Are you a neurodivergent SLP or OT thinking about starting your own private practice? This episode of Private Practice Success Stories is for you! 

I sat down with Alex Green, a speech-language pathologist with a private practice called Green Family Therapies in La Verne, California. She grew up watching her mom work as a school-based SLP and fell in love with the field, but decided to start her private practice after being in an unsupportive work environment.

In this episode, Alex talks about how she almost left the field entirely after her clinical fellowship year where she felt exploited, overworked, and unsupported. She discusses how her daughter was the key to discovering her own ADHD diagnosis, and how having a clinical director has helped her maintain work-life balance as a neurodivergent SLP. 

In 2022, Alexandria Green, MS, CCC-SLP, a seasoned entrepreneur and private practice owner, experienced a pivotal moment. Drawing from her 11-year journey in communication disorders and inspired by the collaborative spirit that defined her SLP community, she envisioned a platform to amplify the collective wisdom of Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs). 

Motivated by her personal challenges as an undiagnosed neurodivergent ADHDer and a desire for work-life harmony, Alexandria founded the SLP Link. This dynamic platform serves as a haven where SLPs from diverse settings unite, share direct-access resources, and collectively elevate their practices through a supportive and collaborative community.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• What led Alex to start a private practice
• How she got her first client
• How Alex grew her private practice from nothing up to hiring over 10 therapists
• How she transitioned to virtual therapy during the pandemic
• The power of having a strong team as a large private practice owner with ADHD
• How Alex changed her life and business after her diagnosis
• Why private practice is perfect for people with ADHD 

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Alex! I love how she learned how to work with her neurodivergence, not against it. The field of SLP is evolving and making progress when it comes to neurodivergence, and Alex is part of that change.

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: 

Visit Alex’s website: https://theslplink.com/

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theslplink/

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/

Feeling burned out? Wondering if private practice is the answer for you? 

You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories. I sat down with Vanessa Alcala, who decided to start her private practice after feeling the effects of burnout and having the desire to be her own boss. 

This is her second time on the show and she talks about her non-traditional journey to the field of SLP. Vanessa discusses how having her own private practice has helped her avoid burnout and how she has the freedom and flexibility to work with a variety of clients, ranging from bilingual children to older adults. 

She also talks about the importance of branding your business and the additional streams of revenue she’s added to her practice.

Vanessa Alcala, M.S. CCC-SLP, CDP is the owner and founder of TheraVolve Wellness Co., a bilingual Speech Therapy private practice serving adolescents and adults. In her professional career, she has provided skilled evaluation and intervention services to children, adult and geriatric populations in outpatient settings and skilled nursing.

Vanessa is also the co-creator of Sip & Social, which creates opportunities for connection and collaboration for female entrepreneurs in the healthcare industry by hosting social networking events throughout the Tampa Bay area.

It is her mission to provide a holistic approach to speech therapy by utilizing evidence-based and culturally sensitive practices with clients, parents, caregivers, and families. 

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Vanessa’s atypical journey to private practice
• The freedom you get when you have your own business
• The mindset shift that increased her success
• What a typical week looks like as a private practice owner
• The work Vanessa is doing with Sip and Social
• The power of building a referral network 
• Why we don’t need to be competitive in private practice
• Why you don’t have to wait years to start a private practice
• The power of charging your worth
• A mindset shift around earning money in our profession
• Vanessa’s plans to hire help in her practice 

I hope you loved this episode with Vanessa! She is a perfect example of someone who reduced her burnout and found freedom and flexibility through private practice. She has created her ideal career and life for herself by being her own boss, and you can too.

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: 

Visit Vanessa’s website: www.theravolvewellness.com

Follow Vanessa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theravolvewellness

Follow Vanessa on Facebook: Facebook.com/theravolvewellness

Follow Sip and Social on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sip.and.social/

Ever wish you could hear directly from the “regular” SLPs or OTs who transformed into successful private practitioners after going through the Start Your Private Practice Program? 

Their words? Their experience? Their outcomes from being in the program? 

Well, now you can! 

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I’m introducing you to 4 amazing Start Your Private Practice student alums: Kacie Bartlet, Emily Gavin, Caitlin Celendano, and Melissa Perez.

All 4 of these Start students came from different backgrounds and had their own unique reasons for starting their own private practices. Some had experienced burnout early on in their careers, and others wanted more freedom and flexibility in their day-to-day lives for their current - or future families. Others had a particular niche that they wanted to serve and knew that there weren’t enough services in their community.

