Work Life Balance for Speech Pathologists: Mindful Time Management Tips for Therapists, Clinicians, & Private Practice Owners

Theresa Harp
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast about coaching strategies and time management tips for busy SLPs, PTs, OTs, therapists, and private practice owners who want to feel successful in their personal and professional life at the same time. Let's take back control of your time! 

  1. 1d ago

    164. When Shame is the Signal You Need to Pay Attention

    Sometimes the thought that keeps looping in your brain is not just annoying background noise. Sometimes it brings shame with it...the kind that makes you want to hide, avoid, procrastinate, or pretend the thing is not actually bothering you. In this episode, I’m talking about how to recognize when a frequent flyer thought has turned into a shame spiral, why shame can keep you stuck, and what to do when avoiding the thing starts costing more than facing it. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why shame often makes you want to hide instead of take actionThe difference between guilt and shame, and why that difference mattersHow a repeated thought can affect your confidence, relationships, business, and executive functioningWhat to do when a thought gives you that pit-in-your-stomach feelingA simple first step for taking the power out of shameIf shame has been running the show around money, boundaries, capacity, follow-through, or the parts of your business you would rather not look directly in the eye, you do not have to figure it out alone. Book a free consult, and we can talk through what’s going on and how coaching can help you build a practical plan that actually fits your brain, your business, and your real life: https://cutt.ly/5tSeJKmu 🚨FALL RHYTHM RESET!!🚨 Sign up for this free workshop and join me on 8/31/26 at 3 PM ET. Learn more here.  To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here. Come join Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists on Facebook for more tips and tricks! Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

  2. Aug 11

    163. Feeling Overwhelmed? The 6 Questions That Help You Break the Thought Loop

    If you’ve been stuck thinking some version of “I’m so overwhelmed” on repeat, this episode is for you. I’m sharing a simple 6‑question framework that helps you stop arguing with the thought and start getting strategic about it. We’ll look at what the thought is costing you, what it might be doing for you (yes, really), and how to decide whether you need a circumstance change, a mindset change, or both. It’s practical, a little confronting, and surprisingly clarifying. What You’ll Learn:  • The 6 questions that break a “frequent flyer thought” loop • How to spot the hidden payoff that keeps a thought pattern alive • Cost/benefit of the thought vs. cost/benefit of the situation (and why both matter) • The difference between changing your schedule and changing your thinking • How to use “cost of change vs. cost of staying the same” to create momentum If you liked this episode, be sure to check out:  🎙️ Ep. 153: The Thought Loop That’s Running Your Life (and you don’t even notice it)  🎙️ Ep. 162: How to Stop Recurring Negative Thoughts From Running Your Life 💥 Coming Soon! Topic-based episode guide (episodes organized by topic) 🚨FALL RHYTHM RESET!!🚨 Sign up for this free workshop and join me on 8/31/26 at 3 PM ET. Learn more here.  To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here. Come join Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists on Facebook for more tips and tricks! Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

  3. Aug 4

    162. How to Stop Recurring Negative Thoughts From Running Your Life

    If you have a thought that shows up in your brain over and over, day after day, this episode is for you. I’m calling these frequent flyer thoughts: recurring thought loops that steal brain space and kick off a shame spiral before you even realize what happened. In this episode, I’ll show you how to treat these thoughts as information (not a verdict) and use one simple question to get your power back. What You’ll Learn: What a “frequent flyer thought” is and how to spot yours quicklyWhy recurring thoughts feel so heavy and how they quietly shape self-conceptThe agency question that stops the spiral: change the circumstance vs. change the thoughtA 60-second cost/benefit check to decide what to do nextHow to take action from empowerment (not punishment) if you choose to change the situation 🚨FALL RHYTHM RESET!!🚨 Sign up for this free workshop and join me on 8/31/26 at 3 PM ET. Learn more here.  To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here. Come join Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists on Facebook for more tips and tricks! Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

