August 22, 2025 • 13 mins
Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
All right.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh, I guess I don't have any lipstick.
It's fine, all right.
Am I in focus?
I can't tell.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I can see you.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Okay, okay, okay.
So I asked ChatGPT what is thenumber one habit therapists need
to do?
They need to improve, I guess,and some of them I agree with,
(00:35):
some of them I don't.
So, chatgpt, if you'relistening, I'm just respect, but
you know I've got opinions andJennifer, I know you do too.
You know I've got opinions and,jennifer, I know you do too.
But one of the things that Idid agree with is this idea of
being proactive, proactive,proactive.
I mean this is such a weirdbusiness.
I mean we're getting to do whatwe're good at right, what we're
(00:59):
called to do, and at the sametime, we're inserting ourselves
into a business model and themedical model, and we have all
these rules and laws and thingsthat we have to abide by while
we're doing this thing we love.
So, yeah, being proactive andnot reactive and you had a great
(01:20):
example just even starting ingrad school.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, I mean, I think as grad students you get so
overwhelmed and you get thistunnel vision and it's got to
get to graduation, got to get tograduation.
Everything is hyper fixated onthis idea of getting this
diploma, like your beautifulones, behind you on the wall
that we forget.
Oh, what comes next?
And then it's oh God, how do Iget licensed, and where do I get
(01:46):
fingerprints, and what's thejurisprudence exam and how do I
find supervision, and I andeverybody gets very overwhelmed.
But if you're proactive in gradschool, you can set the stage
for success after graduation.
I mean, that's part of thereason why you started doing the
bridge, the gap series, and,you know, making sure grad
students had that opportunityafforded to them.
(02:08):
Oh my gosh, yes.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And shameless plug.
I'm going to talk about whenthose are happening.
I don't know when this episodeis going to go live, but it's
given by Dr Tara Fox and we'redoing one Monday, october the
6th.
We're doing one Tuesday,september 30th, wednesday
September 24th and Thursday,october 16th.
So we wanted to have one everysingle night of the week, except
(02:34):
Friday, because it is soimportant.
Professors, if you're listeningto this, please sign your
students up.
Students, if you're listeningto this, please sign up for
these.
These are free.
These are just webinars so thatyou're not caught off guard, I
mean, especially those of you.
Okay, funny story when my sonmoved to Colorado one of the
(02:57):
things that we just talked aboutthis yesterday he's like you
know when I first moved here, Ithought, okay, I'm in a national
park, surely they'll post whenthings are dangerous or there
will be people patrolling andtell us hey, don't go there.
No, that's not how that works,right?
So just because you're sittingin a classroom, you can't assume
that your professor is givingyou the latest, greatest, up to
(03:20):
date information about currentrules and laws and the licensing
exam.
I mean, hopefully they are, butif you assume that that's
really going to put you at adisadvantage, and it's just like
Jennifer said.
I mean you can't, you can'tassume.
You have to be proactive and notbe taken by surprise.
(03:43):
I mean, how many times have weheard or seen in the social
media threads wait, I have toget a supervisor.
Wait, how much is supervision?
Wait, I got to pay.
You know, in those types ofsurprises that's not good for
the family budget, that's notgood for you know, telling your
(04:05):
significant other, hey, I justfinished three years of school
and oh, by the way, I have tokeep paying someone for the next
18 months to two years, to fiveyears.
Sorry, right, this, this youneed to know, right?
Um, what else?
Legal and ethical stuff.
So paperwork talk a little bitabout paperwork that people need
(04:30):
to update.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
So it and it starts back at that associate level,
right, because associates, likeyou, always say they now can
hang a shingle and there's thisbelief that, oh, I can own a
private practice and that meansthat I can go see clients and I
get to make money and I'll do mynotes and I'll do my treatment
plans and I'll build them, youknow, and they'll pay me cash
(04:53):
and it'll be great and I'll havethis thriving private practice.
And people don't ever take intoaccount having a business
continuity plan and what thatlooks like in the event you
become incapacitated or in theevent something become
incapacitated, or in the eventsomething terrible happens.
I mean, god forbid there's anatural disaster where you live
(05:13):
and you are no longer unable tosee those clients and fulfill
those services that you'veagreed to fulfill through
therapy, because your house justgot blown away in a tornado and
you don't even have internetand you're suffering through,
you know, through the sametrauma that they are what you
can't just say sorry, I don'tknow what to tell you.
I can't be your therapist rightnow.
You've got to have.
(05:34):
So you've got to haveprovisions in place to not just
protect this business, you know,not just your shingle hanging
(05:54):
on the outside of the wall butyour clients and your paperwork
and all of those nuances that gointo being a really great
therapist that you were calledto do, because there's more to
that.