All 4 of these students had the same fears, doubts, and hesitations as you do - but they decided to go for it, join The Start Your Private Practice Program, and create a new future for themselves.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How each of these students decided to start a private practice
• The power of having a support system when starting a business
• The freedom that having a private practice gives you 
• How the Start program helped these students figure out how to succeed
• What it’s like to start your practice on the side of your regular job
• How the Facebook community helps support students in the program
• The income potential with a private practice 
• How to fund or access assessments when you’re first getting started 
• The impact of collaborating with other practices in your area 
• How to find clients for your private practice
• The benefits of investing in yourself 

I hope you enjoyed this episode and that as you listened to their stories, you could see how you can do the same. They took a chance on themselves by joining the Start program, and it worked to give them the future they needed whether they were seeking freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, or financial independence. 

Enrollment for the Start Program is open now! To enroll, just visit: PrivatePracticeCourse.com and you’ll get immediate access to the exact same program that Kacie, Emily, Caitlin, and Melissa all went through to get set up, started, and seeing private clients. 

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: 

Enroll in the Start Your Private Practice program: PrivatePracticeCourse.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/

Wondering how you can get more clients in your private practice? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories! 

I sat down with Melissa Perez, a speech-language pathologist with a private practice called Honeybee Speech in El Centro, California. She decided to start her private practice after experiencing burnout from teletherapy and discovering the Start Your Private Practice program in 2022.

Melissa has been one of our Start Start students who recently joined The Grow Your Private Practice Program. 

Melissa grew quickly, quicker than she thought she would.  In this episode, she talks about how she went from zero to 30 clients in the first 3 months of starting her practice. Melissa shares how she started out by renting a dentist’s waiting room for $50 a month, and expanded her practice through referrals and taking small, consistent steps.

Melissa Perez graduated with a Masters of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from New York University in May of 2020. She has spent the majority of their career working as a teletherapist for a clinic based in Palm Desert, CA. There, she had the opportunity to work with individuals across the lifespan with various communication difficulties. 

It was during her time there that she found a true love for working with children with speech sound disorders and the early intervention population. Once the idea of opening a private practice popped into her head, she knew they wanted to focus on those two areas. 

To date, it has been 8 months since she opened her private practice and it was truly the best decision she ever made.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why Melissa decided that private practice was right for her
• How her private practice took off
• Why you don’t have to start big, you can start small 
• How Melissa went from 0-30 clients in 3 months
• The shift from traditional employment to fully self-employed
• The cool things that Melissa has on the horizon for her private practice
• Why other practices aren’t your competition
• Where Melissa gets her clients 
• The power of running your practice like a business

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Melissa! I love how she found a way to grow her practice through a variety of referrals and by taking small, consistent steps in the right direction.

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: 

Follow Melissa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivhoneybeespeech/

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/

Have you been thinking about starting a neurodiversity-affirming private practice? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories! 

I sat down with Samantha Rothman, an occupational therapist with a private practice called Play and Purpose in Phoenix, Arizona. She decided to start her private practice after being laid off during the pandemic and realizing she didn’t want to rely on others for income anymore.

Join us as she talks about creating a neurodiversity-affirming practice with a whole-child approach. Samantha discusses how she grew her practice to include 5 therapists, as well as the importance of setting boundaries to avoid burnout as her practice grows.

Samantha is a licensed and board-certified pediatric occupational therapist, DIR Floortime provider, and the owner/founder of Play and Purpose. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Health and a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Florida Gulf Coast University.

She enjoys using a "whole child" approach, including all aspects of being human-especially focusing on emotional and mental health. She is passionate about using child-led and non-compliance-based techniques to promote engagement and self-advocacy skills.

Samantha has experience working with children who have unique needs and consulting with schools/parents to ensure great outcomes. Additionally, she enjoys helping parents to advocate for services and programs that may be beneficial to the child's progress.

Outside of patient care, Samantha is devoting time to mentoring new therapists and building/supporting our team. In her free time, she enjoys reading, kayaking, traveling, and weightlifting.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How being laid off led to her starting a private practice 
• Why Samantha decided to focus on neurodiversity-affirming practices
• The burnout many therapists feel in traditional settings
• How Samantha eased into private practice 
• The freedom and happiness you get when you have your own private practice
• Why boundaries are so important in private practice
• When she decided it was time to hire help 
• How Samantha helps her employees feel valued and appreciated
• How she finds her clients using Facebook networking groups and referrals
• Samantha’s plans for the future of her private practice

I hope you loved this episode with Samantha! I love how she focuses on neurodiversity-affirming approaches and created a practice that allows her to provide the quality care her clients deserve.

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: 

Visit Samantha’s website: https://playandpurposeaz.com/

Follow Samantha on Instagram: ​https://www.instagram.com/playandpurposeaz/

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/

Have you ever thought about starting a coaching-based private practice? You’re going to love this episode! 

