Private Practice Success Stories

Having a part-time private practice is the safest and smartest way to get started.

I actually don’t recommend that SLPs or OTs jump full-time into running their own private practice to start. People are so surprised to hear me say that but the truth is, when just starting out, I recommend that you start part-time on the side of your regular job for a few different reasons.

The first is that it decreases your financial risk when you leave your job and allows you to have those benefits while growing your business. This works wonders for calming those nerves about embarking on your private practice journey.

The second is that it helps you test the waters and make sure that going all-in on private practice is right for you. The last thing you want or need is to dive into being a private practice owner only to find it’s not right for you.

The third reason is that you can start generating income on the side that you can use to pay off debt, build up your savings, reinvest in your business, or use on fun things before it becomes your sole income.

Your private practice starts with one client. This time is perfect for getting all of your ducks in a row so that when you go full-time with your business, you are fully prepared for the work that comes with it.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why SLPs and OTs are starting their private practices on the side now more than ever
• The benefits of starting parent coaching
• Why now is the perfect time to start
• The things people think you need to get started and why you don’t actually need them
• Why it doesn’t cost as much to start as you think
• The things you do need to get started with your private practice

Starting your private practice is simpler than you think. You don’t need to go all out right from the start. Babysteps are the way to go. Starting as a side hustle will help you create the business of your dreams in the easiest way possible.

Ready to get started? Spring enrollment for Start Your Private Practice is just around the corner! Let's make sure you get notified as soon as we re-open so that you can get set up and ready for summer. Get on the waitlist here!

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:

Join the waitlist

Where We Can Connect:

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Many new SLPs hold back from starting their own private practice because they don’t believe they have enough experience to venture off on their own, but that isn’t true!

You can start your private practice as soon as you have something to bring to the table. Specializing is a great way to increase your referrals and find success sooner, even if you are a new SLP.

In this episode, I sat down with Sydney Bassard to talk about how she started her own private practice that focuses on deaf and hard-of-hearing children and literacy early on in her career and how she created multiple streams of income to increase her success.

Sydney knows that she can run her private practice in whatever way works for her. She is a multi-passionate person and is using her private practice as a way to focus on more than just one of them.

Sydney Bassard is a private practice SLP in Charlotte, NC. She graduated with her B.S. in Public Health in 2017 and her MSP in Speech Pathology in 2019. Sydney received both her degrees from The University of South Carolina.

Prior to opening her own private practice, Sydney worked in outpatient pediatrics as a member of the cochlear implant team. Her private practice, The Listening SLP, LLC, is founded on the principles to "Listen.Learn.Advocate" with the clients and families she serves.

She is enjoys sharing strategies for incorporating language and literacy throughout daily routines via @thelisteningslp on Instagram and Facebook. Outside of being an SLP, Sydney enjoys digital content creation, hiking, enjoying time with friends and families, and spoiling her dog, Kinsley.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How Sydney decided it was time to start her private practice
• The benefits of specializing
• Why you don’t need decades of experience to start your private practice
• The importance of continuing education when you have a private practice
• The benefits of creating multiple streams of income
• Branching out with teletherapy

Life is short, so we need to be doing things that we love to do, that we are fulfilled by, and that are providing a service. Starting a private practice is a great way to create the career of your dreams, just like Sydney did.

If you are interested in hearing more from Sydney, I highly recommend you follow her on Instagram for inspiration and tips.

Want help to start your own private practice? Spring Enrollment for The Start Your Private Practice is coming up so let's get you on the waitlist!

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:

Join the Waitlist

Visit Sydney’s website

Follow Sydney on Instagram

Where We Can Connect:

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Have you ever wanted to offer a specialty service?

When you start your own private practice, you have the freedom to create the job of your dreams for yourself. If you are passionate about a certain service or population, make that your specialty! This helps you become known as “the one” to go to for that service so you can put your business on the fast track for success.

My guest in this episode of Private Practice Success Stories is Mallory Millet, a Start Your Private Practice student. Mallory is a speech therapist who carved out a niche for herself based on her passion and where she saw a need.

Mallory Millet is a Speech Pathologist who specializes in pediatric feeding disorders. Her focuses include infant reflux, infant oral development, and bottle feeding. Through her professional work, and with a lack of support during her own babies’ feeding journeys, she created The Feeding Mom. It is here that she provides in-person and virtual support to empower parents through their feeding journeys locally and around the world. Her philosophy is: every parent deserves to love feeding their baby.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Mallory’s journey to starting a private practice
• How specializing can help you grow
• The importance of referral marketing and social media marketing
• The benefits of parent coaching and how to add it to your services
• Other things you can offer in addition to therapy in your private practice
• How to price your services and when to raise your prices

I love how Mallory created a really unique space for herself by offering both pediatric feeding therapy and parent coaching. So many SLP’s and OTs say that they miss collaborating with parents in schools. With your own private practice, you have the freedom to add parent coaching if it is something that you are passionate about.

