Set Up For Success 6: The bad news that broke my practice

“I’ve got some bad news…”

Every military spouse knows that at a certain time of year your partner returning from work and uttering this phrase can only mean one thing… You’ve been posted to hell.

This time I was at the end of 38 weeks of solo parenting a toddler through a rough pregnancy thanks to a “surprise” deployment and had just been told we were moving 300 miles “as soon as” I gave birth. 

I don’t think I took it well.

In that moment, the fledgling practice I had built was surely about to crumble around my ears and my children would surely grow up miserable 300 miles away from everyone who cared about them.

My despair only got deeper. When my boy was orn he became ill and teh time which would have been spent packing was spent in hospital, watching his tiny body fight. 

Thankfully, he recovered, the move happened, and, after a few very hard months, it turned out I was wrong. Plymouth turned out to be one of my favourite cities, the children found people to love them locally (I mean, they were adorable) and my business flourished as I embraced technology and threw myself into the local business scene. I learned SO much about how to make a business work because of that “adversity” that subsequent moves felt more exciting than threatening.  

Now I use that knowledge to help others create practices that bring them the income, stability and fulfilment they need without the added drama of military life! 

I've now set up my practice in 4 different locations so, if you are setting up for the first time or perhaps hoping to jump “all in” to your practice, I wanted to share with you the 7 things I’ve learned that I think might help.

1. Relationships are everything, and business and professional networking are essential (listen to this podcast episode: How to network as a mental health professional)
2.  A specialism creates resilience, fulfilment and marketing super-power (listen to this podcast episode: Why you should specialise - old gold that is still important).
3. Your fees need to sustain your business for the long term (listen to this podcast episode: How to set your fees in your psychology private practice with “pricing queen” Sally Farrant)
4. Invest in the things your clients will value the most (EMDR training is a definite yes from me) 
5. SEO is worth spending time and money on (listen to this podcast episode: How to find your ideal clients in 2025: SEO for psychologists and therapists with Chris Morin)
6. Business is a skill you need to keep learning (don’t be hard on yourself, just get the coach or take the course) 
7. Co-create with your clients; they know what they want and value (listen to this podcast episode: Thinking differently about your practice: A tool to put the client first)

This is a short one from me today but I hope you will find what you need in the links above if you are facing down the overwhelm at setting or scaling up your independent work. I also hope I will get to see you face to face (online) at the masterclass I am running. Details below!

Ready to turn your private practice dream into a reality?

Join my free masterclass, "Set Up Your Practice for Success”," on September 8th. I'll share my 3-part framework to help you create a practice that is professionally fulfilling and financially secure, giving you the flexibility you crave without the burnout.

https://psychologybusinessschool.mykajabi.com/offers/avzEAAiw/checkout

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

Set Up For Success 5: Your website doesn’t work because it was written for your peers not your clients

Most of our websites receive very little “traffic” and many of our directory site profiles get scrolled past evey. single. time.

We all know there are weird algorithms and AI at play in the online game BUT the truth is some people manage to get people onto their website or directory site profile and booking sessions with them and others don’t.

The difference is the words.

I got sent to the headteacher at 7 years old for filling up an entire exercise book with illegible short stories on the first day of term. If I could have stopped crying to speak I would have told them that putting words onto a page makes my head quiet. Writing feels like a conversation with myself where I can figure out what I really think without the continuous interruptions of a demanding world. These days I would call it flow.

As a child I thought everyone felt that way, that everyone needed the page to structure and understand their own thinking. Of course, life has shown me that for many, my children included, the page actually veils their thoughts, forcing them to squint and sweat as they try to articulate what is perfectly formed in their minds.

Ten years ago my skills as a writer set me apart and allowed me to achieve success in marketing my practice very quickly. Thanks to AI, and I do mean that, the modern world allows you to use the skills you have as a psychologist or therapist to create website “copy” or a directory profile that speaks perfectly to your ideal client group even if writing is painful for you.

Here are the principles you need to stand out in the online crowd: 