I sat down with Emily Gavin who decided to take the leap into private practice with encouragement from her peers and spouse after being laid off from her job.

In this episode, she talks about her journey from SNFs and inpatient rehab to owning her own dementia-focused business. Emily shares how caring for her mother-in-law with dementia inspired her special interest. 

Emily S. Gavin, MS, OTR/L, came to occupational therapy as a second career in 2012 at the age of 41. After a few years of clinical work in geriatrics, she transitioned into a management position at a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in Philadelphia, PA.

 This non-traditional setting allowed her the freedom to develop specialized knowledge in dementia care training, though she always felt the vulnerability of being a middle manager. 

Being laid off in May of 2023 seemed like the perfect time to start PhillyCare Coaching LLC, the private practice she'd always thought of as the next thing.

Emily hopes to complete her Post-Professional OTD at Thomas Jefferson University in late 2025. She has also earned an Advanced Practice Certificate in Coaching, and will soon be a certified practitioner of Skills2Care®, an evidence-based program supporting caregivers of people living with dementia. She uses the Allen Cognitive Disabilities Model to inform her treatment plans.

Emily lives in the Germantown section of Philadelphia with her wife and four cats. Someday she will have time to knit again.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The moment that brought Emily to become an OT and start a private practice
• When she realized her passion for dementia patients
• How she kicked imposter syndrome to the curb
• How long it took Emily to get her first private practice client
• The types of clients Emily works with
• How she networked to grow her private practice
• The power of referrals in growing your private practice

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Emily! I love how she overcame imposter syndrome and remained persistent in opening her private practice. 

If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help YOU - just like we helped Emily - 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: 

Visit Emily’s website: https://phillycarecoaching.com/

Follow Emily on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093197558689

Follow Emily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillycarecoaching

Connect with Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-s-gavin-ms-otr-l-94966454/

Listen to her podcast: https://whentheflamesgoup.substack.com/p/episode-13-its-hard-to-lie-to-the?r=15iyyd&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email#details

Have you ever dreamed of opening a small niche private practice so you can specialize in working with your dream clients? 

If so, you’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories. I sat down with Jodie Wallis, who decided to take the leap into private practice when her mentor moved locations, leaving an opening in her area.

In this episode, she talks about how she discovered her love of feeding therapy and turned it into her own private practice, what it’s like to have ADHD as an SLP and entrepreneur, and the importance of hiring an assistant to manage her workload. 

Jodie Wallis is a speech-language pathologist and certified lactation counselor who specializes in pediatric feeding. She focuses on functional outcomes with the ultimate goal of helping to reduce stress in families related to feeding difficulties. She is committed to helping families feel heard and supported.

Her approach combines skilled intervention with parent coaching so that a child’s therapy plan can easily be incorporated into daily routines. Her areas of expertise include optimal breast and bottle feeding, successful transition to solids, transition from tube to oral feeds, expanding “picky” eating, managing reflux, and working with medically complex babies.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in the state of Missouri, Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and Certified Lactation Counselor.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How Jodie found her passion for feeding therapy
• When she knew that private practice was the path for her
• How she balances her private practice caseload
• The power of having multiple sources of income
• Where Jodie gets her referrals for infant feeding therapy 
• The freedom to build your own schedule that you get as a private practice owner
• The shift from clinician to CEO 
• What it’s like having a private practice as someone with ADHD
• The power of finding your person and hiring someone who can help you grow
• Jodie’s vision for the future of her private practice

I hope you loved this episode with Jodie! She is a perfect example of someone who set a strong foundation for their business and used their creativity and skills to make it bigger and better. 

If you would like to know more about how we helped Jodie grow her private practice, please visit www.GrowYourPrivatePractice.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: 

Visit Jodie’s website: https://www.flourishingkidstherapy.com/

Follow Jodie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlourishingKidsTherapy/

Follow Jodie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishingkidstherapy/

Dreaming of starting a private practice with a specialization? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories! 

I sat down with Kaitlin Malcahey, a pediatric speech-language pathologist with a private practice called Competent Communicators. She first started thinking about private practice while feeling burned out during COVID, and by 2022 she took the leap and did it. 

I got to know Kaitlin during her time in The Grow Your Private Practice program, and it has been so amazing to watch her business shift to become AAC focused and watch her create the work-life balance she craved. 

She shares how she loves working with kids and how she’s becoming known for specializing in AAC. Kaitlin also shares the fulfillment she gets from being able to work with clients in a more personalized, meaningful way.

