The AAMFT Blog

Hiring for Group Practice

This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy.

We recently received a question from a group practice owner in practice since 2013. They are known in their community as one of the top private practices in their county and in the past never had an issue with finding and retaining great clinicians. Yet recently they have noticed a change in the landscape for employment options for therapists and they asked “Since you are in the of the ‘business’ of mental health, am I the only one seeing this or are other brick and mortar therapy offices struggling as well? I fear that if places like mine go out of business what will there be for therapists to return to if they tire of the online platforms?”

Many years ago, therapists who wanted to work in private practice settings had the option of either starting a private practice themselves or joining one. Fast forward to today where therapists can now work for online mental health tech companies, creating a work-from-home option usually as a contractor but sometimes as a W2 employee. To acquire therapist labor, they offer sign-on bonuses, promises of providing clients and working as little or as much as you would like, and do some of the administrative work of being on insurance panels.

So now that there are more options than ever before, how do you as a group practice owner stand out, hire and retain great staff so you can continue to provide great clinical outcomes to your clients?

First, we want to say that this group practice owner is not alone. Many group practice owners have found hiring to be more challenging because of the landscape of multiple options for clinicians. We want you, the group practice owner to be more agile so you can continue serving your community, clients, and staff. Being a group practice that offers clients to a clinician is no longer enough of a draw for hiring. Let’s look at what you want to be clear about when showing what you offer to potential new hires so you can create a private practice that truly thrives.

Stand out In WHO you serve

Many tech companies take a serve-all approach. We believe that group practices that serve within their scope and expertise, will find they get better clinical outcomes, reduce the burnout of their staff, and be known for the good work they do. Group practices that stand out in who they serve have not only a great benefit to the client but also to the clinician.

The focus on who you serve will influence trainings, supervision, and overall culture of the group practice. For example, one of our coaching clients is highly specialized in divorce and mediation. They focus on hiring therapists interested in working with couples and those who want to gain special training in divorce and mediation. Their therapists benefit from the specialization and can really hone their skills in this area.

Stand out in HOW you serve

Some group practices choose to stand out in how they serve their communities. Again, this is a benefit to the clinicians they hire because the clinicians get a more specialized approach in their supervision and trainings. We know of practices that focus exclusively on IFS or EMDR. You appeal to clinicians who want to really develop their skills with the modalities that are of focus in the group practice. Other options for clinicians don’t typically offer this kind of focus. They provide the clients, but not necessarily expert case consultation or training.

Stand out in WHAT you offer to your staff

To run a group practice, you need to pay your staff well. As one of the lowest-paid master's degrees, group practice owners have an opportunity to shift the narrative and value their staff’s well-being. When you take care of your clinicians, you are also taking care of their clients. We would much rather see a well-rested, low-stressed therapist than one that is overrun with clients and burning out.

So, what are some things to consider offering clinicians who you want to hire beyond just paying them? Let us help you stand out even more as the best option for therapists when it comes to choosing their private practice setting options.

Health Insurance - This is beyond what many tech employers offer clinicians, but it is necessary for your clinician’s well-being that they have access to health care.

W2 vs 1099 - By the federal definition of what constitutes a 1099, it is very rare that group practices can hire a 1099. If you do hire a 1099 contractor, you are outsourcing your business to another business. What does this mean for you? It means you have no say in how the therapist provides treatment. You cannot provide anything for them to do their job either, think about laptops or office space. As a 1099 contractor, the therapist is responsible for using their own resources to take on the work you provide. But with a W2 you do have more control, and not in a sense of abusing power, but to work together to create better clinical outcomes for clients. W2 status protects the therapist with labor laws and is in that therapist’s best interest.

Vacation & PTO - We all need breaks, but often if you are a therapist, taking a break means you don’t get paid. If you aren’t saving up for vacation or sick leave, it can be financially disastrous for many. This is why so many therapists never take time off even though that leads to massive burnout. As the group practice owner, you can support your staff by setting aside part of their pay for vacation and sick leave. It can be such a relief for clinicians to not have to worry about how they will cover this expense. This means your clinicians are more likely to take time off and your clients benefit too, because again, we love a well-rested therapist.

Supervision and Training - In other private practice settings you will not find this offered to clinicians. Clinicians are expected to seek out these things on their own. Value your knowledge and the collective knowledge of your team by offering supervision and training. Not only does this improve clinical outcomes, but it can improve group practice culture, clinician confidence, and satisfaction as well.

As a group practice owner, you aren’t here to create a practice that just churns people through the therapy door. You genuinely care about the outcomes of the clients and the satisfaction and joy of your clinicians. It may take some financial planning and support, but standing out from other options is your best bet to attract the right kind of clinicians who value the work that you do.

Need more support on your group practice? Check out our free training library where we have training exclusively on group practice financials.

National Hispanic Heritage Month: Embracing Diversity in Marriage and Family Therapy

Written By Julian Crespo, Ph.D., LMFT. 

As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, it's impossible not to reflect on the rich multiplicity of Hispanic cultures. This annual observance provides marriage and family therapists an opportunity to consider the profound influence of Hispanic heritage on our field and society as a whole.

The Hispanic community defies simple categorization. It's a composite of cultures, traditions, and identities shaped by centuries of mestizaje – the blending of Indigenous, European, African, and other ancestries. This intricate history has fostered a wide array of perspectives on individual and family identity formation. Some Hispanic families celebrate their indigenous roots as a cornerstone of their identity, while others may emphasize their European heritage. Many embrace a fluid, multifaceted identity that honors all aspects of their lineage.

For marriage and family therapists, this diversity within Hispanic cultures is a wellspring of insight. It underscores the need for tailored approaches to therapy, even among seemingly similar cultural groups. Each family brings to the therapeutic space its unique historical narrative, cultural values, and identity constructs. Additionally, the multifaceted nature of Hispanic populations can significantly enrich and foster inclusivity in the United States. As therapists, we can draw valuable lessons from how Hispanic cultures have navigated complex identities and histories. This knowledge can shape our approach to working with all clients, helping us develop more inclusive and culturally responsive therapeutic practices.

Many Hispanic cultures, for instance, place great importance on strong family bonds, respect for elders, and collective decision-making. These values offer fresh perspectives that contrast with more individualistic approaches. By integrating these diverse worldviews, we can broaden our therapeutic toolkit and better serve a wider spectrum of clients.

Furthermore, the richness and complexities of Hispanic cultures can inform and nurture marriage and family therapy practices to adopt a critical stance. They push us to examine our assumptions and biases, encouraging us to create epistemological spaces where the profession can grow in multiple directions.