1. Write Like You're Talking to a Client: This is the most important one. Don’t write for your peers! Imagine a real person who has come to you, asking, "How can you help me with X, Y, or Z?" Use natural language. If you struggle with this, try recording yourself explaining what you do to a potential client and then transcribe it. We therapists are great at connecting in person; sometimes it's just hard to get that onto paper so let technology be your friend. Record into chat gpt or gemini and ask the AI to tidy up yoru words.
2. Specialise, Specialise, Specialise! You cannot speak to everyone in your profile. If you try, you’ll blend into the background and sound generic. Pick one particular client group – your favourite, or the people you've worked with most successfully in the past – and speak directly to them. This is a huge focus in my Start Up Your Practice programme because it's vital for attracting your ideal clients.
3. Keep Your "Approach" Simple: Say a few confident lines about your experience and literally how you will help them. But please, for the love of all that is good, avoid jargon! Phrases like "safe space" or deep dives into your unique theoretical orientation often sound like gibberish to someone new to therapy. Stick to: "I have 25 years of experience in the NHS helping people with X, Y, and Z. I offer talking therapies like CBT and trauma-focused therapies like EMDR." That’s enough. Really.
4. Don't List Every Training Course Ever: Your core qualification is key, plus one or two other significant accreditations (like EMDR accreditation) that truly define your practice. A two-day CPD course, while valuable for you, probably doesn't need to be front and centre here.
5. Make Booking Super Easy & Explicit: Tell people exactly how to book. "Email me to book a consultation." "Phone me on X." Or, if you're using an online booking system (which I highly recommend, like Calendly, Acuity, or your PMS's system), tell them "Click this link to book your session directly." The less friction, the better!
6. Be Crystal Clear About Your Fees: This is a big one. People get incredibly anxious about fees, and rightly so. Don't make them inquire to find out, and avoid vague "sliding scale" statements. Put yourself in their shoes,  they want to know if they can afford you. It’s horrible for everyone if they get to the end of a conversation only to find they can't. Be explicit about your fee.

Use whatever tools you can find to make your life easier.

I think it is a great thing that more talented mental health professionals are able to reach the right clients thanks to modern technology. If it is new to you please don’t be afraid to use AI to help you write. My top tip is to give prompts in several steps.

A prompt for AI could look like this:

Step one: Analyse Dr Rosie’s advice on how to write a good directory site profile from this article (give link to this piece)

Step two: Analyse my CV (attach your CV or current summary of your credentials)

Step three: My ideal clients are (give a full description of your ideal client or link to your ideal client persona document if you are a coaching client of mine!). Please draft a compelling directory site profile/about page that will encourage them to choose me as their therapist following Dr Rosie’s principles.

This will not be the finished product but it can do the heavy lifting of the written word so you can focus on injecting your personality, passion and the language your ideal clients need to hear into it.

I’d love to know if this advice helps you connect more easily with your ideal clients. Let me know in the comments if you use the prompt!

Ready to turn your private practice dream into a reality?

Join my free masterclass, "Set Up Your Practice for Success”, on September 8th. I'll share my 3-part framework to help you create a practice that is professionally fulfilling and financially secure, giving you the flexibility you crave without the burnout.

https://psychologybusinessschool.mykajabi.com/offers/avzEAAiw/checkout

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

Set Up For Success 4: Beyond the Scroll: How to Get Your First Private Practice Clients (Without Endless Social Media)

If you’ve been spending any time in the online business world, you've probably been bombarded with ads telling you to master Instagram, run Google ads, or become a TikTok sensation. And while those can be part of a strategy, I'm here to tell you something that might surprise you: for therapists, often the most effective marketing isn't what's being shouted about by the noisy online gurus. 

If you were looking for a therapist, where would you start? Scrolling through Instagram? Probably not. Most of us would start by asking the people we trust: friends, family, and other professionals. 

This is where the magic of "relationship marketing" comes in. The best time investment you can make in the early days of your practice is to become "top of mind" for the people your ideal clients are most likely to ask for recommendations. This is simple, ethical, and completely aligned with your skills as a psychologist – it's about building genuine relationships! 

But networking feels gross!

Networking feels icky, right? I was totally icked by myself at the end of my first ever networking event. I was heavily pregnant in a room full of suits and had struggled to stutter out a version of my name through the blur of sweat, nerves and heartburn. It felt totally wrong, what was the point of a clinical psychologist talking to two close to retirement managers from a printing company about perinatal mental health?

No one in that room needed ME so after my horrendous introduction, I gave up. I focused on the sparkling water and listening to the local small business gossip. The event was a write-off but I might as well hear some interesting stories. And interesting stories there were! Employees were “taking the piss” left right and centre it seemed, some of them not coming in for weeks on end, supposedly many of them signed off with “stress.”

Because I’d done such a terrible job of introducing myself no one expected me to contribute so I didn’t really, I just asked questions. I don’t even remember what I said or asked about. I certainly didn’t come away thinking I’d been insightful or helpful, just a bit nosey perhaps!

So imagine my surprise when at the end one of the printers came up to me and offered a heartfelt thank you. He explained he’d never considered what “stress” really meant before and that he now understood his own (and I hope his employees!) reactions better. 

Well I never? It turns out that not everyone knows everything we know! Psychologists and therapists can offer immense value to the community when we offer our expertise, even informally. Plus when you show (rather than tell) someone what you are like as a therapist, they tend to refer to you. I even got a client off the back of that event. 

