outpatient pediatric setting while conducting swallow studies for acute care patients and outpatients. From there, she worked in skilled nursing settings in which she worked heavily with voicing disorders, dysphagia, dementia care, memory impairments, and more. Heather became a Certified Dementia Practitioner while working in skilled nursing and has expertise working in specialized Alzhiemer's/dementia care facilities. She has since continued working in acute care and skilled nursing settings but has always dreamed of owning a private practice.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Heather’s background and how she got into SLP
• What motivated Heather to start her own practice on the side of her job
• What helped her take the leap to enter a school contract
• A look into the networking opportunities that came with pursuing her own practice
• The reality of pivoting your vision to serve the community
• How the Start and Grow programs helped Heather get back to her zone of genius
• The power of becoming the one that people refer to

I hope you find Heather’s story inspiring! If you've been thinking about starting a private practice on the side of your job to have the flexibility for your family that Heather strived for, be sure to tune in!

If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help support SLPs and OTs who want our help to start and grow their practices, please visit www.IndependentClinician.com/resources

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Heather on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Your-Voice-Speech-Therapy-YVST-107991818564164/

Follow Heather’s new Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourvoicest/

Check out Heather’s website: https://www.yourvoicest.com/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Is the only way to earn more money to take on more clients?

Thankfully not! But this is where I see so many private practice owners get stuck.

In this episode, we're diving into one of the most important topics for private practice owners, which is how to increase your earnings by diversifying your income streams.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why you don’t need to see more clients to make more money
• Selecting revenue streams that work for your practice to pursue
• How to set up those streams for success
• Examples of how stream stacking work

I originally intended this episode for my new private podcast, but the insights are just too valuable to not share with my bigger audience!

Be sure to tune in, because I’m sharing the exact strategies that I have used to help hundreds of private practice owners, just like you, increase your profits without burning out or having to see more and more clients.

Want to learn how to add income streams to your practice? Sign up for our upcoming training called How to Grow Your Private Practice Income: www.growyourprivatepractice.com/training

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Check out my new podcast: http://www.growyourprivatepractice.com/podcast

Learn how to add income streams to your practice: http://www.growyourprivatepractice.com/training

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/