Therapist Clubhouse A Podcast For Private Practice Entrepreneurs With Annie Schuessler

How do you discover the work you’re meant to create? Today’s episode is a master class on how to allow the collective and your spirit to pull you in that direction. Judy Hu created a framework for boundary healing. Then she wrote a bestselling book: The Boundary Revolution: Decolonize Your Relationships and Discover A New Path To Joy. She’s a Licensed Mental Health Counselor turned Boundary Coach based in Massachusetts. You’ll hear the intensely personal and brave process Judy went through to develop and share her work. Here's some of what we talked about: Creating a group program for BIPoC folks around boundaries in summer of 2020 Discovering that work can be fun, exciting and enjoyable Bringing together many lineages to create her method Hiring a social media team to get more visible Losing relationships as she stepped into being unapologetically herself Writing her book and changing the topic halfway through the first draft Why it’s terrifying to launch her book How she’s struggling and growing with the t

I got this question recently from someone getting ready to expand their business to beyond private practice. They want to start offering a non-therapy program within their own business. “Should I create my own program from scratch, or should I just deliver an established method from a well-known person?” For example, although it’s not the example this person gave: Brene Brown’s Dare To Lead method. Here’s my answer without knowing any of the particulars. First of all…nothing is new under the sun. Whatever program you offer will be influenced by your learning lineages and your mentors… So the REAL question is: will you create something new by bringing together many influences, giving them all credit, and blending them in a unique way? OR Will you primarily use one established method from a mentor and jump through the hoops of getting that license or certification or purchasing that curriculum, so that you can use it in its entirety and put their name on it? To figure this out, ask yourself: What is the truest,

Even if you already work with the niche you want to work with in your private practice, you might ALSO love having an innovative signature program as an additional way to serve them. Danika Maddocks is a parent coach who's passionate about supporting parents of gifted and twice-exceptional kids. She's been partnering with bright kids and their families for over a dozen years as a teacher and therapist. You’re going to hear why she created a signature program for twice exceptional kids, and you’ll hear how she grows her business without becoming a full-time marketer. Here's some of what we talked about: Why she wanted to create a group program for parents of twice exceptional kids (kids who are both gifted AND neurodivergent) How she designed her 8-week program Using asynchronous coaching between live calls The simple and effective ways she grows an engaged audience and gets referrals The system she uses to sell her program each time she launches Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/209

“Has it been extra challenging to sell group programs lately?” “How do I figure out what niche to choose and what program to create?” “When is it the right time for Facebook or Instagram ads?” I ran a free and open coaching call recently for everyone in our audience, including podcast listeners, clients, and email subscribers. A record number of folks submitted questions, and I spent over an hour riffing on a bunch of them. We had such a great response from the attendees that I decided to share the entire call recording with you. You’ll hear my answers to the questions above and more, including: My program isn’t selling. Is it priced too high? How do I take a break from my business for a big life circumstance? Is it OK to post or send emails sporadically? Or should I do it consistently or not at all? How much of an expert do I have to be in my topic area? How much of an ROI do you get from social media? Is it a good idea to start a program with a friend? Do I have to get my private practice stable before I st

Can you REALLY make great money running a program that you love and that’s based on what you do best? Rebecca Lee does. And she’s got a year-long waitlist. As a social worker and supervisor for social workers, she felt a pull to create something totally different, something that wouldn’t fit into the box of supervision or therapy or even coaching as we know it. At first, she struggled with giving herself permission to do it. In this episode, you’ll hear how she created something that only she could create and why her family’s farm is part of it. If you’ve wondered if your idea is too out there, this is going to give you a big dose of permission to create your program. Rebecca Lee is a Clinical Supervisor and Eco therapist who works with therapists, wellness professionals and healers to tap into their own rhythm, health and vision so they can create an impactful and joyful professional lives for themselves. Her work is centered around how we can re-connect with our authentic landscape through social justice, a

