Heard Business School

Jonathan Seltzer, CEO of SimplePractice, joins Heard CEO and Co-Founder Andrew Riesen in Minneapolis for a conversation about what it takes for therapists to stay independent. SimplePractice supports more than 276,000 clinicians, and most of them are solo practitioners. Jonathan talks about why the company chose to stay neutral software instead of building its own therapy group. He shares the hidd...

Laura Vargas, LCSW, launched her Denver grief practice in fall 2025 while working full time and teaching on the side. She put up a website and waited. Nobody came. In this episode, Laura walks through what she did next: cold-calling funeral homes and grief support groups, investing grant money in professional SEO after her own attempts fell flat, signing a lease on an in-person office, and decidin...

Most therapists in private practice run a business with one revenue line, the client hour. Anim Aweh decided that wouldn't be her whole story. Over 16 years she has built a private practice, a corporate wellness consulting firm, a movement called Therapy Over Silence, a children's book, a YouTube channel, and a speaking career. She recently accepted a director of marketing role at a tech company....

How do you know when you're ready to leave group practice and start your own? In this episode of The Money Part, Heard co-founder Andrew Riesen talks with Nia Henderson, LMFT, founder of Soft Spot Therapy Collective in Illinois, about the real timeline, pay math, and fear involved in going independent. She also shares how she told her group practice owner she was leaving, how she's moving clients...

In this conversation, Laura Reagan, an integrative trauma therapist, shares her journey from a clinician to a podcast host and entrepreneur. She discusses her experiences with trauma, the evolution of her podcast 'Therapy Chat', and the creation of the Trauma Therapist Network. Laura emphasizes the importance of understanding trauma, the need for bottom-up therapies, and the challenges therapists...

Summary In this episode, Dr. Marie Fang shares her journey from starting her private practice in 2012 to becoming a leading expert in marketing and niching for therapists. She discusses practical strategies for building a full caseload, the importance of authentic marketing, and how to adapt to the changing digital landscape, including SEO and AI. Key Topics The early challenges of starting a priv...

Talking about money makes most therapists uncomfortable, especially when it comes to raising fees. Tiffany McLain , Founder and CEO of Lean In. MAKE BANK., joins Michael Fulwiler to explore how therapists can build financially sustainable practices without sacrificing their values or clinical integrity. Tiffany shares how her personal upbringing shaped her views on money, why sliding scales aren’t...

What does it take to turn decades of clinical experience into a movement that reshapes therapy around the world?  Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman joins Michael Fulwiler to share her personal and professional journey behind co-founding The Gottman Institute and co-developing the Gottman Method. Julie recounts the pivotal decisions that led her from private practice to co-creating a global clinical train...

Therapists entering the field face a hidden obstacle that can derail their entire career: finding affordable, accessible clinical supervision. Rachel Ledbetter , licensed marriage and family therapist and CEO of Motivo, joins Michael Fulwiler to share how her own struggle to get licensed in rural Georgia led her to build a company that’s now helping thousands of therapists cross the finish line to...

What if your love for sneakers, storytelling, and sports could help shape a thriving private practice? Liz Beecroft-Ridgway , licensed clinical social worker and founder of MENTL.SESH , joins Michael Fulwiler to share how she built a brand that bridges therapy, creative partnerships, and athlete mental health. From designing a sneaker with Nike to leading workshops with Saucony and speaking at Phi...

Leaving community mental health to build a thriving private practice isn’t easy, especially as a young therapist navigating burnout, financial stress, and single motherhood. Danielle Swimm , licensed clinical social worker and founder of The Entrepreneurial Therapist, joins Michael Fulwiler to share her path from driving Uber and making home visits to coaching other therapists on how to market the...

Many therapists are feeling pressured to adopt the latest tech tools, but what if embracing every new innovation isn’t always in the best interest of your practice? Candice Thompson , a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Silicon Valley, joins host Michael Fulwiler to share why she calls herself “tech cautious” and how that stance has helped her build a thoughtful, sustainable private...

