How much money would you be making if you didn't have beliefs about what therapists are "supposed" to charge? This episode tackles the profit problem in our profession: why therapists with incredible expertise, advanced training, and transformational impact are charging as if they're fresh out of grad school—and leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table every single year.

• Identify five core money beliefs - Recognize the limiting narratives keeping you stuck, including "therapists don't get rich," the guilt loop around profit, the martyr narrative, accessibility traps, and growth myths
• Understand the roots of therapy's money issues - How patriarchy and the historical undervaluing of women's work created the belief that good helpers aren't motivated by money
• Distinguish revenue from profit - Why six-figure income doesn't equal six-figure security and how to calculate healthy profit margins (goal: 30% or higher)
• Navigate Canadian-specific considerations - Provincial regulations, tax implications, business structure decisions, and regional fee variations across Canada
• Implement strategic pricing - How to structure fees that reflect your expertise, specialisation, training, and the transformational value you provide
• Approach fee increases confidently - Annual review strategies, gradual implementation plans, and communication frameworks that announce rather than apologize
• Create sustainable sliding scales - How to offer genuine accessibility by setting floors, limiting availability, using strategic scheduling, and giving yourself permission to say no

This episode explores the inherited beliefs that create artificial income ceilings for therapists, including how the guilt loop equates fees with ethics and the martyr narrative connects to centuries of undervaluing women's work in a profession that's 90% female. We examine why financial security for therapists isn't selfish but sustainable, and how having associates complicates rather than fixes money mindset issues. The conversation covers the critical distinction between revenue and profit, with most therapy practices operating at 5-10% margins when the goal should be 30% or higher. Cecilia provides specific strategies for fee structuring, annual increases, and sliding scale implementation, plus guidance for group practice owners on pricing leadership value appropriately. We discuss sustainable profit metrics including calculating revenue per billable hour, tracking profit margins, building emergency funds, and creating long-term wealth beyond annual income.

This episode continues the Sustainable Practice Framework™ series with the Profit Pillar, exploring how ethical profit supports rather than compromises your purpose. We reference how the Purpose Pillar (Episode 1) connects to profit decisions, the importance of knowing your numbers for sustainable practice management, Canadian tax considerations including RRSPs and TFSAs for wealth building, and the upcoming People Pillar (Episode 3) on authentic leadership and values-aligned hiring. Key concepts include the difference between revenue and profit, healthy profit margin calculations, revenue per billable hour metrics, and strategic approaches to fee increases and sliding scales that maintain both accessibility and sustainability.

Next Episode Preview: Episode 3 explores the People Pillar—authentic leadership, values-aligned hiring, and how to scale your impact through others without losing your mind.

Take Action This Week:

1. Research market rates for therapists with your credentials in your region
2. Calculate your current earnings per billable hour
3. Identify three money beliefs and notice which limits you most
4. If below market rate, create a 12-month fee increase plan
5. Find a business accountant if you don't have one

ABOUT YOUR HOST: Cecilia Mannella is a leadership coach for therapists and wellness practice owners with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and 17+ years building her group practice from solo therapist to seven-figure success. She's lived through every leadership identity phase herself and now helps Canadian therapists navigate their own leadership evolution to scale sustainably.

This is real talk about the messy parts of business ownership—share it with another practice owner who needs to hear they're not alone ⭐ Leave a review sharing which money belief resonated most with you ⭐ Hit follow so you don't miss Episode 3 on the People Pillar next week

PURPOSE & PROFIT: SCALE YOUR THERAPY PRACTICE Scale Without Sacrifice New episodes every Tuesday © CM Consulting - All Rights Reserved

You've hit your revenue goals, your calendar is full, and your practice looks successful from the outside. So why does it feel hollow? This episode tackles the growth paradox nobody warned you about: you can build a massively profitable practice that feels like a complete betrayal of why you became a therapist in the first place.