In the last episode of Rebel Therapist Podcast, talked to Claire Pelletreau about switching roles with her husband so that she’s no longer the default parent. That change made a REALLY big difference in her business. Because she made that change she’s able to take on big projects, and make more money. And that got me thinking about what boundaries help me take on the big stuff that really makes me happy, makes a big impact and sometimes makes my business lots of money. In that exploration I realized that I go through two steps when I’m creating a new boundary: I realize that I need the boundary. I decide I’m going to insist on protecting that boundary. Until I’ve really made the decision that I’m going to insist on the boundary, it’s pretty hopeless. TRYING to hold a boundary before I’ve fully decided doesn’t do it. That’s a half-assed boundary. In this episode I walk through a couple of examples of boundaries I’ve created recently that are helping increase my joy and capacity. Both of these are about final

It’s really fucking hard to be a mother entrepreneur with young kids, especially if you’re the default or primary parent. My guest this week has a robust business and she makes good money. She realized last year that she was afraid to take on big projects in her business because as the primary parent of 2 young kids, she didn’t consistently have the capacity she’d need to carry them through. She and her husband decided to switch roles. In this conversation she talks about what’s changed since they made that switch. We also talk about how we each navigate the complicated and ever changing terrain of co-parenting and doing life with our spouses. Claire Pelletreau is a Facebook and Instagram ads expert and conversion optimization expert. Her mission is to actually help people see a return on the money they’re putting into the Zuckerberg machine without the expensive help of an outside ad consultant. Claire is also the host of The Get Paid Podcast where she asks her guests everything about their businesses, inclu

  I used to ask every podcast guest: “What productivity or time management hacks do you use as an entrepreneur?” I’ve stopped asking that. I’m no longer lit up by trying to make my habits atomic or maximize my time. The work of Tricia Hersey, Ebony Janice Moore, Tara McMullin and others has helped me (along with everyone I know) to question whether productivity is the measure to focus on and strive for. We’re here to heal, play, love and rest and BE, and when we do more of those things, we make it more possible to create the world we want. When we’re talking about running a small business, which is my lane, I find that to create something new like a new business or a new program, we need something different than productivity or time management. We need to nurture our creative energy. How do I know time management and productivity alone are not the answer? When suddenly given a huge amount of time, we don’t usually make as much progress as we had hoped to. We might use that time scrolling or spinning our wheel

Show Notes: I love to help you make more money. AND…For some of you, the biggest reasons you have for creating your own signature programs are not financial. You want to create programs to tap into your purpose, to express your love for your communities, to experience and share joy, to resist oppressive forces, and on and on. Our guest created a program for his community because he loves his community. Dr. Damon Constantinides is a trans and queer sex coach, trainer, and writer offering services nationally. He is trained as a clinical social worker, sex therapist, and sexuality educator. He created The Trans Masc Sexual Pleasure Group Coaching Program and he’s recently launched the second cohort. In this conversation he shares how he created the program, how he brings in participants, and how he’s finding the energy and time to make it all happen in addition to running his private practice. Here's some of what we talked about: Why creating this program was a reaction to attacks on trans folks Unhooking his e

Everyone is scared to launch their first program. Someone asked recently: what if I’m REALLY scared to launch my program. Like…what if there are powerful individuals and structures out there who might want to do me harm? What if putting myself out there associated with this work might actually be dangerous to me or my family? GREAT question. Let’s agree NOT to give it the usual online marketing answer: “Just do the mindset work.” This visibility stuff comes up for ALL of us. I have it. Everyone I’ve ever worked with has had work come up around their childhood, their upper limits, self esteem, or imposter syndrome. We all need and deserve to do some important work around getting visible, using our voices, and taking up space. AND…it’s gaslighting to say it’s the same for everyone. When you are deciding to get more visible and you’ve got a marginalized identity or you’re sharing messages that oppose our power structures, your visibility work is not just about getting out of your own way. For example, if you’re

