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 clarity 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.

Launch Lab: Your First 90 Days in Private Practice begins exactly here. We start with specialty, then build clarity, 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.

• Days 1–30: focus on business basics, policies, and creating a schedule that fits your life.
• Days 31–60: Build systems for intake, notes, billing, and communication.
• Days 61–90: start gentle visibility, niche clarity, referrals, and consistent showing up.

• Launch Lab: Your First 90 Days in Private Practice
• Craft Your Practice: Building a Personalized Private Practice

This episode gives you the overview. If you want the step-by-step implementation , with scripts, schedules, and templates, enroll in Launch Lab. You can find all podcast episodes and upcoming trainings at https://craftyourpractice.com/podcast.

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.

• Private practice success starts with mindset, not marketing.
• Systems create freedom, not restriction.
• Structure supports sustainability — not burnout.

• Craft Your Practice: Building a Personalized Private Practice
• Launch Lab: Your First 90 Days in Private Practice

• 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?

If this episode resonated with you, explore the Launch Lab course — it walks you through your first 90 days step-by-step. Find all episodes, worksheets, and upcoming events at https://craftyourpractice.com/podcast.