Ideal Practice

Wendy Pitts Reeves

How do I find clients I actually enjoy? How do I make more money without feeling guilty? Can I run a private practice and still have a life? These are just some of the questions long time psychotherapist, group practice founder, and serial entrepreneur Wendy Pitts Reeves tackles each week on The Ideal Practice Podcast.Here, you’ll learn how to create your version of an Ideal Practice that serves you as well as you serve your clients. Learn how to think like a marketer, attract clients you love, get paid well for what you do, and have a life. We’ll talk about the power of intention, the energy of money, and how to banish imposter syndrome for good. In short, we’ll dive deep into what it takes to develop a healthy business that is profitable, impactful, and - can we say this? - enjoyable.When healers stand in their power, make peace with profit, and honor the difference they make in the lives of others, they can change an entire industry.With a mix of interviews, special guests and solo shows from Wendy, you won’t want to miss a minute of this. New episodes every Tuesday. So hit subscribe, and get ready to change your life.

  1. 1 day ago

    The Best Clinical Advice I Ever Received - And How It Saved My Career | IP 198

    If you've ever lain awake at night worrying about a client, found yourself replaying sessions in your head, or wondered where healthy compassion ends and unhealthy responsibility begins, this episode is for you. Today I've shared the single most important lesson a mentor ever taught me about surviving this work with both your heart and your humanity intact.  It's a lesson that carried me through some of the hardest moments of my career—and one I now find myself passing along to therapists, coaches, and healers again and again. In this episode, you’ll hear… What "critical distance" really means—and why every helping professional needs it.The early career experience that forever changed the way I care for clients.The warning signs that you're becoming emotionally over-involved.Practical ways to regain perspective before burnout takes hold.My message here is not that you should care less… It's that you must care wisely... so that you can continue serving people with compassion, clarity, and longevity—without sacrificing yourself in the process. If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear your story!  Have you ever struggled to maintain healthy emotional boundaries in your work? Send me a note—I read every email. And if you're enjoying the deeper conversations we've been having here lately, would you consider leaving a quick five-star review? It really does help more people discover the show. And you know how much I appreciate that. And I appreciate you for being here.  ~Wendy P.S. Remember: You are responsible to your clients. You are not responsible for your clients. Sometimes that distinction is the healthiest gift you can give both yourself and the people you serve. _______________ Free Resources: Get your copy of some of my most popular tools and guides right here! >>  https://www.wendypittsreeves.com/free-resourcesQuick Start Consult: If you’re ready to get out of your own way, this 1:1 coaching work session could make all the difference. Learn more here.Want to be a Guest on Ideal PracticeTM? Submit your application here.  Support the show Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW Host, Ideal Practice Private Practice Coach and Mentor www.WendyPittsReeves.com Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