Starting a private practice is hard enough. Doing it while honoring your values, managing student debt, and keeping therapy human? That’s something else. Dr. Bryan Harnsberger , a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Wellesley Counseling & Wellness , joins Michael Fulwiler to share how he’s built a thriving practice rooted in authenticity, attunement, and play. From a life-changing car acci...

Starting and scaling a private practice can feel overwhelming, especially in a rural region with limited resources. Brent Metcalf , a trauma therapist and group practice owner at Tri-Star Counseling , joins Michael Fulwiler to share how he built a thriving therapy business in Appalachia while staying true to his mission of expanding access to care. Brent opens up about transitioning from social wo...

Leaving a traditional therapy model can feel risky, but for Dr. Amanda Buduris , it was the shift that transformed her business.  Amanda, a licensed psychologist and Brainspotting & EMDR therapist, joins host Michael Fulwiler to share how she went from a burned-out college counseling center employee to a thriving private practice owner charging $350 to $500 per hour. Amanda walks through her j...

Email marketing might not be the first thing therapists think of when growing a private practice, but it’s a powerful way to build trust and drive referrals. Avivit Fisher , founder of REdD Strategy , joins Michael Fulwiler to discuss how therapists can utilize email to attract and retain clients, establish authority, and future-proof their practices against shifting algorithms and social media bu...

Building a therapy business takes persistence, creativity, and a willingness to pivot when needed.  Whitney Goodman , licensed psychotherapist and founder of Calling Home, joins Michael Fulwiler to share her journey from starting private practice while working full-time to becoming a successful content creator and membership community leader. Whitney opens up about growing her client base through...

A phone hovering above a mattress, a foster care caseload on hold, and a pandemic looming set the unlikely scene for this week’s social work conversation. Basiliso “Bas” Moreno , Host of the Social Work Rants Podcast , joins Michael Fulwiler to recount a journey spanning Bronx streets, foster care units, and pandemic caregiving. Bas recalls starting foster care work at eight dollars an hour, faili...

Building a thriving private practice as a therapist comes with unique challenges, from finding clients to managing finances and maintaining work-life balance. Kelley Stevens , a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of The Private Practice Pro, joins Michael Fulwiler to share her journey from group practice to running a successful private practice and growing a therapist-focused busin...

Getting out of debt can feel impossible, especially when you're building a therapy practice, managing student loans, and trying to make your work sustainable for the long haul. Jacent Wamala , a licensed marriage and family therapist, financial wellness coach, and founder of Wamala Wellness , joins Michael Fulwiler to share how she paid off nearly $100,000 in debt in just three years.  Jacent talk...

Building a private practice is great. But building one rooted in lived experience is on a whole other level. Christopher Brown , a Marine Corps veteran and EMDR-certified therapist, joins Michael Fulwiler to share his path from combat to clinical work.  After surviving a suicide bombing and facing years of PTSD, Christopher found healing through EMDR and turned that transformation into a mission t...

Running a therapy practice while staying true to your values isn’t always easy, especially in a system that often prioritizes profit over people. Paul Fugelsang, founder and executive director of Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, joins  Michael Fulwiler to talk about building a mission-driven organization that connects clients to affordable therapy without compromising clinical integrity. Paul s...

Starting a private practice sounds exciting…until the clients don’t show up. In this episode, Gerald Joseph , licensed clinical social worker and founder of The Capital Therapist , joins Michael Fulwiler to share what it’s like to build a therapy business from the ground up.  Gerald opens up about their journey from fashion merchandising to mental health care, the roadblocks he hit while getting l...

Navigating the complexities of running a therapy practice today means balancing clinical care with growing administrative demands and emerging technology. Ted Faneuff , a practicing therapist and Head of Clinical Operations at Upheal, joins Michael Fulwiler to explore how AI is reshaping mental health care and helping therapists reclaim time and reduce burnout. Ted shares his personal journey, inc...

Designing a career on your own terms isn’t easy, especially if it doesn’t exist out there yet. But Dr. Emily Anhalt found a way to do just that. Dr. Emily, clinical psychologist, author, and co-founder of Coa, talks with Michael Fulwiler about building a career that works for you. From her early days in private practice to launching a mental health startup, Emily shares how she reframed mental hea...