Kaitlin is an SLP with over 8 years of experience who opened her own practice in January of 2023. She specializes in AAC, gestalt language processing and sensory-informed play-based therapy. 

She particularly enjoys working with clients 6 and under and incorporating their families into therapy sessions. She has taken the Meaningful Speech course for natural language acquisition, countless AAC courses and Jessie Ginsburg sensory trainings. 

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• When Kaitlin decided to start her own private practice
• How she saved money on getting her own clinic space
• Why she decided to specialize in AAC clients
• How she got her first referrals in her private practice
• Why there really are enough clients to go around for everyone
• How utilizing Google Reviews can help grow your private practice
• How private practice helps you make more of an impact on the clients you work with
• The work-life balance you get when you have a private practice

I hope you enjoyed hearing from Kaitlin! I love how she created her own private practice so she could work with more AAC clients. She is a perfect example of someone who wanted more work-life balance, and found that and so much more through private practice.

If you would like to know more about our Private Practice School and the Programs that we offer to support SLPs and OTs who want our help to start and grow their practices, please visit PrivatePracticeSchool.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: 

Visit Kaitlin's website: https://www.competentcommunicators.org/

Follow Kaitlin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/competentcommunicatorsllc/

Follow Kaitlin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaitlinmulcaheyslp

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/

Welcome to a special episode of Private Practice Success Stories! 

In this episode, I’m making a huge announcement about the future of private practice education, and it’s the biggest announcement in Independent Clinician history.

Introducing…Private Practice School!

We are rebuilding the structure of our programs to make them bigger and better than ever. The private practice movement is growing, and Private Practice School is at the center of it.

Private practice is truly an opportunity to change your life, your family's life, and the lives of your clients and their families, and we are so excited to help you achieve that with Private Practice School. 

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The 2 core principles that drive everything we do at Independent Clinician
• How we are rebuilding our programs to make them stronger than ever
• How this growth will impact our current students and programs 
• What you can expect from this bigger, stronger program 

The Private Practice Movement is growing, and Private Practice School is at the center of it.

If you haven’t started your practice… let’s get going. Head over to StartYourPrivatePractice.com right now, enroll in the Start Your Private Practice Program, and let’s help you get set up and start seeing private clients so you can help more people while making more money.

If you’ve already started your practice… let’s keep going. Head over to GrowYourPrivatePractice.com right now and join The Grow Your Private Practice Coaching Program so that we can help you #levelup your private practice and your life. It’s time to scale your income and impact - without scaling your time.

To learn more, please visit PrivatePracticeSchool.com/resources right now, enroll in whichever Program is right for your level, and let’s make your private practice dreams a reality… together.

See you in private practice school!

Resources Mentioned: 

Learn more about Private Practice School: PrivatePracticeSchool.com/resources

Start Your Private Practice: StartYourPrivatePractice.com

Grow Your Private Practice: GrowYourPrivatePractice.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/

Wondering how private practice can help you get more flexibility in your life? This episode of Private Practice Success Stories is for you! 

I sat down with Evelyn Pierce-Ruhland, a pediatric speech-language pathologist with a private practice in Kingsville, Ohio called Inspire Speech and Language Therapy. 

After working in the schools for 10 years she was overwhelmed by the high caseloads, paperwork, and long hours. Feeling the burnout, Evelyn quit her job,  joined the Start program, and had her first client within two weeks! 

In this episode, she talks about how the marketing tactics from the Start program helped her build her caseload to start seeing pediatric clients in local libraries across her rural area. 

She also discusses how the flexibility of having her own private practice gives her the power to make her own schedule and have more work-life balance. 

Evelyn Pierce-Ruhland has been an SLP for over 30 years. She worked for 11 years and then had the privilege of taking time off to homeschool her children. She returned to work 4 years ago just before COVID hit.  

She has worked in a private clinic with OT/PT, an ENT's office, the schools, and now has her own private practice.  

She specializes in working with the pediatric population. She enjoys working with families as they begin their journey toward full communication with their child. 

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• When Evelyn got her first real taste of private practice
• How the field has changed and why clinicians are more burned out than ever
• How Evelyn got her first client within the first two weeks
• How the Start program helped Evelyn market her business
• How you can perfect your pricing for your practice
• What a typical day looks like as a private practice owner
• Types of payment options you can offer in your private practice
• The flexibility  

I hope you loved hearing from Evelyn! She is a perfect example of someone who took a chance on herself by joining the Start program and found the work-life balance she knew she deserved. 

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: 

Visit Evelyn’s website: https://inspirespeechtherapy.com/

Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspireSpeechTherapy

Learn more about our programs: www.independentclinician.com/resources

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/