Take, for example, the concept of familismo – the strong identification and attachment to nuclear and extended family – prevalent in many Hispanic cultures. This concept prompts us to reconsider our understanding of family systems, encouraging us to look beyond the nuclear family and consider the roles of extended family members and close friends who may be considered family.

Similarly, the diverse spiritual and religious practices within Hispanic cultures can expand our approach to addressing spirituality in therapy. From indigenous spiritual practices to syncretic religions like Santería, these varied belief systems remind us of the many paths people take to find meaning and healing.

The linguistic diversity within Hispanic communities offers another valuable lesson. It highlights the importance of not just literal translation, but cultural interpretation in therapy. This insight can inspire us to be more attentive to the nuances of language and communication in all our therapeutic interactions. 

As we mark National Hispanic Heritage Month, let's embrace these lessons from Hispanic cultures. Let's use this richness and complexity to foster more inclusive, culturally responsive, and critically reflective marriage and family therapy practices. In doing so, we not only better serve our Hispanic clients but also enrich our field as a whole, creating space for multiple perspectives and approaches.

National Hispanic Heritage Month serves as a powerful reminder of the invaluable contributions Hispanic cultures make to our society and our field. It challenges us to continuously expand our understanding, question our assumptions, and strive for truly inclusive and effective therapeutic practices. In honoring Hispanic heritage, we also honor the diversity of human experience and the myriad ways families and individuals construct their identities and relationships.

The Private Pay Private Practice

This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy.

The landscape of private practice has evolved rapidly since we have been coaching since 2010. We now have tech companies and directories that therapists can work for, online therapy software and companies, laws shifting for providing therapy across state lines, insurance companies that are changing how they do billing and so much more. Yet, even with these changes, the options for structuring your private practice remain to be - private pay, insurance-based, and hybrid.

Private pay practices have a cash fee and do not involve third-party payors in their practice at all. They may provide a superbill, but it is up to the client if they allow a third-party payor’s involvement. Insurance-based practices that exclusively take insurance are often working with billing companies or software to communicate with third-party payors. With many tech companies showing up in the therapy space, some of them are supporting these billing processes, negotiating fees, and managing the claw backs. Lastly, a hybrid practice is one that has a combination of both private pay and insurance provider involvement.

Is one of these options better than the other? Not necessarily. The key is choosing a structure that is profitable and sustainable for you. Profitable meaning that it provides a decent living wage for you and anyone you hire. Sustainable meaning that you can do business without it negatively impacting you, your clients, and your community. You want to look at doing this work in a way that allows for excellent outcomes, ethical practice and that doesn’t burn you out physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

There is no moral high ground for taking insurance. The variance from therapist to therapist shows us that not one single private practice is the same. We all have different circumstances and privileges at play when determining our private practice structure. What is most ethical is to choose that which is best for the client and for the therapist.

That said, many cannot afford to take insurance exclusively or in a hybrid model. If you have longed to be independent, not involving insurance companies in the therapeutic relationship, we want to explore how to make your private pay practice a possibility.

Pillar 1:  Solid Systems for Private Pay

It’s time to ditch the hustle culture and really look at how many hours you can healthily give to your business, beyond your direct client work. Working nonstop is not what will get you a private pay practice. First start with honoring your energy and time and give to the practice what is sustainable for you. Having systems in place is what will help you find flow in working in your private pay practice. Some of the key systems every private pay practice needs are a consultation and onboarding process, financial plan, business plan, marketing systems, and self-care systems. All of these systems work together to make private pay more easeful in your practice.

Loss, Grief, and Resilience: Finding Light Through the Darkness

 

By Froma Walsh, PhD

Professor Emerita, University of Chicago

and Co-Director, Chicago Center for Family Health 

 

National Grief Awareness Day, on August 30th, 2024, is intended to raise awareness and support for the experience of grief.  In these turbulent times, families have suffered devastating losses of loved ones, from the anguish of Covid-related deaths to gun violence, drug overdose, suicide, environmental disasters, and war. More attention is urgently needed in MFT training and practice to help the bereaved to heal and forge pathways ahead to live and love fully beyond loss.   

 

Attending to Death and Loss: The Shared Human Experience 

Of all life experiences, death and loss pose the most painful and far-reaching challenges for surviving loved ones. Yet, in our American cultural aversion to facing death, the profound impact of loss is minimized. Many are isolated in their grief, lacking vital connection, understanding, and support. Recovery is hindered by workplace demands, lack of paid bereavement leave, financial duress, and barriers to resources that disproportionately affect racial/ethnic minorities and other marginalized communities. In our ethos of “the rugged individual” and faulty notions of resilience, the bereaved are often urged to quickly gain “closure,” "bounce back," and move on, and are advised to "keep strong" and count their blessings. Caring spouses, family, and friends who are uncomfortable and unsure of what to say or do may withdraw over time. Too often, grief is unacknowledged or minimized, as in pregnancy loss or the death of a cherished pet. Covid-related losses may be suppressed by the understandable wishes to put the pandemic behind us (Walsh, 2020; 2023).   

Attending to death and loss is challenging for therapists, as well. We may feel uncomfortable, unsure of what to do, or even helpless: death is not a problem to solve. In meeting with a couple after their baby's death, the father said: "I don't know why we're here--what can you do? You can't bring back our child!"    

In our personal lives, we all face painful losses, our own mortality, and family legacies of loss that may constrain our engagement with the bereaved. Yet, by attending to our own losses, our common humanity can enrich our work with those in distress.  

 

Death and Loss:  A Hole in the Heart of the Family 

In the mental health field, most grief treatment models focus narrowly on reducing individual symptoms. The DSM diagnosis of Prolonged Grief Disorder can pathologize diverse experiences. A systemic practice approach is vital to humanize our understanding and expand our attention to influences in family and social contexts in suffering and healing. We address the impact of loss in couple bonds, among siblings, and in the family system, affecting all members, their relationships, and family functioning. Stressful adaptational challenges --as with the loss of a caregiver or breadwinner--compound distress. Rippling through kinship networks, loss touches many lives with immediate and long-term ramifications. Couples and family bonds can be broken, hopes and dreams are shattered. Submerged pain of overwhelming loss can surface years later in problems in life pursuits or other relationships, which may bring people to therapy.    

