What does a therapy practice look like after five decades of building, pivoting, selling a building, surviving HMOs, outlasting COVID, and finally deciding to work a little less? Turns out, it looks pretty great. In this episode, Kelly sits down with Clifton. Clifton has been in the field since before licensing even existed in Texas, which means they have watched every wave roll through this profession and found a way to ride it. Clifton started out missing the Yellow Pages deadline (yes, really), then built a thriving insurance-based practice, watched HMOs chip away at it, dropped insurance panels entirely, bought a building with two other therapists, pivoted to telehealth during COVID, and had the three highest-revenue years of their career in the process. Along the way, Clifton and their wife co-authored books on narcissistic personality disorder, ranked on the first page of Google in San Antonio, and recently stepped into semi-retirement doing supervision, coaching, and more writing. There is no straight line here, just smart adaptation and a willingness to keep learning. **You'll hear Clifton's honest take on:** - Why getting grandfathered into three separate licenses taught them that you practice by your license, not your education, and why that distinction still matters for newer therapists choosing a path - What it actually felt like to watch insurance companies deny previously approved claims and demand money back, and why going out-of-network was the right call for their practice - How COVID forced a website overhaul that turned into their biggest growth period, and why their clients chose to stay online permanently even after offices reopened - The mistake of having their head down and staying isolated early in their career, and why staying connected to other therapists matters for referrals, grounding, and keeping up with the field - Why being dyslexic and systems-trained gave them an edge in spotting patterns and anticipating what came next in a profession that keeps changing - What semi-retirement actually looks like when you still love the work; less hours, more grandkids, some coaching, some writing, and zero regrets Whether you are just starting out and trying to figure out your niche, somewhere in the middle wondering if private practice is even sustainable long-term, or in the later half of your career and wondering if it is too late to learn something new, this episode will meet you where you are. Fifty years in, Clifton is still curious. That is the whole point. --- 00:00 The Journey to Private Practice 02:55 Navigating the Challenges of Private Practice 05:50 Adapting to Change in Therapy 08:42 The Impact of COVID-19 on Therapy 11:46 Writing and Publishing a Book 14:33 Lessons from Decades of Practice 18:44 Navigating the Evolution of Therapy Licensure 23:52 Finding Your Niche in Therapy 29:32 The Importance of Lifelong Learning in Therapy 32:44 Embracing Change and Future Directions in Therapy --- Learn more about Clifton and their practice at: CliftonFuller.com --- Learn more about Business School for Therapists: https://bit.ly/BusinessSchoolYouTube Website: https://www.zynnyme.com/ Blog: https://www.zynnyme.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellyandmiranda Instagram: http://instagram.com/zynnyme/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2456942/ Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/zynnyme/ Check out more episodes of the Starting a Counseling Practice Success Stories podcast and leave a review: • Apple Podcasts • Spotify Mentioned in this episode: Register Now - How Therapists Can Increase Profits by $10k (or More) & Work Less in 2026