There is no one way to run your private practice. You are in charge of what you offer and what you don’t!

Want to learn how to offer your own private therapy services just like Mallory? Join the waitlist for the Start Your Private Practice Program so you can sign up during Spring Enrollment.

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 Mallory’s courses

Visit Mallory’s website

Follow Mallory on Instagram

Where We Can Connect:

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Have you ever felt called to start a private practice that serves the underserved populations in your community?

Some of my most successful Start Your Private Practice students are bilingual and have started their private practice to serve linguistically diverse populations. This population often faces a long waitlist for bilingual service providers. They are in desperate need of people like you!

In today’s episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with one of my Start Your Private Practice students, Ana-Maria Jaramillo, to talk about how she decided to start her own private practice for the bilingual community and drastically increased her impact while also increasing her income.

Ana-Maria Jaramillo, M.S., CCC-SLP is a nationally-certified bilingual pediatric integrative speech-language pathologist with extensive experience providing speech-langauge therapy to children ages birth to 18.

She is the owner and founder of Voz Speech Therapy, a private practice that provides individualized services in English and Spanish in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Her area of specialty is working with children in early intervention, ages one to six years old, with autism spectrum disorders, orofacial myofunctional disorders, oral-motor disorders, expressive/receptive language disorders, learning disabilities, fluency disorders, social language impairments, and articulation disorders.

She graduated cum laude in 2013 with a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and obtained her bachelor’s degree in child psychology and sociology from Saint Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at NYU and is pursuing a clinical doctorate in speech-language pathology from Northwestern University.

When she isn’t treating patients, Ana-Maria is actively speaking at local high schools and offering webinars on ways to diversify the field of speech-langauge pathology through her organization DiverCity SLP.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why Ana-Maria decided to start a bilingual practice
• Why you don’t need tons of money to start your practice
• How Ana-Maria transitioned from a mobile private practice to a brick and mortar setting
• The power of in-person networking
• Why when you’re truly ready, the people will come
• How Ana-Maria is using her expertise to increase diversity in the field

Ana-Maria is such a powerhouse and she is a great example of the incredible things you can accomplish and the impact you can make if you set your mind to it. Starting your own private practice can open the doors for you to do the things you’re really passionate about.

Want to start your own private practice serving underserved populations? Make sure you get on the waitlist for The Start Your Private Practice Program for when we re-open in the Spring!

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 Ana-Maria’s website

Follow Ana-Maria on Instagram

Where We Can Connect:

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For SLP’s who focus on adult care in their private practices, one of the most important things to learn is Medicare. Many of our adult patients utilize it to pay for the care they need.

But how do you set it up for your private practice?

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with one of my Start Your Private Practice students, Katie Brown, to talk about Medicare in the private practice setting. Katie runs her own practice for adult patients which has given her a lot of experience and knowledge on taking Medicare payments.

Billing Medicare can be scary for SLP’s. We have all been there! Katie is making it easier than ever for SLP’s to get enrolled, learn how to bill properly, and document their services through her new program Mastering Medicare for SLP’s.

Katie Brown, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS is a speech-language pathologist and certified brain injury specialist practicing in Buffalo, NY. She owns a private practice called Neuro Speech Solutions which specializes in therapy for adults with neurogenic communication and cognitive disorders. Katie is passionate about providing meaningful, functional therapy to those with aphasia and cognitive impairments related to stroke and TBI.

Outside of her private practice, Katie is active in the SLP community. She is an advocate for person-centered care and creates digital materials aiming to help other medical SLPs feel more confident in providing personally relevant therapy. Katie is a mentor for the Start Your Private Practice Program and an SLP consultant for the aphasia app company, Tactus Therapy. She volunteers for several non-profits and provides a monthly workshop for brain injury survivors.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• What is included in Katie’s Medicare program
• What mistakes to watch out for when applying for Medicare
• Why it’s okay if a claim gets denied and what to do if it does
• How long the process of getting everything set up takes
• Why Katie’s course will work for you even if you are already seeing Medicare clients
• The cost of inaction in your business

We need more private practices out there that will accept Medicare. Katie is a phenomenal example of taking action. The more you delay figuring out Medicare, the more you and your patients will miss out. There’s no better time than now to get started!