 

Resilience-Oriented, Systemic Practice with Loss and Grief 

Over my career, from early collaboration with Monica McGoldrick, my specialization in clinical training and practice has been the development of a resilience-oriented systemic approach with complicated loss (Walsh, 2023). At the core is the conviction that distressed couple and family processes can be strengthened to support healing and positive adaptation for all members and their bonds.  

Best practices in understanding and helping bereaved clients are informed by early family systems studies and a growing body of grief research: 

• Mourning and adaptation are varied and complex processes over time. There is no right way to grieve, no timetable, and no fixed sequence of stages to complete resolution. 

• Attention oscillates between grieving and addressing adaptive challenges.  

• We heal through our grief, not by getting over it.  

• People die; relationships don't die. Adaptation is facilitated not by detaching but by transforming attachments into continuing bonds through spiritual connections, rituals, memories, stories, and deeds.  

A resilience-oriented systemic approach applies core principles and methods of strength-based, collaborative practice (Walsh, 2023). Therapists provide a safe haven and compassionate listening and inquiry to understand both the shared and unique experiences of loss. We depathologize and humanize grief processes and support the inherent human capacity for resilience, helping those who are struggling to cope, to adapt, and to thrive. We facilitate--or repair--vital connections and communication to strengthen kin and social support, mobilize community and larger systemic/institutional supports, and tap cultural, and spiritual resources. In complex and traumatic loss situations, we attend to conflictual or estranged relational dynamics and to deep concerns that complicate grief. When working primarily with individuals, we may employ coaching methods or flexibly combine couple or family sessions, group formats, and community rituals and collaborative action in situations of collective trauma and loss. Applying the research-informed Family Resilience Framework (Walsh, 2016), we strengthen key relational processes--shared beliefs and practices-- that facilitate resilience. We highlight the power of connection, meaning-making, hope, and transformation for individuals, families, and their communities to heal from unbearable loss and go forward to thrive.  

Walsh, F. (2023) Complex and Traumatic Loss: Fostering healing and resilience. New York: Guilford Press. www.guilford.com/p/walsh6 

Walsh, F. (2020). Loss and resilience in the time of COVID-19: Meaning-making, hope, and transcendence. Family Process, 59(3), 898-911. doi: 10.1111/famp.12588   

Walsh, F. (2016). Strengthening family resilience. New York: Guilford Press. 

 

Chronic Stress Responses in People of the Global Majority: Exploring Somatic Therapy Interventions and Modern Clinical Approaches

 

By Octavia Neal, LMFT 
Treasurer-MFT’s Working In Trauma 

 

Chronic stress is a pervasive issue that affects diverse populations, but people of the global majority—a term used to describe those from historically marginalized racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds—often experience unique stressors that exacerbate their mental and physical health challenges. Understanding these chronic stress responses and exploring effective interventions, such as somatic therapy and modern clinical approaches, is crucial for improving the well-being of these communities. 

 

Key Definition: People of the Global Majority 

People of the Global Majority refers to those racial and ethnic groups that are numerically dominant worldwide but are often marginalized in societies where they represent a minority. This term emphasizes that, globally, people of color form the majority, challenging the notion that they are outliers or minorities. The concept seeks to shift the perspective from a deficit-based to a majority-based framework, recognizing the systemic challenges faced by these groups as a result of historical and ongoing inequities (Sims, 2020). 

 

Chronic Stress in People of the Global Majority 

Chronic stress is the continuous activation of the body's stress response system due to persistent external or internal stressors, which can lead to long-term health consequences such as cardiovascular disease, weakened immune function, and mental health disorders (American Psychological Association, 2021). 

Causes and Examples: 

• Socioeconomic Inequality: Persistent economic disparities often impact People of the Global Majority, leading to chronic stress from financial instability, job insecurity, and lack of access to quality healthcare and education (Williams & Mohammed, 2009). 

 

• Racism and Discrimination: Systemic racism and everyday microaggressions contribute to ongoing stress by creating hostile environments and undermining opportunities for advancement (Sue et al., 2012). 

 

• Historical Trauma: The collective memory of colonialism, slavery, and other forms of oppression continues to affect communities through intergenerational stress and trauma (Brave Heart, 1998). 

 

Somatic Therapy Interventions 

Somatic therapies offer a promising approach for addressing chronic stress, especially for individuals from the global majority. These therapies focus on the connection between the mind and body, emphasizing the role of physical sensations in processing and managing stress. Several somatic therapy techniques are particularly relevant for addressing chronic stress responses: 

1. Somatic Experiencing (SE): Developed by Peter Levine, SE aims to help individuals process traumatic experiences and reduce stress by focusing on bodily sensations. SE involves guiding clients to become aware of their physical responses to stress, helping them process and release stored trauma. This approach is beneficial for people of the global majority who may have experienced historical and personal traumas (Levine, 1997). It is important to note that these principles resonate deeply with historical and traditional practices used by Indigenous peoples around the world. Indigenous cultures have long understood and utilized the connection between the body and working through the physical sensations linked to past traumas. (Ex. Native American tribes such as the Lakota and Hopi that used the practice of sacred circle ceremonies to connect to physical sensations and the natural world. Often involving drumming, dancing, and storytelling (Deloria, 1995). 

 

2. Body-Oriented Psychotherapy: Techniques such as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy integrate body awareness into therapeutic practice. By focusing on physical experiences, therapists help clients access and process unresolved emotions and stress (Ogden, Minton, & Pain, 2006). For people of the global majority dealing with the cumulative effects of discrimination and trauma, these methods offer a holistic approach to healing.

 

3. Trauma-Sensitive Yoga: This practice combines traditional yoga techniques with trauma-informed principles to address both physical and emotional stress. Trauma-sensitive yoga helps individuals reconnect with their bodies in a safe and supportive environment, which is particularly beneficial for those experiencing chronic stress due to trauma or discrimination (Van der Kolk, 2014).

 

Benefits of Somatic Therapies: 

1. Holistic Approach: Somatic therapies address the physiological aspects of stress, helping individuals manage their stress responses in a more integrated way.
2. Empowerment and Agency: These therapies promote self-awareness and personal empowerment, enabling individuals to take an active role in their healing process.
3. Creation and Maintenance of Safe Therapeutic Environment: Many treatments can often trigger destabilization via re-experiencing of traumatic events through disclosure. Focusing on somatic interventions can give concrete skills to use to mitigate the physical symptoms of trauma/chronic stress response instead of feeling overwhelmed by them. 

