Private Practice Elevation with Daniel Fava

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, Daniel Fava had a conversation with Jane Carter, a therapist and business coach for solopreneurs.    The episode focused on the importance of bringing fun and self-compassion into the process of building a business.    While building a business can be hard and challenging, finding ways to make it fun is essential to avoid burnout and maintain motivation.    Throughout the conversation, Jane and Daniel discussed the significance of self-awareness, reframing negative thoughts, and seeking support from others in navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.    The themes discussed in this conversation provide valuable insights and strategies for entrepreneurs to build successful businesses while maintaining their well-being and sense of self.  Key Takeaways:   Building a business should be fun, as it helps solopreneurs avoid burnout and stay motivated. Storytelling is an effective marketing strategy that can make business more engaging and enjoyable. Solopreneurs should practice self-compassion and separate their own responsibility from unnecessary blame or shame. Having a support system of friends, coaches, or therapists can provide empathy, reflection, and encouragement to solopreneurs. Solopreneurs can reframe their stories and approach problems as leaders, taking ownership and finding solutions.  

In this episode of the Private Practice Elevation podcast, host Daniel Fava sits down with Joshua Brummel, co-founder of Therapy Flow, to delve into the intricacies of using paid ads to elevate private practices.   The conversation kicks off with a glimpse into Joshua's background and how Therapy Flow evolved from a marketing agency into a specialized service for therapists. The company now offers a "done for you" practice development program that focuses on implementing digital strategies like Google Ads and Facebook ads, along with a HIPAA-compliant CRM system.   Their discussion covers crucial elements for success in paid advertising, emphasizing the importance of a website that converts traffic effectively.    They highlight the need for clear tracking mechanisms to gauge the return on investment (ROI) from ads. Joshua stresses the significance of having a solid sales process in place before diving into paid advertising to ensure that potential client inquiries translate into actual conversions.   The conversation extends to the expectations from the initial phase of running paid ad campaigns. They spotlight the learning period of 3-7 days where data acquisition occurs, advising patience and observation before making adjustments. They also explore the calculation of ROI from ads, emphasizing the importance of understanding the lifetime value of a client to accurately gauge the success of ad campaigns.   Joshua emphasizes that while paid ads require meticulous attention to detail, they can serve as a powerful growth accelerator for practices, offering a rapid influx of inquiries and clients when managed effectively. He presents paid ads as a "dial experience," a tool that allows practices to control and intensify their referral volumes swiftly, complementing long-term strategies like SEO.   In conclusion, the episode emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between long-term strategies like SEO and short-term boosts from paid ads, advocating for a strategic balance between the two for sustained practice growth.   In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The big picture of paid ads and user intent. Evolution and competition in paid ad platforms. Joshua Brummel's experience with managing ad spend. Recommended starting budget for Google Ads for therapy practices. Using Facebook and Instagram ads for lower budgets. Importance of having a website that converts before investing. Importance of website conversion for successful Google ads Evaluating the effectiveness of ads and sales process New, more, better framework for website and ads Learning period of 3-7 days for ads Tracking conversions and intake process for success Google ads work best for practices with existing clients Calculating return on investment for ads Determining lifetime value of therapy clients to determine ad budget Ads as a profitable source for consistent client acquisition How paid ads can provide a quick return on investment for therapy practices Technical details of running ads can be complex and time-consuming How using both paid ads and SEO can provide stability and growth

Introduction   In the world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), text-based content often takes center stage.    Those who have done any work on their website’s SEO, you likely have spent a significant effort in crafting compelling articles, adding content to your pages, and optimizing keywords.    However, in the pursuit of improving website rankings, one vital element is often overlooked—images.    In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we'll explore the importance of optimizing images for SEO and provide you with tips and tricks to ensure your visual content doesn't go unnoticed by search engines.   