Are you trapped in a number-crunching nightmare? Then listen up as I pick the brain of accountant Amanda Hines from Axe Valley Accountancy. She demystifies record-keeping and explains about simplifying your private practice accounts.

If your business finances are in a bit of a pickle, you're worried about taxes implications or you have a box of receipts that you don't know what to do with, this episode will help you find clarity so you can take action, take control and reduce that stress. 

We look at:

• The importance of having a business mindset
• How to keep simple accounts
• Common misconceptions around expenses
• The difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant
• When to consider investing in help 

Mandy is so generous in her advice, so I think you’ll get a lot out of this episode.

Links to follow:

https://www.axevalleyaccountancy.co.uk/

Connect with Mandy on LinkedIn

In this podcast, The Binge Eating Therapist Sarah Dosanjh talks about how her niche has informed her business growth, enabled her to diversify and now, she’s never been busier.

In this podcast we discuss:

• The journey to her binge eating niche (and how she’s never been busier)
• How having a niche has helped
• The importance of knowing what clients want
• How social media can effectively screen clients
• The benefits of therapy groups
• Helping therapists work with relationships with food

About Sarah

Sarah Dosanjh is a TA psychotherapist and author of the book I Can't Stop Eating. She is passionate about helping those struggling with binge eating/body image to find peace and freedom around food.

She runs CPD events for therapists who want to learn about working with binge eating as well as offering training and a free support community for therapists who want to set up groups in private practice.

Connect with her on Instagram

And find all her other details HERE

Links to follow:

Episode 6: Do you need to be an expert to attract counselling clients?

Episode 28: How to get and stay motivated

Episode 35: Can you help your clients - and do they know it?

To take Sarah's workshop in the GYPP Club, join here Grow Your Private Practice

How often have I heard counsellors say that they don’t know enough to write blogs, hold workshops, be on social media. They worry about not having enough expertise. 

But how much expertise do you need, and do you need to be an expert to actually attract more counselling clients? Let’s take a look.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why it feels so conflicting to call yourself an expert
• Should you call yourself an expert?
• The downside of being an expert
• The super simple mindset shift that will change everything
• Why it’s important to be seen as an expert

Highlights you can’t miss

4.00 The quote that changed everything for me

6.50 How this can impact your Imposter Syndrome

8.44 Why this is so important

9.43 What should you actually do?

And Finally…

How to find more confidence about your knowledge, skills and experience

I love when people ask me questions, and today I’m going to answer a question Jo from www.joannalouisetherapy.com asked me.

Jo actually asked a couple of really great questions and I’ll answer the next one in the coming weeks.

Jo asked for some advice about how to cope with feeling isolated and a bit lonely when in private practice.

And it’s a great question because with confidentiality issues, the 1:1 work we do and often working from home, it can feel pretty isolated.

So if you are feeling a bit lonesome, today I’m going to share 6 Ways to feel less alone as a therapist, so you can connect with others.

So thank you Jo, and I hope this helps.

Episode 24: Managing your diary with time blocking

In this episode, I’m sharing five simple, actionable marketing tips you can use today to give your private practice a boost—without taking up too much of your time. As much as marketing is a long-term commitment, who doesn’t love a quick win now and again?

If you’re feeling stuck or just need a little marketing push, these ideas will help you get noticed by more clients.

I also offer a service called The Directory Revival, where I review your profile and provide actionable feedback to help you attract more clients. CLICK HERE to find out more and book.

Links to follow

Related Episodes:

Ep 154: Counsellor or Clone? Breaking Through the Monotony of Online Directories

Ep 68: Therapist Directories: The good, the bad and the ugly

Ep 13: A deep dive into online directories for therapists

Ep 83: 10 tips to make your profile pic stand out

For more of my free and paid resources janetravis.co.uk/starthere

Want to dive deeper into marketing strategies that work? Join the Grow Your Private Practice membership today!

Don’t forget to subscribe for more practical marketing tips to help grow your practice!

Do you find yourself cringing at the thought of calling yourself an expert?

You're not alone.

Many therapists struggle with this, often brushing off compliments from clients with, "Oh, but you did all the work!"

But avoiding the 'E' word could be holding you back.

It impacts your confidence, makes it harder to attract clients, and ultimately affects your income.

So if you’ve been holding back from stepping into your expertise, this episode is for YOU.

Let's get you seen, valued, and fully booked.

Links to follow

Join the Grow Your Private Practice membership

Explore 1:1 Services:

Directory Revival: I’ll help you tweak your directory profile to attract more clients.

Get Focused, Take Action: Dive deep into your niche, website copy, or anything else holding you back. These services light me up, and I love seeing the transformation in my clients.

And for all my free and paid resources START HERE

Having a niche is important when you are a counsellor or therapist because it has a positive impact on you, your income and your clients outcomes - including whether they even contact a counsellor in the first place.  

It’s a topic I have a lot of experience in and I’ve seen just how beneficial it can be.  and something that affects not just us as business owners, but also our clients.

But I know and understand the reasons why we might be fearful of niching down, namely:

• You worry you will push potential clients away, or 
• End up doing the same type of work over and over again

If you feel like that, well you certainly aren’t alone. 

But those fears are unfounded and in this episode, I explain why the absolute opposite is true.

Come and join me in this podcast episode as we explore:

• Why in the modern age, niching is essential to get noticed
• How to stop the scattergun effect of trying to attract everyone
• Why a targeted approach will attract more potential clients
• How having a niche won’t limit the issues that you work with
• How niching helps potential clients take that step into getting the help they need

Links to follow

Refresh Challenge

NEWS: I'm restarting the podcast on 5th Septrember 2024, so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

I’ve talked a lot about the importance of consistency AND the power of taking breaks when you run a private practice

And  I’ve also talked about the importance of self care and the need to change, grow and develop. 

So today I’m sharing why, after 168 consistent weekly episodes, I’ve decided to hit pause on the podcast.

Links

FREE and paid resources

First impressions matter, so in this episode I have guest Kim Simmons, a VA that works exclusively with therapists, here to share her knowledge about why a smooth onboarding process helps the counselling process. 

We look at:

• Why a smooth welcoming process helps the therapeutic relationship 
• How it can help a client continue the counselling process
• How it demonstrates that you run a professional service

And Kim shares lots of tips and ideas you can try right now. 

About Kim Simmons

Kim started her business Virtually Irreplaceable in late 2020 after working with therapists in Private Practice as a Virtual Assistant for several years. 

She has since pivoted the business to helping therapists get online, get their processes in place and their systems set up.

And because she has such a lot of experience of working specifically with counsellors she has a great knowledge around therapy specific business, like confidentiality, paperwork etc - basically, she takes away the headaches for you. 

Links to follow:

Connect with Kim on Linkedin HERE

And see how she can help you at Virtually Irreplaceable

Signable.app

Workflow Freebie

Online Course (Virtually Done)

Facebook - facebook.com/VirtuallyIrreplaceable

Instagram - instagram.com/virtuallyirreplaceable

Grow Your Private Practice Membership

What do clients need when they land on a counsellors website? 

Well in this episode I have the fabulous Sarah Gershone from Strong Roots Web Design with me talking all about this.

Sarah Gershone works specifically with counsellors to make beautiful, functional websites. 

She is also a friend of the Grow Your Private Practice Club and has delivered a highly popular workshop on pimping up your homepage - the replay is available now so if you fancy seeing that, come and join. 

In this episode, we’ll be busting 5 website myths about that could be holding you back. 

> People will read my site

People access information on a website differently than, say, a book, so if you want people to read it you need to make it super easy for them. 

> If you build it they will come

You might have a beautiful site, but are people seeing it?

> A free site will be just fine

One of the functions of a therapists website making the client feel safe. So what is the deeper message we are giving out with a free site which might impact the client?

> The most important thing is to look good

A website is not just a brochure, it has a purpose. So although looking good is important, what do you ultimately want the client to do?

> My website is finished

A website is like a plant: to continue to thrive it needs tending.

Highlights you can’t miss

13.06 Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself on your website

26.00 How an unpolished site can ring warning bells for clients

35.31 Why counsellors are at an advantage when it comes to knowing clients

40.02 The benefits of a resources section

And finally….

Did you know that 60% of your website visitors use a mobile device to access the internet? So be sure you check this. 

Links

Strong Roots Design

Discover the secrets to a successful website, free video mini course

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

And if you need more help, here’s some of the training to do with Websites available in the Grow Your Private Practice Club:

Focus On Branding

Pimp up your homepage, with Sarah Gershone

Your Website Blueprint

Make your own Wix website

What to do next

If you enjoyed this show, please share it with your counselling peers. 

And I’d be really grateful if you would take a few minutes to leave a rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts, it makes such a difference. 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on your favourite app of choice to get automatic updates as soon as a show goes live. 

I’ve been known to play the comparison game in my life before, but it’s never actually helped me because comparisons just leave us feeling either superior or inferior and there’s no benefit to either of those. 

So in this episode, I explore the impact of making comparisons, and how destructive it can be to your confidence, self-esteem and self-belief. 

In this episode we explore:

• Why comparisons aren’t good for you
• Why comparisons aren’t based on facts
• Ways you can step away from it
• The power of staying in your own lane. 

So if you’ve ever been caught up by comparisonitis - and I bet you have at some point! - consider the impact and do something more positive instead.

Links:

Episode 7: Using introvert superpowers to attract more clients, with Fifi Mason

Episode 12: Your business, your rules

Episode 13: A deep dive into online directories

Episode 16: How to silence your inner critic

The Grow Your Private Practice Club

The Grow Your Private Practice Book

As you’re starting to grow your therapy practice, have you thought about whether you should have a client waitlist? 

Well in this first ‘Jane Explains’ episode, where I answer questions from listeners, I respond to Jo from Joanna Louise Therapy who asked about having a waiting list. 

There are certainly pros and cons for considering setting up a waiting list and how it will affect your practice.

But having a waiting list isn't quite as straightforward as it could first appear. So take a listen to this episode to talk you through if a client waitlist is the right thing for your practice. 

In this episode we explore:

• The Pros of a waitlist and why this means your marketing is working  
• And the Cons of a waitlist that will directly affect your potential clients   
• How to set your boundaries to determine how many clients you actually want 
• Actions you can take to keep a steady flow of clients 
• 10 practical steps to take to manage a waiting list that focus on the needs of the client

Links to follow:

Grow Your Private Practice Membership

Episode 86 6 Ways to feel less alone as a therapist

Episode 87 How to turn inspiration into action

What happens when you hit a crisis in your business?

Well, I've just experienced this personally and today I want to share what I've learned.

We are going to look at this from the perspective of both having a client in crisis and you having a personal situation. 

And there's a trigger warning as I’ll talk briefly about bereavement today. 

Before I start, I want to let you know I’m not coming at this subject from the point of view of a supervisor offering advice, more from the human perspective.

______________

If you’ve been thinking about joining the membership but didn't know about the price increase so missed out, I have some good news for you…

I'm delaying the price increase for the membership.

Join before 8pm UK time on 31st January 2023, you can join at the previous low monthly fee of £35. 

The price will increase again on 1st February to £45 a month - which still represents great value, but if you want to grow your practice this year, it makes sense to join now. 

