Protecting Your Practice

We've got a season 2 bonus for you! Life throws us the occasional curveball, and those curveballs sometimes influence direction the direction of our lives. In this episode, you'll hear Katie Vernoy, LMFT talk about her unexpected career change from being a public mental health executive to opening up her own business. In this episode, you'll hear about Katie's personal story, and you'll also hear her talk about self-leadership, self-care, and ways that leadership is important for therapists Connect with Katie: Katie Vernoy, LMFT is a therapist, speaker, consultant, and co-host of The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide podcast. Katie works with executives, leaders, and helping professionals, AND she is currently accepting new clients at her private practice in California. Katievernoy.com

The PYP team is wrapping up Season 2, and we've got news to share! Change is happening! Take a listen to see what's happening! Connect with Melissa & Dan!Purchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services & Brainspotting for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net

The "adventures" in business ownership are many! In this episode, you'll hear Nzingha Ma'at, a group practice owner, talk about how the money she was supposed to get paid from an insurance company suddenly went missing. She talks about the long and lengthy process she had to go through to FINALLY figure out what happened to her practice's missing money! Connect with Nzingha Ma'at, LPCNzingha Ma'at is the Founder of Ma'at Therapeutic Services, a holistic healing practice, centered on helping people deepen the connection between their mind, body and spirit. This means we focus on healing the whole person, not only through talk therapy, but through a variety of options for body work and self-care. We specialize in working with people who have experienced anxiety, depression, and various forms of trauma. Our therapists and practitioners assist in empowering people to take an active role in their own healing by showing how our thoughts can impact our feelings, and oftentimes guide our behaviors. Connect with Melissa & Dan!Purchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services & Brainspotting for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net

The conversation around having 1099s or W-2s as a group practice owner is a big one! It comes up frequently between group practice owners, and there are lots of intense conversations, tales of caution, and, warnings about state guidelines. Making the right decision for your practice can be a little nerve-wracking! So what exactly happens if it is determined that someone who works at your office was misclassified? Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C is here to tell us just that. Check out this episode to hear Raffie's lived experience! About Raffi: Raffi Bilek, LCSW-C is a couples counselor and group practice owner in Baltimore, MD, as well as the director of the Montgomery County Abuse Intervention Program for domestic violence offenders. He loves working with couple and family dynamics (especially the tough ones). He does not love being an entrepreneur, but he's learned to get along with it without too many screaming matches. He writes children's books in his spare time. Connect with Melissa & Dan!Purchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services & Brainspotting for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net

Plenty of people dream about writing a book, but not everybody actually does it! In this episode, you'll hear Dr. Tom Murray talk about his experience moving from book idea to actual book launch. He'll be talking about his personal process, challenges he faced, and tips and tricks he learned along the way. Consider this episode your book writing inspiration paired with your daily dose of sex education. About Dr. Murray:Dr. Tom Murray, author, international trainer, educator, and couples and sex therapist-supervisor, is a widely sought-after expert in sexuality and intimate relationships. He is the author of the the book, Making Nice with Naughty: An Intimacy Guide for the Rule-Following, Organized, Perfectionist, Practical, and Color-Within-the-Line TypeConnect with Dr. Murray: A Path to Wellness Instagram: @drtommurrayConnect with Melissa & Dan!Purchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services & Brainspotting for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net

Being a group practice owner is not an easy job! In this episode, you'll get to hear Whitney Owens talk about an unfortunate situation she experienced with someone who was working at her office, the steps she took to address that situation, and changes she made to her practice. We know there are many group practice owners will can relate to situations in which trust is broken and full transparency is lacking. For those who work at group practices, we hope this conversation will introduce best practices and encourage honest and up-front conversations. Connect with Whitney:Waters Edge CounselingWhitney Owens ConsultingWise Practice PodcastConnect with Melissa & Dan!Purchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services & Brainspotting for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net

Becoming a licensed mental health provider comes with its own set of challenges, so imagine becoming a therapist in a different country where you are providing therapy services in a 2nd language! This is exactly what you'll be hearing about today in our interview with Si Meng, LGPC who made the transition from journalism to therapy!You'll hear her talk about:Making a career change as part of her life's journeyFollowing your curiosity and living into your purposeThe decision to attend school in a different country to become a therapistProviding therapy in a different country and languageConnect with Si at LifeSpring Counseling Services:https://lifespringcounseling.net/si-mengHow to Cope with Foreign Language Anxiety as a Non-Native English Speaker--blog written by Si Meng, LGPCConnect with Melissa & Dan! Purchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services & Brainspotting for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net

In recent years, we've heard about mental health providers transitioning into coaching. In this interview, you'll get to hear from Biz Cush, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and podcaster who made that pivot. You'll hear her talk about: Reasons for making this transitionLessons she's learnedSteps she has taken to educate herself and be mindful of legal and ethical issues while making this transitionConnect with Biz! Progression Counseling Elizabeth Cush CoachingAwaken Your Wise Woman PodcastConnect with Melissa and Dan!Purchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services & Brainspotting for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net

In this heart pounding episode, Kristen Boice talks with us about her team's response to a local school shooting. You'll hear Kristen talk about: how to lead a team while navigating your own emotionsanniversary dates and their impact on the communitynavigating multiple groups (teachers, students, first responders, etc.) at the same time in the middle of a crisis. While we hope other mental health therapists are never in this position, there is plenty to learn from Kristen's experience. Connect with Kristen:Pathways to Healing CounselingClose the Chapter podcastPurchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net

In this very personal interview, Reina Lombardi talks with us about navigating grief while working with clients in both an agency setting and a private practice setting. In this episode, you'll get to hear about her experiences and the steps she took to navigate her own losses in two different work contexts. She shares relevant considerations for other mental health providers such as: self-disclosure with clientsgetting supportmaking decisions about time offdecisions related to fee settingConnect with Reina at the Creative Clinicians Corner: https://www.creativeclinicianscorner.com/Purchase forms for your private practice at: Protectingyourpractice.comLegal services for Maryland mental health providers with Dan at: https://danielmayerlaw.com/Online Counseling Services for Marylanders at: lifespringcounseling.net