Why Image Optimization Matters for SEO Enhanced User Experience: High-quality, well-optimized images can significantly enhance the user experience on your website. Fast-loading pages with attractive visuals keep visitors engaged and reduce bounce rates, which are crucial ranking factors for search engines. Ranking in Google Images: Google Images is a popular search engine in its own right. Optimized images have a better chance of ranking here, driving additional organic traffic to your website. This is particularly advantageous if your site relies heavily on visual content, such as e-commerce stores or photography portfolios. Page Loading Speed: Image optimization plays a crucial role in improving page loading speed. Slow-loading pages can result in a poor user experience and negatively affect your SEO rankings. Compressed and properly sized images can help mitigate this issue. Mobile Optimization: With the increasing use of mobile devices for web browsing, image optimization becomes even more critical. Smaller file sizes ensure faster load times on mobile networks and better performance for mobile users.   Tips and Tricks for Optimizing Images for SEO   Choose the Right File Format: The most common image formats are JPEG, PNG, and GIF. JPEG is ideal for photographs and complex images, while PNG is better for images with transparency. Use GIFs for animations. Choosing the right format can significantly impact image quality and file size. Resize Images: Before uploading, resize your images to the exact dimensions needed for your website. This reduces unnecessary file size and ensures a faster loading time. Compression: Use image compression tools or plugins to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality. There are many online tools and WordPress plugins available for this purpose. Descriptive Filenames: Give your image files descriptive filenames that include relevant keywords. For example, instead of "IMG001.jpg," use "red-convertible-car.jpg" if the image depicts a red convertible car. This helps search engines understand the image's content. Alt Text: Always include descriptive alt text for your images. Alt text not only improves accessibility for visually impaired users but also provides search engines with context about the image. Use relevant keywords naturally within the alt text. Image Titles: Consider adding titles to your images, but use them sparingly and make sure they are concise and descriptive. Monitor Performance: Regularly monitor your website's performance, including image load times. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix can help identify areas for improvement.   Conclusion   Optimizing images for SEO on your private practice website is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of digital marketing. By following these strategies, you can enhance your website's user experience, improve page load times, and increase your visibility in search engine results, including Google Images.    Remember that SEO is an ongoing process, and regularly optimizing your images is essential to maintaining and improving your website's performance in the ever-competitive online landscape. Start prioritizing image optimization today and reap the benefits of improved search engine rankings and user engagement.  

 In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we delve into the inspiring story of Soribel Martinez, a licensed clinical social worker and CEO of SM Psychotherapy and Counseling Services.    Soribel shares her journey of overcoming adversity, including a life-threatening health condition, and how she used these experiences to build an unbreakable life and business.    Through her personal story and professional expertise, Soribel provides valuable insights and strategies for aligning purpose, mindset, marketing and hiring to create a resilient and successful business.   Soribel Martinez's story is one of resilience and determination. Born in the Dominican Republic, Soribel faced the challenges of immigration and the loss of her cultural identity at a young age. However, her journey took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with two brain aneurysms.    This life-altering event forced Soribel to confront her mortality and reevaluate her purpose in life.   Soribel's journey towards building an unbreakable life and business began with a shift in mindset. She realized that dwelling on negative thoughts and worst-case scenarios would only hinder her ability to live fully for her son. With the help of a psychologist, Soribel learned to shift her perception and embrace the opportunities that adversity presents.   And now, as a business coach, she helps others do the same. Listen to the episode as Soribel unpacks her framework for overcoming adversity and finding success, plus a ton of other marketing strategies and tips you can apply to your own private practice. In This Episode, We Discuss: Soribel’s incredible story of how she worked through a health diagnosis Using self-analysis and understanding of how you got there to create a path forward Keys to finding opportunities in adversity How to grow outside of your comfort zone Shifting mindset and perception after receiving bad news Building a waitlist and growing the private practice The importance of creating a business plan and marketing strategy Staying focused on goals and avoiding distractions Building a crisis-proof business with the right mindset Importance of marketing and having a marketing budget Hiring and onboarding process for growth and demand fulfillment Importance of building a business mindset and hiring strategies Key elements of the marketing plan: digital marketing, social media presence Utilizing Google Ads, Facebook ads, SEO, and email marketing  

A quick podcast episode where I share a little behind-the-scenes of 2023 at Private Practice Elevation.  

