The Grow Your Private Practice Show

No one likes people seeing our mistakes. It’s embarrassing, right?

And although you KNOW that making mistakes is an important part of the learning process, you would still prefer not to do it in public. 

So here’s what happened when I managed to make an embarrassing mistake in public a couple of weeks ago. 

Yup, I published the unedited version of this show, complete with mistakes and swearing - a real head/desk moment.

...though it’s quite funny, so I hope it makes you laugh!

This mistake reminded me of something that happened with Grow Your Private Practice member Tracy Clark, which subsequently changed her business. 

Did you hear my unedited podcast a whole ago? Did it make you laugh?

I'd like to say a massive thank you to Tracy Clark for coming and sharing her powerful story.

And if you'd like a group of cheerleaders on your side, join the Grow Your Private Practice membership

Did you know that maintaining clear boundaries can also help to grow your practice? 

It’s true. But unfortunately, when it comes to setting boundaries in private practice, there is no one hard and fast right answer. 

Not only that, your boundaries can change over time. 

No wonder we struggle to set and enforce boundaries! 

So today I am absolutely delighted to have Caz Binstead here as my guest expert. 

Caz is a respected counsellor, supervisor and advocate for therapists, and today she shares some amazing insights on making and maintaining boundaries within your private practice in order to best serve your clients, yourself and your business. 

We look at:

• What makes us struggle with setting and enforcing boundaries?
• The benefits of choosing a supervisor that has experience in running a private practice
• How boundaries can reduce the likelihood of complaints
• Considerations around your cancellation policy
• The importance of understanding the rationale behind your policy. 

I think you’ll like this one. 

Caz Binstead is well known in the therapy scene here in the UK, and if you haven't come across her before, here’s a little something about her:

Caz is an experienced therapist and supervisor, working full-time in private practice. She specialises in the growth and maintenance of ethical and thriving practices. 

Caz was instrumental in the design and development of the Private Practice Toolkit at the BACP, and sat on the private practice division as executive lead on the project for 4 years. 

She has provided consultation, training, copywriting services, and written guidance to hundreds of students and therapists preparing to set up and work in private practice. 

As Co-lead for the platform #TherapistsConnect, she also created their two-day conference, ’Private Practice 2021: Surviving and Thriving in Uncertain Times’. 

She has hosted and held workshops on private practice at two BACP student conferences (2019 & 2021), and most recently, presented at International Supervision week. 

Go and say hi - and tell her you heard her on The Grow Your Private Practice Show podcast.

Website: www.cazbinstead.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cazbinny

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/night_owl_counsellor/ 

With so many counsellors in your area, how can you make it easier for therapy clients to choose you?

And how can you stand out while staying firmly within your personal disclosure boundaries?

So let’s explore how to start forming this therapeutic relationship through your marketing while staying firmly within your personal disclosure and ethical boundaries. 

In all modalities, the therapeutic relationship is vital and likely to increase the chance of a good therapeutic outcome. 

But there is an inconsistency between being a blank slate in the counselling room while simultaneously also cultivating a thriving therapeutic relationship.

How can clients choose the right therapist for them when we are told to not share anything about ourselves?

And how can you attract clients that are a good fit for you while staying firmly within personal disclosure boundaries?

In this episode, I share how to make it easier for clients to choose you and how helping clients make the right choice is good for them, good for your business and good for the counselling profession. 

Using hashtags on social media is free, easy to do and an effective way to get your posts in front of people with an interest in that subject. So it makes sense to invest a little time into learning how to use them. 

So if hashtags mystify you, take a listen to this Jane Explains episode where I answer a listeners question about how to find and use hashtags. 

I’ll share with you what are they, how to find them and how to use them to grow your followers and attract more clients.

So see what practical steps you can take to make hashtags work for you.

Grab the 100th episode gift bundle here janetravis.co.uk/OMG100

As a therapist, how do you feel about money?

Do you feel confident, enforcing your cancellation policy and increasing your fees without stress?

Or does the thought of doing those things make you feel anxious and tense?

Well, my guest today is Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a therapist that works with money anxiety, and in this episode, she shares how to cope with financial anxiety.

We all need money in order to live, and most of us would like more - maybe a little bit more, maybe a lot more.

But despite money being an inanimate object, just some paper and coins it can cause a whole lot of problems for us both as individuals and as private practice owners.

So if you procrastinate around money conversations with your clients or you haven’t increased your fees for years, take a listen to this episode because Lindsay Bryan-Podvin can help.

Lindsay is the author of ‘The Financial Anxiety Solution: A Step-by-Step Workbook to Stop Worrying about Money, Take Control of Your Finances, and Live a Happier Life’ and also produces the Mind Money Balance podcast.

She has tons of experience helping people get more comfortable and confident around money, and as a financial therapist helps people learn more about their emotional relationship with money.

• What is financial anxiety?
• How do you identify it
• How to dial down your own financial worries

Think you’ll enjoy this one!

Lindsay describes herself as:

“I'm a biracial (Filipina-white) female social worker-turned-financial therapist, author, and speaker.”

She says “I talk about money in a way that doesn’t make you feel gross.”

She believes that personal finance and mental health are inherently intersected with politics, race, and gender. “My goal is to cultivate a shame-free space to engage with money. I want all of my clients to feel powerful and abundant in their relationship with money and to feel comfortable bringing their whole selves into therapy and coaching”.