    35 min
  2. 16 June

    Want to Sell Your Practice Someday? Start Thinking About It Now. | IP 197

    What happens to your practice when you're ready to walk away?  Most private practice owners have no idea.  Lord knows I sure didn’t when that day came for me. And this week's guest, Dr. Ruth Mannschreck, believes that's a problem - and she wants you to KNOW what to do.  A dentist, practice strategist, and founder of Shoreline Strategies, Ruth helps practice owners create businesses that run more efficiently today while also becoming far more valuable tomorrow. So in this episode, we’ll talk about how to prepare your business to sell - information you need.  But what surprised me about this conversation was that it's not really about selling your practice at all. It's about building a business that isn't completely dependent on you, one that can survive and thrive even after you’re gone. There are many reasons you may want to step away from your practice some day. Retirement is the obvious one, but there are many others. So whether you're thinking about an exit in five years or twenty-five, the lessons in this episode can help you create a healthier practice, a stronger team, a better client experience, and more options for your future. And isn't that a good thing? :) In this episode, you'll hear... The four pillars of a healthy practice that's ready to sell.Why most owners wait far too long to think about their exit strategy (and what to do instead.)How Ruth cut her clinical hours in half while ultimately doubling her revenue. (Wait a minute. Whaaaa?!)Why systems, culture, and team ownership matter WAY more than most owners realize.And really, we’ll talk about how creating a practice worth selling means creating a healthier business right now… so that you can build a practice that serves your clients well today without trapping you in it forever. Ruth also created a free resource that walks through the framework we discussed in today's episode. Visit www.PrepItNow.com to grab a checklist to help you begin thinking strategically about your own future. I wish I'd known all of this when I started my practice.  Don't wait.  ~Wendy P.S. There are MANY reasons why you will one day want to walk away from your practice... so this conversation is worth hearing. What you're building today will bring value and choices to your life tomorrow. _______________ TODAY’S GUEST:  Dr. Ruth Mannschreck   Mannschreck is a dentist, practice management strategist, and founder of Shoreline Strategies. After spending more than 30 years in private practice, she learned firsthand how systems, culture, and leadership can dramatically improve both quality of life and business performance. Following the sale of her own practices (twice!), she became passionate about helping other owners avoid the mistakes she made and prepare their businesses for successful transitions.  Today she helps private practice owners reduce their workload, strengthen their teams, and build practices that can thrive long after they're ready to step away. Her website: www.ShorelineStrategies.com   A Free Resource: www.prepitnow.com   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ruthmannschreck _______________ WANT to BE a GUEST on the podcast? We are currently scheduling interviews for the 2nd half of the year. If you have a clear message, an engaging style, and a heart for healers, let's meet!   Submit your application right here. Support the show Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW Host, Ideal Practice Private Practice Coach and Mentor www.WendyPittsReeves.com Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

    1hr 15min
  3. 2 June

    The Real Reason Social Media Marketing Feels So Hard | IP 196

    What if your marketing problem has almost nothing to do with algorithms, social media, or even consistency - at all? In this surprisingly deep and insightful conversation, I asked content strategist and Content Queen founder Mariah MacInnes  to unpack why so many practice owners struggle with marketing — especially healing arts professionals who care so much about helping people, but get super squirmy when it comes to being seen themselves! 🫣  We talked about the difference between a true marketing strategy and simply posting content, how to choose platforms that fit your personality and audience, why storytelling matters more than polished perfection, and how authenticity, mindset, and even energy impact the way people respond to your work. If you feel like you should be online but you HATE the idea, I think you’ll like this. It’s funny, affirming - and practical. In this episode you’ll learn: Why a posting schedule is NOT a marketing strategy. (New idea!)How to choose marketing platforms that actually fit your personality and business goals. Why therapists and healers often struggle with visibility and self-promotion. (Built in for so many of us…)Why storytelling creates more meaningful connection than “perfect” marketingWhy no strategy is going to work unless you actually believe in the message you’re sharingHere’s what I loved most about this conversation.  Mariah teaches that social media is less about “selling” and more about creating an authentic exchange of energy with the people you’re here to help. And when you nail that, you’ll be able to create marketing that feels sustainable, aligned – human (!) – without burning yourself out trying to perform online. If this one clicks for you, go through it again with a notebook close by – because Mariah dropped a ton of wisdom here.  Then - what if you chose one small step to try? Start the email list. Make your first video. Ttell the story. Post the imperfect thing…  Or just start paying attention to what your clients are already showing you every day. Are you seeing how visibility, mindset, money, and sustainable growth are all more connected than you thought? Good. Because you’re exactly the kind of person I created this  podcast for. :) ~Wendy P.S. I think “Your social media is your shop window… ”is going to stick in MY head forever now!  _______________ TODAY’S GUEST:  Mariah MacInnes   Mariah MacInnes is a content strategist, entrepreneur, and the founder of Content Queen, a marketing agency and education platform focused on helping business owners create better content online. With a background in journalism, PR, and more than nine years in marketing, she’s worked across social media, podcasting, blogging, and digital storytelling. Since launching Content Queen in 2019, Mariah has built her business while traveling the world as a digital nomad—sharing both the strategy behind great content and the adventure of building a life with more freedom and flexibility. Her Instagram: @contentqueenmariah Her Website: www.contentqueenmariah.com _______________ MENTIONED:  For my interview on her podcast, Content Queen Mariah: click here. Platforms: Insight Timer, Instagram, Facebook and Linked InAI Tool: ChatGPTMarketing Experts Seth Godin and Gary Vee_______________ LET’S CONNECT:  Quick Start Consult: If you’re ready to get out of your own way, this 1:1 coaching work session could make all the difference. Learn more here.  Want to be a Guest on Ideal PracticeTM?  Submit your application here.  Follow me on Facebook or Linked In. Support the show Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW Host, Ideal Practice Private Practice Coach and Mentor www.WendyPittsReeves.com Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