In this episode of the Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we are delving deep into the art of crafting an effective and high-converting contact page for your private practice website.    Your private practice website is more than just an online presence or an online business card. It is your gateway to connecting with clients, helping them find the support they need, and ultimately growing your private practice.    At the heart of this journey lies your contact page, a crucial element in the conversion process on your website.    Your contact page is where visitors take that crucial step of reaching out and booking appointments or learning more about your practice.    It is not just about design; it is about creating a seamless, inviting experience that encourages visitors to take action.    In this episode, Daniel Fava explores ten tips to help you create a seamless and inviting contact page that encourages visitors to take that crucial step of reaching out and booking appointments or learning more about your therapy practice.   Key Takeaways: Keep the contact page simple and inviting to avoid overwhelming visitors. Prioritize the contact form by prominently displaying it above the fold. Create an engaging headline that incites action and leads visitors to the contact form. Provide multiple contact options, such as phone, email, and a contact form, to cater to different preferences. Add trust-building elements, such as testimonials or certifications, to instill confidence in visitors. Use a clear call to action on buttons to let visitors know what will happen when they click. Optimize the contact page for mobile devices to accommodate the majority of users. Ensure privacy and security by mentioning your commitment to privacy and using SSL encryption. Implement CAPTCHA or other spam protection measures to prevent unwanted submissions. Test and monitor the contact page to track conversions and make improvements over time.   This Episode Is Brought To You By   Alma is on a mission to simplify access to high-quality, affordable mental health care by giving providers the tools they need to build thriving in-network private practices. When providers join Alma, they gain access to insurance support, teletherapy software, client referrals, automated billing and scheduling tools, and a vibrant community of clinicians that come together for education, training, and events.   Alma gives clinicians the tools they need to build thriving private practices. When you join their insurance program, you can get credentialed within 45 days, and access enhanced reimbursement rates with major payers. They also handle all of the paperwork, from eligibility checks to claims submissions, and guarantee payment within two weeks of each appointment.    In addition to their insurance program, Alma offers timesaving tools and administrative support — so you can spend less time on paperwork, and more time delivering great care to your clients.    Learn more about building a thriving private practice with Alma at helloalma.com/elevation.   10 Tips For Crafting an Effective and High Converting Contact Page for Your Private Practice Website   1. Keep it Simple and Inviting The first rule of an effective contact page is to keep it simple.    We want to create a clean and uncluttered design that invites visitors in and makes it clear what they need to do on the page. Look at other websites, both within your industry and outside of it, to get ideas on how to create a simple and inviting contact page.    The goal is to make it easy for visitors to understand what they need to do and to lead them into taking that next step. 2. Prioritize the Form The contact form is the main attraction of your contact page. It should be prominently displayed, preferably above the fold, so that visitors can easily find it without scrolling down. Include fields for name, email, phone number, and a message box for longer messages.    Over time, you can customize the form to fit the specific needs of your practice, such as asking for the best time to call back for a consultation. The key is to keep the form simple and efficient for your practice. 3. Create an Engaging Headline At the top of your contact page, create an engaging headline that invites action. This could be something like "Ready to take the first step towards a happier you?" or "Get in touch to schedule your free consultation."    The goal is to incite action and lead visitors to the contact form, which should be prominently displayed right below the headline. 4. Provide Multiple Contact Options While the contact form is the main focus of your contact page, it is important to offer multiple contact options to cater to different preferences.    Some visitors may prefer speaking directly, while others may be more comfortable with written communication.    Along with the contact form, include options such as phone, email, and even a link to your Google Business profile. This allows visitors to choose the method of contact that they are most comfortable with.   5. Add Trust Building Elements Building trust is crucial in encouraging visitors to take that next step and reach out. Consider adding trust-building elements to your contact page, such as testimonials, certifications, or social proof.    Testimonials from past clients can help potential clients feel more confident in reaching out, knowing that others have had positive experiences with your practice.    