She’s the author of The Financial Anxiety Solution, which is a self-paced workbook to help you stop stressing about money by applying therapy techniques to your relationship with money.

She produces the Mind Money Balance podcast too, where she explores all manner of things to do with financial anxiety for therapists.

And learn more about your relationship with money by taking her Financial Archetype Quiz

Go and say hi - and tell her you heard her on The Grow Your Private Practice Show podcast!

Instagram @mindmoneybalance

Website: MindMoneyBalance

The Book ‘The financial anxiety solution’

The Mind Money Balance Podcast

The Financial Archetype Quiz

And remember to grab your 1ooth episode gift bundle of 9 free resources HERE

Did you know I run a membership for counsellors and therapists called Grow Your Private Practice? 

Yes, and it includes training, workshops, resources, events - well, lots to help you attract more clients. 

But it’s so much more than a place to access training.

It’s a place that reduces your stress by showing you how to achieve success by getting focused. To connect with peers, get support and have your questions answered.

It's a lifeline.

So if you’re trying to build your business, do you really need the Grow Your Private Practice membership?

You probably have questions like:

• How much is it?
• What exactly is included?
• How much time will I need?
• What happens if I join and realise it's not for me?

So take a listen and see if it's right for you.

Visit Grow Your Private Practice HERE

No one can afford therapy now. 

Well, it seems that’s what everyone is saying - the news, current affairs programs, magazine type programs etc. Everyone is talking about it - the price of energy, fuel for the car, how much a supermarket shop has increased.

There's no getting away from it. 

And it’s said to be causing a mental health epidemic. 

So what is the impact of the cost of living crisis on your clients, your practice and you?

And more importantly, how can you manage it?

In this episode, I explore ideas to help you to carry on attracting clients and getting paid while also looking after yourself. 

I talk about:

• How to help people that can't afford therapy
• Working fortnightly instead of weekly
• Recognising what's your responsibility and what's not
• Some practical ways to help both clients and yourself.

So take a listen

Links to follow

Grab the 100th episode gift www.janetravis.co.uk/OMG100

Episode 32 5 Easy ways to give back to charity without working for free or a reduced fee, with Sophia Giblin

Setting up groups in private practice, with Tamara Howell and Sarah Dosanjh

Book recommendation: Time-limited therapy in a general practice setting: how to help within 6 sessions by Glyn Hudson Allez

In this, my 100th episode of The Grow Your Private Practice Show, I talk about the pros and cons of podcasting to help you decide whether it could be a good choice for you.

And as a gift for you on the 100th episode, I’ve put together 9 FREE resources I’ve previously shared as part of the podcast so you can access them all together. 

You’ll get:

• 6 Steps to turning an enquiry into a booking
• What to include on your FAQ page
• 5 Easy ways to give back to charity (without working for free or reducing your fees)
• Which social media platform is right for you
• 54 Specific ways to attract your ideal clients
• 55 Affirmations for success
• 2 Simple ways to find your mojo
• What is your why?
• 101 titles for your blog

So be sure to grab them - go to www.janetravis.co.uk/omg100

And a thank you to all my amazing guests that have shared their wisdom so freely, and a massive thank you to you for listening. Thank you thank you, it means so much x

Phil King, my editor www.mypodcastassistant.com 

Teresa Heath Waring https://teresaheathwareing.com 

How does having a niche impact your practice? 

I love talking to guests on these podcasts because they share many amazing insights and today is no exception.

I have the wonderful Elsie Owen with me.

Elsie is relatively new to PP and has had her private practice since qualifying in 2019. 

Yet since 2020, she has had a consistently full caseload. Wow. 

She’s since chosen a niche and as a result, started to diversify her income by offering more than just 1-1 therapy. 

How cool is that?

So today Elsie shares her experiences with us And we’re going to be looking at the impact having a niche has had on her practice. 

I ask her:

• What made you choose to niche?
• How did you decide on your niche
• How has having a niche affected your practice - both positives and any things to watch out for
• Your experience of diversifying
• Do you have any plans for the future

I think you'll enjoy this one!

About Elsie Owen

'I've had my private practice since I qualified in 2019 and in 2020 when I had a consistently full caseload, I started learning about Instagram marketing and exploring additional ways of supporting people.

I've since chosen a niche and as a result, started to diversify my income through offering more than just 1-1 therapy. I write a fortnightly newsletter, teach online educational sessions and run a group programme called The Boundaries Course.'

Elsies website: https://www.elsieowen.com/

Connect with Elsie on Instagram The_peoplepleasing_therapist

And if you'd like some more help attracting clients, check out The Grow Your Private Practice membership.

Identifying your therapy niche is one of the things that will have a dramatic impact on the effectiveness of your marketing. 

But what happens if you have a niche, and over time things change?

Maybe your work has developed for you and you want to go in a different direction, open it up to more people or attract clients to a more specific topic. 

In this episode of Jane Explains, I answer a question from a listener Diana who said:

‘My passion is working with all things female. But I also realise that the area(s) I want to niche in also tip over into the male side. 

Currently, I specialise in working with baby loss but I would like to encompass infertility and menopause. Any hints or tips on how to merge and also how to market myself?

I don't want to be known as "the female therapist" or "all things female" Maybe my niche is too wide but I really enjoy working with them all!

Fingers crossed you can help.’

Great question, Diana! 

So in this episode, I explore some obvious and less obvious ways to modify your niche. 

And if you want some help working out the right niche for you, come and join the Grow Your Private Practice membership