Private Practice Elevation with Daniel Fava

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, you’re going to learn 5 simple things you can do to optimize your Google Business Profile and maximize your local SEO potential.   Local SEO involves the steps you can take to make sure that when potential clients are searching for therapy services in your area your website and practice come up in the search engines.   For example, if you offer couples therapy and are located in Atlanta, you want your website to come up when clients type “Couples therapy” in a search engine, while they are located in Atlanta.   Google looks for local signals, such as business directories to get a better understanding of where your private practice is located.   At the heart of this local SEO ecosystem is your Google Business Profile.   While setting up a Google Business Profile is often the first thing therapists do when opening their private practice, these profiles are often not optimized.   So we’re going to go over 5 simple things you can do to optimize your profile.   Whether you don’t have a Google Business Profile already, or have one set up that you need to revisit to improve your local SEO, this episode will give you some simple steps to help.   Download the Free Google Business Listing Optimization Checklist   Get on the Waiting List for the Next Class of Our SEO Training Group! On January 30, 2023, I’m opening the doors to our SEO Basecamp Live Training Group. This will be an online course and small group live training over the course of 9 weeks to help you create and implement and simple SEO strategy for your private practice.    To be the first to get access (and at a discount!), join our waiting list here. Links mentioned in this episode: Google Business Profile SEO Basecamp Live Training Group Episode 18. What is Local SEO and how Can You Use it in Your Private Practice? Episode 78. Google My Business For Therapists: 7 Tips To Optimize Your Listing with Craig Alsup Blog Post: A Guide to Optimizing a Google Business Profile for Private Practice

This week on The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we’re talking all about how to use podcast appearances to market your private practice.   If you’ve been listening to the podcast for some time, you’ve likely heard that I’m a big fan of being featured on other podcasts as a way to market your business.   And for many reasons.   The first is that it is a way to reach your ideal audience in a way that you couldn’t on your own.   It’s also a way to get high-quality links from other websites that link back to yours, which has a HUGE impact on your SEO (search engine optimization).   Not to mention, it makes you look like an expert in your potential client's eyes.   But it can be pretty daunting to put yourself out there and try to book an interview on a podcast you’d like to be a guest on.   And so many private practice owners don’t do it and miss out on the marketing opportunities that go along with podcasting.   To help you overcome these hurdles and get started using podcast appearances in your marketing, we’re talking to Lisa Mustard.   Lisa Mustard is an LMFT and Coach in South Carolina and the host of a podcast called The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard - a convenient and fun way for Talk Therapists to earn Continuing Education contact hours.  In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The most important thing to do before you reach out to a podcast host about being featured on their podcast How to find the right podcasts to be featured on that will help you reach more of your ideal audience Tips for reaching out to podcast hosts so that you can be interviewed on their podcast How to get the most out of your podcast features and use them in your marketing to drive traffic, improve SEO, and increase your authority How being featured on podcasts can improve your conversion rates by increasing your like, know, and trust factor Tips for when you feel like interviews maybe didn’t go as great as you had hoped and how to keep working at it   Check out my interview on Lisa’s podcast, The Therapy Show about “The Four Mountains of SEO”   Create Your SEO Strategy With Me In Our SEO Basecamp Live Training Group SEO Basecamp Live is a 9-week, small group training, consisting of video training and live implementation classes.   Over the course of 9 weeks, I’ll give you access to the exact SEO process that we use at Private Practice Elevation to help our clients set up the foundational SEO elements that will get them more organic traffic and clients. Here’s What’s Included:   7 modules with video training 9 live weekly “Implementation Calls” A private community group An SEO Workbook SEO Copy templates If you want a roadmap that shows you where your SEO stands right NOW and how to get to where you want it to be, this is it.   Learn more about SEO Basecamp Live About Lisa Mustard   Lisa Mustard is an LMFT and Coach in South Carolina. Wife to Billy and mom to 2 girls, she has been practicing since 2006 and has worked with a military branch for the past 10 years. 3 years ago, she decided to start a podcast after sitting in a conference for 2 days straight. (I'll share more of that story in the episode if that's ok.) She creates continuing education for therapists via podcasting...aka podcourses. She also works with women experiencing midlife struggles. When not seeing clients or working on her podcast, she chauffeurs her daughters to volleyball practice and games, hits up the gym, or explores the gorgeous South Carolina hiking trails with her husband.    