 

Modern Clinical Approaches 

Modern clinical approaches to chronic stress in people of the global majority are evolving to address both the psychological and systemic factors contributing to stress. Some effective methods include: 

Culturally Competent Therapy: This involves understanding and respecting clients' cultural backgrounds and incorporating this knowledge into therapeutic practice. Culturally competent therapists are trained to recognize the impact of systemic inequalities and address them in therapy sessions (Sue et al., 2012). For people of the global majority, this approach can help bridge gaps in understanding and support healing in a culturally sensitive manner. This should also be a part of continuous education for any provider who is connecting with any who identifies as part of the global majority.  

Trauma-Informed Care: Trauma-informed care is a framework that recognizes the prevalence of trauma in individuals’ lives and seeks to create a safe and supportive therapeutic environment. This approach emphasizes safety, trustworthiness, and empowerment, making it particularly effective for individuals dealing with chronic stress from trauma or discrimination (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014). Active practice and observation of this framework often has difficulty being implemented in large systems or inundated systems of care.  

 

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): Developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, MBSR is a structured program that teaches mindfulness meditation techniques to manage stress. MBSR has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being, making it a valuable tool for those experiencing chronic stress (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). 

 

Combining Somatic Therapies with Modern Approaches 

Combining somatic therapies with modern clinical approaches, such as somatic experiencing techniques with trauma-informed care, can address both the physiological and emotional aspects of stress. Similarly, incorporating mindfulness practices into culturally competent therapy sessions can enhance clients’ stress management skills while respecting their cultural contexts. 

There has been success in using these integrative, collective approaches. A community mental health clinic serving a diverse urban population implemented a combined approach using somatic therapies and trauma-informed care. Clients participated in somatic experiencing sessions to address their stress responses and engaged in culturally competent therapy to explore and resolve underlying issues related to systemic discrimination. The clinic also offered mindfulness workshops as part of their stress management programs. This integrated approach resulted in significant improvements in clients' mental health and well-being, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining these methods (Rothschild, 2000). 

Chronic stress for people of the global majority is a multifaceted issue that requires a nuanced approach to treatment. By integrating somatic therapies with modern clinical practices, mental health professionals can offer effective interventions that address both the physiological and emotional components of stress. Somatic therapies, such as somatic experiencing and trauma-sensitive yoga, provide valuable tools for helping individuals manage their stress responses. When combined with modern clinical approaches like culturally competent therapy and mindfulness practices, these therapies offer a holistic framework for improving mental health outcomes for people of the global majority. As we continue to develop and refine these methods, a focus on both individual and systemic factors will be essential for creating supportive and effective mental health care for all communities. 

 

 

 

References 

-American Psychological Association. (2021). Stress: The Different Types of Stress. Retrieved from APA 

-Brave Heart, M. Y. H. (1998). The Return to the Sacred Path: Healing the Historical Trauma of the Lakota. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 1(1), 1-21. 

- Deloria, V. (1995). Red Earth, White Lies: Native Americans and the Myth of Scientific Fact. Scribner. 

-Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Dell. 

- Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences. North Atlantic Books. 

- Marmot, M. (2004). Status Syndrome: How Your Social Standing Directly Affects Your Health and Life Expectancy. Bloomsbury Publishing. 

- Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006). Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment.  Norton & Company. 

- Rothschild, B. (2000). The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment. Norton & Company. 

- Sims, D. (2020). The Global Majority: A Radical Reimagining of Diversity. Journal of Critical Race Theory, 3(2), 12-24. 

- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. SAMHSA. 

- Sue, S., Cheng, J. K. Y., Saad, L., & Rivera, D. P. (2012). Racial Microaggressions and the Stress Process: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications. American Psychologist. 67(7), 532–544. 

- Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking. 

- Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2009). Discrimination and Health Inequities. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32(1), 20–47. 

-Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2009). Discrimination and Health Inequities. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32(1), 20-47. 

Websites for Therapists for a Successful Private Practice

This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy. 

Websites are often one of the first things therapists think about when it comes to marketing their practices. If you have a website, you might remember the first time you bought a domain name or saw your website live on the internet. For me, it felt so satisfying and exciting. There is something about having a website that can make your private practice feel official. Yet, a website isn’t the thing that makes your private practice successful. At the intersection of what makes a private practice successful, you will find a private practice that is not only profitable but that is run sustainably (see you later burnout) and is consistently improving on clinical outcomes. Your website is a tool that can bring those three things together and we want to show you how.

 

 A Website That Works

Your website is how you keep the light on for your business 24/7. At any time in the day, a person searching for help can find you and reach out or get information that can truly transform their life. Your website can be the difference between someone feeling seen or motivated to take the next step toward therapy and a person giving up on the search for mental health services. Having your website do some of the work for you, lessens your burnout on running your private practice. It can hold a lot of information that otherwise would be laborious to get out into the world on your own. Your website makes your marketing plan more sustainable as it is consistently available to people searching for help. Your website also exists to attract the ideal client for your practice. The ideal client is the person you know you can help, and that you have the skills and passion to serve. This directly impacts the clinical outcomes of your practice. By working within your wheelhouse, you can continually improve on your service delivery. People are searching for the right therapist, but you are also attracting the right client for your practice. Your website serves both you and the client in making a match. When you work with your clients and get great clinical outcomes it acts as a loop, giving back to your practice. Your clients stay until they get the needed transformation, your retention improves, clients are more likely to refer to you and as you are more satisfied in your work it shows in the therapeutic relationship as well. This leads to more predictable income as well as consistent clients and clients referring to you. It’s a beautiful thing. But there are some things you need to make sure you have for a successful therapist website.

 Therapist Websites: Make It Connecting

A therapist's website is the hub for communicating who you work with, connecting with their pain, showing that you understand as well as talking about how you uniquely help and the transformational value of working with you. While people may find you in other places, they may come to your website for that final validation that you are the right person to reach out to. From the moment someone comes to your website, they should know they are in the right place. You want your website to reflect your ideal client through the copy and images. Because it is here that the first attunement can begin in the therapeutic relationship, far before the first session. Our coaching clients often remark how referrals reach out saying that they came to their website and wept because they felt seen for the first time. That’s the power of your website messaging. The message is about attuning to their pain. It’s not really about you all that much. When you talk about what the client is going through, you demonstrate your understanding of their pain far better than if you said “I understand, you aren’t alone.” Yes, you share how you help, but first and foremost you connect. Connecting through the website leads to attracting the clients that are right for your practice, the ones who get great clinical outcomes. Taking the time to create a website that really is a home base for your practice also makes your marketing way easier. Too often therapists think fancy designs make an impression when it really is the language used to connect.