And you can save even more by taking an annual membership as you will get 2 months free. 

So why join the membership? 

Because you will get focus, direction and support. I will help you cut through the noise so you can focus on the things that will really make a difference so you attract more clients more easily.

The membership will reduce the confusion and overwhelm so you can take the steps needed to move your practice forward.

So if you want to grow your practice but are unsure what exactly to do, come and join us. 

And remember, if you join and realise it’s not right for you within 14 days, just let me know and I will refund you, no problem. So theres no risk. 

Check it out and join at Grow Your Private Practice

If you’re a counsellor or psychotherapist, CPD is something you’ll be doing throughout your professional life. So today we have special guest John Wilson from Onlinevents who knows a thing or two about training and CPD. 

A psychotherapist since 2005, he’s also a trainer at Temenos and has run Onlinevents with his sister for 10 years.

Onlinevents provides a vast range of varied CPD activities for counsellors and psychotherapists, from interviews with specialists, trainers and authors to interactive workshops. 

Today he shares some of his vast experience to help us get the most out of the CPD we consume.

In this episode we look at:

• Where would you recommend a newly qualified counsellor start with CPD?
• The benefits of ‘dipping your toe in’ with different training and trainers before you commit to a larger piece of training
• How there’s more to training than just learning
• The importance of personal development for both you and your client work.

I do hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. If you did, please be sure to hit subscribe so you get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. 

Have a fabulous day and hope to see you next week.

About John

John has been facilitating Counselling & Psychotherapy programmes in the UK for more than 10 years.

Currently the director at Temenos Education he also has a private practice where he offers online Psychotherapy and Supervision using video and chat communication platforms along with virtual environments.

He is also the co-founder of Onlinevents which has grown to be the world’s largest library of online video and audio content with instant certification and a learning log.

As well as this, he is also a past chair of the Association for Counselling & Therapy Online (ACTO) and has served for 6 years on the board of the World Association for Person Centered & Experiential Psychotherapy & Counselling.

His passion to bring online learning into the field of Counselling & Psychotherapy has also led to the development of online experiential learning within the Temenos programme, facilitating the exposure of Temenos students to external tutors who are located in different parts of the world. 

Links to follow:

You can read an article John co-authored about online group facilitation here

Temenos 

Onlinevents CPD Library

Find Onlinevents on all the social media platforms - NOTE there is only one E in the middle! 

Onlinevents' Twitter

It doesn’t matter what business you’re in - accountant, web designer, window cleaner - there will always be clients that let us down, or despite doing all you could, things don't happen the way you thought.

And what makes it worse is the crappy stuff tends to come in clusters. 

Navigating slow periods in your private practice?

In this episode, I share 7 things to do in a quiet spell

Links

How to Avoid the Feast and Famine in Your Private Practice

The Grow Your Private Practice Membership

The Grow Your Private Practice Book

If your social media marketing takes too much time isn’t delivering the results you want then it’s time to have a re-think. In this episode I talk about how sometimes, doing less is more. 

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode

• What the platforms want 
• Why scheduling out posts is no longer enough
• How to get more people to see your posts
• How to reduce time and energy yet get better results

And finally…

How to manage social media FOMO

How to use comparisons to your advantage

Links to follow

Using introvert superpowers to attract more clients

What is social media engagement and why you need to know

Check out the Grow Your Private Practice Club HERE

You're a therapist, so you know how prevalent mental health issues are.

But on top of existing issues has been the pandemic, war, climate chaos, financial insecurity... and a whole lot of unpredictability and fear.

That's a lot to cope with.

So how can you cope as a therapist running a private practice when struggling with your own mental health issues? 

If you are struggling, you are most definitely not alone.

Here is an open letter to therapists with mental health issues.

If you think LinkedIn is a bit of a starchy, corporate place or not much more than an online CV then you could be missing out on a fabulous opportunity. 

Because LinkedIn is an amazing social media platform to focus on, especially if you are new to private practice and don’t have a website yet. 

In this episode, I share with you 6 compelling reasons why LinkedIn is great for therapists

In this episode we explore:

• Why it’s a brilliant choice for counsellors new to private practice
• How it’s more simple to grow a following
• You don’t have to post every day
• You can share Articles to demonstrate your authority (Articles are basically blogs)
• You don’t always need images

Links to follow:

Episode 8: What is social media engagement, and why you need to know

Episode 4: 7 Steps to sharing great quotes on social media

Episode 9: How to save time and improve results on social media

Episode 17: 10 Reasons why blogging will attract more counselling clients

Is it time to stop holding yourself back?

Unlike the fear of failure, which is clear and obvious, the fear of success is confusing. I mean, you WANT to be successful, right?

But the fear of success is sneaky, and without you even being aware it's there, it causes you to self-sabotage and put a spoke in the wheel of your success and hold you back. 

How frustrating is that?

So today I'll be demystifying the fear of success, and sharing 7 ways to stop getting in your own way.

Links To Follow

The Grow Your Private Practice membership

FREE guide: Your Clients Journey Into Therapy

Episode 112 Why Your Mindset is Vital if you Want a Successful Practice

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. 

About Caz Binstead 

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. 

Connect with Caz

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/ 

Quick question for you:  

Are you the sort of person that springs out of bed, enthusiastic and ready to take on the day?

No, me neither. 

So if you’re feeling lethargic and need a helping hand, here are 10 super simple ways to get motivated to work on your private practice - because let's face it, we all need a little help sometimes.

Links to follow:

For info about the Grow Your Private Practice Membership and to join, click here

Try Brain.fm for ambient music

Grab The Grow Your Private Practice book

Welcome to this, the first of my 4 part mini-series, Neurodivergent Voices in Therapy

In this mini-series, I had the pleasure of speaking with 4 amazing therapists about how their neurodivergence impacts them as private practitioners. 

We explore what it’s like to run a practice when you are affected by autism, ADHD, dyslexia or a combination of those things. 

In the first of this mini-series, I’m delighted to have Chris Oxborrow with me, and we talk about some of her experiences of running a practice with ADHD.

We look at how to manage some challenges being neurodivergent may bring, and also what positive aspects they have.

We explore:

• What even IS neurodivergence
• Getting a diagnosis
• What is ADHD Tax?
• Fault Vs repair
• Masking: internally and externally
• The need to practice self-compassion

About Chris Oxborrow

Chris describes herself as a neurodivergent Psychotherapist who specialises in working predominantly with high-achieving personalities, but also with neurodivergent clients and those navigating menopause (sometimes all 3!). 

She supports clients to discover their authentic sense of themselves and how their needs can be met with more compassion and self-acceptance. 

From Jan 2024 she will also be working as a Menopause and HRT Educator, supporting clients to discover how they want to manage their menopausal experience and how to access appropriate HRT-related health care.

Check out Chris's website Beyond Counselling and you can contact her at 

chrisoxborrow@beyondcounselling.org

If you're a therapist, does social media ever seem a bit complicated to you? Maybe you just don't know what to say, or it takes ages to write a post? 

If that sounds like you, then you're going to LOVE this!

Because I'm going to share a quick social media post that will help you to connect with followers. 

So take a look at this simple to produce and effective introduction post that you can use today.

Links to follow

FREE download: 37 social media 'hooks' to stop the scroll

The Grow Your Private Practice membership

You’re about to write a blog and an annoying little voice in your head laughs and says ‘You don’t know enough to write a blog, who do you think you are?’. Ouch!

Or you’re about to post on social media and that voice shows up again and says ‘why on earth would people take any notice of you, you’ve got nothing interesting to say’

Yup, that's your imposter syndrome lying to you again

Boy it hurts and yes, it can hold you back. But here’s the thing - it doesn't have to. Stick around as we explore managing imposter syndrome as a therapist, and I share 8 Ways to Silence the Inner Critic

Links to Follow:

____________________

Join the 'Attract Therapy Clients by Blogging (Even if Writing Isn’t Your Thing)' event with Onlinevents

Grab this episodes free resource: 20 Affirmations to silence imposter syndrome

For all my free and paid resources go to janetravis.co.uk/starthere

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.

In this episode we talk about:

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

Think you’ll enjoy this one!

About Lindsay Bryan-Podvin

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

Connect with Lindsay

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

How are you? I hope you are doing well and looking after yourself, because looking after yourself is often something that we talk about and encourage clients to do - but we’re not so good at doing it ourselves. 

If that sounds familiar, then you’re going to love this episode as I have a very special guest with me.  

Howard Baumgarten is a Counselor with his own practice in Lakewood, Colorado who has vast experience of helping counsellors both grow their practice and take better care of themselves. 

He’s an author - he wrote Private Practice Essentials 

A podcaster - check out Psych Biz where he produces shows with friend of the show Sarah Gershone who makes websites for therapists. 

And he’s a public speaker and wellness trainer too, Covering topics such as Compassion Fatigue, Burnout Prevention, Resilience, Stress Management, and Conflict Resolution.

So he wears a lot of different hats. 

And today we look at stress, compassion fatigue and burnout - what they are, what’s the difference, how to tell if you’re suffering and what you can do to help yourself. 

And this is such an important topic for everyone, but especially those in the helping professions. 

I think you’re going to like this

In this episode we explore:

• What is the difference between compassion fatigue and burnout
• Your relationship with stress
• What are the signs to watch out for
• What you can do to protect yourself

Links to follow

Episode 36: How being a people pleaser can affect your private practice - and what to do about it

Episode 32: 5 Easy ways to give back to charity (without reducing your fees or working for free) with Sophia Giblin

Episode 22: It's time to take your own advice

Episode 10: 5 commonly held website myths that could be holding you back with Sarah Gershone

About Howard Baumgarten 

Howard Baumgarten is a Licensed Professional Counsellor, author, consultant, speaker, wellness and small business-training expert, and owner of a mental health private practice in Lakewood, Colorado.

He is the founder of Smart Practice Central, a healthcare business-building platform that values intelligent, ethical, and clinically minded practice development, and provides clinical practice business consultation and training to private practices and healthcare agencies. 

Howard has lectured throughout the US on the integration of mental health, wellness and business, focusing on practice development, working within managed care systems, the impacts of the Affordable Care Act on mental health care, and work/life balance. 

He is the author of Private Practice Essentials published in 2017. 

In 2003, he developed and implemented the first practice building business curriculum in a graduate level-counseling program in the country at the University of Colorado, where he...

Constantly coming up with ideas for your content can feel impossible, but in this episode, I share my way to brainstorm ideas for blogs and social media and come up with a never-ending supply of ideas.

But not just that, how to make the whole thing a pleasurable experience.

Because the more you enjoy marketing, the more you’ll do it, and that consistency is what really makes a difference to your practice.

Links:

Attract more clients by Helping not Selling

Episode 53: Why having a niche is essential in 2021

Episode 18: 7 Ways for therapists to find blog post ideas

When you’re just starting out in private practice or struggling with fears around being visible, it can feel like a lonely place. And sometimes it looks like everyone else has it all figured out.

I remember seeing people that were just so natural on social media or in front of the camera, and thinking they had some sort of secret that I didn’t, and it would be impossible for me to do. 

Ever felt that?  

Well, today Fifi Mason and I are having a conversation about our own journey into visibility. 

We share our personal stories about getting comfortable with visibility but in a way that suited us personally.