Links mentioned in this episode: The Therapy Show with Lisa Mustard http://lisamustard.com Lisa on Instagram Get a FREE NBCC Approved Continuing Education Contact Hour The PsychCraft Podcast Network    Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts If you’re not yet subscribed to the podcast I want to encourage you to do that today. This is the best way to make sure you don’t miss an episode! Click here to subscribe on iTunes.   And if you’re feeling extra generous, I’d love to hear what you think about the podcast. Reviews help others find the podcast plus I’d really love to hear what you think! Click here to leave a review. Just click on “Ratings & Reviews” then “Write a review.” Let me know what you like best about the podcast. Thank you!   This Episode Is Brought to You By Managed WordPress Hosting by Flywheel   If you’re looking for a hosting company that will not only host your website but also supports you with some of the best customer support I’ve ever received, then Flywheel is for you. We’ve partnered with Flywheel to host all of our clients’ WordPress websites because their speed, security, and extremely responsive customer service is the best in the business.   Learn more about hosting with Flywheel (affiliate link)

In this bonus episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we discuss some exciting news - we’ve got a new website design package specifically designed for therapists just starting out in their online marketing journey.   The goal of Private Practice Elevation is to help you elevate your online presence, no matter what level your private practice is currently in.   But what if you find yourself at those lower elevations, where you’re looking to establish your business online and create some momentum?   You need a foundation - a place where potential clients can find you and where you can send your referral sources as you build those relationships.   In an attempt to save some money, most people turn to DIY platforms like Wix and Squarespace to get their business online. While that can be a great starting place to generate some clients, it often comes with a cost…   Those DIY websites look, well, DIY.   This could mean missed opportunities plus time and money wasted as you try and learn website design yourself.   You need a great website that won’t be a distraction as you build and grow your business.   That’s why we’ve created a new website package - The Website Basecamp Package.   To help therapists on a budget create a website that can be a foundation for their online marketing and get the ongoing website support they need for growth.   Listen up to learn more about why we created this package, what’s included, and how it works. In this Episode You’ll Learn: The trouble with DIY therapist websites and I don’t recommend that route Why we created this new website design package How the process works The importance of website care and support What’s included in the Website Basecamp Package Join The Website Basecamp Package Waitlist Be one of the first to know when we’re accepting applications for our newest website package. We’ll be limiting this package to only a few projects so we can work closely with our clients through this new process.   Join the waitlist here >> Links mentioned in this episode: Preview the Website Basecamp Package template website here Learn more about what’s included in this package

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we’re going to talk about the most important things you need to know before you start a faith-based therapy practice.   I know many therapists that want to integrate their faith into the work that they do - both clinically and in how they run their practice.   My wife happens to be one of them!   But one thing that can be a challenge is understanding how to position your practice from a faith-based perspective without excluding other clients that don’t adhere to a certain faith.   You may want to bring faith into the work you do, but you may be afraid it will turn other clients off.   So how can you create a practice that stays true to who you are and the faith that’s important to you in such a way that will help you grow your business?   Today we’re speaking with my friend, Whitney Owens, all about building a faith-based private practice.   She’s sharing her wisdom about what she’s learned both firsthand from building her own practice as well as the business owners she consults with.   There are a few key decisions and questions you can answer before starting your own faith-based therapy practice, and Whitney is here to help us unpack them. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: What it means to have a faith-based practice and how it can apply to all walks of faith Practical ways that you can bring more of your faith into your clinical work and business-building The difference between an “overt” faith-based practice and a “covert” one and what that means for your marketing Examples of marketing a faith-based therapy practice Tips for branding your faith-based private practice that will help you with your messaging and what you put on your website Why it’s so important to track your marketing numbers and return on investments Why having a community around you while you build your practice is so important This Episode Is Brought To You By Managed WordPress Hosting by Flywheel   If you’re looking for a hosting company that will not only host your website but also supports you with some of the best customer support I’ve ever received, then Flywheel is for you. We’ve partnered with Flywheel to host all of our clients’ WordPress websites because their speed, security, and extremely responsive customer service is the best in the business.   