That's why I always laugh whenpeople say my hairdresser is my
therapist.
I'm like maybe I should havedone that.
That's way less paperwork.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I love my hair, my hairstylist.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Mine is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
We need to give them shout outs.
Maybe we can, they can sponsorus or something.
Oh, ideas, business ideas.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I can't be your therapist, but I know a great
one.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
We did an episode on a great ROI, which is you know,
that's part of the paperwork youhave to have, and every year.
Another good habit is to justgo through all of your paperwork
, just make sure it's up to date, and it needs to include, like
Jennifer saying it's not just anice to have, like we're not
just sitting here saying, hey,you really need to have these
(06:50):
things.
You're saying, hey, you reallyneed to have these things.
It's in Texas rules and I'msure it's in other state rules
that you have to have some kindof a plan in the event that
something happens to you.
So creating that continuityplan.
Well then, you know, I want youto listen to the episode about
HIPAA and I want you to listento the episodes about how to get
(07:11):
your paperwork in shape.
Hipaa and I want you to listento the episodes about how to get
your paperwork in shape.
That's a habit you need toimplement every single year and
every time there's a rule change.
This is being recorded in Julyof 2025 in Texas, and I just got
an email last week about newrules.
So I know Jennifer and I aregoing to be sitting down here in
(07:35):
the next week or so going overevery single thing so that we
can do webinars and make surethat the information gets out in
all the social medias.
And, of course, we would love itif you came to one of our free
webinars so that you could get aCE if you need that so that you
can learn what's going on andeven just a habit of listening
(07:56):
and paying attention and gettinga CE in these rule changes.
You have to do that, gosh.
I think I'm over the numberthat ChatGPT gave me.
What else did we say?
We said paperwork.
We said a business continuityplan.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
What else?
Just because you're fullylicensed doesn't mean you don't
need supervision.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Ah, yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Do you want me to?
Okay, I was like, just, youknow we kind of get into this
rat race like, oh, I've been atherapist for 10 years, I've
been a therapist for 15 years or20 years or whatever it is, but
it's never not good to not seekconsultation and supervision
(08:42):
and to go ask your peers and togo talk to them and not get you
know closed in this box of Iknow everything.
You always want to learn andyou always want to.
You know, ask other people andget feedback.
You know that's like yourconsultation group.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, and we did the.
We've got the consultationgroup, we have the episode about
why therapists need their owntherapists and we also had the
episode about, you know,information that we can't share.
So I always like to say this incase we have clients or
potential clients listening, youknow, when Jennifer saying we
need to get our own supervisionand consultation, we're still
(09:23):
not spilling the tea, like we'renot sitting there giving our
supervisor or our our colleaguesidentifiable, pifiable,
protective health information.
I'll just say the whole wordright, we still.
Our job is to guard thatinformation, but it is an
absolutely essential habit tohave to do consultation or
(09:47):
therapy or supervision waybeyond well, forever, while you
are a professional right, notjust when you're in that
associate phase or graduatestudent phase, when you're
trying to or having to getformal supervision.
Yes, keep that habit up.
It's not just done when youupgrade to your full license.
(10:08):
So, yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Well, and it builds a good peer community so that,
let's say, you do run intosomething that is like, oh my
gosh, I need help with this.
You're not scrambling, tryingto ask so-and-so if they know of
anybody.
You already have thoseconnections built.
You can just pick up the phoneand call somebody because you've
done that lead work by being soproactive.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yeah, Right, make it the normal Right.
And we have that specialconsultation group for
supervisors and it's a closedgroup, like we want to know that
you're an actual supervisor.
But it's wonderful because wedo.
We bring in experts to talkabout things that are important
to supervisors.
You know, like the new it'swell, new to me anyway the
(10:53):
ability for an associate to billunder their supervisor with
certain insurances.
We're going to have a session onthat.
We're going to have a or Ishouldn't call it a session a
workshop.
We're going to have workshopson paperwork.
We're going to have workshopson all the things we're talking
about today, but in a lot moredepth.
So, if you aren't in mind, getin one, get in a consultation
(11:14):
group someplace where you canprocess things.
Make that your habit for thisyear.
And the other things we talkedabout.
Make sure you what did we say,jennifer?
All the things going overpaperwork.
We're talking about businesscontinuity.
I mean, be proactive, all of it, and join the bridge, the gap,
(11:35):
because we're going to do it.
As far as I can see, we'regoing to keep doing it every
semester for all of youcounseling and mental health
grad students.
Well, mainly for counselinggrad students, so that you
understand and you can beproactive about what comes next.
Can you think of anything else,jennifer?
All right, see ya.
Of anything else, jennifer?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Nope.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
All right, see ya.
Oh, I don't want to end themeeting, I'm just doing the
recording there.
No-transcript.
