Professional and Personal Growth in Private Practice

Joanne, LMFT and a Certified Brainspotting Practitioner, provides online therapy in California for clients experiencing difficult emotions, painful relationships, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and trauma/abuse.

Joanne shared with us her private practice success story since joining Business School Bootcamp for Therapists, and all of the growth in between. She shared with us her insights on getting a blog written in just ten minutes, the link between business growth and personal growth, and how she has used the outcome conversations provided in Bootcamp to enhance her marketing.

Joanne now has a FULL practice with a waitlist, has paid off all of her and her spouse’s student loans, and was able to purchase a home in the silicon valley!

How did you pivot or support your community during Covid-19?: I've been fully virtual since mid-March 2020, and have had increasingly better fits with new clients. About 75% of clients I currently see are those who started with me during COVID-19. Because I am a medium-term therapist, most of my clients graduated within 30-40 sessions with great results, and they've been referring others to me.

Because my practice is full but I keep getting inquiries for therapy, I've been working on creating a lot of online content (blogs, e-course, etc.) to try to keep up with the demand and need for therapy. I've outsourced a lot of my hats to keep up with all that I'm wanting to get done.

Despite all the adjustments, last year was my biggest year yet, and 2021 has started out much healthier than before. I'm leveling up in my business by transitioning into S-Corp and creating passive income.

Your Experience with business school for therapists in one sentence: This program is a STEAL given how much wealth of information and wisdom I can access according to what I'm needing!

How were you feeling before you signed up for business school?: I was spinning my wheels and working hard, but not knowing whether what I'm doing is working. I was chasing all the rabbits, getting distracted by all the shiny objects, and drinking from all the firehoses. The key emotions were OVERWHELM, CONFUSION, FRUSTRATION, and BURNOUT.

What did your private practice look like before business school started?: Only 30% of clients were ideal/great fits, and some of them were total energy sucks. 20% were full-fee clients, and my full fee was very low (and not just because I was prelicensed). I had few client leads and had to work two jobs just to make ends meet. My schedule was like Swiss cheese: many random gaps spread throughout the week that make it difficult for me to do anything else effectively.

How do you feel after Business School Bootcamp for Therapists?: I feel like a KICKA** therapist and business owner! There's still a ton of things I want to do, but rather than feeling overwhelmed and disempowered, I feel super excited, energized, and vibrant! Knowing that the knowledge and know-how I need is sitting in the Bootcamp library, I can focus my attention out of a sense of groundedness rather than frenetic panic and confusion. Because I have Kelly & Miranda's voice in my head, I can tune other voices out with relief and reassurance.

How have your private practice and life changed after business school (processes, clinically, work-life balance, financially)?: My business, practice, and website look, sound, and feel like ME. They feel like my limbs with which I can move freely and attend to what really matters to me.

While working through a lot of the modules and exercises, I've also worked through the head trash and emotional blocks that haunted me for basically my whole life. With steps like learning how to set my fees or to niche down, I've confronted a lot of my insecurities and fears.

Because my business is MUCH healthier than what it was when I first began, I have time left over to PLAY, something that I haven't had much of growing up. It feels awkward because it's new, but I know that I'm going in the right direction for me, not just financially, but in all areas of myself. I feel like Bootcamp gave me permission to DREAM, and DREAM BIG.

What would you say to someone else who is on the fence about joining Business School Bootcamp for Therapists?: Try their free trainings! Those are already golden, and give you an idea of what's available in Bootcamp!

What do you wish you had known about private practice before you started?: Self-employed people need to pay quarterly taxes.