Learn more about hosting with Flywheel (affiliate link) Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts If you’re not yet subscribed to the podcast I want to encourage you to do that today. This is the best way to make sure you don’t miss an episode! Click here to subscribe on iTunes.   And if you’re feeling extra generous, I’d love to hear what you think about the podcast. Reviews help others find the podcast plus I’d really love to hear what you think! Click here to leave a review. Just click on “Ratings & Reviews” then “Write a review.” Let me know what you like best about the podcast. Thank you!   Links mentioned in this episode: Whitneyowens.com Waters Edge Counseling (Whitney’s group practice) Abundant Living Rome Fava Counseling Associates   About Whitney Owens Whitney Owens is a licensed professional counselor, group practice owner, and faith-based private practice consultant. She is located in Savannah, Georgia, where she manages a private pay group practice with 10 plus clinicians. Along with running her practice, she consults practice owners around the country on how to start and grow a successful faith-based practice. She hosts summits, a weekly podcast, and a membership community for faith-based practice owners called Wise Practice. She has spoken at numerous events such as both the Georgia and Maryland annual professional counselors conferences as well as trainings for Florida’s Counseling Association. In 2023 she will be speaking at Meet you in Kentucky, which is for group practice owners, as well as hosting her own summit in Savannah. In her free time, Whitney enjoys spending time with her husband and two girls, running, reading, and relaxing in the backyard.  

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, you’re going to learn 4 simple steps that will help you validate that course topic idea you’ve got swimming around in your head.   With the power of simple online platforms like Teachable and Kajabi, it’s no wonder why so many entrepreneurs and private practice owners are shifting their energy toward creating courses.   It’s a great way to reach more people with your expertise and generate income for something that you’re passionate about.   But one of the biggest challenges to creating a course is nailing down a topic that you’re confident will actually sell.   Because no one wants to pour time, money, sweat, and tears into building an online course just to have it fall flat and have no one buy it.   Validating your course topic is the best way to ensure you’re on the right track toward a course that sells.   James Marland from Course Creation Studio joins me to share 4 steps you can take to validate your profitable course idea.   James is on a mission to support therapists in creating life-changing and profitable online courses. And he believes each therapist has at least one course within them.  In This Episode, You’ll Learn: How you can validate your course idea in 4 steps The 4 things you need to do before you begin creating your course How to deal with imposter syndrome if other people have created similar courses Why it’s ok if someone else has already created a similar course to yours Real-life examples and lessons I (Daniel) have learned from launching courses Download James’ Free Resource Download Now Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts If you’re not yet subscribed to the podcast I want to encourage you to do that today. This is the best way to make sure you don’t miss an episode! Click here to subscribe on iTunes.   And if you’re feeling extra generous, I’d love to hear what you think about the podcast. Reviews help others find the podcast plus I’d really love to hear what you think! Click here to leave a review. Just click on “Ratings & Reviews” then “Write a review.” Let me know what you like best about the podcast. Thank you!   Links mentioned in this episode: Course Creation Studio Amy Porterfield How To Start A Movement YouTube Video The PsychCraft Podcast Network About James Moreland James Marland is the founder of Course Creation Studio. He has a master’s degree in Ministry from Lancaster Bible College as well as a Master's of Business Administration from Shippensburg University. He has worked in mental health and social services for the last 18 years. He was a youth minister for two years and spoke weekly to teens and college-age students. From 2019 to 2022 he was the chief operating officer of Moved Forward Virtual Assistants, a company that provided support services for therapists and private practice offices. He is a Faculty Member at Lorman Education Services.    James is on a mission to support therapists in creating life-changing and profitable online courses. He believes each therapist has at least one course within them. Unlocking that course will help many people. James believes if you help enough people you will all make it to the top.     James is an avid reader and board game player. He hosts a monthly community game night for the people in his church and town. He still meets regularly with a group of friends he has been playing online games with for the past 7 years. In the summer you will find him at a Pennsylvania State Park campground where he likes to take pictures, hike, and burn things in the fire.  