Building networks is miles more powerful than social media because:

• It's a two-way conversation, you will learn from the conversations you have
• It opens you up to collaborations with other professionals or small businesses (and we are definitely stronger together)
• You become the person that is recommended by a friend or trusted professional

The principles that make it work

1. Local Business Networking: Your Community Connection

Networking can be gross if it is done the wrong way but it can also benefit everyone in the room. Local business networking events are full of people who might know your ideal clients. Go with a specific list of professionals or businesses you think would be useful to your ideal client group (e.g., nutritionists, personal trainers, midwives, physios, yoga teachers if you work in perinatal). Your goal? Find out enough about their business to decide if you would refer to them. If you approach it with an intention to give referrals, you'll very often find they want to refer to you too! If an event isn't attracting the right people, don't keep going back out of obligation. Find a different one next month. Your time is precious! 

2. Join Local Mental Health Professional Groups: Collaborate, Don't Compete

I’m a firm believer that there's no such thing as "competition" in our field. Sadly, there are more than enough people who need our services. Building a network of other local psychologists and therapists is invaluable. These are the people you can refer to if you're over-capacity or a client needs a different specialism. They can also become a peer supervision group, offering advice and support when you face tricky situations. You can even extend each other's knowledge. It's about raising each other up in pursuit of our shared vision of better mental health. 

3. Link Up with Other Health Professionals: Broaden Your Reach

Think beyond mental health. Who else might encounter your ideal client? Private GPs, specialists, even school nurses. You can find these people via Google or at networking events. Getting their attention can be tough because they're busy. Think about what you can offer them. Could you put together a short, 20-minute talk on a mental health topic relevant to their patients that they might not know much about? For example, I did this with a talk on the mental health impact of severe pregnancy sickness. This demonstrates your expertise and gives them something valuable, making them more likely to remember and refer to you. 

My Top Tips for Building Your Network:

• Be Reciprocal: Always approach networking with the mindset of giving first. If you want referrals, be ready to offer them.
• Your two-liner: Write and learn a simple, two-line summary of who you are and who you help. You can add to this if you are looking for something specific too. For example, I might say “I’m Dr Rosie Gilderthorp a Clinical Psychologist offering therapy for mums struggling with their mental health in pregnancy. I’d love some help with SEO if anyone has a good contact.” 
• Preparation is Key: What do you want to get out of the event? Are you looking for a new service provider for your business (e.g., a photographer, an SEO specialist)? People are inherently reciprocal. If you work with someone in the group, they and others are more likely to refer to you.
• Listen and Help Others: This is where you truly shine. Listen genuinely to others' business problems. Offer your perspective, ask thoughtful questions. Your unique psychological perspective will impress far more than a hard sell. You are good at this already, so just let yourself shine.
• Don't Overthink It (or Procrastinate!): You don't need a fancy website or business cards to start networking. A Psychology Today or LinkedIn profile is perfectly fine as a starting point. Just make sure people have a way to keep in touch with you.
• Follow Up! This is crucial. Get contact details and nurture those relationships. A quick email, an offer for coffee, or sharing a relevant blog post you've written keeps the connection alive.

So get out there, use Google to find three local networking events and commit to attending one per month from September. 

No social media, just real people.

Ready to turn your private practice dream into a reality?

Join my free masterclass, "Set Up Your Practice for Success”, on September 8th. I'll share my 3-part framework to help you create a practice that is professionally fulfilling and financially secure, giving you the flexibility you crave without the burnout.

https://psychologybusinessschool.mykajabi.com/offers/avzEAAiw/checkout

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

Set Up For Success 3: Don’t be a bad boss (to yourself)

Ping… the dread came quickly. Somewhere in my mind I knew I had missed something vital in one of the 15,000 school emails that heralded the beginning of term. Sure enough, I had missed something critical. A school trip…tomorrow. 

One of my kids can only go on school trips if I am there to give a helping hand and a reassuring bolster for the risk assessment so making sure my diary is clear and my attitude positive for those days is really important to me. But with three kids, the craziness of the EHCP system and a lot of medical appointments to juggle things often slip through the net.

This is when I am so incredibly grateful that my boss is ME and I am generally a reasonable employer. Thanks to my independent practice I was able to message my assistant to reschedule my (thankfully manageable in number) clients to later in the week and I got to witness my kid laughing with friends in an old castle. 

It meant so much more to me than a morning off work, IYKYK.

If you’ve been teetering on the edge of going “all in” in your private practice because you need that kind of flexibility and autonomy in your life I recommend it whole heartedly and I would love to hold your hand as you jump in.

To truly create flexibility you need to start with asking yourself some honest questions about what you want from your practice financially. 

1. How Much Do You Really Want to Earn?

Let’s be honest, this can feel a bit uncomfortable to talk about, can't it? As helping professionals, there’s often a pervasive belief (sometimes from our peers) that it’s somehow "wrong" to make good money from mental health services. But let's ditch that shame right now. You are highly skilled, highly qualified, and you deserve to be paid well for the incredible impact you make. 