We also share some tips with you - including Fifi’s brilliant ‘What if?’ game.

So take a listen - I think you’ll enjoy this one!

About Fifi Mason

Fifi works with introverts to inspire them to get visible on their own terms. 

She says:

‘As an introvert putting yourself out there can feel awkward, icky and most of all exhausting.

But if you’re a solo business owner who provides a service based on your knowledge and expertise, then YOU are your business.

So as much as you might want to hide, you can’t.

Because by avoiding the spotlight you’re limiting the growth and potential of your business.

But that doesn’t mean you have to fake being an outgoing extrovert to be successful.

You can build a personal brand business by being true to your personality.’

So if you identify as being an introvert, be sure to check Fifi out at fifimason.com

And grab the free resource she mentioned to explore your comfort level about things to share - basically, to work out your personal disclosure boundaries at https://fifimason.com/comfort-level/

Connect with her on Linkedin

Or Instagram

Links to follow

The Grow Your Private Practice membership

Episode 7 Using introvert superpowers to attract more clients

I can't lie - I really HATE most New Year resolutions. I think they are too punishing! So often they talk about ‘New Year, New You’, which I fundamentally disagree with I don't believe anyone needs to become a whole new you, as you are already pretty cool as you are. 

However, I like the SPIRIT of New Year's resolutions.

I’m a big fan of personal development. There are always things in our lives that we can learn or improve to enrich ourselves or your therapy practice. Ways to make it work better for both you and for your clients.

So with this in mind, here are 5 empowering new year resolutions for therapists that are both realistic and will help you (and your practice) grow. 

Links:

The Grow Your Private Practice Membership

Episode 95, The simple trick to overcome imposter syndrome

Episode 24, Managing your diary with time blocking https://www.janetravis.co.uk/managing-your-diary-with-time-blocking/

In this episode, I’m exploring whether it’s possible to make a good living as a therapist (spoiler: YES, it is!) and sharing 8 actionable steps to help you thrive in private practice. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow, these tips will give you clarity, focus, and confidence to take your business to the next level.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by marketing, struggled with mindset issues, or wondered if private practice is really sustainable, this episode is for you.

Links to follow

Blog: Why There’s No Better Time to Be a Therapist

Episode 114: 8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time

For more of my free and paid resources: janetravis.co.uk/starthere

Don’t forget to subscribe for more practical marketing tips and strategies to grow your private practice!

You’ve put in the hard work to become a therapist, and it’s only natural that you want to attract lots the right clients so you can help more people and earn more money.

But sometimes, without even realising it, we can unwittingly send the wrong message or make it more difficult for clients to connect with us, which results in us effectively pushing clients away.

Not good, right?

So, let's take a look at how therapists accidentally push clients away—and, of course, what to do instead.

____________________

If you’re not sure how to get into the heads of your ideal clients, I have some good news for you…

This October, the Grow Your Private Practice membership reopens, and I’m so excited to welcome new members! Whether you’re just starting out with marketing or feeling stuck and overwhelmed, Grow Your Private Practice can help you take the next step with confidence.

How Will Grow Your Private Practice Help You?

- The Quarterly Action Plan: Get a clear, step-by-step plan for what to do next—no more feeling lost or overwhelmed. October’s QAP is on 8th October, ready to get you off to the best start.

- The Content Creation Cafe: monthly workshop to take action to get your blogs and social media written and out there, working hard for you.

- Pick My Brain: Monthly Q&A, and your chance to speak directly with me to get questions answered and remove those blocks that are holding you back.

- The Course Library: a comprehensive library with courses, workshops, challenges, etc to boost your skills

Why Take Action Now?

If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll do it later, consider this your friendly nudge, because October is the perfect time to take action and start building the practice you’ve always dreamed of. End the year on a high note, and make October the month you move from planning to doing.

For more details and to join CLICK HERE

Links to follow

Get Rich Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield Thomas

Ep 25: Top 4 Mistakes That Make Your Therapist Website Copy Ineffective

Ep 3: Drop the Psychobabble, Get More Clients

Ep 34: Can You Help Your Clients – and Do They Know It?

Blog: Can You Help Your Therapy Clients?

For all my free and paid resources CLICK HERE

This is the third of a 4-part mini-series where we explore running a private practice when affected by autism, ADHD, dyslexia or a combination of those things. 

This week I am talking with Tracy Clark about running a practice with dyslexia.

I’ve known Tracy for some time: she used to be a member of the Grow Your Private Practice membership, and I couldn't be happier to have her as a guest in the Neurodivergent Voices in Therapy series.

Tracy is a neurodivergent therapist who supports and works alongside neurodiverse young people, adults and couples. 

Today we talk about:

• The impact of a dyslexia diagnosis
• The benefits of self-disclosure
• Dyslexia and running a business
• The importance of trusting your intuition and trusting the process
• The need for robust self-care
• Positives of dyslexia in the therapy room

About Tracy Clark

Tracy says:

"I am a neurodivergent therapist who supports and works alongside neurodiverse young people, adults and couples. 

Within my working week I can be found working 2 days a week in a charity in the central belt of Scotland and the rest of the week in my private practice. I am also a supervisor of trainee therapists as well as qualified therapists. 

My interest in working alongside neurodivergent individuals comes from both a personal perspective as well as a professional capacity, also as a supervisor being able to support other therapists.

I have also delivered workshops in this area, as well as being invited to chat with the lovely Jane Travis now twice on this topic, which is very close to my heart. 

More awareness, more conversations means embracing the amazing uniqueness of human beings. 

For some downtime and self-care I also offer doodle workshops check out the links for more information, as well as workshops with CTUK (Counsellors Together UK) or Onlinevents."

Links

Connect with Tracy on LinkedIn

Website

How making a typo changed Tracys business

How can I help you? Here are my free and paid resources

Welcome to this, the last of this series of 'Highlight Reels', where I shared 4 of the most popular podcasts of the last 12 months.

And today, we look at mindset, because if you're a therapist and you want a successful private practice, then your mindset is vital.

But what do I even mean by mindset?

Why is it so important?

And how can you go about improving yours?

In this episode, I explore why your mindset is vital if you want a successful practice.

I also share some questions for reflection and tips for improving yours.

And check out some of my other podcasts about mindset below.

Links to follow

NOTE I said in the podcast I'd share links to my podcasts on mindset, but I hadn't realised there were so many! I've recorded 112 episodes and probably 30% are to do with mindset in some way because it's so important.

So I recommend browsing through my previous podcasts to see the mindset episodes.

And for more resources, both free and paid, click here -> janetravis.co.uk/starthere

In this episode, we’re diving into the hidden costs of working with wrong-fit clients and how it impacts your energy, confidence, and practice growth.

I’ll share my personal experiences, the red flags to watch for, and actionable tips to attract your ideal clients instead.

If you’ve ever felt drained or doubted your skills after a session, this episode will help you identify why and show you how to create a thriving practice filled with clients you love working with.

Links to follow

Episode 177: How You Can MASSIVELY Increase Your Confidence as a Therapist

Episode 181: From Blank Slate to Authentic Voice: Why Your Marketing Needs to Show Who You Are, with Caz Binstead

For more of my free and paid resources: janetravis.co.uk/starthere

Don’t forget to subscribe for more tips to grow your private practice with ease!

Question - do you follow a system when you receive an email enquiry from someone that you can't work with for some reason?

Maybe you're at capacity, or their issue is outside your competence, or something else.

To be honest, I think probably most people don't, but you could be missing a trick. By having a system, it reduces stress, saves time and serves that client better.

So today, I explore what to do when you can't say yes to enquiries so you can make the process easier for you, and more professional and helpful for the client.

Links

To access my free and paid resources, CLICK HERE

It's human nature to compare ourselves with others. But this can have a detrimental effect on you, your confidence and your self-esteem.

And as a practice owner, this can also impact the success of your business. 

So what can you do if comparisons are knocking your confidence? How can you stop comparing yourself to other therapists?

In this podcast I share:

• Why most comparisons aren't helpful
• A situation when they are
• And a practical exercise for you to boost your self-esteem

So take a look at why it's not usually helpful, and how to stop comparing yourself to other therapists 

Links:

Check out my free and paid resources here janetravis.co.uk/starthere

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

Time - or the lack of it - is something that will hamper your private practice success, so take control now and prioritise your practice. 

In this episode, I share a highly effective yet extremely simple way to take manage your diary with time blocking. 

This follows on from last weeks episode about how to avoid feast and famine in your private practice, so if you haven’t already check out episode 23.

Yes, time blocking will help you prioritise your time to ensure your business works in the way YOU want it to But it’s not just about work, you also prioritise family, social and leisure time as well as self-care.

In this episode we look at:

• What time blocking is
• Why it’s going to really help you take control of your week
• How it will increase productivity and reduce overwhelm
• How it helps with self-care, work-life balance and reducing stress
• How to get started
• How it helps you be realistic in how much time you have and need. 

And I also share my favourite productivity tip with you too. 

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t have enough hours in the day or have trouble finding time to focus on your practice because you have so many other things going on in your life, you’re going to love this.

And if you need help with any aspect of marketing your practice no matter what stage you are in, then come and join the Grow Your Private Practice Club and see how much difference the extra focus and support will make.

Do you ever have those days when one minute, you feel like you can take on the world and accomplish almost anything and then the next, you have about as much energy and enthusiasm as a grumpy teenager? 

These changes in our mood and energy directly impact our productivity at home, at work, and in life in general and usually result in us rating our day as good or bad.

But what if I suggested that you change that language and instead of labelling your day’s productivity as good or bad that you refer to it as ebb and flow?

A GYPP member kindly contacted me to suggest the topic of this week’s podcast, How to Stay Productive, Even on Low Energy Days.  She commented, “you once sent me a blog about ebb and flow energy, and it’s been invaluable to me at times when my motivation has been low and my imposter syndrome high”.

Naomi Dunford wrote this particular blog from ittybiz in 2017, and in it, she takes a behind-the-scenes look at why bad days happen.  She highlights the importance of recognising your energy levels so that you can achieve realistic tasks during both these cycles to make the most of your day.

In this podcast, I share practical tips that I have found beneficial to make the most of my ebb and flow that I hope will be invaluable to you too.

We can’t meet every day with the same amount of energy, but trust that you will get things done and do what works for you.

Links to follow:

Naomi’s original blog ‘How To Stay Amazingly Productive On Low Energy Days’

Episode 12: Your business, your rules.

If you have an inner critic or get Imposter Syndrome, then it can become second nature to kick yourself whenever you do something you consider wrong or not good enough. 

Not only is this exhausting, it’s debilitating and can significantly reduce the success of your private practice. So it’s important to address this.

The good news is, you can do something to neutralise this that’s not only simple and effective, it’s also fun and pleasurable.

And I share this super simple trick in this episode. 

In this episode we look at

• A practical, effective way to reduce overwhelm
• Why we shy away from sharing our successes
• How there’s only one way to fail
• The importance of recognising your achievements
• 2 really simple but highly effective ways to develop your inner cheerleader
• A fun, pleasurable way to make this a habit

That critical inner voice can be a real bully and if left unchecked can have a detrimental impact on your business. Stand up to it, strengthen your own inner cheerleader and get the success you deserve.

