Craft Your Practice Method

Episode 14: From Building to Running: What Year Two Actually Looks Like

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 Launch Lab program.
An honest look at the mid-stage transition most clinicians go through alone, with a clearer roadmap for the part that comes next.

Episode 13: When Your Practice Isn't Filling

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:
Launch Lab — Your First 90 Days in Private Practice → craftyourpractice.com/launchHeadway — Get credentialed and start seeing insurance clients → craftyourpractice.com/headwayUpheal — AI-native EHR built for private practice → craftyourpractice.com/uphealSimplePractice — EHR with scheduling, intake, and client portal → craftyourpractice.com/simplepracticeCraft 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.

Episode 12: Marketing When It Feels Like Performing

Episode 12: Marketing When It Feels Like PerformingMost 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:Launch Lab — Your First 90 Days in Private Practice → craftyourpractice.com/launchHeadway — Get credentialed and start seeing insurance clients → craftyourpractice.com/headwayPsychology Today Therapist Directory → psychologytoday.comCraft Your Practice: A Guide to Building a Personalized Private Practice — Lisa Reidsema → craftyourpractice.com/booksSome 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.DM me LAB and I'll send you the Launch Lab link directly.
YouTube Ep 15 — Marketing When You Hate Marketing: https://youtu.be/sMiNvLPpLig?si=ebdY7OmsUSsONhL9

Episode 11 Referrals, Reputation, and Community: How Private Practice Therapists Build a Practice That Fills Itself

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: Launch Lab: craftyourpractice.com/launch

Episode 10: Insurance — What They Don't Tell You in Grad School

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:
Launch Lab — 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
DM me LAB and I'll send you the Launch Lab link directly.

Episode 9 - The Client Journey

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 with clarity and consistency. This phase is where clinical work and practice structure meet and where a lot of newer therapists get lost.

Episode 8: Policies, Boundaries, and the Paperwork Nobody Taught You

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

Episode 7: The Money Conversation

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

Episode 6 -HOW TO TRUST YOURSELF WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY

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

Episode 5: Where Referrals Actually Come From (And How to Build a Network That Feeds Your Practice)

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