Forget comparisons to others. What annual and monthly income makes all this effort worthwhile for you? What figure will make you feel truly rewarded and respected for your expertise? This isn’t about being greedy; it’s about sustainability. Write that figure down. This is your target. 

2. How Much Time Will You Actually Spend Working?

This is where reality meets aspiration. Consider:

• Weeks worked per year: Factor in holidays, sick days, and those inevitable caring responsibilities. For many parents, realistically, it might be 40 weeks or even less. My kids dictate that it’s less for me!
• Total weekly working hours: This includes everything – client sessions, admin, business development, CPD, supervision. Don't just think "client hours."
• Client-facing hours per week: You can't see clients 24/7. There's so much more to running a successful business. What’s your personal threshold for doing your best work? For me, it’s around three therapy clients a day. I can do more, and I did for years, but one of my core values is delivering high-quality service, and that requires time for thinking, formulating, and reading. This number is wildly personal, so be honest with yourself.

Once you have your realistic weeks worked and client-facing hours per week, you can easily calculate your annual client hours. This is a critical number! 

3. What Services Do You Truly Want to Offer (Right Now)?

Don't overcomplicate this for your start-up phase. What's the easiest way for you to bring in income? Therapy, supervision, consultation, coaching, groups? What aligns with your current expertise and makes you feel excited? Think "kick-starting," not "long-term grand plan." 90

4. Tally Up Your Costs (Don't Be Afraid of This!)

Now, add everything up. Include:

• All the software we talked about (PMS, secure email, accounting).
• Your insurance premiums.
• A realistic CPD budget (at least £1000 a year, or more if you have specific, pricier training in mind).
• An allowance for admin support if your practice grows (e.g., £500/month for a full-time practice, less if you’re working fewer hours).
• Your estimated rent, if applicable.

It's just a rough estimate for now, but knowing your costs is empowering. This is why a simple spreadsheet is your best friend – you can see everything clearly. 

The Golden Ticket: Your Minimum Fee

With all this information, you now have everything you need to set your fees. Your task for this week is to listen to the brilliant Sally Farrant's podcast episode and work out your minimum fee.

This is the non-negotiable fee you must charge to earn your desired salary from your private work. Knowing this number is pure power. It's your shield against imposter syndrome, that little gremlin that tries to convince you to drop your prices! 97

I know you probably didn't find this in any way easy. BUT I also know that you will thank yourself for this exercise. You can use the numbers here to set yourself realistic expectations and goals for your practice AND you won’t set yourself up to be so over-scheduled you can’t drop everything when you need to.

Getting your fees right is the key to days with enough blank space to cope with the dramas of family life!

Happy number-crunching!

Ready to turn your private practice dream into a reality?

Join my free masterclass, "Set Up Your Practice for Success”, on September 8th. I'll share my 3-part framework to help you create a practice that is professionally fulfilling and financially secure, giving you the flexibility you crave without the burnout.

https://psychologybusinessschool.mykajabi.com/offers/avzEAAiw/checkout

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

Set Up For Success 2: Work-life balance, can any psychologist achieve it?

“How much are you paying yourself this month?” 

I probably shouldn’t have wanted to throw the lamp at him when my husband asked me that but in all honestly anything not tied down was at risk on that evening.

It seemed so unfair, I’d worked so hard, so many hours in front of clients, in excel spreadsheets, manually typing invoices and (of course) agonising over my inferiority as a therapist and, despite having a huge caseload, I was paying myself far less than I earned in the NHS. In fact, it was looking a lot like minimum wage.

All of the self-flagelating thoughts were running through my head. Had I been reckless with money? Was I incompetent? Stupid? Bad at business? 

But the truth was none of those things. I had one core problem: I didn’t take myself or my expertise seriously enough. I didn’t believe (deep down) that I deserved a healthy business so I didn’t educate myself on what it took to create one.

That’s why we need to work on our minds as well as our spreadsheets when we set up in private practice, especially if we need to replace our old incomes. 

I’m here to help you do that so you don’t have to *almost* commit a criminal offence to work it out.

What is a “healthy” business?

In the first year of my practice I would describe the business as unhealthy in all areas. It wasn’t meeting my financial needs and it wasn’t allowing me to flourish professionally. In fact, it was leading me closer and closer to burnout as I went to sleep every night wondering how on earth I was ever going to replace my NHS salary in my tiny windows of childcare.

Coming through the other side of this experience made me re-think the platitudes around work-life balance. This experience taught me that when we say work-life balance, what we really mean is are we making “enough money” in the amount of time we want to spend working? 

For that reason, work life balance looks completely different in different phases of life depending on your relationship to work, your other responsibilities and your financial situation. 

When I was 25, working 50 hour weeks for £26,000 looked like good work-life balance for me. I ran marathons, had an active social life and cats. Fine.