Therapist Websites: Making it Accessible

 You want your website to be easy to use. Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to connect with someone from their website and it being hard to find out how to do that. You need a clear path on your website for what a potential client needs to do. Often that is going to a contact page to book an initial consultation, but whatever you want this person to do as a next step, make sure it is clear. Also, you want anyone coming to your website to get the information they need with ease. Making your website accessible means creating a website that someone with vision impairments can read, if there is audio or video then there is a transcript or captions, and the images have descriptions. The design should never distract from the content. We would also argue for using the language that your clients use. No more technical jargon that creates a barrier between you and the client.

 Therapist Websites: Making it Visible

You can have a great website that is connecting and accessible, but it must be visible and easy to find. When someone searches for a therapist in your area, you want to pop up as an option in their search. We refer to this as SEO, Search Engine Optimization (learn more about it here). We teach how to do this in our Business School for Therapists, but essentially you want your website to tell the search engines what your website is about and why it is relevant to show your website on search results. Creating a website isn’t enough, it has to stay up to date with information. Consider it an ongoing project to get your website to be ranked and visible. You also want to share your website with others. Put it on your social media accounts, email signature, business card, or digital card and in your other marketing materials. Since it is your hub of communication, with any points of contact with others you want to bring them to your website.

 

Therapist Websites: Making It Ethical and Compliant

As a therapist, everything you do in your practice needs to be compliant with the ethics and laws of our profession. This means you need to have the proper notifications on your website, such as your terms of use, privacy policy, & disclaimers. Use tools on your website that are HIPAA compliant, even for your contact form. Your messaging should never offer false promises about what therapy can do. You can speak to the hope in the transformation, but using quotes and making guarantees about outcomes are something to avoid.

Website Perfection

It can be hard to make your website public or to promote it. You might want it to be perfect. We believe that most therapists can easily start their website with just one page. You don’t have to have all the pages, bells, and whistles together before you launch your first website. In fact, we don’t believe you have to hire a designer and pay thousands of dollars for your website. You can definitely do that if you have the budget, but in our website checklist for therapists, we cover all you need to know to get started or to revamp your website. The sooner you get yourself out there the sooner people can find you, even if it isn’t perfect.

 Website Mirage

Sometimes it can feel like all you are doing is working on your website, but you don’t know why the phone isn’t ringing. Fiddling with your website is just a marketing mirage. Your website is a piece of the marketing plan, a tool, and not necessarily the only way people find you and decide to work with you. You still need a marketing plan. When it comes to your website you do want to add pages and make updates based on the needs of your practice. You also want to keep your website fresh with new content such as through blogging. But you also want to be building relationships in the community, building your visibility with the people you serve. The website is just the start of expanding your marketing and making your message more accessible. It relies on you going out there in the world in order for it to do its job. Need more support with your website? We have a ton of resources on our website checklist for therapists here. Our hope for you is that you continue to hold your clinical outcomes as part of the foundation of a successful practice. Your website is another marketing plan cornerstone where you can make decisions that influence that foundation. It is with your website that you can find more ease, attract the right clients, and continue doing the work you love.

Multiple Streams of Income or Multiple Streams of Distraction?

This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy. 

It seems like every other podcast and training for therapists is focused on multiple streams of income. Write a book, start a podcast, launch a course, start doing retreats, what about integrating plant medicine? 

The truth is, you DO have a lot of options as a Marriage and Family Therapist! But the grass is NOT always greener. Today we want to dive into how multiple streams of income can lead to more distraction, less profits, and more burnout so you can get clear about whether multiple streams of income really the right next step for you in your career is.

A Shaky Foundation

Many therapists get little to no training on how to run a business. In fact, many only have to take statistics in grad school- which is NOT helpful in developing a business plan! In fact, for many of us basic financial math was not taught or shared with us.

Colleges and universities would be doing themselves a disservice if they taught us financial math in many cases. Why? Because master’s degrees related to counseling and therapy continue to be among the top worst-paid master’s degrees. Showing a student the numbers in terms of income while they are investing sometimes over $100,000 in getting a degree is just bad math!

As we start to move into seeing clients during practicums and internships, we are often unpaid or severely underpaid. I was lucky enough in California as an MFT Trainee to have a job paying $15/hr where I could also gather hours. People were jealous of my income. And yes, I had to take a pay cut to do this work because I had been supporting myself working in corporate America previously.

Getting paid ANYTHING feels like a luxury. Most people around us aren’t getting paid much. So, being overworked and underpaid feels normal. It is normal… in this profession. We often replicate this when we start our private practices. Of course, we end up with practices that leave us living paycheck to paycheck, client to client, or without any retirement. You are NOT alone if you need more income as a therapist. You didn’t do anything wrong if you replicated and emulated what you learned and saw and are realizing it doesn’t work for you.

So, isn’t another stream of income, passive income, or a side hustle the obvious solution to this problem? In our experience, having coached therapists for almost two decades, in 90% of cases, it is a distraction from the real issue, and it will actually exacerbate the lack of income and overworking versus solve the problem.

Why are multiple streams of income a distraction for most MFTs?

The truth is, you likely don’t have additional time or energy as it is. You’ve been overworked and underpaid for so long. There are so many hours in the day. Many MFTs today are literally living and working with poverty wages, even with a master’s degree (or higher) and a professional license and it is NOT ok. The first step is not to create another stream of income and replicate being underpaid in a new way.

The first step is to get to the bottom of why your current business or full-time income is not fully supporting you. You should be able to live comfortably, have a savings account, go on vacations, pay down debt, and yes even do a bit towards retirement with one stream of income. If you living paycheck to paycheck, on income repayment for your student loans, etc. something is out of alignment. So, let’s start there.

Are you charging a fee that is truly sustainable?

We know you want therapy to be accessible to as many people as possible. But, if you are struggling to pay your bills, or even losing your love for the work because of the financial struggles that is not going to make therapy more accessible. In fact, more people are leaving the mental health field than entering it right now. We need as many MFTs to stay in this work as possible to make it accessible. So, can we get honest about what it takes to do this work? Here is a link to our free how to set fees training for therapists where we will dig into ethics and give you a clear formula for setting a sustainable fee.

Are you accepting sustainable reimbursements from insurance companies?