• Identify the growth paradox - Why hitting revenue markers can feel surprisingly empty and what this disconnection reveals about misalignment between external success and authentic purpose
• Recognize common misalignments - The four ways therapy practices drift from their original vision, including the gap between the practice you built versus the one you actually wanted
• Understand the real cost - How misalignment creates burnout that vacations can't fix, affects your team and relationships, and builds resentment toward the business you're creating
• Define authentic purpose - What purpose actually means beyond fluffy mission statements and how it becomes your operational North star for business decisions
• Apply the four elements of purpose - Vision alignment, values integration, energy sustainability, and meaningful impact as the foundation for sustainable practice growth
• Use purpose as your decision-making compass - How clear purpose prevents decision fatigue, protects you from comparison, guides you through challenges, and invites others into your authentic vision
• Implement the RECLAIM Process - Practical steps to recognize external expectations, examine inherited beliefs, and build a practice that actually reflects your values

Key Topics Discussed:

This episode explores why inherited success narratives from business culture don't fit therapy values and how financial pressures push therapists to follow blueprints that weren't designed for healing practices. We examine common misalignments—like building 40-hour practices when you wanted 20 hours or marketing services you've lost passion for—and their real costs including deep-seated burnout and building something you resent. The conversation covers the four elements of authentic purpose (vision alignment, values integration, energy sustainability, and meaningful impact) and how purpose becomes your decision-making compass that protects you from comparison and compromise. Cecilia shares her real-world experience of two different paths to seven figures, contrasting hustle-driven growth with purpose-driven rebuilding, plus practical implementation steps including free-writing exercises and the RECLAIM Process.

This episode introduces the Sustainable Practice Framework™, a four-pillar approach covering Purpose, Profit, People, and Process for building therapy practices that thrive. We reference the RECLAIM Process (Recognize, Examine, Challenge, Liberate, Affirm, Integrate, Manifest) as the methodology for transformation, discuss the Growth Paradox where external success feels hollow without authentic purpose, and break down how purpose functions as a decision-making compass. This is Episode 1 of a four-part series diving deep into each pillar of the framework.

Next Episode Preview: Episode 18 tackles the Profit Pillar #2—exploring the specific beliefs keeping Canadian therapists from charging what they're worth, building real wealth, and creating stackable revenue streams.

ABOUT YOUR HOST: Cecilia Mannella is a leadership coach for therapists and wellness practice owners with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and 17+ years building her group practice from solo therapist to seven-figure success. She's lived through every leadership identity phase herself and now helps Canadian therapists navigate their own leadership evolution to scale sustainably.

This is real talk about the messy parts of business ownership—share it with another practice owner who needs to hear they're not alone ⭐ Leave a review sharing which aspect of purpose resonated most with you ⭐ Hit follow so you don't miss Episode 2 on the Profit Pillar next week

PURPOSE & PROFIT: SCALE YOUR THERAPY PRACTICE Scale Without Sacrifice New episodes every Tuesday © CM Consulting - All Rights Reserved

Are you investing in marketing but still struggling to maintain a full caseload? The problem might not be your visibility—it's your retention rates. Most therapy practice owners in Canada aren't tracking how many new clients actually stay beyond a few sessions, which means they're losing thousands of dollars in revenue without even realizing it.

In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what client retention means for therapy practices, why it matters more than almost any other business metric, and how to coach yourself (or your associates) to boost retention rates above 70%. This is the revenue conversation you didn't know you needed to have.

What You'll Learn:

• How to properly define client retention for therapy practices (it's not what Jane App calculates)
• Why 70% retention over 5+ sessions should be your minimum benchmark for sustainable practice growth
• The real cost of poor retention and how it's draining your marketing budget
• Four main reasons clients don't return after initial sessions—and specific strategies to address each one
• How to create a simple tracking spreadsheet to monitor retention rates for yourself and your associates
• Coaching questions to ask when retention rates are low (these work for solo practitioners and group practice owners)
• Why better retention creates more confident therapists and transforms team dynamics in group practices

Why This Episode Matters:

If you're spending money on marketing but still feeling like you're on a client acquisition treadmill, retention rates are likely your missing piece. This episode gives you practical, implementable strategies to stop the revenue leak and build a more sustainable, profitable therapy practice—without hustling harder for more leads.

Whether you're a solo practitioner or scaling a group practice, improving retention rates will transform both your bottom line and your therapists' confidence in their clinical work.

Resources & Next Steps:

Struggling with retention in your practice? This is exactly what we address in 1:1 coaching using the Sustainable Practice Framework™. Book a consultation call to explore how strategic business coaching can help you scale sustainably without burnout.

Join The Practice CEO Circle to master marketing systems that attract your ideal clients—and learn the operational strategies that keep them engaged in long-term therapeutic work.

Share this episode with a therapy practice owner who's investing in marketing but still struggling to maintain a full caseload. The problem might not be their visibility—it might be their retention rates.