At 35 if you had asked me to work a 50-hour week I would have literally drowned in nappies, school emails and overwhelm. 

There is no one-size-fits-all all business template that will bestow you with work-life balance. Finding the right balance for you requires understanding your own personal and professional values, your financial needs and designing a business model that allows you to live with enough of both.

The bit most of us miss

So, rather than giving you practical stuff as you read this on your sun lounger (I really hope some of you are doing that) I want you to stick with the mind today. If you are planning a new independent practice I want you to jump into it really clear on what it needs to give you professionally and financially to allow you to feel healthy.

Here are some journal prompts to help:

• Think of 5 pivotal moments in your career. For each one consider - what motivated you at this point of your life and what did this experience leave you with? You might want to think about learnings, passions, experiences, skills and perspectives gained. 
• What is the common thread that runs through these important experiences? How have they shaped you as a professional? 
• What abilities do you have that created your best work during these moments? When did you feel that you were most, in-flow and using your natural talents? 
• Is there anything you should be doing more of in your career now to experience more of that feeling of being in flow and using your natural talents? 
• How much money would make you feel comfortable, free and at ease? Is it hard for you to answer that question and if so, why? 

I hope that gives you some pause to reflect, whether you are starting up for the first time, scaling up to go “all in” after years of juggling employment and business life or just opening yourself up for a potential business re-design.

Let me know if you got any aha moments!

Ready to turn your private practice dream into a reality?

Join my free masterclass, "Set Up Your Practice for Success”, on September 8th. I'll share my 3-part framework to help you create a practice that is professionally fulfilling and financially secure, giving you the flexibility you crave without the burnout.

https://psychologybusinessschool.mykajabi.com/offers/avzEAAiw/checkout

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

Set Up For Success 1: 3 things your imposter syndrome tells you to do that you should ignore 

Want to know a dirty secret?

The thing most psychologists and therapists in independent practice fear the most isn’t bankruptcy, being sued or letting their clients down.

It’s each other.

“Peer Fear” is a term many of my coaching clients have used to describe the paralysing terror of snide comments and condescending tone that we become so used to in our professional forums. 

There is so much insecurity among professionals and so much “competition” in the journey to become one that we have all witnessed some horrific “put downs” from supposedly trained reflective and ethical practitioners. Comments designed to keep people small and discourage any diversity of thought.

This reality is what stops so many people from taking the leap into independent practice, even when they know they can do amazing things if they are allowed to use their entrepreneurial spirit to do some good in the world.

The good news? I found the antidote and I’m here to give it out freely. 

We are the cure if we choose to be. 

Let’s build each other up. Like each other's posts, recommend each other to friends, be a cheerleader for other professionals we see doing their best to make a difference out there. 

We don’t have to all agree on the best way to make change but if you are properly qualified and using your knowledge to help others I am absolutely glad that you are doing it. There is a mountain to climb if we want to improve the horrifying state of mental health and I’m grateful for every psychologist and therapist I see strapping on their climbing boots.

This is the WHY behind by coaching practice, Psychology Business School. I feel I do more good for the world as a whole, empowering other psychologists and therapists than I could in my own practice. I also get to create an outstanding network of entrepreneurial, innovative professionals who inspire me in every session. 

Over the summer, I am dedicating this space to helping those who might be sitting on the fence of independent practice, desperately wanting or needing the flexibility that it brings but feeling too anxious or ashamed to risk taking the leap. Each week I will be here with a simple step you can take forward, sometimes a bit of thinking, sometimes a bit of doing. I hope if you choose to join me here each week you will find the shame lifting and the excitement at what is possible begin to take its place. 

Your first task is simply to identify what your imposter syndrome/shame is telling you that needs to be let go of. I will tell you what mine told me back in 2018 when I started up:

1. It would be better to create a practice website that didn’t have my name or face anywhere on it (shame likes us to hide).
2. I should avoid networking (because I would obviously be found out there)
3. Other professionals were my competition (100% peer fear)

All of these stories harmed my practice in its first year. 

Take a notebook, journal, Remarkable or your phone notes and just take a minute to reflect on whether there are any similar stories lurking in the back of your mind. I promise you it is these, not your relationship with tech, money or business planning that will sabotage your new practice.

Ready to turn your private practice dream into a reality?