Certifications and social proof, such as being featured on reputable websites or podcasts, can also help build trust. 6. Use a Clear Call to Action Your contact page should have a clear call to action on the button that leads visitors to take the next step.    Use phrases like "Get started" or "Request an appointment" to make it clear what will happen when the button is clicked. Avoid being too creative or fancy with the call to action; simplicity is key.    Make sure the button stands out against the rest of the page and is easy to click, especially on mobile devices. 7. Optimize for Mobile With the majority of people accessing websites from their smartphones, it is crucial to optimize your contact page for mobile devices.    Ensure that your contact page and the form are fully responsive, easy to navigate, and function seamlessly on mobile devices.    Test the contact form on your own phone and ask others to do the same to ensure a smooth user experience. 8. Privacy and Security Visitors to your website need to feel confident that their information is secure and will not be shared without their consent. Mention your commitment to privacy and include a link to your privacy policy under the contact form. Additionally, make sure your website is secure with an SSL certificate to encrypt information that is submitted through the contact form. 9. CAPTCHA and Spam Protection Implementing CAPTCHA or other spam protection measures on your contact form is essential to prevent unwanted submissions and maintain the quality of inquiries. CAPTCHA helps filter out bots that try to spam your contact form by requiring users to complete a simple math equation. This ensures that only genuine inquiries are submitted through the form. 10. Test and Monitor After implementing these tips, it is important to test and monitor the performance of your contact page.    Use tools like Google Analytics to track user behavior and conversion rates. Monitor how many people land on your contact page and how many actually submit the form.    This data will give you insights into the effectiveness of your contact page and help you make any necessary adjustments. Conclusion Crafting an effective and high-converting contact page is crucial for growing your private practice.    By keeping it simple and inviting, prioritizing the form, providing multiple contact options, adding trust building elements, using a clear call to action, optimizing for mobile, ensuring privacy and security, implementing CAPTCHA and spam protection, and testing and monitoring the performance, you can create a contact page that encourages visitors to take that crucial step of reaching out.    Continuously evaluate and improve your contact page to maximize conversions and grow your practice.

Therapist and business coach, Omar Ruiz, shares tips and strategies for therapists to maximize their Psychology Today profile. Topics include optimizing profile picture and description, adding a call to action, using intro videos and keywords, and enhancing visibility through location and italicized snippets.

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we’re going to dive deep into what therapists need to know about using AI for writing their marketing material.   Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a prominent tool in various industries, including marketing. AI writing generators have gained popularity, offering a solution for those who struggle with writing or need content quickly.    AI has simply changed content creation forever. The amount of time AI can save you as you create content, such as articles for your website and social media posts, is amazing. And it can be really tempting to outsource all your marketing copywriting to this powerful new tool.   But before you hand the keys over to ChatGPT or other tools, it’s important to understand the limitations and the ethics of using AI.   My conversation with Rebekah Hudson, a freelance marketing professional in the mental health industry, discusses the ethical concerns and limitations of using AI writing in marketing for therapists.    She highlights the controversy surrounding AI writing and the potential for plagiarism. She also explains the limitations of AI writing, including issues with quality, accuracy, originality, brand voice, and search engine optimization. Despite these limitations, she offers tips for using AI writing effectively, such as fact-checking and using multiple plagiarism-checking tools. Hudson emphasizes the importance of maintaining a unique and authentic brand voice in order to connect with clients. What You’ll Learn About AI:   Introduction to the topic of AI in marketing Ethical concerns surrounding AI writing Ownership and copyright issues with AI-generated content Concerns about the credibility and reputation of AI-generated literature The Five major limitations of AI writing Suggestions to avoid relying on AI writing for SEO The importance and irreplaceable need for the human element in writing Top Tips for using AI writing effectively. Tips include fact-checking and not relying on AI as an editor How to compare AI-generated content with human-written content to determine quality. Recommended tools for plagiarism checking include Grammarly and DupliChecker. This Episode is Brought To You By   Alma is on a mission to simplify access to high-quality, affordable mental health care by giving providers the tools they need to build thriving in-network private practices. When providers join Alma, they gain access to insurance support, teletherapy software, client referrals, automated billing and scheduling tools, and a vibrant community of clinicians that come together for education, training, and events.   