ABOUT YOUR HOST:

Cecilia Mannella is a business coach for therapists and wellness practice owners with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and 17+ years building her group practice from solo therapist to seven-figure success. She's lived through every leadership identity phase herself and now helps Canadian therapists navigate their own leadership evolution to scale sustainably.

PURPOSE & PROFIT: SCALE YOUR THERAPY PRACTICE

Scale Without Sacrifice New episodes every Tuesday

© CM Consulting - All Rights Reserved

What if I told you the version of you that built your practice to where it is today is actually the same version holding you back from the next level? In this raw, honest episode, I'm sharing my 17-year leadership evolution—including the parts I'm not proud of.

From starting with zero strategy and pure mission-driven passion, to the scarcity mindset that made me hoard everything, to accidentally abdicating my CEO role by outsourcing too much, to the breakthrough moment that took me from $600K stuck to seven figures—this is the real, unfiltered story of how leadership identity shapes business growth.

In This Episode:

- The 4 leadership identity phases every practice owner cycles through

- Why your business growth equals your leadership growth

- The scarcity trap that kept me stuck at year 5

- How outsourcing became abdication (and cost me years)

- The strategic shift that broke through the revenue plateau

- Permission to be imperfect while you evolve

Perfect for: Group practice owners stuck at a revenue plateau, solo practitioners ready to scale, and any therapist-turned-business-owner struggling with the identity crisis between helper and CEO.

ABOUT YOUR HOST:

Cecilia Mannella is a leadership coach for therapists and wellness practice owners with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and 17+ years building her group practice from solo therapist to seven-figure success. She's lived through every leadership identity phase herself and now helps Canadian therapists navigate their own leadership evolution to scale sustainably.

LOVED THIS EPISODE?

⭐ This is real talk about the messy parts of business ownership—share it with another practice owner who needs to hear they're not alone

⭐ Leave a review sharing which leadership phase resonated most with you

⭐ Hit follow so you don't miss the next episode in the leadership series

PURPOSE & PROFIT: SCALE YOUR THERAPY PRACTICE

Scale Without Sacrifice

New episodes every Tuesday

© CM Consulting - All Rights Reserved

Lianne Perry, a Vancouver Island-based virtual therapist, shares how she nearly lost her practice during the post-COVID crash of 2023 and discovered what was actually holding her back. After trying everything—blog posts, office space, contract positions—she realized her "dead website" was the real problem. In this candid conversation, Lianne reveals exactly what changed and why therapists are so bad at the business side of practice.Key Takeaways

• Your website is either working for you or against you. Lianne's was listed as "in-person Victoria counselor" while serving online—no wonder clients couldn't find her.
• You don't know what you don't know. Most therapists skip business training and feel ashamed they "should" know this stuff. Spoiler: nobody's teaching it.
• Marketing isn't selling. It's making sure the right people can find you. When Lianne understood this shift, everything changed.
• Week Three is where the breakthrough happens. The moment it clicks that visibility is learnable, like any other skill.
• AI isn't cheating. It's optimization. Once Gen X therapists get over the baggage, AI becomes their competitive advantage for SEO and content.
• Geographic targeting matters. Going from "local only" to reaching multiple regions online completely changed her referral sources.
• Real metrics tell the story. Blog hits went from 35 in 7 years to 30+ on a single post. Website referrals went from nearly zero to 20+ in 8 weeks.

The Real Business Training Gap

Lianne's spent thousands on clinical training—EMDR, Gottman couples, master's degrees. Zero on business training. And she feels ashamed about not knowing what she "should" know.

Cecilia's take: Therapy schools assume everyone will be self-employed but don't teach business. No other profession does this. Massage therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors—they all get business training. Therapists? We come by our ignorance honestly and then shame ourselves for it.

How Marketing Mental Health Services Actually WorksLianne's original assumption: "Pretty website = clients will find you"

The truth: It's not about being salesy. It's about ethical visibility. Show up. Be authentic. Speak to your ideal client. Make it easy to find you.

The magic: When people find you and your message resonates—that's when they pick you. Not because you convinced them, but because you showed them who you are and it felt like a fit.

Purpose & Profit: Scale Your Therapy Practice

Scale Without Sacrifice.

Hosted by Cecilia Mannella

What happens when you stop outsourcing your marketing and start owning your expertise? In this episode, Cecilia sits down with Orli Paling, a therapist who transformed her approach to building a group practice by embracing her role as a business owner—not just a clinician.

