But here's what I really want you to hear today: you have more options than you think. And the option that's right for your practice might look very different from what the person down the street is doing.  And that's okay.  If you are intentional about what you offer and why it is that, you will be able to answer any questions or negotiations your potential associates may come up with.

If you’re honest, you might notice that some of your decisions are being driven more by avoiding discomfort than by long-term sustainability. You say yes when you want to say no. You absorb the stress so no one else has to. You put your own needs — financial, emotional, and energetic — at the bottom of the list.

If you’re like many therapists I work with, you didn’t set out to become a business owner. You were simply full—emotionally, energetically, and in your caseload. Referrals kept coming, and it felt too painful to turn people away. So you brought on an independent contractor. Then another. Then one more.

Before you knew it, you weren’t just running a private practice—you were running a business with a team.

But here’s the catch: most therapists in this position didn’t count the cost—literally or figuratively. They didn’t run the numbers or look at the full range of responsibilities that come with the shift from solo therapist to CEO of a group practice.

So that’s where I want to start with you today.

Before you can offer a competitive rate to your therapists, you need to have a clear understanding of your practice’s financials.