Join my free masterclass, "Set Up Your Practice for Success”, on September 8th. I'll share my 3-part framework to help you create a practice that is professionally fulfilling and financially secure, giving you the flexibility you crave without the burnout.

https://psychologybusinessschool.mykajabi.com/offers/avzEAAiw/checkout

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

Building a diverse and successful associate practice in 2025 with Dr Esther Cole

Welcome to the Business of Psychology podcast. Today I'm joined by Dr Esther Cole, the clinical director and founder of Lifespan Psychology, which is a proudly diverse and thriving associate practice. She's here today to talk to us about what it takes to build a thriving associate practice, particularly in the more challenging context we find ourselves in in 2025. This is a must listen if you are somebody that is thinking about building your team and expanding your impact through associate work. Esther is also an impressive psychologist in her own right. In 2020 she won the BPS Early Career Award for a book that she initiated and co-edited on pediatric acquired brain injury. Esther has a great passion for helping people who may not always feel confident to come forward for therapy and may not always be well served by the therapy on offer, and that's part of the reason that she set up her podcast ‘Breaking Through Therapy’, which I think is amazing.

Full show notes and a transcript of this episode are available at The Business of Psychology

References:

10x Is Easier than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy 

We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power by Rachel Rodgers 

Links for Esther:

Breaking Through Therapy Podcast: www.lifespanpsychology.co.uk/podcast

BOSS: www.lifespanpsychology.co.uk/coaching

Website: www.lifespanpsychology.co.uk

LinkedIn: Dr Esther Cole

Instagram: @lifespan_psychology

Facebook: Lifespan Psychology - The Diverse Practice

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

The highlights

• Esther tells us about her podcast, Breaking Through Therapy 01:20
• Esther tells us about herself and her career, and how she came to set up an associate practice 02:39
• Esther talks about the most common mistakes she’s come across in associate practice 16:12 
• I ask Esther how we can encourage dedication from our associates 20:29
• We discuss recruitment and how to find the right people for your practice 26:42
• We talk about the skills you have to develop as a manager 34:10
• I remind people to listen to the Breaking Through Therapy podcast 44:29

Evolve and Thrive Mastermind

Are you a psychologist or therapist with a thriving practice, but you're feeling stuck?

Do you dream of more predictable income or more time for your family and maybe the ability to make a wider impact in mental health?

I get it. You are passionate about helping people, but the business side can often feel really overwhelming.

You've probably tried it all; podcasts, books, maybe even some short term coaching.

But maybe you're still struggling with procrastination, indecision, or just not knowing how to create a passive income stream.

If that sounds like you, I've got something really exciting to share with you. I've been developing it for a while and I'm really excited about it.

It's called the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind, and it is designed specifically for psychologists and therapists like you that have a thriving private practice already, but are desperate to bring some passive or semi-passive income into their practice so that they can make more impact in the world and maybe have more flexibility in their life as well.

This program includes mastermind sessions with me and guest speakers, a Clarity and Values day retreat to hone in on your ideal client and the offers that you should be making to them, and the creation of a personalised business and marketing plan. So you will leave the Mastermind with everything that you need to make your plans a reality. You'll get tangible results out of this. So you're going to come away with documents, like your business plan, your marketing plan, and your sales emails, all written. Plus you'll get ongoing support and a community of like-minded professionals to keep you accountable and raise you up when you need it.

So if now is the time to stop feeling held back by uncertainty, and you are ready to really grow your impact and your income with a clear strategic plan, then the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind is the right place for you. So to learn more and take the next step, come over to psychologybusinessschool.com and look for the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind.

This could be your opportunity to transform your practice and give you more flexibility in your life.

Join the Waiting List for Our Growth Courses and Coaching here.

Permission to be human: How to be a parent and a psychologist with Dr Jade Redfern

Welcome to the Business of Psychology podcast. Today I'm joined by Dr Jade Redfern, a clinical psychologist who specialises in supporting parents. With experience in both the NHS and a busy private practice, she's now the founder of the Permission to be Human group for psychologist parents, and is passionate about helping other mental health professionals to thrive in their roles both as business owners and parents. 

Full show notes and a transcript of this episode are available at The Business of Psychology

Links for Jade:

Website: www.drjaderedfern.co.uk

Instagram: @drjaderedfern

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

The highlights

• Jade tells us about what led her to the business that she has now 00:54
• Jade talks about the challenges of parenting as a psychologist 02:47
• We discuss the myth of perfect parenting and the impact of social media on parenting 08:14 
• Jade tells us how Permission to be Human was born 22:16
• We discuss the impact of professional experience on parenting 29:06
• We talk about the importance of reflective practice 31:36
• I ask Jade about her experience with getting support in in her business 35:09
• Jade tells us how we can get in touch 47:51

Evolve and Thrive Mastermind

Are you a psychologist or therapist with a thriving practice, but you're feeling stuck?

Do you dream of more predictable income or more time for your family and maybe the ability to make a wider impact in mental health?

I get it. You are passionate about helping people, but the business side can often feel really overwhelming.

You've probably tried it all; podcasts, books, maybe even some short term coaching.

But maybe you're still struggling with procrastination, indecision, or just not knowing how to create a passive income stream.

If that sounds like you, I've got something really exciting to share with you. I've been developing it for a while and I'm really excited about it.