Discover how Orli went from feeling intimidated by website design and marketing to confidently leading a specialized women-led addictions practice in British Columbia. Learn why firing her digital marketing agency was one of the best decisions she made, and how she now produces a month's worth of content in just two hours per week.Key Takeaways

On the Business Owner Mindset Shift:"We can't grow our business as long as we're looking at it through the lens as a clinician. We have to look at it through the lens as being a business owner." - The transformation that changed everything for Orli

On Marketing Strategy:"The investment in Full Practice Formula will do more for your business than any digital marketing specialist you can hire because your marketing strategy has to align with your values and reflect who you are—and only you can do that."

On Content Creation Efficiency:Orli now produces blog posts, newsletters, and social media content for an entire month in just 2 hours per week—and she's actually excited about it.

On Building Authority:With newsletter open rates over 50% (industry standard is 25-30%), Orli's authentic content is resonating deeply with her ideal clients.

About Orli Paling

Orli is the founder of OP Counseling, a women-led group practice in British Columbia specializing in addictions and concurrent disorders. With a background in residential treatment and youth programs, she's built a practice where all clinicians share specialized training in supporting men through addiction recovery—creating a unique positioning in the market.

Connect with Orly:

• Website: opcounseling.com
• Facebook: @OPCounseling
• LinkedIn: Orli Paling

Ready to take control of your practice marketing and stop spinning your wheels? Visit https://www.ceciliamannella.com/ to learn more about the Full Practice Formula and discover why you're the best person to market your own practice.

Subscribe to Purpose & Profit wherever you listen to podcasts, and connect with our community of scaling therapists on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-mannella/

What does it look like to build a thriving therapy practice in less than a year? In this episode, Cecilia sits down with Suki Ó Huallacháin, a Clinical Counsellor who went from working grueling 10-hour shifts in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to building a successful group practice in Port Coquitlam, BC—all while staying true to her values.

Discover how Suki niched down to serve BIPOC women, hired her first associate in just months, and achieved over 100% growth in website traffic—without dancing on TikTok or sacrificing her authenticity.Key Takeaways

On Finding Your Niche:"We specialize in helping BIPOC women break free from anxiety, people-pleasing, and self-doubt to help them find their own authentic voice and live a confident life." - Suki's transformation from "life transitions" to laser-focused positioning

On Authentic Marketing:"If it's authentic, it actually has to be authentic. It has to line up." - Why Suki rewrote her entire website to match how she actually shows up in session

On Sustainable Growth:From working six days a week to hiring an associate and taking back her weekends—all in less than a year

About Suki Ó Huallacháin

Suki is a Registered Clinical Counselor in Port Coquitlam, BC, specializing in helping BIPOC women navigate anxiety, cultural identity, and life transitions using EMDR and somatic therapies. After nearly six years working in addiction and trauma services in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, she launched her private practice in November 2023 and scaled to a group practice model within months.

Connect with Suki:

• Website: serenitycounselingbc.com
• Instagram: @serenitycounselingbc
• LinkedIn: Suki Ó Huallacháin

Ready to scale your therapy practice without sacrificing your sanity? Visit ww.ceciliamannella.com to learn more about the Full Practice Formula and start building a practice that actually serves your life.

Subscribe to Purpose & Profit wherever you listen to podcasts, and connect Cecilia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-mannella/

Are you exhausted from trying to make your therapy practice marketing "perfect" while your beautiful website sits in your digital garage? In this candid conversation, therapist Evan Vukets shares his journey from 14-hour workdays and perfection paralysis to building a sustainable practice focused on men's mental health – including how he achieved a 1600% increase in website traffic in just weeks.Episode Highlights:

• The "beautiful lemonade stand in the garage" metaphor – why most therapists create gorgeous practices that no one can find
• The surprising truth about niching down – how specializing in men's mental health actually energized rather than limited his work
• From 14-hour days to strategic scheduling – the family wake-up call that forced him to choose sustainability over security
• Busting marketing myths – uncovering hidden beliefs that marketing is "salesy" or "unethical" for therapists
• Real results that matter – 1600% website traffic increase and immediate ROI from taking ownership of his marketing

Key Insight:

Evan's biggest breakthrough? Realizing his aversion to marketing wasn't conscious – he was hiding behind being "too busy" while secretly believing good therapists don't focus on money. When he challenged these hidden beliefs and moved his metaphorical lemonade stand from his garage to the street, everything changed.

Ready to stop hiding your expertise and start attracting the clients who need you most? This episode proves you can scale sustainably without sacrificing your therapeutic values.