Why are therapists in Conway, AR getting reimbursed 40% more for the same CPT code as a therapist living in Los Angeles, CA? We can tell you it is not related to the cost of living. The truth is, insurance companies decide their reasonable and customary rate based on what therapists will agree to and based on making profits. In fact, according to Becker’s Payer Issues the top 5 insurance companies had profits of more than 40 billion dollars after paying their providers. Have you gotten clear on what your average fee or reimbursement rate needs to be in order to sustain. The truth is, the insurance companies are required to have available providers. They are not required to pay well. But, of course, in places where there are fewer therapists willing to say yes to low reimbursement rates, the rates will shift.

Are You Undervaluing Your Labor?

 Over the last several years we have seen online mental health tech companies come in and disrupt the mental health space in some good and bad ways. They helped normalize therapy. They helped normalize online therapy. But, in many cases they normalized very low contract rates for independent contractors, as well as putting advertising over quality of care. If you feel angry at what online mental health tech companies are doing there is only one solution. Do not give them your labor. Without access to boundless, cheap labor these companies cannot continue to underpay therapists.

While we believe multiple streams of income can be great- it is SO important that you focus on having one solid, sustainable source of income first. Often even additional sources of income come out of a balanced life and some stability. Otherwise, we will just keep replicating the therapist’s way of being overworked and underpaid.

As a member of AAMFT, you get special discounts for Business building help from zynnyme. You can learn more about how we help and your discount here.

Why You Don't Want to Be a Therapist Anymore

This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy. 

I stared at a stack of yellow files, all waiting for my review to be sent to Medicare for payment. Piles of notes and treatment plans made my soul sink. I didn’t go to school for this, pushing paper and unrealistic expectations and quotas on other therapists. I was worn out, irritable, tired and no longer finding joy in the work that I once had loved so much.

That’s when the thought hit me, “I don’t want to be a therapist.”

But I had invested so much time and energy to get here. Even after looking into other grad programs for a medical career, I decided to try shifting how I was doing the work and began a business on my own. 

Private practice was my last-ditch effort to fall back in love with my career.

Maybe you’ve felt it before, that inkling that something isn’t right or is creating a level of discomfort that you aren’t sure how much longer you can tolerate. Truth is, we have more people leaving our field than entering it. But why? Why do we really not want to be therapists anymore and is there anything we can do to change the course?

Reason #1 You Don’t Want to be a therapist: The mental health system is set up for burnout.

For all of us in this mental health field, we were born out of systems that do not serve us. Working for unpaid internships and practicums, and acquiring high student loan debt. All while the powers at be KNOW we are in fact some of the worst paid masters degrees. We come out of graduate school already set up for stress and overwhelm.

Add to that the weight of people’s lives that we serve, being told we are responsible for the outcomes when the resources of the system are so limited. The system is the cause of a lot of their mental distress, much of which we can’t do anything about.

When we wrote the book on Therapist Burnout, we realized that many people thought burnout came from just feeling stressed about work. Burnout in the mental health system is almost always  seen as a personal weakness, instead of a normal response to a broken system. In order to heal burnout one of two things needs to happen. One,  the system has to change or, two, we have to change how we interact with the system.

For example, I left my government job because it was causing burnout. I created a practice from there that supported my needs as well as for my clients. Changing the setting made all the difference in me continuing on my path as a therapist. Suddenly I truly loved being a therapist again, and I felt inspired to help other therapists find their love again too. It was like a switch flipped.

I know private practice isn’t the path for everyone, and that is ok. For those who don’t want to take the entrepreneurial route, can you change the system from within? it’s going to take push back, setting new boundaries and speaking up all in the name of self care to heal the burnout. The truth is, your labor is incredibly valuable! We are taught often that we are expendable, but truly our work is invaluable.

Reason #2 You Don’t Want to be a therapist: Private practice is failing you.

But what if you are already in private practice and you don’t want to be a therapist anymore? Private practice is the dream for a lot of therapists. It signifies independence and freedom. Often that freedom is sucked away by fears around marketing, low paying insurance companies with horrendous clawbacks, tech companies that take advantage of therapists and their clients and overwhelm with learning how to be a business owner. It is a lot and nobody learns these skills in grad school.

Many therapists go into their private practice with the same mindset they had in their agency work and replicate processes and ways of doing/being that often continue the harm they were trying to leave, such as unrealistic sliding scale fees, overworking, documentation that is over and above what is needed, and accepting any potential client who calls. Any chance to deviate from those norms has often led to being shamed by peers who tell them that what they are doing can’t be done or is unethical, such as charging a rate for therapy that allows them to live beyond the poverty line.

Side note: The sliding scale fee structures that we bring from non-profit organizations are often based on millions of dollars worth of grants that allow for pro bono or sliding scale spots. Those sliding scales aren’t appropriate, or sustainable for most for profit models without extensive grants. In fact, mental health attorneys advise AGAINST sliding scales in private practice for legal and ethical reasons. You can learn more about the law, ethics, and legal advice in free How to set fees training.

Before you end your career as a therapist, first look at what you created with this private practice and ask yourself:

• Is this really working for me? It is so easy as therapists to stay checked out focusing on everyone else. What is your body, mind, heart, and spirit saying about your life right now? Is work and personal life in balance and truly aligning with your values?
• Am I making a livable private practice salary? You may need to relook at your financial plan to ensure you have a fee that is viable for your needs to live in your community with balance and health.
• Am I doing things that don’t make sense and drain me? Whether it be your documentation processes or billing, look at how you have been running your process and see what you can streamline, eliminate or delegate.
• Do I have support in private practice? Private practice can be isolating. We have seen many therapists go back to employment simply because they felt so alone in private practice. You want community in your personal life and in your business. For your private practice, that might mean getting involved in a local AAMFT chapter, inviting colleagues out to get together, signing up for group case consultation and more. You may need some direct guidance and support from an expert, whether that is clinical or in the realm of running a business. You don’t have to do everything on your own.

Once you look at these questions you can either choose to make adjustments or you may decide that private practice isn’t for you. That is all ok. The goal is to create a way of working that really lights you up, not sucks you dry. Private practice may not be for you or your private practice may simply need some adjustments.

Reason #3 You Don’t Want to be a therapist: Obligation is dictating the focus.

The style of working or the way you offer your services might be coming from a place of obligation and not conscious creation. You do what you have been taught to do or feel you must do. You know when you were taught that a 45-50 minute session is the standard of care. Sure, for billing insurance companies it is, but that doesn’t mean that is proven to be what is needed for great clinical outcomes with the clients you like to work with and how you like to work.

Many therapists who don’t want to do this work anymore are really no longer wanting to do the work in a way that doesn’t fit them. Yet, we are raised to fear losing our license so heavily that we become paralyzed with our innovation and creativity.