It's called the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind, and it is designed specifically for psychologists and therapists like you that have a thriving private practice already, but are desperate to bring some passive or semi-passive income into their practice so that they can make more impact in the world and maybe have more flexibility in their life as well.

This program includes mastermind sessions with me and guest speakers, a Clarity and Values day retreat to hone in on your ideal client and the offers that you should be making to them, and the creation of a personalised business and marketing plan. So you will leave the Mastermind with everything that you need to make your plans a reality. You'll get tangible results out of this. So you're going to come away with documents, like your business plan, your marketing plan, and your sales emails, all written. Plus you'll get ongoing support and a community of like-minded professionals to keep you accountable and raise you up when you need it.

So if now is the time to stop feeling held back by uncertainty, and you are ready to really grow your impact and your income with a clear strategic plan, then the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind is the right place for you. So to learn more and take the next step, come over to psychologybusinessschool.com and look for the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind.

This could be your opportunity to transform your practice and give you more flexibility in your life.

Join the Waiting List for Our Growth Courses and Coaching here.

Financial planning in Private Practice with Anna Gooch

Welcome to the Business of Psychology podcast. I'm really excited to be here with Anna Gooch. Anna is a unique individual with a fantastic background in financial planning, and also a counsellor with a lot of passion for supporting people with their mental health. This is a fantastic combination to have, and we're going to talk about Anna's personal story, where her passion comes from, but also about how we might support clients who are going through financial difficulties; we all know that many of our clients go through financial difficulties during their time with us. And then finally, about how we might look after ourselves financially, because most people listening to this will be independent psychologists or therapists, and we often don't have the most robust financial plan in place.

Full show notes and a transcript of this episode are available at The Business of Psychology

Links for Anna:

LinkedIn: Anna Gooch

Email: [email protected]

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

The highlights

• Anna tells us about her career and how she ended up being a counsellor and financial advisor 1:18
• We discuss the shame and embarrassment people feel when talking about money 10:35
• Anna talks about why her niche is working with counsellors 21:31
• Anna takes us through what she looks at with a client, including insurance and pensions 29:10
• I ask Anna what a first good step is, if you’re feeling overwhelmed 33:00
• Anna explains what a lasting power of attorney is 35:46
• I ask Anna if we should consolidate our NHS pension with other pots 38:05
• Anna explains how how working with a financial advisor works 40:21
• Anna tells us how we can get in touch with her 43:22

Evolve and Thrive Mastermind

Are you a psychologist or therapist with a thriving practice, but you're feeling stuck?

Do you dream of more predictable income or more time for your family and maybe the ability to make a wider impact in mental health?

I get it. You are passionate about helping people, but the business side can often feel really overwhelming.

You've probably tried it all; podcasts, books, maybe even some short term coaching.

But maybe you're still struggling with procrastination, indecision, or just not knowing how to create a passive income stream.

If that sounds like you, I've got something really exciting to share with you. I've been developing it for a while and I'm really excited about it.

It's called the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind, and it is designed specifically for psychologists and therapists like you that have a thriving private practice already, but are desperate to bring some passive or semi-passive income into their practice so that they can make more impact in the world and maybe have more flexibility in their life as well.

This program includes mastermind sessions with me and guest speakers, a Clarity and Values day retreat to hone in on your ideal client and the offers that you should be making to them, and the creation of a personalised business and marketing plan. So you will leave the Mastermind with everything that you need to make your plans a reality. You'll get tangible results out of this. So you're going to come away with documents, like your business plan, your marketing plan, and your sales emails, all written. Plus you'll get ongoing support and a community of like-minded professionals to keep you accountable and raise you up when you need it.

So if now is the time to stop feeling held back by uncertainty, and you are ready to really grow your impact and your income with a clear strategic plan, then the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind is the right place for you. So to learn more and take the next step, come over to psychologybusinessschool.com and look for the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind.

This could be your opportunity to transform your practice and give you more flexibility in your life.

Join the Waiting List for Our Growth Courses and Coaching here.

Literature, mental health and gender politics. Why we must remember that "She Wrote Too" with Nicola Morgan

Welcome to the Business of Psychology podcast. I'm joined by Nicola Morgan, who some of you may know as the co-host of the fantastic She Wrote Too podcast and Substack. As well as a podcaster, Nicola is a positive psychologist, champion of women's writers, bibliotherapist, creativity specialist, tutor and mentor. She's properly multi hyphen, having been a former lawyer and teacher in past lives. She now uses that wealth of experience and passion to help others thrive through story and psychology. 

