Craft Your Practice Method

There is a real shift in private practice that catches people off guard: the move from building your practice to running it. Somewhere around the end of year one or the start of year two, the practice starts to run itself. The energy changes, and new questions come up. In this episode I walk through what actually changes when a practice moves into the running phase: - How to recognize the signs that you've made the transition - The decisions this phase brings up: when to raise your fee, when to drop an insurance panel, when to hire help - Why systems become non-negotiable in year two, and why your own energy will not be enough on its own - The deeper questions about what kind of practice you actually want to build If you're in the disorienting middle of this shift, this episode will help you name what you're feeling and move and through it with intention. If you're still in the building phase, take it as a preview of what's coming and a nudge to think long-term. For clinicians who want to lay the right foundation from day one, craftyourpractice.com/start has free resources and an invitation to the Private Practice Foundations program. An honest look at the mid-stage transition most clinicians go through alone, with a clearer roadmap for the part that comes next.

The hardest place in private practice is the one where you have done everything you were told to do and the calendar still has too much white space in it. This episode gives a real diagnostic on the four most common reasons a practice stalls: fee misalignment, niche problems, low visibility, and a leaking intake process. The goal is to help you figure out which one is actually happening in your case and what to do about it. Resources mentioned in this episode: Private Practice Foundations, Your First 90 Days in Private Practice → craftyourpractice.com/launch Headway, Get credentialed and start seeing insurance clients → craftyourpractice.com/headway Upheal, AI-native EHR built for private practice → craftyourpractice.com/upheal SimplePractice, EHR with scheduling, intake, and client portal → craftyourpractice.com/simplepractice Craft Your Practice: A Guide to Building a Personalized Private Practice, Lisa Reidsema → craftyourpractice.com/books Some links in these show notes are affiliate links. A commission may be earned if you sign up through these links, at no extra cost to you. Only tools that have been personally evaluated are recommended here.

Most therapists do not hate marketing. They hate a particular version of it, the performance-based version that asks them to violate the way they were trained to show up as clinicians. This episode pulls apart what marketing actually is, what findable looks like for a therapist, and the quieter versions of visibility that work over time without requiring you to become someone you are not. Resources: Private Practice Foundations, Your First 90 Days in Private Practice → craftyourpractice.com/launch Headway, Get credentialed and start seeing insurance clients → craftyourpractice.com/headway Psychology Today Therapist Directory → psychologytoday.com Craft Your Practice: A Guide to Building a Personalized Private Practice, Lisa Reidsema → craftyourpractice.com/books Some links in these show notes are affiliate links. A commission may be earned if you sign up through these links, at no extra cost to you. Only tools that have been personally evaluated are recommended here. YouTube Ep 15, Marketing When You Hate Marketing: https://youtu.be/sMiNvLPpLig?si=ebdY7OmsUSsONhL9

Referrals do not come from algorithms. They come from relationships built over time with people who trust your work and think of you when someone in their world needs what you do. In this episode, Lisa Reidsema breaks down how referral networks actually work, who belongs in yours beyond other therapists, and why your reputation is the most durable marketing tool a private practice clinician has. Topics covered: primary care physicians, school counselors, attorneys, and the less obvious referral sources most therapists overlook. Why niche specificity drives referrals. Why community is not optional for long-term practice health. And why the long game is slower than most people want to hear but also more reliable. This episode pairs with YouTube Episode 14: The Long Game: Building a Referral Network That Compounds Over Time. Resources: Private Practice Foundations: craftyourpractice.com/launch

Nobody explained billing to you in grad school. This episode covers how insurance reimbursement actually works in private practice, contracted rates, credentialing timelines, superbills, denial management, and what nobody prepares you for when you're running it yourself. Plus, the questions to ask before you decide which billing model fits your practice. Resources: Private Practice Foundations, Your First 90 Days in Private Practice → craftyourpractice.com/launch Credentialing Accelerator → craftyourpractice.com/accelerator Craft Your Practice: Credentialing, Insurance, and Getting Paid, Lisa Reidsema → craftyourpractice.com/books  

The consultation call, intake process, first session, and ongoing structure aren’t just administrative steps; they shape the entire experience of therapy. In this episode, we walk through the client journey from first contact through the early stages of care and what it actually looks like to build a practice that runs predictably and consistently. This phase is where clinical work and practice structure meet and where a lot of newer therapists get lost.

Your policies are not administrative formalities. They're clinical tools that shape the therapeutic container before the first session starts. This episode covers the three policies that matter most in early private practice, why documentation needs to be a system rather than a task, and the real connection between administrative disorganization and burnout. Resources mentioned: - Systems That Simplify course: https://www.craftyourpractice.com/courses - Craft Your Practice Companion Workbook: https://a.co/d/0d0AcTr2 - YouTube Ep 10, Policies That Protect You: coming soon: http://www.youtube.com/@CraftYourPractice - YouTube Ep 12, Documentation That Doesn't Eat Your Evenings: coming soon

Why does saying your fee feel like a bigger moment than it needs to be? In this episode, Lisa goes into the conversation underneath the number, the beliefs about worth, access, and what money “means” as a therapist. She walks through the worth trap, explains why a sliding scale without a policy creates problems, and describes what it actually sounds like to state your rate without apologizing for it. This is the emotional side of the fee conversation and how to start separating it from the math. Resources mentioned: Private Pay Transition course: https://lessons.craftyourpractice.com/lis_maya-kajabi-sales-page-template_2-5-5-32c3f0d4-74a1-4579-923e-a0ae1e7507d4 Craft Your Practice: Credentialing, Insurance, and Getting Paid: https://a.co/d/3nBl7kj

