379: Why I'm Pausing My Private Practice

This is the first episode of 2025, which marks the ten-year milestone for the STC podcast! It’s incredible that, despite my fears and uncertainties, this podcast began as a small dream of mine to use our skill sets beyond the therapy room and learn to build successful businesses. I’ve loved documenting my journey of transitioning from psychologist to online creator, podcaster, and public speaker, and I’m eternally grateful to you, each listener. It is a humbling experience that’s given me way more encouragement in return than I could have ever imagined. This episode is an honest look at my decision in 2024 to return to private practice, which I detailed in a podcast episode and on social media posts. I’m being extremely vulnerable in explaining why I’ve decided to pause my private practice journey for now. It’s tough for any people pleaser like myself to realize that others may be disappointed in my decision, so I want to explain. Join me for this solo episode as I lay out the details. You’ll Learn:The reality is that we don’t build a business in a vacuum, and external factors are always in play.Three significant life events impacting my decision:Susan’s job changes mean more home responsibilities for me.Aging parents–and their need for more consistent careMore church responsibilities in leading a small groupA look at my typical daily scheduleMy commitment to viewing parenting as a privilege–and what that looks like for me as a dadMy simple insights about the totality of life and my next steps:Income is only one part of success.My brain is not wired for the mental load of running two businesses.I’m hitting my “enough” number with STC revenue.Caregiving for our parents is on the horizon, and I have the most flexibility in our family to do this.I’m realizing how I can best leverage what we’ve built with STC to bring the maximum benefit to our field and the world.My big dreams to do good and effect meaningful change to help more peopleResources:Interested in becoming part of our affiliate program? Learn more!Want to launch your online course?Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit for Therapists at https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit.If you are a seasoned therapist who wants to move from clinical to online course income, we have a specific mastermind for you. We meet together to build, grow, and scale our online courses. You can learn more at https://sellingthecouch.com/mastermind.Mentioned in this episode:Try Alma!Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.