    1hr 16min
  4. 26 May

    How to Choose the Best Business Coach for Your Private Practice | IP 195

    Thinking about hiring a coach to help you grow your private practice?  Before you invest time, money, energy, and trust into someone else’s guidance, it’s important to know what you’re actually looking for.  In this episode, I’ll share 5 key questions to help you evaluate potential coaches wisely — from experience and accountability to intuition, alignment, and integrity.  Because finding the right support can absolutely change your business... but choosing poorly can cost you, too.  So in this episode, you’ll hear...  Why the coaching industry can feel so overwhelming (and what to watch for). The importance of choosing someone who actually walks their talk. How testimonials, referrals, and client stories can help you evaluate a coach. Why emotional resonance and personal connection matters more than you think. The difference between a coach who cheers you on... and one who calls you forward. As you’ll hear, I’ve been working with coaches off and on for 20 years, and I’ve learned something from every single one of them - including how to choose the right coach to begin with!  I’m going to help you figure that out too, so that you can choose the kind of support that fits what you need with confidence.  If you’re standing at the threshold, wondering how to take the next step - you’ll love this.  Give it a listen.  ~Wendy  P.S. Working with excellent coaches has literally changed my life - AND my business. What if it's possible that that could happen for you? :)  _______________ RESOURCES  Interested in a Quick Start Consult? If you’re ready to step into your growth edge, this 1:1 coaching work session could make all the difference. Learn more here. Looking for free resources for your Private Practice planning? Click here. Interested  being a Guest on the show? Submit your application here. Support the show Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW Host, Ideal Practice Private Practice Coach and Mentor www.WendyPittsReeves.com Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

    18 min
  5. 19 May

    Why Hiring a Business Coach May Not Be the Best Move for You (Yet!) | IP 194

    Hiring a coach can absolutely change your business. Lord knows it has mine! It can also challenge your identity, your habits, your leadership, your willingness to change, and the stories you’ve been telling yourself about what’s possible. Yeah. ALL of that. So in this episode, I want to slow that conversation down a bit. Because before you start searching for the right coach, the more important question to ask yourself is: are you actually ready for coaching - at all? In this conversation, I’ll walk you through 5 great questions every private practice owner should ask themselves before making that leap — whether your business feels stuck, overwhelming, wildly successful, or somewhere in between! In this episode, you’ll learn… Why coaching is about way more than strategy or accountability.The uncomfortable truth about growth, leadership, and change. (You know this part!)What it really means to be “coachable”... (Are you?)Why timing matters when investing in this level of supportThe difference between looking for rescue… and learning to lead. 😎We’ll also talk about how to evaluate the fear you may be feeling, so that you can make a thoughtful, grounded decision about whether coaching is actually the right next step for you right now. Take some time with these questions. Journal about them. Talk with someone you trust. Be honest with yourself about where you are and what you really want next. And if coaching does feel like the right next step? I got you covered. :)    In the next episode, I’ll help you figure out how to evaluate whether a coach may be the right one for you. Good stuff, this. :)  ~Wendy P.S. If you’d like a low-pressure way to experience what coaching (with me, at least!) is actually like, learn more about the Quick Start Consult below… _______________ MENTIONED  Quick Start Consult: If you’re ready to get out of your own way, this 1:1 coaching work session could make all the difference. Learn more here.  Support the show Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW Host, Ideal Practice Private Practice Coach and Mentor www.WendyPittsReeves.com Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