Connect with Evan:

• LinkedIn & Facebook: Evan Vukets Counselling

Ready to change your marketing and visibility? Join the next cohort of The Full Practice Formula starting in October 2025!

Starting a therapy practice at 60? Lindy Duchesne proves it's never too late to pivot your career and build something meaningful. In this candid conversation, Lindy shares her journey from real estate administrator to registered clinical counsellor, and the game-changing moment she realized that being a generalist was keeping her invisible online.Episode Highlights:

• The career pivot mindset: How Lindy transitioned into private practice as a retirement strategy - creating work that doesn't age out and offers flexibility on her terms
• The "hello, pick me" trap: Why casting a wide net as a generalist therapist leads to crickets instead of clients (and what to do instead)
• The niching breakthrough: Lindy's identity crisis moment that led to clarity about serving women struggling with self-esteem and imposter syndrome
• The SEO wake-up call: Going pages deep on Google and not finding yourself - the reality check every new therapist needs
• Investment vs. expense mindset: How Lindy evaluated the cost of learning to "fish" versus paying someone to fish for you
• The confidence factor: Why blogging and visibility aren't about perfection - they're about helping people find the support they need

Key Insights:

Lindy's story illuminates a challenge many therapists face: the paralyzing belief that niching down means turning clients away. As she discovered, the opposite is true. Being a generalist left her waving a flag saying "pick me" to anyone and everyone, which actually made her invisible in search results and unappealing to ideal clients.

The breakthrough came when she realized that niching isn't just about marketing - it informs everything from the additional training you pursue to the confidence you bring to sessions. When you're working with clients aligned to your passion and expertise, you leave sessions feeling energized rather than drained. That's not just good business; it's the antidote to burnout.

Perhaps most importantly, Lindy discovered that learning these business skills herself - rather than outsourcing them - wasn't just about saving money. It was about empowerment. As women therapists, we often tell ourselves we're "not good at tech" or "not business-minded." But these are learnable skills, and knowing them gives you control over your practice's growth and direction.

Ready to stop being invisible online and start attracting clients who truly align with your expertise? This episode proves that with the right guidance and a willingness to learn, you can build a therapy practice that honors both your purpose and your profit - at any age.Join for FREE: The 3-Step Marketing Framework Masterclass

Get clients through the door by joining The Full Practice FormulaConnect with Lindy:

Website: www.lindyduchesnecounselling.com

Are you tired of generic job postings that attract dozens of applications but zero perfect fits? After 17 years of group practice ownership and countless hiring mistakes (trust me, we've all been there), host Cecilia Mannella shares her game-changing approach to recruiting associates who don't just fill seats—they elevate your entire practice culture.

In this episode, you'll discover why hiring for culture beats hiring for skills every single time, and how flipping your traditional recruitment process can save you months of wasted time while attracting associates who actually want to be part of your mission.

Episode highlights:

• Why generic job postings are sabotaging your hiring success and keeping you stuck in the endless interview cycle
• The culture-first hiring framework that transforms your practice from a collection of therapists into a aligned team
• How to create magnetic job postings that repel the wrong candidates and attract your ideal associates
• The 15-minute "coffee chat" strategy that filters out mismatched applicants before you invest hours in interviews
• Why sending interview questions in advance leads to deeper conversations and better hiring decisions
• The reference check approach that goes beyond clinical skills to assess cultural fit

Key Insights:

Drawing from nearly two decades of group practice leadership, this episode tackles the reality that most therapy practice owners face: traditional hiring methods designed for corporate environments don't translate to the unique challenges of mental health practices. Cecilia walks through her evolved hiring process that prioritizes cultural alignment and values-based decision making.

The breakthrough insight centers on recognizing that skill sets can be taught, but personality fit for your practice culture cannot. When you hire someone who aligns with your mission and values, you're not just filling a clinical position—you're investing in a team member who will actively contribute to the growth and evolution of your practice culture, even when you're not there.

Her strategic approach includes creating job postings that sound intentionally "quirky" or specific because they speak directly to the type of person who would thrive in your particular practice environment. This approach may result in fewer applications, but dramatically increases the quality of candidates who do apply.

Connect with Cecilia:

Website: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/

Free Masterclass: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/masterclass

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-mannella/This episode is part of the Purpose & Profit: Scale Your Therapy Practice podcast, where we prove that you don't have to choose between your purpose and your profit. For established therapists ready to scale sustainably, this show delivers real strategies for building a practice that serves your life, not consumes it.