In this episode of The Private Practice Elevation Podcast, we’re going to talk about non-traditional ways to market a private practice.    Living in these modern times, I think we sometimes forget about the tried and true methods that can be used to build a business.   Often we turn to our computers and social media feeds and think “this is how I’m supposed to market my private practice.”   The problem is that in order to build a successful private practice, you may need to think outside of the box.   Clients won’t just show up unless you go out and look for them. They need to know you exist!   So what are some creative ways to increase your visibility, share your expertise, and attract more of your ideal clients?   Our guest, Dr. Larry Waldman is on the show today to share some of the creative ways he marketed a successful private practice - one he had for over 45 years!   Dr. Larry is a psychologist, professor, speaker, and author who is passionate about helping private practice owners think outside the box and market their practices in creative and exciting ways. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Questions to ask yourself before you begin marketing your practice The difference between a niche and your ideal client How to look for opportunities to get in front of your ideal clients The importance of relationship building and the impact it can have on your referrals How to use current events and media to reach more clients Creative ways to get in front of your audience Other ideas for non-traditional marketing for your private practice Links mentioned in this episode:  Dr. Larry’s Website   Huge Sale On My Favorite WordPress Theme You may already know this, but Divi is my favorite WordPress theme for building beautiful therapy websites. Every year, Elegant Themes, the makers of the Divi WordPress theme do a huge Black Friday sale. And this is year is no different. If you’re looking for a great theme to build a new website for your private practice, one that comes with easy-to-use templates and features right out of the box, definitely check out Divi. (affiliate link) About Larry F. Waldman, Ph.D., ABPP   Dr. Waldman is a recently semi-retired licensed clinical, forensic psychologist in Phoenix, Arizona.  He conducted a highly successful private practice of 45 years working with children, teens, parents, couples, and adults in a solution-focused manner.  He also consulted with family, personal injury, immigration and estate planning attorneys.  His BS in Education/Psychology was from the University of Wisconsin; his MS in School Psychology was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; his Ph.D. in Educational/School Psychology was earned at Arizona State University; and his Diplomate (ABPP) was received in 2003.   Waldman was the past president of the Maricopa Psychological Society, the Director of Psychological Services for Charter Psychiatric Hospital of Glendale, an “Official Guide” (top expert) on Parenting for SelfGrowth.com and was a Medical Consultant for the Social Security Office in Phoenix. He continues as an adjunct graduate professor in counseling and serves on the professional advisory board of Stepping Stones of Hope, a charitable organization serving children who have lost a parent.  Waldman also was the co-chair of the Early Career Psychologists Committee with the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA) for five years.   He is certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a (senior) fitness specialist and is a yoga instructor.     In addition to numerous articles which have been published in the local Phoenix media and in the national press, Waldman has (thus far) written seven books:  Who’s Raising Whom?  Coping with Your Adolescent; How Come I Love Him But Can’t Live with Him? The Graduate Course You Never Had, 2nd Edition; Too Busy Earning a Living to Make Your Fortune? Overcoming Your Negotiaphobia: Negotiating Through Your Life; and Love Your Child More Than You Hate your Ex.   Dr. Waldman trained as a public speaker and presents for PESI.  His signature presentations are: The Business of Private Practice—The Graduate Course You Never Had and Teaching Parents to Parent.  He has made over 150 paid presentations in his career to attorneys, chiropractors, psychologists, family therapists, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and school counselors. To the community Waldman speaks on parenting, marriage, stress, depression and anxiety, wellness, grand parenting and psychotherapy.  He also is a seasoned podcast guest.  His seminars are organized, practical and entertaining—offering “edutainment.”   Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts If you’re not yet subscribed to the podcast I want to encourage you to do that today. This is the best way to make sure you don’t miss an episode! Click here to subscribe on iTunes.   And if you’re feeling extra generous, I’d love to hear what you think about the podcast. Reviews help others find the podcast plus I’d really love to hear what you think! Click here to leave a review. Just click on “Ratings & Reviews” then “Write a review.” Let me know what you like best about the podcast. Thank you!