And if you need some help with that, join us in the Grow Your Private Practice Club, where you not only get training on all aspects of growing your practice, you get support from myself and all the other members too. Take a look at the Grow Your Private Practice Club here.

Every industry, topic and niche has its fair share of jargon. Take counselling for example, we have things like humanistic, person-centred, integrative etc 

And marketing is no different. 

There’s already so much to juggle as a private practitioner, so the last thing you want to do is decipher the lingo.

So to make it easier for you, I’ve rounded up 10 key terms and phrases you need to know if you run a private practice.

Hope this helps! 

Links to follow

SEO Nibbles

Episode 42: Why your private practice should NOT be on every social media platform

Episode 8: What is social media engagement and why you need to know

Episode 35: Can you help your clients - and do they know it 

The Grow Your Private Practice Book

One of the questions I often get asked is - how long should a blog be?

And surprisingly, it's not as straightforward as it sounds.

So if you think you have to write an epic, all-singing, all-dancing, 2,000-word blog to get noticed, stick around, because today, we’re breaking down why, when it comes to blogs, length isn’t everything; it’s what you do with it that counts!

(Sorry, I'm such a child!!)

So, how long should a blog post be?

Links to follow

For my free and paid resources janetravis.co.uk/starthere

Letting a client know that you can help them is a fundamental part of growing your private practice. After all, why would they embark on expensive counselling if it won’t help? 

However, this can feel awkward because ultimately we can’t absolutely guarantee that they will get those results - and as such, shouldn’t make such claims. 

So this week, I explore this conundrum in order to help you feel confident within your marketing while remaining completely ethical. 

Take a listen and you’ll see what I mean. 

In this episode, you’ll discover how:

• It’s important to understand the difference between saying you can help and taking responsibility for the clients’ outcomes
• People are looking for a solution to their problems
• You need to help people make the decision to choose you, just by helping and sharing your warmth

You can't advertise promising results, of course you can't. You cannot and should not be promising things you have no control over.

However, expressing to clients how you can help them is a fundamental part of marketing, so take some time to really get into the head of your potential clients. 

Then share your findings to let people know that coming for counselling with you is one of the ways they can start to make a positive change in their life. 

Links to follow:

Episode 2: The clients journey into therapy

Episode 6: Do you need to be an expert to start attracting therapy clients?

And if you need more help with this, take The Foundations Course in the Grow Your Private Practice Club, and let your potential clients feel assured that you can help. For more details and to join, CLICK HERE

We all get Imposter Syndrome from time to time. Sadly, it's just a normal part of being human.

But that doesn't mean you have to let it stop you from being successful. 

So if you feel this way at times, take comfort in the fact that you're not alone, and that Imposter Syndrome is just a massive liar. It's basically your insecurities messing with you.

And you can take steps to not let it hold you back.

In this episode, I share a simple trick to overcome Imposter Syndrome to not only PROVE that you're not an imposter, but you really do know far more than you may give yourself credit for. 

In this episode we explore:

• Why Imposter Syndrome affects you and your business
• My one simple trick to overcome those feelings of doubt
• How doing this easy trick can boost your confidence and combat that imposter syndrome 

 So if Imposter Syndrome is holding YOU back, take a listen. 

And if you need some extra support, come and join the Grow Your Private Practice membership, you will be very welcome.

Episode 16: A simple way to silence your inner critic

And check out Yvonne Smith for EFT at Make Your Happiness Real

It’s my anniversary! Yes, I’ve been working with counsellors and therapists to help grow their practice for 4 years (ok, a bit longer than that, but what’s a few months between friends?). And I’ve come a long way and learned a lot in that time - and am still learning. 

But there are 4 main things I’ve learned about counsellors in that time and I talk about them in this episode. 

So take a listen, I’m sure it will take something from this

In this episode we explore:

• My journey from then to now
• Some unrealistic expectations that are holding you back
• How taking these on board will help you prevent burnout
• How to start to value yourself

Links to follow

My OE workshop

Therapy rebrand workshop

The Grow Your Private Practice book

Episode 042: Why your private practice should NOT be on every social media platform

Episode 038: How to stop comparing yourself to other therapists

AI tools like ChatGPT are everywhere but how can therapists use them effectively for blogging without losing their unique voice?

In this episode, I break down exactly how I use (and don’t use) ChatGPT in my content creation process.

AI is a fantastic tool but it can’t replace you. Your personality, experience, and warmth are what make your blogs connect with potential clients.

So let’s talk about how to use ChatGPT the right way - as a sidekick, not a substitute.

Links to follow

Join us in the Grow Your Private Practice membership and up your blogging game so you get found by more of your ideal clients.

For all my free and paid resources www.janetravis.co.uk/starthere

And check out my blog 'The power of storytelling in your blog'

Content marketing is all about creating and sharing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract followers and ultimately clients.

So this means you can stop panicking about having to sell yourself, and concentrate on simply helping people. Doesn’t that feel better?

So it's basically writing blogs, producing podcasts or videos, using social media, webinars and workshops.

All are good, but most counsellors choose blogging from those, so that’s what we will focus on in this episode.

And there is also a free guide '101 Blog Post Titles for your Counselling Blog' you can find at janetravis.co.uk/17

In this episode we look at:

• How we used to attract clients before the internet
• What is content marketing
• Why does it work so well for counsellors?
• 10 benefits of writing a blog

I hope you can see how beneficial content marketing is for your practice and how it will both help your readers and attract more clients. 

If you need some help getting started blogging, or you’ve been blogging a while and want to up your game, the Blogging With Confidence 2.0 course is released 23rd October 2020 completely updating the current course.

It includes everything you need, including:

• A quickstart section for if you’re brand new
• The Blogging Blueprint, which is a system to simplify writing
• A template to get you going
• How to never, ever run out of things to write about.

As a member of the Grow Your Private Practice Club you not only get access to the Blogging With Confidence course but everything else you need to go around it.

This includes choosing your niche, time management, managing the mindset with issues like imposter syndrome, perfectionism, procrastination etc, social media, website and much more, along with a supportive group of peers

If you’d like to know more, check out the Grow Your Private Practice Club

Do you ever doubt yourself and think you can’t write because you have nothing new to say, or worry that your spelling or grammar is too bad?

Well, you’re not alone. In fact, when I spoke with Zoe a few years ago and suggested she tried blogging to attract clients, she didn’t believe she could write. Now, she’s just published her book.

So today I chat with Zoe Clements about niches, personal disclosure, her Canva addiction and why you should give writing a go, even if you don’t think you can write.

In this episode we explore:

• How having a niche helped her go from genetic counsellor to writing a book
• How she developed her unique voice
• How she uses stories to help readers connect
• How Paddy her dog helps her bring ideas to life
• Why she decided to invest her time, money and energy into writing a book

About Zoe

Zoe Clements is a qualified integrative counsellor who specialises in helping others soothe their overthinking brain and ease their anxiety from her private practice in London.

 In 2021, Zoe published her first book, 'But I Should Be Fine: How to gain relief from anxiety, overthinking and self-doubt'. Here she brings together her 16 years of professional experience and her personal struggles to deliver a warm, practical, psychobabble-free guide to overcoming anxiety. 

As a recovered overthinker, she is passionate about raising awareness of anxiety through professional speaking events, blogging and social media. When she is not working she can be found travelling or in South East London, where she lives with her wife, Lucinda, and their dog, Paddy.

Find out more about Zoe and her services at www.zoeclements.co.uk

Find her at:

Instagram: @zoeclementscounsellor

LinkedIn: Zoe Clements

Book available through:

Amazon: In paperback and Kindle here

Apple Books: EBook 

Coming to bookshops in April 2021

Links to follow

Episode 26: The truth about consistency (it might not be what you think!)

Episode 18: 7 Ways for therapists to find blog post ideas

Episode 16: How to silence your inner critic

Episode 6: Do you need to be an expert to attract counselling clients?

The Grow Your Private Practice Show has been going now for over a year which means it has become a great resource for counsellors and therapists.

There have been episodes on so many things, from mindset, social media, organisation, websites, blogging, directories, niching and self-care.

And some truly amazing guests too, sharing their knowledge and expertise so it’s worth taking a look over past episodes to see if there’s anything there that will help you.

Here’s one of the most popular episodes we had, so I’m sharing it again in case you missed it.

In this episode, Fifi Mason, who works with introverted entrepreneurs to be more visible in their business, came to share lots of tips and ideas on how to make the most of your skills as an introvert.

We looked at

• What is the definition of an introvert?
• The difference between shyness and introversion, and why it’s important to know
• What business challenges do introverts face?
• How Fifi manages her energy
• The challenges of authenticity
• Tips for introverted business owners
• How to reduce overwhelm
• How can we overcome these challenges
• Introvert superpowers
• Why Fifi has blue hair

Did you ever feel a bit awkward about charging your clients to come to therapy? Maybe you give too many concessions or haven’t increased your prices in years? 

Or maybe ultimately you feel guilty for changing people that need help. 

Well if any of those sound familiar, this is the episode for you as we’re taking a deep dive into how you feel about charging and I’ll offer you some practical solutions to move forward. 

In this episode we explore:

• The reasons we struggle with charging
• How it might show up
• The consequences for you
• The truth about taking payments
• What to do if you feel this way

Money mindset really is a totally fascinating yet massive subject so I encourage you to do some personal development around this. It will help you personally, yes, but if you feel guilty about charging, it can be transformational for your business. 

And can you imagine if you didn't feel guilty about charging so everyone paid your going rate? What difference would that make to your life?

I really hope you enjoyed this and you start receiving a good income for the valuable, transformational and professional work you do. 

Links to follow:

Episode 32: 5 Easy ways to give back to charity (without reducing your fees or working for free) with Sophia Giblin

Episode 58: Compassion fatigue and burnout: What therapists need to know, with Howard Baumgarten

Episode 55: The hidden impact of money issues in private practice, with Cathy Towers

Episode 2: The clients journey into therapy

I’m recording this mid-September 2022 and boy, it’s been a tricky couple of years - worldwide, but here in the UK, we were going through Brexit when covid hit, we have a war in Europe, climate change seems to be really coming home to roost.

The cost of living crisis and eye-watering energy price increases have impacted all but a minority.

Politically - well, where do I even start!

National and international politics have been (and still are) - let’s say ‘unsettled’. In the UK, we’ve been rocked by Scandals in government that lead to a change of leader and 2 days after she takes the job, the queen dies.

I liked the queen, but no matter what your views are on the monarchy, this represents a big change when, to be honest, I suspect many of us are just wanting to just relax into something comforting and familiar. 

So many things have happened, so many significant changes. And you will have your own story too, as we all do. 

Highlights Reel

So I’ve put together 4 of the most popular podcasts I’ve produced to do with self-care to help you at this time. A couple from me and a couple from guests, so there should be something that will be interesting for you.

And in this first one, I share with you a podcast that’s practical, sharing how to stay productive, even on low-energy days. 

So if you have days when everything just feels too much like hard work, take a listen. It could revolutionise the way you work. 

Here's how to stay productive, even on low-energy days

Links to follow:

Naomi Dunfords original blog How to stay amazingly productive even on low energy days

Episode 12, Your business, your rules

Grow Your Private Practice Membership

When I asked counsellors what they struggled with when it comes to blogging, knowing what to write about was a common concern. 

