You may have a cancellation policy, office hours, an email autoresponder, or a beautifully worded intake document.

But if that boundary has never been tested — or if it has been tested and quietly not held — it may not be a boundary yet.

It may still be a plan.

In this episode of The Build Your Private Practice Podcast, Liane is talking about one of the most common hidden issues in private practice: boundaries that exist on paper, but not yet in real life.

This topic came up in three separate coaching calls in one week. One therapist had decided she would no longer respond to client emails on weekends. Another had a clear late cancellation policy that was never actually being charged. Another had a 50-minute session boundary that was only being held a couple of times a week.

The policies were thoughtful and well-intentioned.

But the boundary does not become real when you write it down.

It becomes real the first time someone presses against it and you hold the line.

For therapists, this can be especially hard. Your clinical training has taught you to be flexible, accommodating, attuned, and responsive — all beautiful clinical skills. But when those same instincts bleed into the business side of your practice, they can quietly cost you your time, energy, income, and sustainability.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why a boundary that has never been tested may still be a plan

• The difference between writing a policy and holding the line

• Why therapists often struggle to defend their own practice boundaries

• How small exceptions can become the real rules of your practice

• The difference between a conscious exception and a default cave

• How to hold boundaries with warmth, clarity, and care

• The two questions to ask yourself about any boundary in your practice

This episode is not about shaming you for the places where your boundaries have slipped.

It is about helping you see the pattern clearly — and decide in advance what you will do when the test arrives.

Because the calm version of you can prepare the tired, pressured, in-the-moment version of you.

And the boundary becomes real one held line at a time.

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If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to The Build Your Private Practice Podcast and share it with another therapist whose boundaries may exist in writing — but not yet in real life.

Save the date for the BYPP 10th Birthday Celebration happening on Friday, September 25, 2026.

We'll be gathering live in person in Toronto, Ontario, with a live-stream option available for those joining us virtually.

More details are coming soon, but for now, mark your calendar and plan to celebrate this milestone with us