Alma gives clinicians the tools they need to build thriving private practices. When you join their insurance program, you can get credentialed within 45 days, and access enhanced reimbursement rates with major payers. They also handle all of the paperwork, from eligibility checks to claims submissions, and guarantee payment within two weeks of each appointment.    In addition to their insurance program, Alma offers timesaving tools and administrative support — so you can spend less time on paperwork, and more time delivering great care to your clients.    Learn more about building a thriving private practice with Alma at helloalma.com/elevation. Links mentioned in this episode: Duplichecker Grammarly alwaysrebekah.com

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we will explore the journey of Chris McDonald, a licensed therapist and holistic practitioner, as she built her private practice.    We will delve into the challenges she faced, the strategies she employed, and the impact of integrating holistic modalities into her therapy work with clients.   Chris embarked on a journey to build a holistic therapy practice after leaving her job as a school counselor. With a passion for holistic modalities and a desire to integrate them into her practice, Chris set out to build a private practice that would cater to clients seeking a different approach to therapy, as well as fulfilling her own passions.   Listen to her journey about how she created a practice that was authentic to her and the strategies she uses to market her holistic therapy practice. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: How networking and consultation groups can provide a stream of referrals in your holistic therapy practice How incorporating holistic modalities into therapy can attract clients who are seeking a different approach The importance of your website’s about page and how you can talk about what you do in a way that helps you stand out from other therapists This Episode is Brought To You By   Alma is on a mission to simplify access to high-quality, affordable mental health care by giving providers the tools they need to build thriving in-network private practices. When providers join Alma, they gain access to insurance support, teletherapy software, client referrals, automated billing and scheduling tools, and a vibrant community of clinicians that come together for education, training, and events.   Alma gives clinicians the tools they need to build thriving private practices. When you join their insurance program, you can get credentialed within 45 days, and access enhanced reimbursement rates with major payers. They also handle all of the paperwork, from eligibility checks to claims submissions, and guarantee payment within two weeks of each appointment.    In addition to their insurance program, Alma offers timesaving tools and administrative support — so you can spend less time on paperwork, and more time delivering great care to your clients.    Learn more about building a thriving private practice with Alma at helloalma.com/elevation.   

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, EMDR therapist and consultant Christy Pearl delves into the impact of childhood emotional patterns on our professional lives.    She emphasizes that most people have experienced some form of insecure attachment or emotional abandonment in their early family life, which can influence decision-making and the way we show up in our careers.    Christy explains that these patterns can manifest in various ways, such as struggling with boundaries, handling money, and feeling reactive rather than responsive in professional settings.    She highlights the importance of doing our own healing work and cultivating self-compassion and curiosity to overcome these patterns.    Christy also emphasizes the role of the body in healing and suggests that accessing our unconscious material is crucial for aligning our thinking brain with our emotional and physical memory.   If you’re feeling stuck, under-confident as a leader, or you’ve seen how certain situations trigger you in your private practice, this episode will help guide you toward healing and growth. Key Takeaways: Unresolved emotional patterns from childhood can impact decision-making and the way we show up in our careers. Many people are surprised to discover that these patterns also affect their professional lives. Doing our own healing work is essential for showing up in a grounded and present manner. Cultivating self-compassion and curiosity can help us overcome negative self-talk and shame. Accessing our unconscious material is crucial for aligning our thinking brain with our emotional and physical memory.   Links Mentioned in This Episode: www.christiepearl.com This Episode is Brought To You By   Alma is on a mission to simplify access to high-quality, affordable mental health care by giving providers the tools they need to build thriving in-network private practices. When providers join Alma, they gain access to insurance support, teletherapy software, client referrals, automated billing and scheduling tools, and a vibrant community of clinicians that come together for education, training, and events.   