Want to join Katie Brown's Master Medicare for SLPs Program? I am a proud affiliate and have a Coupon Code to save you some money. Use this link to register with the special coupon code.

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:

Master Medicare For SLPs

Follow Medicare for SLP’s on Instagram

Follow Katie on Instagram

Join the Medicare For SLP's Facebook group

Neuro Speech Solutions

Where We Can Connect:

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This is a very special episode of Private Practice Success Stories!

This is part two of a Student Success series I did where you’ll hear from three SLPs who have successfully started Adult medical-focused private practices and three SLPs who have started specialty or bilingual practices full-time or “on the side.”

Sometimes hearing the stories and successes of others is just the jolt of inspiration you need to get the ball rolling in your own private practice. This episode is meant to inspire you and show you real-life examples of people who have really done it and are out there running their own successful private practices.

Can you have an adult-only practice? The answer is YES! These students are proof of that. They started their private practice without any previous business experience and without learning about private practices in grad school. That means that you can do the exact same thing.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Reasons why medical-based SLPs become interested in starting private practices
• The impact mentors had on me and my practice
• Why I cover Medicare in The Start Your Private Practice System
• Interviews with 6 of my students from the course

Just because the speech industry is mostly dominated by pediatric services doesn’t mean you can’t find plenty of success working with adults only if that is what you are passionate about. There are so many adults in your area that are desperately searching for someone like you!

I hope that you enjoyed hearing from Adult Medical and Specialist Private Practitioners! After listening to their stories, do you see what is possible for you too?

If you want to learn the ins and outs of private practice before jumping in, come to my free, on-demand training to learn the steps to get started and major mistakes to avoid.

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:

Free Training: How to Start Your Speech Therapy Private Practice

Where We Can Connect:

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What is your favorite population to work with as an SLP? Who are the clients that light you up?

If you have a dream population that you want to serve, go out and serve them! This is one of the main reasons you should start your own private practice.

If you are passionate about a certain population, diagnosis, or disorder, you can make them your priority by starting your own practice and getting them the help they so desperately need.

This was the case for my Start Your Private Practice student Alex Wynters. She knew that she wanted to work with adults with Parkinson’s, dementia, MS, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and so much more. She took her passion for this population and made her own business out of it and now she is making a difference in the lives of those she works with.

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, you’ll get to hear how she did it and the tips she recommends to anyone ready to do the same.

Alexandria has been treating the adult and senior population for 10 years, working for some of the top healthcare systems in Philadelphia including Penn Medicine at Home & Hospice Services with the Penn Medicine hospital network and Mercy Home Health with Nazareth Hospital.

After her beginnings in-home health 6 years ago, she realized the unique challenges and services needed by those living with chronic conditions. Often seen as "frequent flyers" by their healthcare team, with their concerns frequently swept under the rug as being "the usual complaints" she continued to see this population underserved.

It's the exact reason she decided to work with adults & seniors with chronic conditions. Due to her special abilities to build authentic relationships with her patients and communicate to their healthcare team (including physicians, specialists, and other therapists), she has been able to help her patients see significant gains, not only with their speech therapy goals but their overall health.

She believes that your progress in speech therapy takes a second seat to your mental health, advocacy abilities, health literacy, and food access which is why she focuses on a whole-body approach to therapy.

As a healthcare advocate and caregiver for her own father living with Parkinson's and dementia, she promises to treat you like you're part of the family.

Alex is also the co-founder of SHE x SHINES, a platform for multi-passionate women. Her mission is to help career women with an entrepreneurial spirit, break traditions and redefine their work by leveraging their skills. She is a big believer in exploring the jobs & passions that make you happy....bonus if a glass of champagne is included.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Alex’s journey to starting her private practice
• How Alex chose what population she wanted to serve
• The holistic approach Alex takes with her clients in her practice
• The steps Alex takes to grow her business and her plans for the future
• Tips for dealing with imposter syndrome
• Why you can get started now instead of waiting until you’re older

Sometimes you need to find something outside of the box to make you feel good about your job. If you can’t find the type of job you want, you can create it! I hope you loved this episode. Alex’s passion for her clients is truly so inspiring.

Are you in our private Facebook group for SLPs and OTs interested in private practice? If not - make sure you request to join the SLP & OT Private Practice Beginners Facebook Group!