Full show notes and a transcript of this episode are available at The Business of Psychology

Links for Nicola:

She Wrote Too Podcast:

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

She Wrote Too Substack

Links for Rosie:

Substack: substack.com/@drrosie

Rosie on Instagram:

@rosiegilderthorp

@thepregnancypsychologist

Reading list from Nicola, to support the topics discussed:

Positive Psychology & Purpose

• Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. - Introduces the PERMA model: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment.
• Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). "Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being." American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. - Central to understanding motivation in values-led work.
• Wong, P. T. P. (2011). "Positive psychology 2.0: Towards a balanced interactive model of the good life." Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 52(2), 69–81. - Explores how suffering and meaning-making are integral to authentic well-being.

Narrative Psychology & Meaning

• McAdams, D. P. (1993). The Stories We Live By: Personal Myths and the Making of the Self. - Key text on how humans construct identity and meaning through narrative.
• Neimeyer, R. A. (2006). "Rewriting the self: History, memory, narrative." In Meaning Reconstruction and the Experience of Loss. - Relevant to your interest in grief, healing, and story.

Bibliotherapy & Reading for Well-being

• Brewster, L. (2011). Health & Place, 17(2), 361–368. "The public library as therapeutic landscape: A qualitative case study." - Explores the healing power of books and libraries.
• Billington, J. (2016). Reading and Mental Health: Bibliotherapy Revisited. Palgrave Macmillan. -Central to bibliotherapy research and your work with She Wrote Too and Learn to Thrive.
• Montgomery, H., & Martin, B. (2015). "Literature and empathy: A study of bibliotherapy and reading groups." Medical Humanities, 41(2), 100–104.

How shared reading helps foster empathy and insight.

• Kidd, D.C. & Castano, E. (2013). Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind. Science, 342(6156), 377–380.
• Miall, D.S. & Kuiken, D. (2002). A feeling for fiction: Becoming what we behold. Poetics, 30(4), 221–241.
• Pennebaker, J.W. & Seagal, J.D. (1999). Forming a story: The health benefits of narrative. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 55(10), 1243–1254.
• Montgomery, D. & Maunder, R. (2015). Bibliotherapy: The Girl on the Train and other ways to self-soothe. BMJ, 351:h4465.

Legacy and Culture:

• Jerome Bruner (1991): “We become the stories we tell ourselves.” This is at the heart of narrative identity.
• Dan McAdams (2001): Legacy and meaning-making are central in his theory of narrative identity, particularly in generativity scripts.
• Narrative therapy (Michael White & David Epston): Talks about re-authoring our lives to align with values and meaning.
• Viktor Frankl (1985): Man’s Search for Meaning ties story to purpose, survival, and legacy.

The highlights

• I introduce Nicola and she says a bit about what brought her to this focus in her career with She Wrote Too 00:00
• I ask Nicola who are her favourite women authors who have been forgotten about, and we discuss the struggles women authors and scholars faced 06:42
• We look at how the past impacts societal expectations on women’s self-perception 8:29
• Nicola talks about the stories she found really powerful for talking about this narrative of determination and resilience 14:19
• Nicola discusses why she thinks some of these historical women authors were written out and sabotaged 17:34
• I ask Nicola if she thinks that the hard work is paying off and we are starting to see more parity in whose voices get published? 25:03
• Nicola explains what bibliotherapy is, and its relationship to ACT 29:45
• We discuss the importance of story 38:12
• I ask Nicola about her book and the kickstarter for it 43:07

Evolve and Thrive Mastermind

Are you a psychologist or therapist with a thriving practice, but you're feeling stuck?

Do you dream of more predictable income or more time for your family and maybe the ability to make a wider impact in mental health?

I get it. You are passionate about helping people, but the business side can often feel really overwhelming.

You've probably tried it all; podcasts, books, maybe even some short term coaching.

But maybe you're still struggling with procrastination, indecision, or just not knowing how to create a passive income stream.

If that sounds like you, I've got something really exciting to share with you. I've been developing it for a while and I'm really excited about it.

It's called the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind, and it is designed specifically for psychologists and therapists like you that have a thriving private practice already, but are desperate to bring some passive or semi-passive income into their practice so that they can make more impact in the world and maybe have more flexibility in their life as well.

This program includes mastermind sessions with me and guest speakers, a Clarity and Values day retreat to hone in on your ideal client and the offers that you should be making to them, and the creation of a personalised business and marketing plan. So you will leave the Mastermind with everything that you need to make your plans a reality. You'll get tangible results out of this. So you're going to come away with documents, like your business plan, your marketing plan, and your sales emails, all written. Plus you'll get ongoing support and a community of like-minded professionals to keep you accountable and raise you up when you need it.

So if now is the time to stop feeling held back by uncertainty, and you are ready to really grow your impact and your income with a clear strategic plan, then the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind is the right place for you. So to learn more and take the next step, come over to psychologybusinessschool.com and look for the Evolve and Thrive Mastermind.

This could be your opportunity to transform your practice and give you more flexibility in your life.

Join the Waiting List for Our Growth Courses and Coaching here.