Private Practice Success Stories

Latest Episodes:

Meet a School OT with a Growing Private Practice "On the Side" with Erin Zink Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

It’s always a great idea to start your private practice while still working your regular job so that you have time to get things going before you jump all in.

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Erin Zink to talk about how she is growing her OT private practice on the side of her full-time job in the schools.

Erin Zink is an occupational therapist and parent coach with a mission to support children and their families in their home environment through the use of play, sensory processing activities, co-regulation to self-regulation, developmental skills, and all things OT and FUN!

As a pediatric therapist for 30 years now across many settings (hospitals, early intervention, school, and home) it is through HOPE that she wants to help children and families flourish and grow in connection, success, and independence. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a BS in Allied Health and Sciences (Occupational Therapy).

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

How Erin got started with her private practice
Why the home environment is a great place for therapy
How Erin got her first clients
Networking tips
Why she grew her private practice on the side
Why she doesn’t want to leave the school yet
The flexibility she gained with her private practice

I hope you found this episode inspirational. Erin is so thoughtful about how her private practice fits into her life and why she chooses to stay in schools while she grows her private practice.

We have enjoyed supporting Erin through her journey and we would love to support you too! To learn more about the Programs we offer to help folks like Erin build successful private practices full-time or "on the side" please visit www.IndependentClinician.com.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Erin's website: https://www.ot4hope.com/

Follow Erin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ot4hope/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

From 0 to 100 Clients a Week with Dr. Givona Sandiford Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Are you wondering what can happen in just a year in your private practice? Many SLPs and OTs that start private practices find that it grows a lot faster than they expected because the need for services is so high.

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Dr. Givona Sandiford who I got to meet in the Start Your Private Practice Program, and she shares how she took the leap to start her private practice and grew it faster than she could have ever imagined.

Dr. Givona Sandiford is a licensed/nationally certified speech-language pathologist, Certified Autism Specialist, Board Certified Telepractice Specialist, and SHRM Certified Professional with nearly two decades of experience successfully treating the pediatric and adult population with autism and other speech, language, voice, fluency, swallowing, and feeding disorders in multiple settings including private practice, schools, hospitals, telepractice, outpatient clinics, home health, and skilled nursing facilities. She has also served as adjunct faculty for undergraduate and graduate students in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Dr. Sandiford holds an advanced certificate in Assistive Technology and is widely known for her award-winning research on Melodic Based Communication Therapy (M.B.C.T.) for nonverbal autism and her educational apps to assist the nonverbal population with autism.

Dr. Sandiford started Melospeech, Inc. during the Covid-19 pandemic in order to provide consumers with effective options for specialized online or in-person speech therapy. She is a member of ASHA SIG 18, Telepractice

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

How Dr. Sandiford started her private practice
How she got her first clients
Her experience being contracted with the state
What payment sources she accepts and why
The services she offers in her practice
Why Dr. Sandiford decided to hire more help
Learning from mistakes

Dr. Sandiford has such incredible drive. She was able to build her successful private practice in a short period of time because she wasn’t afraid to do the work. Now, her business is thriving.

For her, it all started in the Start Your Private Practice Program. To learn more about how we support SLPs and OTs across the private practice journey, please visit www.IndependentClinician.com.

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Dr. Sandiford's website: https://melospeech.com/

Connect with Dr. Sandiford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsandiford/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

Attracting Ideal Clients to Your Practice with Marcia Church Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

Many SLPs and OTs dream of having the freedom to work with their ideal clients AND have plenty of time for family and self-care. I’m here to tell you that both are possible! And starting or growing a private practice is the perfect way to do it. Why? You get to call all of the shots and create a practice that works for your life with the clients that you want to treat!

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with one of my Grow Your Private Practice students, Marcia Church, to talk about her story and how she grew her private practice so that she could work with her ideal clients, earn the income she desires, AND have a schedule that works for her family.

Marcia Church, M.A., CCC-SLP is a Texas Licensed, ASHA certified Speech Pathologist of over 14 years and the owner of Pediatric Speech Stars, a boutique private practice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She specializes in the birth-5 population both virtually and in-home. In addition, Marcia also offers flexible 1:1 parent and SLP virtual coaching options.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

Why Marica decided to start her private practice
How Marcia got her first clients
Parent coaching services
Becoming an insurance provider
Making your first hire
Setting boundaries and saying no
Finding your ideal clients
Investing in your business

I love how passionate Marcia is about building a private practice that allows her to serve others while serving her family too. She’s the perfect example of someone who built their private practice with boundaries in mind. She believes in balance over burnout and she has mechanisms in place to protect herself as her practice grows.

