How to respond to brain pickers, "quick" questions with good boundaries and graciousness can be challengng. As small business owners we have likely been on both sides of the fence; the newbie who is just getting started with very little cash, but a whole lotta' questions, and the expert who is fielding weekly emails, text messages, PMs, and calls from what I call the "brain pickers"...

Are therapists raking in the big bucks charging $150 - $200 per session? I break down what an average therapy fee looks like after taxes and expenses, as well as what therapists actually do besides sitting in a comfy chair after the clinical hour...

Lately I've noticed that the art of thanking professional colleagues for their support seems to be on the decline. Call me old fashioned, but I think expressing gratitude is so important - especially in our fast paced digital world. And especially between healing professionals...

It is a joy and pleasure to highlight the good work of guest blogger: Sharon Martin, LCSW. Sharon facilitates a wonderful blogging workshop for therapists who are ready to embrace their inner blogger and discussed writing with confidence in this blog. Enjoy!

Are you sick and tired of receiving inauthentic marketing junk mail in your email in box? You know the kind I'm talking about: the email subject line is a hook, the email starts off sounding as if the person knows you only to launch into their sales pitch? No one likes this kind of bait and switch...yet, why does this practice still continue to be taught by coaches as an ethical and effective marketing approach?...

Have you ever wondered what your therapy clients think about the way you dress? This is a fun blog asking NON therapists what they think their therapist should be wearing in the clinical setting...

In a sea of marketing promises, how does a therapist decide if a business coach is worth their investment? This blog will help you separate the legit from the bullshit. I believe it is wise to have a road map to follow when choosing where to spend your valuable time and hard earned dinero...

Are you struggling with father's day? If so, you are not alone. This is not a fun filled day of celebration for every son or daughter. If you have a story that is challenging, I hope this post will be of comfort, support and validation...

Do personal challenges = professional shame for therapists? Is there too much negative competition in the clinical field? And, what if we take regular self care time away, like a 5th week off, and then end up in financial ruin? Or what happens when the shitty seasons of life hit? What happens when the personal impacts the professional? Unexpected stuff. Heartbreaking stuff. Infuriating stuff. Shaming stuff. Scary stuff. Deflating stuff. Hurtful stuff. Keeping it real in this blog...

What to charge for paid speaking is a fairly mysterious topic among therapists. In this blog I shed some light on this important subject so that you can make an informed decision on what to fairly charge for your time and expertise next time you are approached to speak or present...

High fee, low fee, sliding scale, insurance, fee for service only? Ah, the clinical debate continues. In this blog, I offer a different perspective that challenges the current group think on charging your worth. I also invite other clinicians to share their own perspectives so that together we can begin to change the discourse on how we "should" be discussing money, fees, and so forth in the clinical community.  My hope is that this blog will inspire each of us to make room for, and consider many points of view. NOTE: If you feel triggered in reading through this, I hope you will not personalize or "kill the messenger." Instead, do what you need to do to take care of yourself as a professional business person. One size does not fit all...

What is a healthy vs. unhealthy highly sensitive person? We don't grow as individuals simply from the sunshine and butterfly's of life. In order to evolve, we need to understand and own our shit, seek out healing when needed, and lean into the challenging bits of human interaction at times, and not personalize or make up a story about the others intentions based on our own wounds. It is hard work, but possible work...

In this blog training, Mari assists therapists with step-by-step formulas and tips in pricing your training or workshop, using her own workshop and webinar budget formula to assist colleagues who are interested in creating a leveraged income stream through in person and on line workshops and webinars...

Guest blogger Michelle Farris, LMFT who is the founder of Counseling Recovery in San Jose, California specializing in anger management and addiction recovery, shares her story and some great tips on how she nurtured a professional dream into reality, as well as created a profitable and fun leveraged income stream....

Do you want to increase your speaking gigs? If so, this is a list of my most tried and true tips for landing more speaking opportunities. They fall into three categories: Free Local Presentations, Annual Conferences, Paid Corporate and Industry Speaking.

Warning: If you expect a perfectly executed message, sunshine wrapped up in a rainbow, zero profanity, and impeccable sentence structure, then run quickly away as this imperfect blog post will likely disappoint or offend or both. I've got a rescue kitten perched on my belly currently who is playing with this keyboard and I'm not moving him...

Are you a therapist who would like to give public speaking a shot but deal with stage fright? If so, I discuss 12 tried and true ways I gave fear the finger and went on to land interesting and exciting speaking gigs. If I can do it, then so can you!...

One of the topics that comes up frequently in my coaching sessions is if a therapist "should" incorporate their practice. There are pros and cons to incorporating a private practice. And there are laws and mandates within most states, including my state of California, that a licensed MFT, LCSW, and PhD must adhere to. The following information is provided as a non-expert overview on this complex topic of private practice...

In a sea of private practice blogs, Mari has created a free extensive blog guide outlining fifteen practical, no bullshit, and important steps to growing your business. This comprehensive information can be immediately applied and is offered as a support for therapists who are interested in building a successful and profitable private practice...

Creating and launching your first therapy group is a challenge to even the most seasoned clinician. One of the top questions I receive is, "Mari, I want to start a group, but I am worried I won't fill it. I've never done group therapy...how do I even begin?" I answer the top questions here and offer 10 solid tips on first important steps...