    23 min
  6. 12 May

    Building a Creative, Alive, Embodied Private Practice with Chelsea Horton | IP 193

    As healers, we understand clinical work. We know how to help what hurts in our clients.  But very few of us are taught how to build a business at all - much less one that genuinely fits who we are. Today, I’m joined by somatic coach & educator Chelsea Horton for a rich conversation about creativity, embodiment, and building a private practice around an unconventional modality — dance and movement therapy — without losing what makes it unique in the first place. Chelsea is the founder of Healing Embodied, where she trains therapists, coaches, and wellness professionals to integrate somatic work, nervous system healing, creativity, and emotional processing into the way they serve clients.  But this conversation goes far beyond somatic work. What struck me most about her story is this: while her work is deeply intuitive and body-centered, she is also incredibly thoughtful and strategic in the way she has built her business. (Though I’m not sure she even realized that until this convo.) She didn’t just “follow her passion.”  Nope. She paid attention to outcomes, listened closely to client feedback, developed a unique methodology, refined her messaging, created a progression of offers, and intentionally positioned herself as what she calls a “category of one.” Oh my beating heart. 😍 So in this episode you’ll hear: The powerful - and success enhancing - difference between building a business from “what should work” and building a business in alignment with who you are.How Chelsea built a thriving practice around a creative, unconventional modality.Why creativity works best inside structure — not chaos.The often overlooked relationship between embodiment, intuition, and strategic thinking.Why your own healing work directly impacts the quality of your client work. (Don’t miss this part!)All that and so much more.  As I shared in the intro, this may well be one of my favorite conversations that I’ve had in a long time. I don’t even think Chelsea realized how much she’s done, until I reflected back to her what I was hearing.  So. Good.  This episode is thoughtful, practical, inspiring…  Learn from this. ~Wendy P.S. If you want to take action on inspiration you gain from this episode, but aren’t sure where to start, a Quick Start Consult might help. _______________ TODAY’S GUEST:  CHELSEA HORTON   Chelsea is a somatic coach, educator, and founder of Healing Embodied, who combines body-based practices, nervous system healing, and trauma-informed care to help people move beyond traditional talk therapy and fully process emotions in the body.  Website: https://healingembodied.com  Instagram: @healing.embodied  Her certification program: https://healingembodied.com/ge Support the show Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW Host, Ideal Practice Private Practice Coach and Mentor www.WendyPittsReeves.com Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

    1hr 3min
  7. 5 May

    The 7 Keys to a Sustainable Private Practice (Most People Skip #1) | IP 192

    There may be more than one reason your practice feels harder than it should. And no — it’s probably not because you need better marketing, a new niche, or another certification. In this conversation (from my appearance as a guest on The Practice of Therapy with Gordon Brewer), we stepped back and looked at the whole picture — what it actually takes to build a practice that works. Not just one piece of it. All of it. Because the truth is, there’s no single fix. There are seven key areas that every successful practice has to navigate — and most clinicians are either skipping critical steps or trying to fix things out of order. This is a faster-paced conversation than what you usually hear from me — but it’s packed with the big ideas that shape everything else. If your practice feels scattered, stalled, or just heavier than it should…this is a powerful place to reset. WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE Why your purpose has to come first (and what happens when it doesn’t).How to identify the people you actually want to serve (not just who shows up).What it means to create an offer that truly works — beyond the therapy hour.How to promote your practice without feeling salesy or scattered.And the one pillar that truly drives all the rest (and can sabotage everything if ignored)This episode gives you a clean, big-picture framework to assess what’s actually working in your practice — and what’s not — so you can stop guessing and start making intentional changes that create real momentum. And the cool part? When you’re operating at a healthy place in all or most of these, your practice becomes something you genuinely enjoy showing up to — for the long haul. Precisely what I want for you. 💟 ~Wendy P.S. Which one of these key areas are you feeling the best about? Shoot me an email (wendy@wendypittsreeves.com) and share. I’d love to know!  _______________ MENTIONED  Episode 160: How do you serve clients when you’re barely surviving yourself?  _______________ MIND Over MONEY™ This is a gem. One of my most popular courses, designed to bring you a breath of fresh financial air each day. Develop a whole new abundance mindset with inspiration AND strategy in just 5 minutes a day for 31 days. You’ll thank me later. :) For this episode, use the Promo Code “Gordon” to get $50 off. (Sweet!) Learn more at www.WendyPittsReeves.com/mind. _______________ FREE RESOURCES Take a big picture snapshot of what's working in your practice with the IP360 Scorecard:  https://www.wendypittsreeves.com/360 Support the show Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW Host, Ideal Practice Private Practice Coach and Mentor www.WendyPittsReeves.com Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