So in this episode, I share 7 ways for therapists to find with blog post ideas. 

In this episode I share:

• Why blogging is so good for your business
• Why you can relax - you don’t have to answer lifes questions
• How blogging is no place for perfectionism
• How to avoid procrastination
• 7 Ways for therapists to find inspiration

So there you are, inspiration for blog post ideas. All of them simple, all of them effective. 

And for a little extra inspiration, download the free guide ‘101 headlines for your therapy blog’, which shows 101 headlines for just one niche. You will find this at janetravis.co.uk/18

Blogging can be an excellent way to attract more clients and more income to your practice, so is it time you got started?

And remember, the Blogging With Confidence course will help you with all aspects of blogging, whether you are new to blogging or want to improve your results. 

It includes everything you need, including:

• A quickstart section for if you’re brand new
• The Blogging Blueprint, which is a system to simplify writing
• Template to get you going
• How to never, ever run out of things to write about
• How to make the most of every blog post for years to come

So come and join us in the Grow Your Private Practice Club for this and a comprehensive training library, along with a supportive group of peers. 

Have a great week, and see you again soon

Links from this episode

Trello

Episode 4: 7 Steps to sharing great quotes on social media

Episode 15: What to include on your FAQ page

Episode 17: 10 Reasons why blogging will attract more counselling clients

Brainyquote

AnswerThePublic

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

Well, it's almost Christmas, so what would you put in a letter to Santa?

Here's my letter, and as I've been (mainly) good this year, I have my fingers crossed he will grant my wish because my wish is to do with you, a wonderful therapist.

Take a listen - what would you add?

Links:

Join the Grow Your Private Practice membership before 8pm 3rd January 2023 to beat the price increase. Click here --> Grow Your Private Practice

Do you ever feel like you need to know everything before you can write a blog post? Does self-doubt or imposter syndrome hold you back from hitting "publish"?

If so, you're not alone! In this episode, I’m busting the myth that you need to have all the answers to write a successful blog. I'll share why embracing imperfection is actually more beneficial and how it helps you connect with your audience in a meaningful way.

Whether you're a seasoned blogger or just starting, this episode will show you how to confidently write from a place of curiosity, honesty, and authenticity.

Get ready to let go of the pressure of perfection and start creating content that resonates with your readers!

Links to follow

Saying No to People: When Saying No Isn't Enough

Denise Duffield-Thomas on Being a Contributor, Not a Guru

For my free and paid resources janetravis.co.uk/starthere

For therapists, the thought of personal disclosure when marketing their private practice is enough to put them in a tailspin.  

Why? Well, therapist training drums into you that you should only ever share anything about yourself very sparingly and only in order to help the client. 

Well, guess what? It’s exactly the same when it comes to marketing. However there is more flexibility for you because you aren’t directly working with clients.

So in this 2 part mini-series, I am going to explore with you personal disclosure and help you work out where your boundaries lie. 

In this episode we explore:

• A little history of private practice marketing
• How the world wide web has changed everything
• The difference between advertising and content marketing
• Why personal disclosure worries us so much. 
• The benefits of being relatable. 

And grab your free guide to attracting more clients by helping not selling here -> www.janetravis.co.uk/attract-more-therapy-clients/

And listen to episode 64, where I’ll give you some practical examples and ideas to help you discover your own boundaries. 

One of the things I love about running a business is that I can be creative in my marketing. But what if you think you’re not creative? Maybe you don’t know how to allow your creativity to blossom. Or maybe you just struggle to find your own voice and everything you write comes across as a bit starchy or lacking personality?

Well, don’t worry, because in this episode I have the fabulous and creative Penney Fox coming to talk about exactly this so you can start to enjoy your marketing. 

About Penney Fox

Penney has been running her own business since 1999 so understands the daily struggle to grow your business while still finding time for a personal life.

In 2019, she developed the Create Your Business hybrid subscription box program. This is available either as a physical box if you’re in the US or you can get the online version no matter where you are in the world. 

It’s like self-coaching every month, where you’ll get an interactive workbook sent to your inbox or creative tools that show up at your doorstep to help you develop your marketing messages to reach more customers online.

AND She just published a book called ‘I just did a thing’ looking at creating change in your business - and life 

The Create Your Business programs can be found at CreateYourBiz.net and the book I Just Did a Thing can be found on the same site as well as ordered from Amazon HERE

Links to follow:

Episode 17: 10 Reasons why blogging will attract more counselling clients

Episode 18: 7 Ways for therapists to find blog post ideas

Episode 46: 14 lessons I’ve learnt from growing my business

Episode 48: How I use creativity to diversify my practice, with Yasmin Shaheen Zaffar

Being a therapist is a wonderful thing. I was a counsellor for 14 years and I loved it.

But boy, it’s hard work. Listening to what clients are saying, watching for what they aren't saying, noticing body language and silences, and bearing witness to pain and cruelty they have experienced.

It’s hard work at the best of times, but we’ve just been through a devastating few years. As a therapist, you are there for your clients and holding space for them, AND dealing with everything that’s happening in your own life.

So yes, there has been a relentless amount of change and stress we’re all experiencing.

This episode is a must listen, because I have a guest expert that is not only a therapist and author, he gives talks about compassion fatigue and burnout.

Howard Baumgarten is a Therapist with his own practice in Lakewood, Colorado and who has vast experience of helping counsellors both grow their practice and take better care of themselves.

He’s an author - he wrote Private Practice Essentials

A podcaster - check out Psych Biz where he produces shows with friend of the show Sarah Gershone.

And he’s a public speaker and wellness trainer too covering topics such as Compassion Fatigue, Burnout Prevention, Resilience, Stress Management, and Conflict Resolution.

So he wears a lot of different hats.

In this podcast he talks about:

• The addictive nature of doing more
• Moving into the process of self-care
• The difference between burnout and compassion fatigue

He says ‘Untreated compassion fatigue will almost certainly lead to burnout. And prolonged burnout can lead to depression'.

This is serious stuff.

Take a listen, and look after yourself.

About Howard Baumgarten

Howard Baumgarten is a Licensed Professional Counselor, author, consultant, speaker, wellness and small business-training expert, and owner of a mental health private practice in Lakewood, Colorado.

He is the founder of Smart Practice Central, a healthcare business-building platform that values intelligent, ethical, and clinically minded practice development, and provides clinical practice business consultation and training to private practices and healthcare agencies.

Howard has lectured throughout the US on the integration of mental health, wellness and business, focusing on practice development, working within managed care systems, the impacts of the Affordable Care Act on mental health care, and work/life balance.

He is the author of Private Practice Essentials published in 2017.

In 2003, he developed and implemented the first practice building business curriculum in a graduate level-counselling program in the country at the University of Colorado, where he taught this curriculum for twelve years.

Howard routinely consults and trains businesses and organizations across a variety of industries in work/life wellness, including managing stress, building resilience, creating balance, burnout prevention, teamwork, conflict resolution and other topics.

He has been quoted for his work with physicians and healthcare professionals around burnout prevention in Medical Economics Journal.

He is the former Director of Network Relations for Westside Behavioral Care, Inc., a clinical group practice he helped build into one of Colorado’s largest outpatient behavioral health practices.

Howard’s work has led him toward a passion for researching and understanding compassion and human resilience, thus creating his practice model of “Integrative Resilience Theory,” an approach to change and growth in which cultivating compassion is a key component.

When not counselling, lecturing,...

If you’ve ever considered podcasting to attract more clients but don’t really know where to start, then this episode is for you, because I have the fabulous Philip Brett King with me to discuss the benefits of podcasting and whether it is right for you. 

Because podcasting is massive.

And since the pandemic, 40% more people listen - so that’s around 19.1 million in the UK, and globally a massive 464.7 million.

That’s mindblowing! 

I started my own podcast on 8th July 2020 and this is episode 137 - with the majority being weekly until January this year when unfortunately my dad became ill and died, so I've reduced it to fortnightly for a while.

And I’ve seen how it’s benefited my business in many ways. 

Not only that, it’s fun to do! I’ve interviewed some amazing guests, including todays guest Phil from My Podcast Assistant, who is my podcast editor. 

So if you’ve ever considered starting a podcast and like the thought of helping people whilst also growing your business - and increasing your income, then this is your lucky day. 

We chat about:

• The benefits of podcasting
• How to choose your topic
• What format to use
• A brief talk about tech 

So if you’ve been toying with the idea, you’re going to love this

About Philip Brett King

Phil says:

“My goal is to help people sound amazing online!

25 years ago I was singing and fronting a Rock band, playing gigs in some of London's best live venues. But eventually wound up marketing for associated newspapers and having to hang up my bass guitar and microphone... and trying to fit into society.

However, life threw me a curveball in 2016 and I found the crazy underworld of voiceover and started growing a side hustle as a Voice Actor.

Two years later an ultimatum from my job pushed me to hand in my resignation and go headfirst into becoming a full-time freelance voice actor; recording my voice for top brands around the world..and I haven't looked back!

But it didn't stop there. 2019 brought the pandemic and podcasting really started to take off. Also, everyone started working online using Zoom, but they didn't sound too good.

So I started my brand My Podcast Assistant utilising my years of experience as a musician and voice actor to help others create great-sounding podcasts and to sound amazing online.”

Check Phil out at My Podcast Assistant  

Say Hi on Instagram HERE 

Grab his free resources and take the ‘Podcast Equipment Quiz’ HERE

And grab one of my own freebies HERE

We all know consistency is important, but what does that look like in practice? Because it may not be quite what you expect. 

So today the fabulous Sarah Dosanjh had kindly agreed to join me for a conversation about the reality of consistency.

• What is the gold standard?
• What is the worst-case scenario?
• What part does perfectionism play? 
• What is the reality of consistency?
• What’s right for YOU?

We also share lots of tips for you to help work out what's best for you. 

About Sarah

Sarah Dosanjh is a counsellor and psychotherapist and author of the book I Can't Stop Eating. She is passionate about helping those struggling with binge eating/body image to find peace and freedom around food.

She runs CPD events for therapists who want to learn about working with binge eating as well as offering training and a free support community for therapists who want to set up groups in private practice.

Links to follow: 

Episode 24: Managing your diary with time blocking

Episode 26: The truth about consistency (it might not be what you think!)

Episode 37: How having a niche diversified my business, with Sarah Dosanjh

Episode 38: How to stop comparing yourself to other therapists

Episode 47: How to stay productive, even on low energy days

Episode 56: How to achieve more in less time

Episode 63: Personal Disclosure in Marketing: What Therapists Need To Know (Part 1)

Episode 64: Personal disclosure in marketing: what therapists need to know (part 2)

Feel like blogging just isn’t working for you or that you’re not cut out for it?

In this episode, we’re busting 4 common blogging myths that hold therapists back.

From “I can’t write” to “no one reads blogs anymore,” I’ll walk you through what’s actually true and how to blog with more confidence, clarity, and connection.

Whether you’ve dabbled in blogging or are just getting started, this episode will help you stop second-guessing yourself and start writing in a way that feels good and gets results.