There are moments in therapy where you genuinely don’t know what to say. The client is looking at you. The silence stretches. And your mind starts scanning for the right question, the right intervention, something to fill the space. It’s uncomfortable. And it’s easy to assume it means you’re doing something wrong. In this episode, I’m walking you through what’s actually happening in those moments, why they feel so destabilizing, and how to stay present without rushing to perform or fix. We talk about: Why not knowing what to say triggers self-doubt What’s happening clinically in those moments How to respond without forcing an intervention And how real confidence in therapy actually builds over time This isn’t about having the perfect response. It’s about learning to trust yourself when you don’t. If you want more structure for building confidence in session and in your practice, start here: https://www.craftyourpractice.com/start

If you’ve ever sat in your office wondering where your next client is going to come from, you’re not alone. Many therapists assume referrals will happen naturally if they do good work and create a solid online presence. But the reality is that referrals don’t happen by accident; they happen because specific conditions are in place. In this episode, Lisa Reidsema breaks down the real mechanics behind referral-based private practices. You’ll learn why strong clinical work alone isn’t enough, where most referrals actually originate, and how to build professional relationships that lead to consistent client referrals without feeling salesy or transactional. This episode covers: • The biggest myth therapists believe about referrals • Why visibility and specificity matter more than most people realize • The five most common sources of referrals for private practices • How to build professional relationships that generate consistent referrals • The three mistakes that quietly sabotage referral networks If you want to build a private practice that fills through professional relationships and trusted referrals, this episode will show you how the process actually works. Start with the Private Practice Starter Kit: https://www.craftyourpractice.com/start

Let’s talk about money. Not the theoretical version of money where we all agree therapists deserve to be paid well. The real version, where you’re sitting across from a potential client, they ask what you charge, and you feel your throat tighten before you say the number. Or worse, you say the number, and then immediately offer a discount before they even ask. Most therapists aren’t underpaid because the market won’t support higher rates. They’re underpaid because somewhere along the way, they started believing their work wasn’t worth what it actually costs to do it in a way that holds up. In this episode, we’re talking about why you’re worth more than you’re charging, how to set a rate that supports your life, and how to say that number out loud without apologizing. This isn’t about getting rich. It’s about not breaking yourself while you help other people. If you’re early in private practice and you want the full roadmap, what to do first, what comes next, and what doesn’t matter yet, start with the Private Practice Starter Kit. You can get it at: https://craftyourpractice.com/start

Finding and owning your specialty is one of the shifts that quietly changes everything about how your practice feels. In this episode, Lisa explores what happens when your work stops feeling scattered and starts to organize itself around what’s already working. Early in practice, most clinicians keep their scope broad out of fear,  fear of missing opportunities, fear of limiting themselves, fear of not being “ready” yet. That stage isn’t wrong, but it can become overwhelming when everything feels equally demanding and nothing feels anchored. Lisa shares how specialties actually form  not through invention or branding exercises, but through noticing patterns in your sessions, your energy, and your outcomes. Certain clients feel easier to hold. Certain conversations feel more natural. Certain results repeat themselves. A specialty emerges when you name what’s already true about your work instead of trying to create something new. You’ll hear why owning your specialty doesn’t limit your practice but gives it a center, one that sharpens confidence, steadies your presence, improves referrals, and makes decision-making simpler across your business. Lisa also walks through the elements that come together when a specialty clicks: values, expertise, audience, and offer, and why this focus is more about assimilation than marketing. This episode is for clinicians who feel capable but overextended, skilled but scattered, and ready for their work to feel more intentional and coherent. Private Practice Foundations: Your First 90 Days in Private Practice begins exactly here. We start with specialty, then build focus, sequencing, systems, and decisions in the right order. The next cohort begins February 16. Learn more at craftyourpractice.com. Thank you for listening to The Craft Your Practice Method Podcast. I’m Lisa Reidsema, reminding you that therapy is your art, and your business is your craft.

Your first three months in private practice set the tone for your entire business. In this episode, Lisa Reidsema, LMHC, walks through a clear 90-day framework: first establishing your foundation, then building systems, and finally beginning visibility and referral efforts. This episode is perfect for therapists who are launching or relaunching their practices and want to move with intention instead of overwhelm. Key Takeaways Days 1 to 30: focus on business basics, policies, and creating a schedule that fits your life. Days 31 to 60: Build systems for intake, notes, billing, and communication. Days 61 to 90: start gentle visibility, a clear niche, referrals, and consistent showing up. Resources Mentioned Private Practice Foundations: Your First 90 Days in Private Practice Craft Your Practice: Building a Personalized Private Practice Next Steps This episode gives you the overview. If you want the step-by-step implementation , with scripts, schedules, and templates, enroll in Private Practice Foundations. You can find all podcast episodes and upcoming trainings at https://craftyourpractice.com/podcast.

About This Episode In this episode, we’re going back to the foundation, what it really means to craft a private practice with intention. You’ll learn how to shift from clinician to business owner, identify your core systems, and start building structure that supports your freedom as a therapist. Key Takeaways Private practice success starts with mindset, not marketing. Systems create freedom, not restriction. Structure is what keeps the work from consuming you. Resources Mentioned Craft Your Practice: Building a Personalized Private Practice Private Practice Foundations: Your First 90 Days in Private Practice Reflection Prompts What does “freedom through structure” mean for your practice? Which of the five foundational pillars feels strongest for you right now? What’s one system you could create this week to make your work easier? Next Steps If this episode resonated with you, explore the Private Practice Foundations course, it walks you through your first 90 days step-by-step. Find all episodes, worksheets, and upcoming events at https://craftyourpractice.com/podcast.