The other day, I was listening to a podcast interview with Rob Kosberg, a best-selling author, speaker, and the founder of BestSellerPublishing.org. Rob is one of the most sought-after experts on how to write, publish, and promote books that land on various best-selling lists across the world.

And he's got the kind of income that would make those of you with money shit...

well...

shit yourselves.

The podcast episode itself wasn’t all that impressive, but towards the end of the interview, Rob said this one phrase that literally made me hit rewind 5 times just so that I could hear it again. If it were anyone else listening, they probably would have missed it because it was just a quick phrase he uttered before moving on with the interview.

But when I heard it, I couldn’t help but pull into a parking lot, bust out my journal, and frantically begin to write an outline that ultimately became this blog post.

I'll share that little piece of gold...

I still remember my first summer in private practice.

I was finally getting the hang of everything and ready to start busting my sweet little ass.

Then, completely out of nowhere, the phone stopped ringing.

At first, I didn’t really notice (OK, maybe a little bit).

Then the panic set in.

Ohmygod, what’s happening?!?! Is this my life forever??!

Even as I’m typing this, I can’t help but smile and shake my head at how naive I was. Silly Laura…

If you’ve been in private practice for any meaningful amount of time, you’ve probably experienced the seasonal ebbs and flows of your caseload, as well as the manic-depressive episodes that often come along with them.

I think of private practice like the stock market: When things are flowing, we tend to think that things will continue in that direction (“Oh HELL yeah, another new referral! I’m gonna buy that fancy new office chair! Damn, I’m such...

You finally got the kids to bed. You’re so relieved on the days they have early bedtimes and you can finally just sit in peace.

But once their day is over, it sometimes feels like yours is just beginning.

You open your computer and start working. Maybe you’ll type that blog post you’ve been meaning to get to. Or finish those notes from last night’s sessions.

How do other moms do this? you ask yourself as you open a new tab and hop on Facebook. You scroll through your newsfeed, random sponsored ads sprinkled with delicious recipes and other people who look like they’ve got it all together.

Sigh.

When you first decided to take the plunge into private practice, you told yourself that it would allow you the flexibility to spend quality time with your kids while also using that license you worked so hard for.

You were so naïve.

Now it feels as if you’re never done working. Between runny noses, meal...

You’ve decided to take the plunge into private practice. Your dreams of being your own boss and giving the big middle finger to The Man have finally won over, and you’re starting to picture yourself sitting in a swanky office with a calendar full of motivated clients.

*record scratch*

Fast-forward to reality: You’re sitting at your laptop well into the night, frantically Googling things like, How do I start a private practice, What is an LLC, intake paperwork for therapists, how to get on insurance panels, and how to build a website.

Then it hits you.

You have no clue what the hell you’re doing.

You’re completely overwhelmed by all of the things that need to happen before you can even step foot inside of your imaginary swanky office. Not only that, but you don’t even know where to start.

So you do what most new business owners do: You dive head-first into what I call the minutiae of building a...

So here were are again, folks – the holiday season. While everyone else is humming holiday jingles and buying Dirty Santa presents, you’re sitting alone in your office after you had yet another cancellation.

 What is it with the holidays and people not showing up to their therapy appointments? My theory is that people live in denial during the Holidays, crossing their fingers and hoping for the best as they embark upon what is easily the most stressful time of the entire year. After 3 weeks of disappointment, they come to their senses around the first of January, and suddenly I don’t have an opening until March.

So why do we continue to stress out every December, wondering how we’re going to pay our rent, utilities, subscriptions, and still put food on the table? It’s almost like we forget that December tends to be a slow month, and then we get into a panic when we have 3 days straight of no-shows, cancellations, and clients who reschedule...