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 The Wynter Wellness Group

Check out the She x Shines Playbook

Follow The Wynter Wellness Group on Facebook

Connect with The Wynter Wellness Group on Instagram

Where We Can Connect:

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Many of us have heard and practiced “collaboration over competition” and that’s for a good reason! This abundance mindset could be what sets you up to build the successful private practice you’ve always dreamed of.

If you are thinking of starting a private practice in a big city with a lot of therapy options, you may be feeling intimidated and wondering how you can possibly stand out when there are so many options for clients to choose from.

Instead of seeing all of the so-called “competition” in your area and getting discouraged, you can instead see them as collaborators and referral sources.

It is possible to work together with these other clinics and practices to serve the clients in your area and position yourself in a way that will bring you success no matter the size of your city.

If you’re thinking of starting your private practice in a big city, you’ll love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories. We are talking with my Start Your Private Practice student Meera Raval Deters about starting in a bigger market and how she positioned her practice for massive growth this year.

Meera Raval Deters, M.A., CCC-SLP, BCTS, ACAS is the owner of Super Speech Solutions, a concierge practice that provides in-home and online Speech Therapy to Houstonians and Texans. Meera received her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2006. She has worked in a variety of settings over the past fifteen years.

Meera specializes in accent modification and child language, with an emphasis on autism. When she is not thinking about speech, Meera loves to spend time with her husband Jeff, cook, watch Hallmark movies, and go on walks with their dog, Daisy.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Thinking of your “competitors” as collaborators or referral partners instead
• How you can choose what kind of clients you want to work with
• The impact of creating a referral network
• The supportive culture inside of the Start Your Private Practice program
• The overwhelming need for more speech therapy providers
• Why you need to do your market research before you start your practice

I love Meeras’s drive, dedication, and the methodical way she started her practice as a way to serve more people on a deeper level. Her commitment to collaboration over competition is truly admirable.

Private practices aren’t just job settings, they’re a movement. If you are ready to get started, you’re in luck. Enrollment for Start Your Private Practice is open. Visit www.PrivatePracticeProgram.com to sign up and let us help you start your private practice.

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:

Start your Private Practice

Check out the Super Speech Solutions website

Follow Super Speech Solutions LLC on Facebook

Follow Super Speech Solutions on Instagram

Connect With Super Speech Solutions on LinkedIn

Speech Therapy Magazine, Podcast, and Live Interviews From Meera

Where We Can Connect:

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Winter Enrollment for The Start Your Private Practice Program is open through January 28th at midnight Pacific. The price is increasing by $500 so be sure to join now and lock in the price and lifetime access! Visit www.PrivatePracticeCourse.com to join!

Is this the year you finally take the leap and start your private practice?

I talk to many people in various stages of their private practice journey. Some have established private practices already, some are just getting started, and some haven’t taken the plunge just yet because they are waiting for the perfect time. This could mean that they are waiting until their kids are grown up, until they have more time, until they can afford it, etc.

I have heard it all, and I totally get it. Life can be crazy! However, if you really want something, you have to learn to make it a priority. If you are tired of putting off your dreams of owning your own private practice, this episode of Private Practice Success Stories is for you.

Jchelsea Noe joined me in this episode to talk about why there is never a better time to start than now!

Jchelsea (pronounced “Chelsea”) Noe is a 25-year-old mom of two and owns Noe Nonsense Therapy. Serving early language learners to help them increase their quality of life and academic growth; Jchelsea started her business under unique circumstances.

Jchelsea joined my START Program in the Spring of 2021 and by Fall 2021 was joining the GROW program - having exceeded all of her original goals. Jchelsea currently contracts to rural school districts in Missouri and is planning to grow her private practice caseload. Still early in her career, Jchelsea hopes to continue to grow Noe Nonsense Therapy and create a life she doesn’t need a break from.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why you can’t wait for financial freedom, you have to create it
• How Jchelsea knew it was time to start her own practice
• The benefits of being an action taker
• How to recognize when there is a need and seize the opportunity
• The benefits of starting a practice as a younger clinician
• How you can create your contracts to fit your life
• The power of word of mouth marketing

If you are an action taker and are ready to do the work as you go, you are ready to start your private practice! You don’t have to have all of your ducks in a row, they will fall into place later. No website? No problem. No social media? It’ll come later. You can skip steps and then circle back later. It’s your business, and you can build it in a way that feels right to you.

If you are ready to jump in, join us for the Plan Your Private Practice Bootcamp! I’ll help you plan out a private practice that you’ll love in just three days. It’s all taking place from January 17th to the 19th. Register for free here!

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:

Plan Your Private Practice Bootcamp

Start Your Private Practice free training

Where We Can Connect:

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