Want help to grow your private practice just like we helped Marcia? We would love to help you grow your client base, increase your revenue, set up systems, and hire a team inside of the Grow Your Private Practice Program. Visit GrowYourPrivatePractice.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Marcia’s website: https://www.pediatricspeechstars.com/

Follow Marcia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pediatricspeechstars/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

From Getting Started to Starting to Grow with Sarah Sweeney Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

Do you feel trapped working at your current employer? You’re not alone. Many SLPs and OTs feel this way.

In this episode of Private Practice Success stories, I sat down with Sarah Sweeney, one of my Grow Your Private Practice students, to talk about how she felt trapped as well, which led her to start her own speech therapy private practice and turn her life around.

Sarah Sweeney is a board-licensed and certified speech-language pathologist with a special interest in orofacial myofunctional disorders and pediatric feeding. She graduated with a Master’s in Communication Disorders in 2017 from the University of Virginia.

Sarah’s special trainings and methods include International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM)™, PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets), The D’Onofrio Institute Diagnosing and Treating OMDs, DIRFloortime, and Feed the Peds.

During her spare time, she enjoys running, making music, researching, and spending time with her husband Luke, their son Finn, and her big mutt named Beau.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

Why Sarah decided to start her private practice
Surrounding yourself with people who believe in you
The importance of exploring your relationship with money
Being transparent with your private practice
Setting boundaries
How Sarah transitioned to having an office space
Staying in your zone of genius and hiring
The balance you can get with a private practice
Using your creativity in your private practice

I love Sarah’s energy, how direct she is, and how she is creating a career and life that she loves. She saw a gap in her community and decided to fill it which gave her so much career satisfaction, freedom, and balance.

To learn more about how we help folks like Sarah inside of the Grow Your Private Practice Program, visit www.GrowYourPrivatePractice.com.

Resources Mentioned:

Check out Sarah’s website: https://www.mysunshinespeech.com/

Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunshinespeechandmyo/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

3 Steps to Successfully Shift into Full-Time Private Practice Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

Are you planning to leave your job in the next few months and shift into your own private practice full-time?

Starting your private practice part-time is the best way to start but it’s not the best way to grow. Most folks can handle seeing a handful of private clients after work and on the weekends, but if the word is out about your practice and your caseload is full, it’s time to start thinking about the steps that you need to take to safely leave your job and shift into full-time private practice.

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I’m sharing the 3 steps you need to take to successfully shift into full-time private practice. You’ll learn how to make sure that you’re ready to make the transition and the things you need to have in place so that you can hit the ground running.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

The impact of the pandemic on private practices
Why you have the capability to run a thriving business
Doing the math before leaving your job
Picking a date to leave your job
Tips for using caseload fillers
Questions to ask yourself before you leave
What’s included in the Grow Your Private Practice program

I hope this episode is helpful, especially if you’re thinking about leaving your job soon to pursue your private practice full-time. Going all in on your private practice is a big deal and I want to make sure you’re ready for it.

If you want help to shift into private practice full-time and make sure you hit the ground running when you leave your job, we would love to help you. Please visit www.GrowYourPrivatePractice.com/fulltime to learn more!

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about the Grow Your Private Practice program: www.growyourprivatepractice.com/fulltime

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

Starting and Growing Her Private Practice in One Year with Lisa Geary Oct 03, 2022

Show notes

Are you looking to start a private practice on the side and transition to full-time private practice pretty quickly?

It’s amazing how fast you can grow when you get your private practice started. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with one of my students, Lisa Geary, to talk about how she started and grew her private practice significantly in just one year.

Lisa is a speech-language pathologist with over 25 years of experience in a variety of settings including skilled nursing, outpatient rehab, public schools, and higher education. She served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at a university in Maryland, and she also worked as Learning Consultant for an AAC vendor company.