Links to follow

Ep 169: The Therapist's Guide to Blogging for Practice Growth

Ep 40: From 'I Can't Write' to Published Author with Zoe Clements

Polly Clover’s post on whether people still read blogs

Inside the Grow Your Private Practice membership, I help counsellors blog with confidence so they have fewer “why do I even bother?” moments. Check here for more details

Explore 1:1 Services:

Directory Revival: I’ll help you tweak your directory profile to attract more clients

Get Focused, Take Action: Dive deep into your niche, website copy, or anything else holding you back

And if you're looking for additional resources, check START HERE

Have you noticed how the dream of Christmas and the reality of Christmas rarely look the same? 

So how can you extend all that goodwill to include yourself?

Because you deserve all the good stuff too!

So in this episode, we check out how to get some real counsellor self-care this Christmas.

We look at

• The importance of self care for therapists
• 5 ways to nurture yourself over Christmas
• The importance of personal development
• How you do life is how you do business

So this year, make sure Santa has you on his 'nice' list, and take it easy.

Links

2 part self care blog mini series 'Therapist Self Care: Why it’s vital for you and your clients', and 'Real Therapist Self Care: 22 Practical Ways to Increase Self Care'. 

How being a people-pleaser can affect your private practice – and what to do about it

Have you ever wondered if having a website is really worth it? Maybe you’ve heard others talk about how they get all their clients through word of mouth, or via a directory and now you’re unsure?

Well, having a website these days is essential for many reasons, some less obvious than others. 

So today I’m delighted to have Sarah Gershone with me, who is a web designer that works exclusively with therapists from Strong Roots Web Design. And we explore 6 reasons why having a website is a real must.

I always learn a lot from Sarah, so if you’re on the fence, take a listen.

About Sarah

Sarah is from Strong Roots Web Design and works exclusively with therapists helping them make their website appeal to their ideal clients. 

And she also produces a podcast called Phych Biz so be sure to check that out too.

Sarah produces regular free resources and blogs so be sure to pop over to her website and see what she has that will help you. 

And the best way to connect with Sarah is via LinkedIn, so go and say hi!

Links to follow

Episode 60 - 5 commonly held myths about websites that could be holding you back, with Sarah Gershone

How can you make your business work for you on your terms and in a way that is right for you?

In this episode, I look at how when it’s your business, you make the rules and what this means for you.

How you can maximise your qualities and make them really work for you, and the importance of personal growth and understanding self-sabotage. 

When you run your own business, you can decide:

• Your working hours
• Your fees
• Your marketing methods 
• Your work patterns

How exciting is that?! 

How many other jobs give you that level of flexibility? 

How many other jobs offer that opportunity. 

When it comes to marketing your private practice, everything works. The trick is finding what works for you.

This is what I LOVE about working for myself - I make my business work around me, my life, my preferences and my wants and needs. 

And if you need help with your marketing, grab the Grow Your Private Practice book which is available on Amazon now.

Or get the free download '54 Specific ways to attract therapy clients'

Remember to subscribe so you don't miss a show and it would be brilliant if you could leave a review. 

I thoroughly enjoyed training to be a therapist, and couldn't wait to start a practice of my own. 

But once I became qualified, I realised how uncomfortable it felt to do the marketing necessary to attract clients. 

How could I promote myself whilst staying within personal disclosure boundaries?

How could I be visible without it compromising my client work?

And now that my business is all about helping other therapists to grow their practice, I am aware of them going through exactly the same difficulties.

So today, I chat with Lindsey Bryan-Podvin about these conflicts that arise and we talk about how therapy training can hold you back as a private practitioner - and what you can do to market yourself effectively while not crossing any ethical boundaries. 

In this episode, we cover:

• How our training as therapists makes it difficult to trust ourselves 
• How our training makes it hard to feel comfortable marketing ourselves
• Tips to cultivate self-trust in and out of the therapy room
• How a niche (and my seedling niche) can help attract the kind of clients and issues that you feel passionately about
• What you can do to market yourself effectively while not crossing any ethical boundaries.
• How to be visible without compromising your client work
• The importance of the Therapeutic Alliance

I hope this opens up an area to explore, because the more comfortable you are with marketing, the more successful that marketing will be. 

About Lindsay Bryan-Podvin

Lindsay Bryan-Podvin (she/her) is a biracial financial therapist and wellness expert, speaker, and author of the book "The Financial Anxiety Solution." 

She’s a practising LMSW since 2012, and she uses a shame-free approach to help people get their minds and money in balance by focusing on the intersection of money and mental health. 

While financial literacy is important, she champions the belief that money is rooted in emotions and impacted by the systems around us. 

She has a degree in sociology and a Master’s in Social Work with certificates in Financial Social Work and Financial Therapy. 

She lives with her partner and their dog on the occupied land of the Anishinaabe also known as Michigan.

So go say hi to her on Instagram HERE

Links:

Listen to our previous podcast episode 103 How to cope with financial anxiety, with Lindsay Bryan-Podvin  

Episode 37: How having a niche diversified my business, with guest expert Sarah Dosanjh

And if you need some extra help attracting clients and marketing your practice, check out the Grow Your Private Practice membership and see how it will help you.

Social media can be an amazing tool for growing your practice, OR it can be a massive time suck that doesn’t bring you results.

So how can you make it work for you? 

Lots of ways! 

In this episode we’ll be looking at engagement, the algorithm and what it means to you. 

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• What social media engagement is 
• Why it’s important
• The pros and cons of social media
• What happens if you don’t get engagement on your posts 
• Appeasing the social media gods
• Examples of simple questions to ask to increase engagement
• A simple way to understand engagement

Highlights you can’t miss

12.17 Playing snakes and ladders

12.37 What actually IS engagement?

14.14 Increasing engagement and some examples

And finally

I share a simple experiment to see what posts encourage you to engage.

Social media can be a powerful and free tool to use to grow your private practice, so Appease the social media gods and they will reward you. 

Links to follow

The Social Media Made Simple course and the Monday Inspiration calls are all included as part of membership of the Grow Your Private Practice Club.  Find out more at the Grow Your Private Practice Club

Starting in private practice can be expensive, but it really doesn’t have to be. In fact, the good news is there are many, many ways to start your private practice branding on a budget. 

I ‘bootstrapped’ my business, and so did Laura Pearman, todays guest expert. And in this podcast we look at how to get started without spending a fortune.

Laura is a brand strategist and international photographer and she knows a thing or two about how to stand out in the crowd in a busy market, and she shares some absolute gems that I know you’re going to love. 

AND Laura has offered listeners a very special opportunity to work with her at a 50% reduction, so to take advantage of that very generous offer, the link is below

In this episode we explore:

• Why you shouldn’t spend a lot on when you’re starting out
• How to make the most professionals services when the time is right
• Starting with a MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
• The importance of a good headshot
• Top tips for taking a stand out selfie
• How to share personal photos on instagram if you don’t like being on camera
• How to choose the right photographer for you

And as an extra special treat, Laura has exclusively offered you a great opportunity that might interest you.  

About Laura Pearman

Laura is a brand strategist and international photographer. She lives in Tyne & Wear with The Viking and Suki the Cat, and lives her life as a modern-day vintage pinup.

She helps ambitious business owners turn up the volume on their businesses with

brand strategy, creative direction and brand photography.

And she is also a passionate feminist.

She is the host of #MwahTV on YouTube

And you can watch her episode ‘How Much Money Should You Spend on Your Brand? Why You Should NEVER Spend Big on Your First Brand’ HERE

Connect with her on Instagram

Check out her website at  www.laurapearman.com

To apply & find out more about her special Branding Offer of 50% off, click here

Did you ever have someone refer to counselling as a ‘chat over a cup of tea’, or ‘just listening to people moaning on’, or even suggesting that you just say ‘how does that make you feel’ over and over’. 

Frustrating, isn’t it. But the problem is, these messages discount the training and skills required to be a therapist and if we keep hearing them, they can have an effect. 

So how can you rise above these dismissive comments? Take a listen and I’ll share 3 things you can do to make a change.

In this episode I explore:

• The mixed messages we receive
• The importance of self-care
• 3 things to try to make change
• The importance of peer support

How are you at the moment? Because I don’t know about you but I’ve been feeling pretty exhausted lately like my get up and go got up and went. 

The long term effects of the coronavirus pandemic are hitting us all and personally I’ve felt low, burnt out and frankly exhausted.

It feels like I’ve lost my mojo. How about you?

At times like these, doubts and insecurities can creep in and whisper lies in your ears:

• I can’t do this
• I’m not good enough
• It’ll never work
• No one can afford to have counselling now

I’ve been through enough mojo malfunctions to know that it’s a truly horrible place to be. But I want to reassure you that it’s not permanent and in this episode I share 3 things that will help you - including a free workbook:

In this episode, we look at:

• How you might be feeling stressed, anxious or exhausted - or all 3
• 3 simple ways to help
• Going back to basics
• Going on a work diet 
• Pressing the pause button
• Simple ideas to give yourself a boost

I have a free workbook to help you get started HERE

And finally

You are in control of what you bring into your life, so I finish with some tips on simple changes you can make to boost your mood.

Now is a difficult time so press the pause button if you need to. But don’t stop. You’ve worked too hard, come too far. 

And if you need some help trimming off the fat and just concentrating on what’s important, this is exactly what the Grow Your Private Practice Club is all about, along with time management tricks too and a friendly, supporting community of peers. 

What to do next

If you enjoyed this show, please share with your counselling peers.

And don't forget to subscribe!

They say ‘we teach what we need to learn’ and I think it’s true. I used to have an online business all about self-help for people-pleasers, and yup, I’m a recovering people-pleaser. 

I’m a whole lot better than I used to be, but I suspect that a lot of counsellors are people pleasers or recovering people-pleasers too. 

And being a people pleaser can have a real impact on your private practice. It can impact how you run your business and even what income you make. It can also lead to resentment and burnout. 

So if you’re a counsellor, how can you handle people-pleasing?

In this episode, we look at:

• 5 ways being a people pleaser can impact you in private practice
• 5 solutions to help
• How it’s not all about the clients’ needs - and that’s ok

I don’t think people pleasing just goes away, I think it’s always going to be there lurking. It’s for us to be aware of it and keep doing the work. And the more work we do, the better we feel. 

Saying no feels very uncomfortable sometimes, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. And it’s totally worth it. 

Counselling is a valuable service - you are providing a valuable service. It’s ok for people to pay for that service and it’s ok to value yourself and what you do. 

It’s not all about the client - and that doesn’t make you selfish. And it’s okay for you to build your business into something that suits you and improves the quality of your life. 

Links to follow

Episode 24: Managing your diary with time blocking

Episode 32: 5 Easy ways to give back to charity (without reducing your fees or working for free) with Sophia Giblin

Episode 28: How to get and stay motivated

If you need more help with your business, get the Grow Your Private Practice book, available now on Amazon or CLICK HERE

How you handle that first contact over the phone is important and is the difference between having a new client appointment in your diary or not. 

So in this episode, I share some really effective but simple tips to be sure that if you are a good fit for them, they make that appointment.  

Here's what you'll learn in this episode:

• The reality of phone enquiries
• The importance of mindset
• How to increase your confidence
• How to take gentle control of the call
• Setting expectations
• Booking at days/times that are convenient for you
• How to refer the client on without them feeling rejected

And if you want to feel more confident on these calls, grab the FREE cheatsheet to have by your side

Tell me, how do you feel when a potential new client contacts you?