We have helped many therapists engineer clinically outcome focused services that break the mold of traditional therapy. From walk and talk therapy, intensives, retreats, longer sessions, shorter sessions, it’s all a perfect opportunity to really evaluate if the service you are providing is one that you believe in and do good work in.

Reason #4 You Don’t Want to be a therapist: Clients are draining.

Another reason you may want to quit being a therapist is because of who you are doing therapy with. This is not to blame or shame the client. This is to simply explore that you may have said ‘Yes” to working with people who are not a good fit. Or, something for you has shifted and who you once loved to work with, is no longer the case.

How does this happen? There is often an unspoken code that if you are a helper and a healer, you do not discriminate or turn people away from healing. That would be cruel! You can’t be a good therapist unless you are truly willing to help anyone that comes through your door.

It could be argued that it is quite the opposite, the more clarity you have leads to better clinical outcomes and is better for the clients for you to refer out than to work with them from a half hearted or burned out place. People get better clinical outcomes when they have a focus, speciality or passion behind who they are serving.

Take Sam for example. They loved doing couples work but after their own recent divorce, they find working with couples to be absolutely challenging. We would never suggest that Sam just suck it up and work through it. Instead, we recommend Sam to honor the challenges and changes in their own life and to see where else there might be passion for them to see clients - such as with individuals. Ask yourself if the clients you are working with are ideal for you and make a commitment to only working with those who you feel drawn to support out of ease and confidence, not fear or scarcity.

Reason #5 You Don’t Want to be a therapist: Avoiding the feeling and projecting the solution.

You might be blaming the work of therapy for dissatisfaction in your life that is sourced from elsewhere. Instead of giving ourselves space to feel our feelings and understand the sadness, yuck and muck we can tend to look at our work as what is wrong and what needs to be fixed.

“I went to work today and I just didn’t want to hear another person talk about their pain.”

You can’t address an internal issue from the outside. It has to come from within.

Sure, this could be because you don’t want to do therapy, or it could be that you aren’t well resourced in your own life due to stress and other circumstances. But then it can quickly turn into “the solution could be a career change”.

I can’t count how many times people have come to me wanting to quit, and then with time and feeling they realize what is really going on are things in their personal life - all very valid and real stressors.

Before you jump ship, look at your life and what it is asking of you. Does it need more time and attention, compassion and love so you can then make a decision about your work from a place of grounded confidence and not exhaustion from your daily struggles?

Please don’t go.

Or at least, before you do consider whether your environment or system needs a shift. If you still feel a change is necessary, know that the lessons learned will enrich your next journey. Creating a fulfilling career is about discovering or even inventing paths that bring joy to your life.

Need assistance? Our Business School for Therapists, operational since 2010, has aided thousands of therapists in finding their passion and navigating the financial aspects of their practice. We're here to support you in this journey.

Recession Proof Your Private Practice

This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy. 

As therapists, our job is often to sit with people’s fears and anxieties. But what happens when WE are anxious? With growing uncertainty about the economy and global crisis happening many therapists are asking themselves whether owning a private practice is truly sustainable during a recession. Today, we want to talk about some real data, and real options to recession proof your private practice as a therapist.

"Wait, does that mean you think we are going into a recession?" Whether we go into a recession next month or in the next decade, we want to share what every therapist who plans to grow, launch, or maintain a private practice should do to recession proof their private practice. Ultimately, we aren’t financial analysts, and even they can’t always agree!

So, why do you get to talk about recession proofing private practices?

In 2008, Miranda over at zynnyme launched her cash-pay private practice during the recession in one of the worst-hit cities in the United States. And guess what? It flourished. Kelly built her practice during the recession in a city saturated with therapists.

We know every recession is different, but we think there are lessons we can bring forward from our pasts that help us to navigate our futures.

Defining a Recession

A recession, by definition, is “a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters.” Effects of a recession often include high unemployment rates, defaults on loans and mortgages, and a flurry of public policy decisions related to managing the change in cash-flow AND attempts to stimulate the economy.

Worst Jobs During a Recession

According to Yahoo Finance and their analysis of employment data from the downturns in 1990-91, 2008-2009, and 2013, the following were the worst jobs to hold during the recession: tradesmen (plumbers, construction, etc.), manufacturing workers, CEOs, drivers, farmers, and finance workers. While many therapists “feel” like mental health and helping professions are the first to go and the least needed, this actually doesn’t align with the data.

A Recession-Proof Business

In fact, every list of recession-proof industries we could find (like this one) included healthcare. Some lumped mental health in with physical health; other lists listed psychologists, social workers, and others as the jobs least impacted by previous downturns and recessions.

Statistics Are Great, But What Happens in Real Life?

Here’s a bit of Miranda’s story: I quit my county job with amazing benefits in the spring of the height of the 2007 recession after receiving a clear message from my higher power that it was what I was supposed to do (it was literally written down on a slip of paper!). I was already teaching and had jobs at a local junior college and at a local university. In October, I started a cash-pay private practice. People thought I had lost my mind.

I hadn’t been licensed long enough to get on insurance panels. I knew VERY little about how to run a business. And I had a child that I was nursing at home. I built my business, designed my website, and learned online marketing during my child’s two naps during the day. He didn’t sleep well at night (and if he skipped a nap during the day, the nighttime restlessness got even worse).

I knew what I was supposed to be doing, so I kept my blinders on and just took one small step at time, day-by-day and week-by-week. I had a great clinical reputation at the local psychiatric hospital and with agencies, but people I respected said they’d only start referring to me once I was on insurance panels… you know, the ones I couldn’t get on because I hadn’t been licensed long enough.

I figured once I was eligible for insurance panels, I’d consider them if my practice wasn’t full or growing. Then, guess what? It grew! People hired me, they came to see me. Couples on unemployment budgeted for couples counseling while living with their parents because their relationship was EXTRA important during the recession.

That cushy county position with the great benefits that I left? They started doing furloughs and reducing benefits, and my old coworkers had to manage with decreased income while I was able to adjust my income. In fact, my spouse’s industry was eventually impacted by the Great Recession, he was laid off, and I was able to adjust my business plan and hours to ensure that we could pay our mortgage while he went back to school.

Meditations for Marriage and Family Therapists

This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy. 

We know you’ve likely found or created great meditations for your clients. But, what about for you, what about meditations for therapists?

Meditations for Marriage and Family Therapists

As a marriage and family therapist, you help clients reconnect with their mind, body, and spirit. But when you’re not serving your community, how much time do you take for YOU?