You ever wonder what's going on with the personal finances of entrepreneurs? Like are they all just born wealthy? How are they taking these risks and making these investments to grow these businesses? My guest today is going to tell you how in a one year period she was able to clear $25,000 of credit card debt and save $55,000 for a house. She’s gonna really get into the nitty gritty of it. And no, she didn't grow up wealthy. Meet Podge Thomas, a Notion Consultant and People Ops Specialist. She works with small business owners to build operational infrastructure through the lens of liberation and justice. One of the businesses she has helped a ton is Rebel Therapist and I am proud to call Podge a friend. Here's some of what we talked about: Podge’s history of spending money as soon as she had it Identifying the ways she was getting in the way of her goals Finding a path forward financially with her wife Investing in working with a financial coach Growing up without money Unhooking her ability to spend money

I mentioned in episode 196: 332K Of Revenue With Over 2 Months Off that I’ve been engaging in some profound trauma healing, and that’s changed the way I experience my business. I’ve heard from many of you that you’d like to hear more. This episode is all about how trauma healing has been changing just about everything about how I experience my work. Although I avoid binaries, I talk about the difference between the old Annie (less healed) and the new Annie (more healed). A few highlights: I’ve stopped trying to manage/control my participants’ experiences as a way to feel safe. I still get anxious in moments, but I no longer identify myself as a constantly anxious person. I’m more straightforward with my participants and tell them the truth about what I see in their businesses right away. (And they can handle it!) I’m more patient with the process my participants go through as they build their businesses. I embrace the beautiful nuance you each bring to your work. I’m asking for help when I’m struggling, rath

You want to run a group program? One common question from my participants is: “What skills do I need to learn in order to facilitate a group really well?” I’ve got someone here on the pod to share her unique process of leading large groups in an expansive, liberated and trauma informed way. Introducing Tracy Gantlin-Monroy. Tracy Gantlin Monroy is a licensed professional counselor and resident therapist at Grace Community Counseling & Social Services in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a brain-wise, body therapist passionate about trauma healing. Tracy is the first Black female Brainspotting trainer in the world having been mentored by Dr. David Grand, founder & Developer of Brainspotting. Tracy also runs healing retreats for Black women. Her attendees call Tracy engaging, loving and caring, and they talk about feeling safe in her groups even when they don’t USUALLY feel safe in groups. You’re about to hear how she does it. You’ll hear how she prepares for trainings, holds people as an empath, and teaches at

I got a message from one of the grads of Create Your Program recently saying that she was in the middle of launching her program. She said that launching was both a soul expanding and soul draining experience. I want to talk about some ways to protect and take care of your soul while you’re launching your program. First I’ll define “launch”: The time when registration is open for a time limited with a deadline, and the things you do to promote your program during that time. When we’re launching, we’re opening ourselves up to a lot of different feelings and voices, both internal and external. Some of these feelings and voices can be really painful. Scarcity, shame, and fear can come in. We might have thoughts like : ”Who am I to offer this?” “What if no one signs up?” “I’m annoying people.” Some of these feelings and voices are exciting. You might feel joy that you’re offering a wonderful program, and excitement that people are asking questions and signing up. You might have fun talking about your program and

Heidi Savell is a therapist and polyamory coach. She helps those newish to polyamory find more steadiness and fulfillment in their relationships. You’re about to hear about the business she’s created beyond her therapy practice, how she built it and why she loves running her program. Heidi’s giving us a masterclass on using Tiktok and Instagram to move the needle on your business. She gets 40-80 people per month from Tiktok and IG over to her email list. 10 out of 12 of her last participants came from those platforms. You’ll hear exactly how she’s created those referrals. As Heidi points out, she is not working to become an influencer, and her main goal is NOT to grow her Tiktok or IG following. Rather, she’s an educator, and she uses these social media platforms to help people and to grow her business. Her primary work happens in her program, not on social media. You’ll hear Heidi and I talk about why I use social media very little and she uses it quite a lot but how we are running similar businesses in a fu