    32 min
  8. 30 Apr

    How to Find Your Voice when Marketing Your Practice: What It Really Takes | IP 191

    Four years ago, I hit “publish” on the very first episode of this podcast — not entirely sure what would come of it.  Since then? I’ve learned a lot. In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes — not just of podcasting, but of what it really takes to grow a private practice in today’s world. Because here’s the truth that no one talks about: Most clinicians aren’t struggling because they’re not good at what they do. They’re struggling because the way they’re trying to reach people… isn’t working. Before podcasting, I tried blogging (for seven freaking years), YouTube (for a full year), speaking, networking — all of it. Some of it worked. Some of it didn’t. But the bigger lesson? 👉 You have to find the platform and style that fits you first. 👉 You have to commit long enough to get good at it (no small thing…) 👉 And you have to build systems that make that consistency possible. Because a thriving practice doesn’t come from random posts or occasional effort. It comes from strategic, sustained visibility over time. Inside this episode, I’ll walk you through: What it really takes to produce consistent content.Why most marketing efforts fall flat.How to find your voice (and a channel you’ll actually enjoy!).A behind-the-scenes look at producing a weekly podcast.And what to expect if you want your practice to grow.And if you’re not sure what’s working in your practice right now, I’ve got something for you. I’ll point you to a few of my favorite free resources — including tools to help you assess where you are and what needs attention next. If your marketing has been feeling scattered, inconsistent, or just a little frustrating…  This one will help you reset and refocus. Give it a listen, and see what shifts for you!  ________________________ FREE RESOURCES: • Click here >>> for My Most Popular Tools   ________________________ MINDSET MAGIC: Mind Over Money™ 👉 If money stress is part of what’s been getting in the way, start here, with this little gem. One of my most popular courses, here to help with money stress. :) Develop a whole new abundance mindset with inspiration AND strategy in just 5 minutes a day for 31 days. You’ll thank me later. :) Use the Promo Code “Ideal50” to get $50 off. (Sweet!) Support the show Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW Host, Ideal Practice Private Practice Coach and Mentor www.WendyPittsReeves.com Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

    40 min

About

How do I find clients I actually enjoy? How do I make more money without feeling guilty? Can I run a private practice and still have a life? These are just some of the questions long time psychotherapist, group practice founder, and serial entrepreneur Wendy Pitts Reeves tackles each week on The Ideal Practice Podcast.Here, you’ll learn how to create your version of an Ideal Practice that serves you as well as you serve your clients. Learn how to think like a marketer, attract clients you love, get paid well for what you do, and have a life. We’ll talk about the power of intention, the energy of money, and how to banish imposter syndrome for good. In short, we’ll dive deep into what it takes to develop a healthy business that is profitable, impactful, and - can we say this? - enjoyable.When healers stand in their power, make peace with profit, and honor the difference they make in the lives of others, they can change an entire industry.With a mix of interviews, special guests and solo shows from Wendy, you won’t want to miss a minute of this. New episodes every Tuesday. So hit subscribe, and get ready to change your life.

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