All right.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh, I guess I don't have any lipstick.
It's fine, all right.
Am I in focus?
I can't tell.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I can see you.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Okay, okay, okay.
So I asked ChatGPT what is thenumber one habit therapists need
to do?
They need to improve, I guess,and some of them I agree with,
(00:35):
some of them I don't.
So, chatgpt, if you'relistening, I'm just respect, but
you know I've got opinions andJennifer, I know you do too.
You know I've got opinions and,jennifer, I know you do too.
But one of the things that Idid agree with is this idea of
being proactive, proactive,proactive.
I mean this is such a weirdbusiness.
I mean we're getting to do whatwe're good at right, what we're
(00:59):
called to do, and at the sametime, we're inserting ourselves
into a business model and themedical model, and we have all
these rules and laws and thingsthat we have to abide by while
we're doing this thing we love.
So, yeah, being proactive andnot reactive and you had a great
(01:20):
example just even starting ingrad school.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, I mean, I think as grad students you get so
overwhelmed and you get thistunnel vision and it's got to
get to graduation, got to get tograduation.
Everything is hyper fixated onthis idea of getting this
diploma, like your beautifulones, behind you on the wall
that we forget.
Oh, what comes next?
And then it's oh God, how do Iget licensed, and where do I get
(01:46):
fingerprints, and what's thejurisprudence exam and how do I
find supervision, and I andeverybody gets very overwhelmed.
But if you're proactive in gradschool, you can set the stage
for success after graduation.
I mean, that's part of thereason why you started doing the
bridge, the gap series, and,you know, making sure grad
students had that opportunityafforded to them.
(02:08):
Oh my gosh, yes.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And shameless plug.
I'm going to talk about whenthose are happening.
I don't know when this episodeis going to go live, but it's
given by Dr Tara Fox and we'redoing one Monday, october the
6th.
We're doing one Tuesday,september 30th, wednesday
September 24th and Thursday,october 16th.
So we wanted to have one everysingle night of the week, except
(02:34):
Friday, because it is soimportant.
Professors, if you're listeningto this, please sign your
students up.
Students, if you're listeningto this, please sign up for
these.
These are free.
These are just webinars so thatyou're not caught off guard, I
mean, especially those of you.
Okay, funny story when my sonmoved to Colorado one of the
(02:57):
things that we just talked aboutthis yesterday he's like you
know when I first moved here, Ithought, okay, I'm in a national
park, surely they'll post whenthings are dangerous or there
will be people patrolling andtell us hey, don't go there.
No, that's not how that works,right?
So just because you're sittingin a classroom, you can't assume
that your professor is givingyou the latest, greatest, up to
(03:20):
date information about currentrules and laws and the licensing
exam.
I mean, hopefully they are, butif you assume that that's
really going to put you at adisadvantage, and it's just like
Jennifer said.
I mean you can't, you can'tassume.
You have to be proactive and notbe taken by surprise.
(03:43):
I mean, how many times have weheard or seen in the social
media threads wait, I have toget a supervisor.
Wait, how much is supervision?
Wait, I got to pay.
You know, in those types ofsurprises that's not good for
the family budget, that's notgood for you know, telling your
(04:05):
significant other, hey, I justfinished three years of school
and oh, by the way, I have tokeep paying someone for the next
18 months to two years, to fiveyears.
Sorry, right, this, this youneed to know, right?
Um, what else?
Legal and ethical stuff.
So paperwork talk a little bitabout paperwork that people need
(04:30):
to update.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
So it and it starts back at that associate level,
right, because associates, likeyou, always say they now can
hang a shingle and there's thisbelief that, oh, I can own a
private practice and that meansthat I can go see clients and I
get to make money and I'll do mynotes and I'll do my treatment
plans and I'll build them, youknow, and they'll pay me cash
(04:53):
and it'll be great and I'll havethis thriving private practice.
And people don't ever take intoaccount having a business
continuity plan and what thatlooks like in the event you
become incapacitated or in theevent something become
incapacitated, or in the eventsomething terrible happens.
I mean, god forbid there's anatural disaster where you live
(05:13):
and you are no longer unable tosee those clients and fulfill
those services that you'veagreed to fulfill through
therapy, because your house justgot blown away in a tornado and
you don't even have internetand you're suffering through,
you know, through the sametrauma that they are what you
can't just say sorry, I don'tknow what to tell you.
I can't be your therapist rightnow.
You've got to have.
(05:34):
So you've got to haveprovisions in place to not just
protect this business, you know,not just your shingle hanging
(05:54):
on the outside of the wall butyour clients and your paperwork
and all of those nuances that gointo being a really great
therapist that you were calledto do, because there's more to
that.
That's why I always laugh whenpeople say my hairdresser is my
therapist.