Alma gives clinicians the tools they need to build thriving private practices. When you join their insurance program, you can get credentialed within 45 days, and access enhanced reimbursement rates with major payers. They also handle all of the paperwork, from eligibility checks to claims submissions, and guarantee payment within two weeks of each appointment.    In addition to their insurance program, Alma offers timesaving tools and administrative support — so you can spend less time on paperwork, and more time delivering great care to your clients.    Learn more about building a thriving private practice with Alma at helloalma.com/elevation.    About Christie Pearl    Christie Pearl is a Certified EMDR Therapist and EMDR Consultant in private practice with over 18 years of experience in the mental health field. She specializes in EMDR Intensive Therapy for Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families who are struggling with work stress and performance anxiety. She helps Adult Children create a healthier relationship with work so that they can own their brilliance and be who they want to be today, instead of who they had to be as children. Her mission is to inspire, encourage and equip Adult Children on their journey to reconnecting with their authentic selves.    The Impact of Childhood Emotional Patterns on Professional Life The Impact on Parenting and Personal Relationships Pearl highlights that these unresolved emotional patterns not only affect our professional lives but also spill over into our parenting and personal relationships.    She explains that many individuals who have experienced emotional immaturity or dysfunction in their own upbringing struggle to show up as the parents they want to be. They may feel guilt and shame for not being able to break free from these patterns and may find themselves repeating the same dynamics with their own children.   "The best thing you can do for your kids is what you're sitting here with me doing right now for yourself. And in my experience, most people, at least most adult children that I work with, have an easier time accessing that inner loving place within themselves for their kids or for other people. And it's a matter of learning how to turn some of that compassion and grace towards yourself." - Christy Pearl   Navigating Emotional Patterns in the Professional World   Pearl acknowledges that running a business can be a catalyst for uncovering and addressing these emotional patterns. As business owners, we are faced with various challenges, including client relationships, financial decisions, and time management.    These challenges often trigger our unresolved emotional wounds and can lead to reactivity, self-sabotage, and difficulty in setting boundaries.   "I think there's a really good reason for that, which is we might have adapted early on in our early life by really learning how to compartmentalize... So we grow up and we continue functioning like that in our work. And whether you leave the house or not to go to your job at this point, we bring it all to work with us." - Christy Pearl   The Importance of Self-Awareness and Reparenting   To navigate these emotional patterns in the professional world, Pearl emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and doing our own inner work. She encourages individuals to cultivate curiosity and gentleness towards themselves, recognizing that healing is a process that requires patience and self-compassion.    By addressing the unconscious material stored in our nervous systems, we can align our thinking brain, emotional memory, and physical sensations to respond from a grounded and authentic place.   "I think it's about doing your own work... It's not just a mental exercise. We've got to get into the body because part of what our brain can do is conscious. And then we've got all this unconscious stuff that's hanging around in our nervous system... If we don't get down into that unconscious material and allow ourselves to bring that up into our conscious minds where we can deal with it, then our thinking brain and our emotional physical memory never match." - Christy Pearl   Conclusion   In conclusion, addressing childhood emotional patterns and their impact on our professional lives is a transformative journey that requires self-awareness, self-compassion, and a commitment to doing the necessary inner work.    By recognizing and healing our unresolved emotional wounds, we can break free from repetitive patterns, set healthy boundaries, and show up authentically in our careers. The process of reparenting ourselves and cultivating emotional safety within can lead to profound personal and professional growth.   As we continue to explore the intersection of our personal and professional lives, it is essential to approach our careers with curiosity, gentleness, and a willingness to confront our emotional patterns. By doing so, we can create a more fulfilling and authentic professional journey, one that aligns with our true desires and values.    The path to healing and growth may be challenging, but it is also incredibly rewarding. Let us embrace the opportunity to transform ourselves and our professional lives, one step at a time.