Following her relocation to Virginia, Lisa decided to follow her big dream and open her own speech-language therapy practice. Lisa uses space in her husband's dental office, and she has enjoyed converting former dental operatories into children's therapy rooms.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

How Lisa got started with her private practice
How Lisa got her first clients
Tips for working with insurance
Standing out in your niche
What Lisa was able to accomplish in a year
Why businesses need systems to scale
Lisa’s plans for hiring and growing her business further
Being proactive about your finances

I love how Lisa knew that she wanted to have a private practice and just went for it. Now she is expanding beyond her wildest dreams, and I am so excited for her, her clients, and her community. She is a perfect example of what is truly possible for you when you take the plunge and start your own practice.

Fall Enrollment for the Start Your Private Practice Program is open through Friday! If you want help to start your private practice step-by-step and go through the exact same program Lisa did to get her ducks in a row and start seeing clients, come join us!

Resources Mentioned:

Check out Lisa’s website: https://www.yorktowntherapy.com/

Follow Lisa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yorktowntherapy

Enroll for Start Your Private Practice: PrivatePracticeCourse.com

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

Faith and Private Practice with Kristin Kudarauskas Sep 26, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Kristin Kudarauskas, a Start Your Private Practice and Grow Your Private Practice student, to talk about how she started a private practice that serves her community.

Kristin shares her journey of starting her private practice, how her faith supported her through the entire process, and how she uses one of our Casefiller Strategies that we teach in the Grow Your Private Practice program.

Kristin received her Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders from Emerson College in 2005. Considered a “Jackie of all trades,” she has served families and their loved ones from age 4 to 104 for over 17 years.

Early on, she had the honor to work with students in various public and private school systems, with a specific focus on enhancing communication for students on the Autism Spectrum and with moderate to severe physical disabilities. Kristin transitioned to serving adults with both developmental and acquired speech, language, voice, cognitive, and swallow deficits. It has been her dream to open and thrive in her own private practice to serve the greater community in which she lives. She resides in Fredericksburg, VA with her husband, three children, and two dogs.

Kristin holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, as well as her Speech-Language Pathology license in the state of Virginia. A lifelong learner, Kristin enjoys engaging in a variety of continuing education courses to ensure her treatment protocols are effective and timely, providing top-of-the-line evidence-based approaches.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

How Kristin knew it was time to start her private practice
When she decided to go all-in on her private practice
How Kristin’s faith has carried her through her private practice journey
The values that Kristin operates her business around
The importance of building trust within your community
Creating a practice that serves you

I have known Kristin for almost 20 years, so I may be a bit biased, but her dedication to her community and her values are truly inspiring. She is the perfect example of someone who had a great career as an SLP and worked in a variety of settings and then finally decided that she was ready to take full control over her professional, personal and financial life.

If you want to know more about our programs and see how we supported Kristin and how we can help you too, make sure to visit www.independentclinician.com.

Also, Private Practice Bootcamp starts TODAY! If you want help to plan a private practice that's perfect for you, come join us! This is our last big, free event of the year, so don't miss it.

Resources Mentioned:

Join the Private Practice Bootcamp: https://www.startyourprivatepractice.com/sept2022-bootcamp-o

Check out Kristin’s website: https://www.chancellortherapysolutions.com/

Follow Kristin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chancellortherapy/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

From Her Kitchen Table to Two Locations with Michelle Eliason [Start Your Private Practice Mentor] Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

Are you holding back from starting your private practice because you’re worried that you don’t have enough money saved up?

This is what I hear from many SLPs and OTs, but you don’t actually have to have a bunch of money saved up! You can keep your costs very low at the start and grow as your practice grows.

In today’s episode of Private Practice Success stories, I sat down with Michelle Eliason who didn’t let the investment scare her. She started her private practice debt-free from her kitchen table and now she has grown it to two different locations!

Michelle Eliason is an Occupational Therapist and private practice owner. She began a consulting company in 2016 and now owns two neurological and physical restorative outpatient practices in New York as well as an online mentorship and resource site for occupational therapy students and practitioners seeking to utilize their full scope in clinical practice.

Michelle is now an OT mentor for our Start Your Private Practice students where she teaches them how to market their services on a shoestring budget, and her trainings have been an invaluable resource.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

Why Michelle started her own private practice
The importance of setting goals
How Michelle started her business on a small budget
Learning to think like a business owner
How Michelle started multiple locations
Why quality service over quantity is important
Tips for growing your team

I love how Michelle saw a need in her area and decided to fill it. She had a simple beginning and is now experiencing so much success. And guess what? You can do the same! If you have something to bring to the table, you can start from your kitchen table, just like Michelle did. Let us help you get there!