I'm like maybe I should havedone that.
That's way less paperwork.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
I love my hair, my hairstylist.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Mine is wonderful.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
We need to give them shout outs.
Maybe we can, they can sponsorus or something.
Oh, ideas, business ideas.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
I can't be your therapist, but I know a great
one.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
We did an episode on a great ROI, which is you know,
that's part of the paperwork youhave to have, and every year.
Another good habit is to justgo through all of your paperwork
, just make sure it's up to date, and it needs to include, like
Jennifer saying it's not just anice to have, like we're not
just sitting here saying, hey,you really need to have these
(06:50):
things.
You're saying, hey, you reallyneed to have these things.
It's in Texas rules and I'msure it's in other state rules
that you have to have some kindof a plan in the event that
something happens to you.
So creating that continuityplan.
Well then, you know, I want youto listen to the episode about
HIPAA and I want you to listento the episodes about how to get
(07:11):
your paperwork in shape.
Hipaa and I want you to listento the episodes about how to get
your paperwork in shape.
That's a habit you need toimplement every single year and
every time there's a rule change.
This is being recorded in Julyof 2025 in Texas, and I just got
an email last week about newrules.
So I know Jennifer and I aregoing to be sitting down here in
(07:35):
the next week or so going overevery single thing so that we
can do webinars and make surethat the information gets out in
all the social medias.
And, of course, we would love itif you came to one of our free
webinars so that you could get aCE if you need that so that you
can learn what's going on andeven just a habit of listening
(07:56):
and paying attention and gettinga CE in these rule changes.
You have to do that, gosh.
I think I'm over the numberthat ChatGPT gave me.
What else did we say?
We said paperwork.
We said a business continuityplan.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
What else?
Just because you're fullylicensed doesn't mean you don't
need supervision.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Ah, yes, yes.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Do you want me to?
Okay, I was like, just, youknow we kind of get into this
rat race like, oh, I've been atherapist for 10 years, I've
been a therapist for 15 years or20 years or whatever it is, but
it's never not good to not seekconsultation and supervision
(08:42):
and to go ask your peers and togo talk to them and not get you
know closed in this box of Iknow everything.
You always want to learn andyou always want to.
You know, ask other people andget feedback.
You know that's like yourconsultation group.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Yeah, and we did the.
We've got the consultationgroup, we have the episode about
why therapists need their owntherapists and we also had the
episode about, you know,information that we can't share.
So I always like to say this incase we have clients or
potential clients listening, youknow, when Jennifer saying we
need to get our own supervisionand consultation, we're still
(09:23):
not spilling the tea, like we'renot sitting there giving our
supervisor or our our colleaguesidentifiable, pifiable,
protective health information.
I'll just say the whole wordright, we still.
Our job is to guard thatinformation, but it is an
absolutely essential habit tohave to do consultation or
(09:47):
therapy or supervision waybeyond well, forever, while you
are a professional right, notjust when you're in that
associate phase or graduatestudent phase, when you're
trying to or having to getformal supervision.
Yes, keep that habit up.
It's not just done when youupgrade to your full license.
(10:08):
So, yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Well, and it builds a good peer community so that,
let's say, you do run intosomething that is like, oh my
gosh, I need help with this.
You're not scrambling, tryingto ask so-and-so if they know of
anybody.
You already have thoseconnections built.
You can just pick up the phoneand call somebody because you've
done that lead work by being soproactive.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Yeah, Right, make it the normal Right.
And we have that specialconsultation group for
supervisors and it's a closedgroup, like we want to know that
you're an actual supervisor.
But it's wonderful because wedo.
We bring in experts to talkabout things that are important
to supervisors.
You know, like the new it'swell, new to me anyway the
(10:53):
ability for an associate to billunder their supervisor with
certain insurances.
We're going to have a session onthat.
We're going to have a or Ishouldn't call it a session a
workshop.
We're going to have workshopson paperwork.
We're going to have workshopson all the things we're talking
about today, but in a lot moredepth.
So, if you aren't in mind, getin one, get in a consultation
(11:14):
group someplace where you canprocess things.
Make that your habit for thisyear.
And the other things we talkedabout.
Make sure you what did we say,jennifer?
All the things going overpaperwork.
We're talking about businesscontinuity.
I mean, be proactive, all of it, and join the bridge, the gap,
(11:35):
because we're going to do it.
As far as I can see, we'regoing to keep doing it every
semester for all of youcounseling and mental health
grad students.
Well, mainly for counselinggrad students, so that you
understand and you can beproactive about what comes next.
Can you think of anything else,jennifer?
All right, see ya.
Of anything else, jennifer?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Nope.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
All right, see ya.
Oh, I don't want to end themeeting, I'm just doing the
recording there.
No-transcript.
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