Do you feel in control and confident?

OR maybe you lack confidence and don’t really know how to handle it?

Well if you identify more with the second scenario, this episode if for you, because today we’re going to talk about taking initial phone calls from potential clients to increase the chance that they make an appointment and become your client.

So here are 7 steps to turning an enquiry into a booking so you know EXACTLY what to say. 

Links:

Voicemail For Therapists: 6 ways to improve your message and hang on to that client

Watch the Therapy Rebrand webinar

8 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time and Get More Done

Why smooth on boarding helps the therapy process, with Kim Simmons

Grow Your Private Practice membership

In last week's episode, I talked about why my word of the year for the Grow Your Private Practice membership is EASE 

If you haven't had a chance to listen, basically, I invited you to explore how you can enjoy your marketing, and make the process easier for you. 

But I realised there's something in my own business that goes against this, so I’ve decided to make a change. 

So what changes have I made and why?

And how can you simplify your own businesses too?

Links

The membership Grow Your Private Practice

Podcast episodes mentioned:

Episode 58 'Directories, the good, the bad and the ugly'

Episode 5 '6 steps to turning an enquiry into a booking'

Episode 22 'Demystifying the fear of success and 7 ways to stop getting in your own way'

Episode 112 'Why your mindset is vital if you want a successful practice'

Episode 116 'What content can therapists create to attract more clients,' with the authors of Content Fortress Martin and Lyndsay

Episode 89 '6 reasons why you MUST have a website', with Sarah Gershone

Episode 42 'Why your private practice shouldn't be on every social media platform'

My editor Phil, from My Podcast Assistant

Do you use a word of the year? 

A word of the year is a simple idea. It sets an intention so you know what you’re going to work on, increase or grow in your business or life. 

It’s a great way to focus on the inspiring, the good, the positive and the possibility of the year ahead.

And it’s completely free of course - so there are literally no drawbacks. 

In this episode, I look at:

• Why it’s a great thing to do
• Some ideas for words to choose
• I share 55 affirmations for success with you
• Making the most of your word of the year

So, what word will YOU choose for 2022?

Link to follow:

FREE 55 Affirmations for success

Aah 2020, what a year you’ve been! But as 2020 limps to a close, I’d like to invite you to take a closer look and reflect on some of the lessons it’s taught us. I for one have learned a lot - about myself, my business, life…

… And to dismiss all we have experienced without reflection is such a waste. 

So let’s reflect on some positives from 2020 so you can get more of the good stuff in your life, let go of some things that no longer serve you and see how you can protect yourself going forward. 

In this episode we look at:

• 5 Questions for reflection
• Other questions to consider

Take what you can from this year and use it to help you going forward. 

And if you need help getting off to a good start in 2021 come join us in the Grow Your Private Practice Club

And join before 8 pm UK time on 7th January 2021 to get locked into the current price and beat the price rise. 

I’ve often seen in counselling groups people say ‘follow me on social media and I’ll follow you back’.

But though this can sound like a great idea on the face of it, there are some things to be aware of.

So in this episode I invite you to take a closer look with me so you can make up your own mind if this is the right thing for you. 

So let’s take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of following other counsellors

Links to follow:

Grow Your Private Practice Book

Grow Your Private Practice Membership

How to get followers by helping instead of selling FREE guide

When you think of therapy, what comes to mind? Maybe 2 people sitting facing each other talking. But that’s not going to work for everyone.

So today I’m going to explore walk and talk therapy with therapist Eileen Fisher.

We’ll take a look at her experience of offering this type of therapy so you can consider whether it’s something you want to offer in your own practice - or even for your own therapy. 

We talk about:

• How she got into walk and talk therapy
• The benefits of walk and talk therapy
• Is this more useful for a certain type of person?
• How do you choose where to walk
• Should you charge more for walk and talk therapy?
• How do you approach safety?
• How to handle confidentiality?
• Can I do this if I’m in an urban area?
• What about insurance?
• How to handle bad weather
• Introducing creativity

Eileen has such a calm and reassuring voice, I could talk to her all day.

So over to you, is this something you’d be interested in doing?

Well if you are and you’d like a chat with Eileen, she offers a power hour where you can get together and get your questions answered.

And as she mentioned, if you are in the Greater Manchester area, you could even have your chat while on a walk - how cool is that? CLICK HERE to learn about walk and talk therapy for therapists

About Eileen Fisher

Eileen is a TA therapist who works with adults in Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

Her practice is a mix of online, face-to-face and walking clients. She sees clients face-to-face at her office in Wilmslow and walks with people at nearby locations.

She started walking with people in 2018, and now walking therapy is integral to her practice.

Eileen now offers walking therapy training to therapists interested in working with clients in this way. If you'd like to learn more visit Eileen Fisher Therapy HERE

I hope you found this podcast as interesting as I did, and if you decide to offer walking therapy, I'd love to know!

And remember to hit subscribe so you don't miss a episode.

When it comes to your private practice, are you your own best-kept secret? Maybe you’re hiding in the shadows and letting the fear of being seen hold you back?

And this is the problem, the fear of visibility can really get in the way of your success. You might even start beating yourself up about not doing the things you know you need to be to grow your practice. Not good, no one needs that.

So in this episode, I talk about how to overcome visibility issues and get out of your own way so that you can show up, attract more clients, help more people and make more money. 

We’re going to look at:

• Why it’s important to be visible
• What visibility issues actually are
• Where they come from
• What being more visible actually means - and what it doesn’t
• And I’ll share some simple effective tips too for you to try

So take a listen, and discover how to embrace visibility on YOUR terms. 

Links to follow:

Episode 40: From ‘I can’t write’ to published author, with Zoe Clements

Grow Your Private Practice

Free guide: Attract therapy clients by helping not selling

Come and connect with me:

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/janetravis

Instagram - instagram.com/growyourprivatepractice

Ok, confession time: My name is Jane, and I swear a lot. 

It’s true, I love a good profanity! 

But when it comes to marketing, does it help to connect with the right people or is it simply unprofessional for a therapist?

It’s an interesting subject and it might just surprise you. 

In this episode we explore:

🤬 Your attitude to swearing

🤬 Should you swear in your marketing

🤬 The pros and cons 

🤬 Tips for casual communication without swearing

I’d be really interested in learning your views on this, so please let me know.

You can find me on Instagtam at @GrowYourPrivatePractice or Linkedin HERE

Links to follow

'Let's change the public perception of counselling' webinar

Episode 3: Drop the psychobabble, get more clients

How are you feeling?

I ask because I am tired and emotional, which I know is often code for how we describe people at the end of a night out after having one too many glasses of vino, but I am literally tired and emotional. 

By 9 pm I am falling asleep. I sleep well, but still wake tired. 

And I wouldn't describe myself as a cryer, but the other morning I cried twice before 9.30 am.

So I asked the Grow Your Private Practice community if anyone else felt this and yup, loads of people reported similar. One even cried at a Macdonalds advert. Emotions are funny, aren't they?

So in this episode, I want to know how YOU are feeling because one thing I know about counsellors is we tend to be a bit rubbish at taking our own advice. 

In this episode, we look at

• Our tendency to have unrealistic expectations of ourselves
• Feeling guilty
• Taking our own advice
• Mindful viewing

You are an expert at self-care and I bet you make sure that others increase theirs and stop being so hard on themselves. 

So whenever you hear a critical voice in your head, or feel guilty for doing something for yourself, or snap at others or whatever thing happens to make you feel guilty I’d like you to consider what your reaction would be if a client said that. 

You would treat them with kindness, compassion and respect. 

So do the same for yourself. 

If you've ever worried that you don't have anything new to say on social media, then this is for you.

Because to be honest, it's probably all been said before.

But although everybody seems to be talking about the same thing, about the same subjects, about the same issues, they're all sharing things in a slightly different way.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to take a topic and come up with new content ideas
• How to take your content idea and translate it into a social post
• The one simple thing you already have to ensure that your social media posts are unique to your practice

So if you’re thinking that there's nothing left to say, well, take a listen to this episode and you’ll learn why my answer to ``hasn't it all been said before?” is absolutely not!

Need some extra support to grow your private practice? Then come and join us. Visit the Grow Your Private Practice membership HERE

Let’s be honest, marketing your therapy practice can feel really uncomfortable.

Like you’re standing in the middle of a crowded room, waving your arms, and shouting, “Pick me! Pick me!”

And that just feels soooooo wrong.

But here’s the thin - you don’t have to “sell yourself” at all. There’s a small but powerful tweak that makes marketing way easier.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through:

✨ Why marketing feels so icky for therapists

✨ The simple shift that makes it feel natural

✨ How blogging can help you market with less stress

✨ Why this approach works (and why you shouldn’t stop there)

Marketing doesn’t have to be painful. Let’s make it work for you, not against you.

Links to follow

Join the Grow Your Private Practice membership

Explore 1:1 Services:

Directory Revival: I’ll help you tweak your directory profile to attract more clients

Get Focused, Take Action: Dive deep into your niche, website copy, or anything else holding you back

And if you're looking for additional resources, check START HERE

Welcome to this, the first of a 3 part mini-series all about how to attract your dream clients.

And to get started, it might surprise you that when it comes to attracting your dream clients, it all starts with YOU. 

What do YOU want? What are your desires, needs, interests, and passions? 

Because you are building a business, and the beauty of that is you can turn this into your dream business, where you work with your dream clients, and work in the ways you believe, you work the hours that suit you, and you run it how YOU choose.

This can take some getting used to if you aren't used to it, especially if you’re used to having a boss telling you what to do. 

But growing your practice into something that suits you is what makes all the work worth it. It's fulfilling and will make you feel content and satisfied. It’s life-changing.

So let’s explore you. 

Links

For free resources and other goodies, go to janetravis.co.uk/start-here

Check out and join the Grow Your Private Practice membership

Online directories can be a great way of attracting more therapy clients, but how can you stand out among all the other counsellors on there?

In this episode, I share some ideas about how to inject your personality into your bio, so it's easier for your dream clients to reach you.

All without any worries about personal disclosure

Links

Grow Your Private Practice membership

Free resources

For some therapists, online directories can be a great source of clients, so in this episode I take a deep dive into the positives and negatives of using directories and how to make them work for you.

To start attracting clients quickly, one of the first things I suggest is to get yourself on an online directory - I talk about it in the Quickstart section of the Grow Your Private Practice book and the Quickstart course in the Grow Your Private Practice Club.

But with so many counsellors on them, how can you make them work for you?

Here’s what we talk about in this episode:

• Positives and negatives of being on a directory
• Overview of directories from the clients perspective
• How your directory entry is about connecting with your potential clients
• Some simple tips for your photo 
• Some do’s and don’t to watch for

And finally...

Directories aren't effective for everyone, so how do you decide whether directories are working for you?

___________________________

Directories can be a fantastic, cost effective way for you to attract clients. Allow your personality to come through - your warmth, your compassion - in order to help the potential client to feel comfortable about contacting you. Let’s consider the potential client and make this easier for them.

And if you need some help with your messaging so you attract more clients more easily, this is exactly what the Grow Your Private Practice Club is all about.