It’s easy to dismiss your own needs when you’re prioritizing those of others, though we encourage you to push back against the narrative that you have to neglect yourself to truly support your clients. And that starts with integrating self-care into your regular routine.

Below, we’ve included some meditations for marriage and family therapists.

They’ll encourage you to slow down and reconnect with yourself at a pace that works for you, covering topics of gratitude, self-love, detachment, and money.

Give yourself permission this week to move away from the doing and embrace the simply being. Then, check out one or more of the powerful meditations below, led by Kelly Higdon, LMFT. We can’t wait to hear how they’ve impacted your life and business!

Gratitude Meditation

Without a clear, sustainable vision and plan, the day-to-day experience of running a marriage and family therapy practice can feel like it leaves no space for other areas of your life. That’s when you begin to focus more on the routine and all of your to-dos, losing sight of what matters most.

It’s time to remind yourself of all the people and things that contribute to your well-being. Maybe it’s as simple as the last meal you had. Or it can be about a relationship you value that brings a lot of joy into your life. Whatever it is, pause for a moment to really reflect on it and feel the appreciation for the role it’s played in your life, bringing you more energy and inspiration.

Take a moment to experience gratitude for your life and how it’s connected to others. How even the most seemingly “mundane” things are a gift and made possible by the communities that surround you — even if you might not always realize it in the moment.

Check out the gratitude meditation here!

Self-Love Meditation

After you’ve taken some time to reflect on the things you’re grateful for — as a marriage and family therapist AND as a human being with the power to influence the lives of others — it’s time to experience that power by sending some love out into the world (and to yourself).

There’s love within you, and it can be accessed at any time.

Shift your focus from what hasn’t been done and what needs to be done and start replacing all that built-up negative self-talk and shame with the grounding feelings of love.

You have a lot to offer as a healing professional, but don’t limit your strengths to the transformational work you do with clients. Because you’re deserving of love regardless of whether you serve the people in your life.

The simple truth is that each and every one of us has value.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of giving yourself the same love that you give to others — and deeply feeling and knowing you deserve that love just as much as them.

Check out the self-love meditation here!

Detachment Meditation

As much as we value gratitude and self-love, we also recognize there’s a time and place for detachment and untangling from the barrage of thoughts that can show up in your mind.

Whether it’s thinking back to a recent session with one of your marriage and family therapy clients that didn’t go as well as you’d hoped or ruminating on the difficulties you’re experiencing in your personal life, practicing detachment allows you to distance yourself from those thoughts.

Instead of being stuck in a cycle of anxiety, considering all the “what-ifs” and things you could do differently, the practice of detachment lets you observe each of your thoughts like they’re flowing down a river, acknowledging their presence and letting them go.

Remember: It’s not about judging your thoughts.

Even if your thoughts bring up feelings of discomfort, allowing them to be there and accepting them for what they are is what allows you to process them — and ultimately let each one of them go through their natural flow until they pass and plateau in intensity.

Check out the detachment meditation here!

Money Meditation

Your journey toward wealth as a marriage and family therapist happens at your own pace. It’s one-of-a-kind, based on your experiences, and it’s okay if you don’t have it all figured out yet. But don’t forget to recognize the progress you’ve made along the journey.

Think about your solo or group practice as a seed. From an outsider’s perspective, it doesn’t look like much is happening. And yet, as someone who’s constantly giving it the attention it needs to grow and flourish, you recognize its expanding potential. Then, one day — maybe when you’re starting to question if it’s all worth it — you see the positive outcomes of your efforts.

Your life and business may be growing without you even realizing it. The process may be slow, and sometimes even a bit frustrating (we totally get it!) but know that there’s value in your efforts. Maybe it’s a few months, or maybe it’s a few years. Eventually, though, as the income from your values-aligned practice reaches new levels, you’ll realize it was all worth it.

For now, it’s all about celebrating where you’re at and where you’re going.

Check out the money meditation here!

Share Your Thoughts on The Marriage and Family Therapist Meditations

How did these meditations for marriage and family therapists help you and your practice? Let us know your experiences below and whether you’re interested in us creating more meditations for you in the future! In the meantime, click here to learn all about our Starting a Counseling Practice Success Stories and Starting a Private Practice podcasts + where to subscribe for more!

P.S. If you’ve found any of these meditations to be valuable, know they don’t have to be a one-time listen. Incorporate space for reconnecting with your mind, body, and spirit on a regular basis — even if it’s outside of the context of your private practice business hours.

Costs for Starting a Marriage and Family Therapist Practice

This content is provided by zynnyme, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the view of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official policy. 

You have your degree, supervision hours, training experience, and licensure… but what about a Marriage and Family Therapy private practice? Even though you’ve already invested a LOT of money into your education to become the kind of therapist who makes a real impact on clients, you feel completely out of your element when it comes to the business side of things.

And then there’s the dreaded question:

How much is a Marriage and Family Therapy practice actually going to cost!?

The good news: Much less than you might expect. In fact, all of the money spent on getting you to where you are today in your profession is the greatest expense you’ll need as a therapist. Yes, it’s true that you’ll need to invest some money into private practice, but it’s totally doable.

In fact…

Your Marriage and Family Therapist practice costs LESS than most businesses.

That’s right — you don’t need hundreds (or even tens) of thousands of dollars to start a successful, values-aligned private practice. It’s all about starting for a low cost and growing as you build a steady caseload of ideal clients to learn from and serve.

So, let’s get right to it!

Here’s how much starting a Marriage and Family Therapist practice really costs…

Checklist: Cost of Starting a Marriage and Family Therapist Private Practice

To make this easy for you, we’re going to cover things one at a time. You’ll be able to check off each of these items once you have what you need, so you can avoid confusion and overwhelm.

Alright, here we go…

1. A Physical or Virtual Marriage and Family Therapist Office

Whether you prefer to see clients in person or with secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth software for online sessions, you need some kind of private space to practice therapy.

If you choose to go the in-office (or hybrid) route, look into subletting an office for $100-200 or less per month. The specific number depends on the area you’re practicing in, of course, but you’ll likely find it’s a lot more affordable than you might’ve expected!

Plus, you won’t have to pay for expensive furniture and may even negotiate a deal where you only start paying for office space after you start seeing clients. My personal experience as a Marriage and Family Therapist was that I only paid for the space when I had clients, and there was an hourly fee that only went up to a max of $75 for a couple night’s worth of rent per month.

Investment: $200/month
> Download our free Office Space Checklist for your private practice