If you want us to help you start or grow your SLP or OT private practice, please visit www.IndepenendentClinician.com to learn more about our free and paid programs!

Resources Mentioned:

Check out Michelle’s website: https://www.buffalooccupationaltherapy.com/

Follow Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ot_outpatient/?hl=en

Check out the BOT program: https://www.buffalooccupationaltherapy.com/bot-portal-experience/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

Getting Referrals from Doctors with Adult-Focused Private Practitioner Yasmin Rios-Schultz Sep 12, 2022

Show notes

Referrals can be a powerful tool to utilize in your business. By serving your clients well and forming good relationships with others in related fields, you can change the trajectory of your private practice by receiving referrals.

In today’s episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Yasmin Rios-Schultz, a Start Your Private Practice student who grew her private practice to full-time and now gets a large number of referrals from doctors.

Yasmin Rios-Schultz lives in Austin, TX with her husband, son, and dog. She has been an SLP for 13 years and has owned her adult-focused private practice, Lake Austin Speech Therapy, for 2 years.

She is a mobile therapist and also provides telehealth for those who are outside of her driving range. She is a 6-time marathoner, and a lover of the outdoors, camping, road trips, and travel.

She formed her private practice to be independent and in charge of the decision-making for her therapy services. She wanted to decide her own work hours and gain the flexibility for herself and her family that she didn’t previously have when working for another company.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

Getting clients through Medicare
Tips for connecting with doctors to get referrals
What Yasmin’s private practice looks like
How private practices take time to build
How her private practice helped Yasmin get Lasik surgery
Yasmin’s plans for hiring help so that she can expand her practice
The benefits of telehealth

Yasmin is a perfect example of someone who has a lot to offer and physicians in her area are taking note and referring to her. She's working with her ideal client population on her own terms and filling a need in her community. And guess what? You can do that, too! Just like I helped Yasmin get started, I would love to help you get started too.

It's almost Private Practice Bootcamp time! Our big FREE Private Practice Bootcamp event kicks off on September 26th. It's a 3-day event to help you plan a private practice that's perfect for you. It includes lots of participation prizes and giveaways!

To register, please visit www.planyourprivatepractice.com.

Resources Mentioned:

Check out Yasmin’s website: https://www.lakeaustinspeechtherapy.com/

Connect with Yasmin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakeaustinspeechtherapy

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

Billing Medicaid and The Importance of Mentorship with Lydia Lacy Sep 05, 2022

Show notes

As SLPs, a lot of us get into this profession because we just want to help people. Helping people is just what we do. And when we aren’t able to do that, it takes a serious toll on us emotionally. This quickly leads to burnout which can leave you feeling unhappy and unfulfilled.

But you don’t have to stay that way. You can find more fulfillment by starting your own private practice where you get to build the life you want on your own terms.

In this week’s episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Lydia Lacy, who was feeling stuck and unfulfilled in her job. This led her to start her own private practice which has given her so much more happiness and fulfillment.

Lydia started working for Detroit Public Schools right after graduating in May of 1999. She was placed in a Title 1 elementary school in the heart of the city and then moved around to other settings throughout the district. Lydia and her family moved to Georgia in 2011 where she continued to work in education. She has over 20 years of experience working in the school setting serving students from preschool to high school.

When it was time for a change of pace, she switched over to working for a private practice in 2018 but then moved back to the school setting as a contractor. That’s when she decided that maybe it was time for her to start her own private practice.

While researching, she came across Jena’s website and joined her Facebook group then reached out to some local therapists to ask more questions!

As a married mother with four children, Lydia is very busy working her full-time position in the schools while growing her part-time business, Katalyst Speech Therapy. It can be stressful at times trying to navigate each role, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

In her free time, she enjoys exercising, reading, spending time with her kids, and dating her handsome husband.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

Lydia’s journey to starting her own private practice
The power of connecting with other people in the profession
How Lydia finds clients
The benefits of being an insurance provider
Lydia’s experience with accepting Medicaid
The importance of having a mentor when starting a private practice

I hope you found this episode inspirational. I love Lydia’s persistence and how she finally took the steps and started her private practice. She is the perfect example of someone who wanted to do it, did it, and is now encouraging others to go for it too.

If you would like to learn more about our programs and how we support SLPs and OTS who want our help to start and grow their private practices, please visit www.independentclinician.com.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Lydia’s website: https://www.katalystspeechtherapy.com/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/