This episode is all about my 2022 year in review in my business. I needed a minute to reflect and prepare this for you, hence the March release date. Listen right here if you like, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Some highlights. My gross revenue for 2022 was just shy of 332,000 That’s my biggest year yet, 78,000 over 2021. I took a 2 month sabbatical as well as several other weeks off throughout the year. And my biggest highlight: WAY less hypervigilance thanks to trauma healing! It turns out I was living in hypervigilance while doing a decent impression of a calm person. I didn’t know this because I didn’t have anything to compare my feeling state to. I just thought that was how I was. I might talk more in upcoming episodes about the way trauma had been impacting my work and my business and how healing is changing my work and my business. For now I’ll say, I’m in a really different spot! Work feels easier and more joyful. I’m less worried about how everyone is doing every moment. And whether I’m di

Want to start a membership community? Have you thought about creating a paid community about a topic you care deeply about? I’m glad you’re here. My guest this week founded and runs a membership for Trauma Therapists called Trauma Therapist Network. You’ll hear an honest break down of exactly how she created it, how the membership works, how she brings in new members, and what you need to have in place before you consider starting a membership community of your own. Laura Reagan, LCSW-C is an integrative trauma therapist, group practice owner, podcaster, consultant and coach. In 2021 she founded Trauma Therapist Network, a membership community where trauma therapists can gather for support while building their therapy skills. She hosts Therapy Chat and Trauma Chat podcasts and lives in Maryland with her husband, 2 dogs and a cat. Here's some of what we talked about: How the Trauma Therapist Network was born Hiring people to set up the website Changing the primary focus from therapist directory to supportive

You hear me talk a lot about metrics like gross revenue, hours, number of participants, audience size, and other measurable things. These metrics matter because I want you to make great money and help even more people. Another metric we need to pay attention to is your joy metric.  On our pod in episode 148 , Thea Monyee talked about making business decisions based on what brings joy to her and her team. One way to bring joy to your business is to set up your signature program in a way that delights you. As you create an amazing program in which you serve the people you most want to serve and use the methods you really want to use, you’ve got an opportunity to create something that delights and liberates you. You can lean into your superpowers and step away from doing things that drain you. You can ask yourself: What would delight me? And yet it’s too easy to create a program we think people are expecting, based on what we’ve seen before. It’s WAY too easy to create something we don’t really love. We’re so us

Some of us fit right into the middle of our own niches. We have created the programs we really needed ourselves. That would definitely describe me, and it describes this week’s guest. My guest this week is someone who created a totally unique and expansive program for women with ADHD. Liz Adams is a neuropsychologist specializing in ADHD. She is also a woman with ADHD. Liz has a huge passion for empowering women with ADHD, and she's excited to bring her novel approach out into the world! Here's some of what we talked about: Providing over 28 neuropsychological evaluations each month Discovering that she wanted to create a program for women with ADHD to truly fall in love with their brains and their particular strengths Working through fears and getting more and more vocal about being a person with ADHD Reframing ADHD as a mismatch between a person’s gifts and their environment Creating her 6-week small-group program for women with ADHD Why she mails a paper copy of the guidebook to each participant rather th

Here’s the question I answered from a listener I’ll call Susan: I pretty much constantly have a full caseload. I know that staying full and seeing this many people is burning me out. How do I find time to build a program with a full caseload? I'm really struggling on how to shift slowly out of private practice and into something more sustainable for my own mental health, while also being financially stable. I love my clients but it's exhausting. I hate telling people no, but I'm maxed out and turning multiple people away every week. I've spent the last couple weeks setting schedule boundaries of when I am and am not seeing clients. Here's some of what I talked about in my answer: Get clear on why you want to create a signature program. If you love your reason, it’s time to take action sooner rather than later. Evaluate your capacity to do this including money, time, energy, health, support and other areas. If you don’t have the capacity to start your program, look at some ways to build your capacity. Break t