In this episode of the Private Practice Elevation Podcast, you’ll learn about an exciting new platform enabling therapists to help more people by helping their clients pay less.   Many therapists in private practice avoid insurance panels like the plague.   It’s a lot to manage and a headache to handle the forms, check the client’s benefits, and keep up with them.   But marketing your mental health services strictly private-pay-only therapy could likely mean many potential clients passing you by just because they’ve deemed your fee too high.   Zaya Health is looking to change that.   They believe “Therapists shouldn't have to choose between running a successful practice and providing accessible care.”   So how can you attract more private-pay clients by saving them money through out-of-network reimbursement? And how can you do it with no extra work on your end?   Our guest today is Christine Li, founder of Zaya Health, and she’s here to answer that very question. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The challenges private practitioners face when trying to attract private-pay clients The challenges clients face when trying to find affordable mental health care How Zaya Health is benefitting therapists by helping them convert more clients How Zaya Health works - from verifying potential clients’ benefits to actually submitting reimbursement claims Simple tools they provide to educate potential clients on how much money they can save through out-of-network reimbursement   Get A Free 30-day trial of Zaya Health's Instant Benefits Verification Tool Just use this link to request access to Zaya Health and you’ll get a 30-day trial of Zaya Health’s instant benefits verification tool.  Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts If you’re not yet subscribed to the podcast I want to encourage you to do that today. This is the best way to make sure you don’t miss an episode! Click here to subscribe on iTunes.   And if you’re feeling extra generous, I’d love to hear what you think about the podcast. Reviews help others find the podcast plus I’d really love to hear what you think! Click here to leave a review. Just click on “Ratings & Reviews” then “Write a review.” Let me know what you like best about the podcast. Thank you!   Links mentioned in this episode: Zaya Health’s Website Free 30-day trial of Zaya Health's instant benefits verification tool   About Christine Lee Christine is the founder and CEO of Zaya Health – a company that helps therapists attract more private pay clients by bridging the gap between in-network and out-of-network therapy. Zaya unlocks the power of out-of-network benefits to help clients save up to 80% on therapy, while therapists make their full fee.   Christine is a strong advocate for mental health and left her job as a Google Product Manager to start Zaya Health.  

In this episode, we’re going to explore the relationship between your website copy, website design, and you.   What do you think is more important… the words on your website or the design of your website?   So often we agonize over the words that go on each web page; writing, editing, and revising.   Then we take that content and try to work it into our website in a way we think “looks good”.    But what is your website design actually saying?   Like non-verbal communication during a therapy session, design can often communicate many things beyond what the copy on the page is saying.   So how we can marry these two things together - copy and design - so that we’re captivating our ideal clients and leading them toward finding a solution to their pain?   And how can we approach our marketing authentically so that it resonates with both your clients and the brand you want to create for your private practice?   Today’s guest, Jenn Fredette, is helping us dive deep into these questions and the relationship between copy and design.   Jenn is a relational, psychodynamic oriented, attachment-based loving, Jungian concept adoring, and existential thinking psychotherapist based in the DC Metro area. In addition to her clinical work, Jenn partners with psychotherapists who want to market with depth, not just offer quick solutions to get people in the door.    In this conversation, you may not know who’s interviewing who, because we ask so many questions as we explore this topic in detail.    So get ready to think deeply about your marketing, your copywriting, your website design… and what it all means to you. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Why it’s so important to enter into your ideal client’s story so that you can empathize with them and create truly captivating and compelling content How to use storytelling to really paint a picture of how you want potential clients to feel when they visit your website How copy and design work together to communicate your message and evoke feeling How we can often carry our past experiences and pain into our marketing which hinders our authentic message Start Your Website Project with a Free 15-Minute Clarity Call We’re extremely passionate about helping therapists and group practices launch websites with both the words and design that resonate with their ideal clients. If you’re ready to elevate your online presence and get more visibility for your business, we’d love to chat. We offer a free 15-minute Clarity Call to understand your goals and work out whether you’re a good fit for our services. Schedule your Clarity Call by clicking here. Links mentioned in this episode: A Thinker’s Guide Website Take The Quiz - What’s Your Marketing Attachment Style?   About Jenn Fredette    Jenn is a relational, psychodynamic oriented, attachment-based loving, Jungian concept adoring, and existential thinking psychotherapist based in the DC Metro area. In addition to her clinical work, Jenn partners with psychotherapists who want to market with depth, not just offer quick solutions to get people in the door.    Jenn is passionate about dismantling the obstacles that get in the way of people exploring their own psyches, of which a core one is that depth-psychotherapists struggle to market themselves in congruent, compelling ways.  Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts If you’re not yet subscribed to the podcast I want to encourage you to do that today. This is the best way to make sure you don’t miss an episode! Click here to subscribe on iTunes.   And if you’re feeling extra generous, I’d love to hear what you think about the podcast. Reviews help others find the podcast plus I’d really love to hear what you think! Click here to leave a review. Just click on “Ratings & Reviews” then “Write a review.” Let me know what you like best about the podcast. Thank you!