Or check out the Grow Your Private Practice book.

I do hope you’ve enjoyed this episode. If you did, please be sure to hit subscribe so you get the latest episodes delivered directly to your device. 

Have you noticed how the dream of Christmas and the reality of Christmas rarely look the same? 

You know how it is; you’re already busy enough but now have more to do, buy, plan and prep.

And coupled with your own ‘stuff’ that can come up around Christmas, like missing those no longer around, loneliness, anxiety, stress, family issues (there are always some family issues that get sparked!). 

Well, it’s important to take care of YOU over the festive season.

So this podcast explores some real counsellor self-care for over Christmas

Links to follow:

Episode 36: How being a people pleaser can affect your private practice - and what to do about it

If I had a pound for every time someone asks how to get therapy clients, I’d be a very happy lady!

Because it's first question people ask when they start in private practice.

It's understandable, and it seems like a simple question - but it’s not quite as straightforward as it might seem.

So today we’re going to take a look at how to get therapy clients.

And if you're looking for how to attract clients but you worry about having to be salesy, grab my free guide 'How to attract more therapy clients by helping not selling'

Let’s talk about how to handle the initial phone enquiries and increase the chance that they will become your client.

We’ll look at:

• The reality of phone enquiries
• Adopting the right mindset
• Increasing confidence
• Taking gentle control of the call
• Setting expectations
• Making the booking at the day/time that’s best for you
• How to refer the client on, without them feeling rejected

I also share a tip on how to feel really natural in these calls along with a free download for you to help improve your confidence  

Because you work hard to get new clients so let’s make a great first impression on the phone. 

What to do next

If you enjoyed this show, please share it with your counselling peers. 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the show on your favourite app of choice to get automatic updates as soon as a show goes live.

Do you fear making mistakes and worry about being judged, criticised, embarrassed or shamed? 

Well of course you do - no one wants that! But these fears can make your stomach churn and hold you back because despite your best efforts, mistakes happen. 

I’ve had my fair share - like last week when I accidentally published the unedited podcast episode.

Let’s just say it wasn’t my finest hour. 

So today, I’m sharing what happened, how I handled it, and why making mistakes in public isn’t as scary as it seems.

So if fear stops you from blogging, posting, or marketing, this episode is for you.

Links to follow

For more of my free and paid resources janetravis.co.uk/starthere

Join the Grow Your Private Practice membership and get the tools, support, and confidence you need to attract your ideal clients.

This is the 3rd part of a 3 part mini-series called How To Attract Your Dream Clients.

Part 1: Build Your Dream Practice looks at how the first and most important thing to consider when you want to attract dream clients and that is YOU - what is your dream? what do YOU want? What drives you? Where does your passion lie? 

Part 2: The Empathy Exercise: How to Read your Dream Clients Mind introduces you to the empathy exercise, a deceptively exercise I devised in order to read the minds of your dream clients and work out how they feel, what are their fears and worries? What keeps them up at night? And what their hopes and dreams are - what are they aiming for?

So here we are at part 3 and I share with you practical ways to use The Empathy Exercise in order to stand out and attract those clients. 

Discover how The Empathy Exercise can work wonders for your private practice by creating compelling copy for your website, directory, blog, and social media.

Today's podcast is my 26th so that means I have recorded a podcast every week consistently for 6 months. So I wanted to talk a little about consistency, and it might not be what you think.

Consistency is what we want, but you can get to consistency via different routes, and it’s about working out the right way for you. 

In this episode we look at:

• Why consistency is so important
• Why we struggle with it
• Creativity and waiting for inspiration
• The impact of energy levels and making it work for you
• The power of deadlines and accountability
• Using rewards 
• What to do when you’ve lost that consistency
• One important thing NOT to do

If you recognise yourself in this, then don’t struggle alone, come join the Grow Your Private Practice Club. GYPP is all about removing overwhelm, tackling those fears and taking action to move your practice forward and attract more clients and make more money. 

Here’s what I believe about consistency

• Consistency is best - make a commitment and stick to it wherever possible
• Quality over quantity - don’t post just anything because you haven’t posted for a while.
• Things happen, just get back on the horse and learn what you can - 
• Protect yourself by prep in advance, comment on others posts if you don’t do your own
• Take into account your personality 

So there you go, a few thoughts about consistency. Yes, there are many many benefits to being consistent. But sometimes life happens and things don’t go as planned. 

The important thing is to do what you can to prepare in advance so you have something to post when you need it. 

Work out what works best for YOU and take advantage of your own way of working.

And if you lost consistency, just get started again as soon as you can and don’t beat yourself up about it, just learn what you can to protect yourself going forward. 

Links to follow:

Episode 8: What is social media engagement, and why you need to know

Episode 17: 10 Reasons why blogging will attract more counselling clients

Episode 23: How to avoid the feast and famine cycle in your private practice

Episode 24: Managing your diary with time blocking

Episode 12: Your Business, Your Rules: Making it work FOR YOU

In this episode, I’m delighted to have Kat Love as my guest.

Driven by personal experience Kat is on a mission to give back so more people get to experience the power of therapy. So they help therapists with websites, copy and coaching in order to get more clients and referrals.

In this episode we look at:

Kat shares 4 main mistakes that you could accidentally be making on your website along with how to fix them.

Including:

• How to stop sounding like everyone else
• How to encourage visitors to take the next step
• How to stop being Wikipedia for mental health issues 
• How to write with clarity and warmth

Kat also shares some great tips about really making connections with potential clients on your website via the copy. And we also discuss how important it is for your client that they get a sense of you in order to choose the right counsellor for them. 

Links to follow:

Check out Kat’s services that help with copywriting for therapists and marketing and business coaching for therapists.

https://www.katlove.com/

https://empathycopy.com/

And connect on Facebook

Other links:

Episode 3: Drop the psychobabble, get more clients

Episode 15: What to include on your FAQ page

In today’s episode, I interviewed Lisa Murphy, a counsellor that grew her private practice using LinkedIn. 

Her niche is working with men to help deal with stress and anger, and she incorporates a mixture of therapies including counselling, hypnotherapy, EFT, and NLP. 

And she used LinkedIn to form connections and grow her private practice 

In this episode we explore:

• Why she chooses to work with stressed men with anger issues
• How she connects with her niche clients via social media
• Why she chose to concentrate on LinkedIn 
• How she’s increased her engagement
• How her confidence has grown over time
• How she comes up with masses of relatable post ideas

About Lisa Murphy

Lisa Murphy is a therapist who specializes in helping men deal with stress and anger.  Lisa incorporates a mixture of therapies including counselling, hypnotherapy, EFT, and NLP to offer unique solutions for a high-pressured lifestyle.

Lisa runs her private online practice from her base in North Wales

Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn HERE

Links to follow:

Episode 41: ‘6 compelling reasons why LinkedIn is great for therapists’

Episode 42: ‘Why your private practice should NOT be on every social media platform’

It’s my anniversary! Yes, I’ve been working with counsellors and therapists to help grow their practice for 5 years (ok, a bit longer than that, but what’s a few months between friends?). And I’ve come a long way and learned a lot in that time - and am still learning. 

But there are 5 main things I’ve learned about working with counsellors in that time and I talk about them in this episode. 

In this episode we explore:

• The process of learning
• That (sadly) there are no quick fixes
• The importance of being curious
• Why you need to start with the ABC’s
• The pros and cons of change

To be honest, I’ve learned way, way more than 5 things, and this episode could have ended up being hours long!

I’ve had a blast running the Grow Your Private Practice membership. I’d like to thank all the members both past and present for trusting in me, and I’ve really enjoyed hearing about your successes.

I hate when members leave, but when its because they are at capacity, then it makes me a very happy person and I realise all the hard work has been worth it. 

So if you’re fed up of going round in circles, and you’re ready to make real progress, come and join us. CLICK HERE for details and to join

Links to follow

Episode 29, Slow down to speed up: how to increase both your skills and confidence

Episode 45 4 things I’ve learned in 4 years working with therapists

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

Being self-employed and running your own private practice has many many benefits to you. But one of the downsides is the potential insecurity of the ‘feast and famine’ ie busy periods followed by quiet periods. 

So in this week’s podcast, I’ll be exploring this, and sharing how you can protect yourself, your practice and your income. 

In this episode we look at:

• My personal experience of this and the lessons I learned
• Why it happens 
• How to protect yourself
• How protecting yourself might sound counterintuitive
• The not very sexy but highly effective solution

In order to run a successful and sustainable practice, it’s important to take control. And in the next episode, I’ll be sharing a super simple way to take control of your diary so you can make or find the time in order keep a steady stream of new clients to your practice.

Links:

Episode 6: Do you need to be an expert to attract counselling clients 

How do you feel about marketing your practice?

1. Do leap out of bed, grab the notebook you called ‘ideas’ and allow your creativity to come out to play?
2. Or does the thought of ‘selling’ yourself make you break out in a cold sweat?

Ok, they might be a little extreme, but if you identify more with 2 than 1, then we need to talk!

Because I’m going to talk about how you can attract more clients, but not by clever sales tactics, just by helping more people.

How does that sound. Too good to be true?

Well it's not, I and many businesses do it and it’s called content marketing.

So take a listen as I explain what it is and why it's so good for therapists.

Do you write blogs?

Links to follow:

To get your FREE guide to attract more therapy clients by helping instead of selling, click here www.janetravis.co.uk/help

My previous blog, Self-Care for People Pleasers

If you're ready to take the next step to grow your practice, join the Grow Your Private Practice membership HERE and get started today

How do you feel about charging your therapy clients, raising fees or even enforcing boundaries about payment for missed sessions?

I think for many therapists, dealing with the money side of having clients can feel tricky - and I know it was for me.

So if that sounds familiar to you, listen up because in this episode I’m going to share a ridiculously simple change that transformed how I feel about charging clients.

Check out my FREE resources HERE

If you found this episode helpful, remember to subscribe and leave a review. A cheeky 5 stars would be amazing, thank you

Are you ready to stop overthinking and start taking action to grow your practice?

It can be easy to overcomplicate your decision making and start second-guessing yourself.

And the fear of making the wrong choice can leave you in Limbo and stop you from taking action. I’m not sure if this is perfectionism, or a kind of procrastination - probably elements of both - but it’s something that is basically wasting your precious time - time that could be better spent.

In this episode, I’ll help you work through your overthinking with:

• How to sort through your choices and make a decision
• Why it's OK to change your mind
• And learn how to make sure that you’re able to find a way to take action to grow your practice

Take a listen to this episode to learn how to stop overthinking and develop your own decision-making process.  

Grab your free copy of 'Attract more therapy clients by helping not selling' HERE

Join the Grow Your Private Practice membership HERE

Starting in private practice can feel hugely exciting. After all, you've probably been working up to this point for many years. All that training, learning, reading and soul searching has led to this point. 

And now here you are, ready to take action.

But somehow the excitement has transformed and now you feel overwhelmed, intimidated and apprehensive. That tingle of excitement has morphed into more of a 'did I accidentally sit on a bed of stinging nettles' sensation. 

This isn't what you ordered! 

So if any of that sounds familiar, here is my open letter to new counsellors and therapists...

Links

Advice from counsellors for therapists starting in private practice