When your ideal clients search for your therapy services online, are they able to find you?   In this episode of the Private Practice Elevation Podcast, you’ll learn all about The SEO Basecamp Live Training Group - our 7-week class for private practice owners who want to create and implement an SEO strategy that gets them more traffic and clients.   After working and speaking with scores of clients about their SEO, I’ve seen a typical pattern, and it often goes like this:   Your website has been created and you’re ready to market your services to the world!   However, when you look at the analytics (if you have them) you can see that people just aren’t showing up to the website.    So you wonder, “how can I get more clients if no one even knows I exist?”   So, after doing a bit of research and talking to colleagues, you learn that SEO (search engine optimization) is what you need to do in order to attract traffic to your website and create a steady flow of new clients in your business.   So you start learning what you can about optimizing your website through YouTube, podcasts, and blog posts.   And that’s when the confusion sets in.   Which keywords should I use? Where exactly do I put them? What content do I need on my website and how do I even write that stuff so Google finds it?   After some time, you’ve pieced some of this SEO stuff together but you’re not entirely sure whether you’ve done it right, missed a step, or if you’re on the right track.   You’re kinda just doing what everyone is suggesting but you’re not sure how it all fits together.   So you’re left wondering if clients will ever be able to find you and whether getting new clients from Google each month just may be a pipe dream.   Does this sound familiar?   If so, I want to let you know about The SEO Basecamp Live Training Group.   The SEO Basecamp Live is a 7-week, small group training, consisting of video training and live implementation classes. Over the course of 7 weeks, I’ll give you access to the exact SEO process we use at Private Practice Elevation to help our clients set up the foundational SEO elements that will get them more organic traffic and clients.   If you want to know more about how to create a roadmap for your SEO strategy and how to get more clients from your website, listen to this episode or simply visit the enrollment page here. Links mentioned in this episode: Enroll in The SEO Basecamp Live Training Group The 4 Mountains of Successful SEO for Private Practice Websites

In this special edition of the Private Practice Elevation Podcast we’re going to talk about the basics of keyword research and how keyword research is the starting point for a successful SEO strategy for your private practice.   The problem that many therapists have when they begin working on their website and SEO is that they just don’t know which keywords to use.   So they may try and just use a handful of keywords that may or may not work.   They end up spending time writing website copy that may or may not actually bring organic traffic to their website. Many people also think that if they just add a few keywords sprinkled around their website that they’ll start to get traffic from search engines.   But keyword research is one of the most important pieces in a complete search engine optimization strategy because it will inform and power many of the future steps in your SEO process.   Before we put the keywords on your website, we need to know which keywords are “good” keywords.   In other words, which keywords are your audience and ideal clients using that are related to your therapy services.   So listen up as we dive into keyword research for your private practice. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: The importance of keyword research The 3 qualities of a great a keyword or phrase A 5 step process for keyword research Links mentioned in this episode:  Ubersuggest.com  Get on the Waiting List for Our SEO Training Group! On October 3, 2022 I’m launching the first ever SEO Basecamp Live Training Group. This will be an online course and small group live training over the course of 7 weeks to help you create and implement and simple SEO strategy for your private practice.    To be the first to get more information about what’s involved, join our waiting list here.