  4. Jul 28

    161. How to Find Joy as a Busy Mom featuring Michelle Byrd

    If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll feel happier once things “calm down,” this episode is your gentle reality check (and relief): life doesn’t magically get less messy, but you can access joy in the middle of it.  I’m joined by time management coach and host of The Busy Vibrant Mom, Michelle Byrd, for a grounded conversation about what joy actually is (and what it isn’t). We talk about the difference between joy and happiness, why moms unintentionally postpone joy until the to-do list is done, and how to stop treating self-care like another big project. Michelle shares practical ways to “sprinkle” joy into a packed day, how to build margin so everything doesn’t feel urgent, and what to do when your plan falls apart.  What You’ll Learn:  Why joy isn’t dependent on everything going right (and why that matters)How constant urgency and productivity pressure steals the enjoyment from your daySmall, realistic ways to add joy without adding another taskThe “power of pairing” to make any habit (including joyful ones) actually stickHow to do a quick joy reset when your day goes off the rails  Learn More About Michelle Byrd:  Michelle Byrd’s podcast: The Busy Vibrant MomListen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMichelle’s website: ByrdMichelle.com 🚨FALL RHYTHM RESET!!🚨 Sign up for this free workshop and join me on 8/31/26 at 3 PM ET. Learn more here.  To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here. Come join Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists on Facebook for more tips and tricks! Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

  5. Jul 21

    160. Stuck Rewriting the Same Email? Here's Why - And What To Do

    Have you ever burned 25 minutes rewriting a “simple” email (rescheduling a session, for example) because you couldn’t get the tone right? If you’ve been stuck in the loop of typing, deleting, retyping, and overanalyzing every word, this episode will help you understand why it happens (and why it’s not a character flaw). In this episode, I’m sharing the hidden cognitive load behind “sounding right” and the two biggest barriers that are keeping you stuck in analysis-paralysis. You’ll walk away with a simple structure you can default to, plus a few rules that make it easier to write clearly, kindly, and hit send. What You’ll Learn Why email/text “tone” can feel like a million invisible decisions happening at onceHow executive function load makes writing harder—especially when you’re already overwhelmedThe mindset traps that fuel the spiral (people-pleasing, over-apologizing, trying to manage someone else’s reaction)A simple 3-line structure to use when you’re stuck: what’s happening, what’s changing, what happens nextHow to set a “clear + kind” goal (instead of chasing perfect) and stop rereading endlessly 🚨FALL RHYTHM RESET!!🚨 Sign up for this free workshop and join me on 8/31/26 at 3 PM ET. Learn more here.  To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here. Come join Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists on Facebook for more tips and tricks! Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

  6. Jul 14

    159. AI for a Hijacked Day: 5 Ways I Use It (Without Spiraling)

    When my day gets hijacked (sick kid, surprise meeting, total schedule chaos), the hardest part isn’t “fixing the calendar.” It’s the executive-function load of holding everything in my head while I try to make decisions, communicate clearly, and not melt down.  In this episode, I walk you through the 5 concrete ways I use AI as executive-function scaffolding on a hijacked day so I can externalize the chaos, clarify what actually matters, and sequence my next steps without getting stuck in analysis paralysis.  In This Episode, You’ll Learn:  The 3 roles AI plays for me on chaotic days: externalize, clarify, sequenceHow I use a voice-memo brain dump + AI summary to get the mess out of my head fastHow I ask for a “minimum viable” definition of done when I’m operating at 20% capacity How I use AI to generate 2–3 decision options How I use AI to draft clear reschedule messages (and avoid over-explaining) Resources Mentioned: Ep. 157. Scheduling Curveballs (Without the Mom Guilt) Ep. 158. Rescheduling Isn’t “Just Moving Things”: It’s an Executive Function Nightmare 🚨FALL RHYTHM RESET!!🚨 Sign up for this free workshop and join me on 8/31/26 at 3 PM ET. Learn more here.  To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here. Come join Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists on Facebook for more tips and tricks! Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

  7. Jul 7

    158. Rescheduling Isn’t “Just Moving Things”: It’s an Executive Function Nightmare

    Okay, okay...maybe that title is a bit dramatic. But seriously: rescheduling your day sounds simple enough until you’re actually in it. In this episode, I'm breaking down why a “hijacked day” (sick kid, unexpected meetings, constant interruptions) doesn’t just create a scheduling problem -- it can send our executive functioning skills into overload.  Using Dawson & Guare’s Executive Functioning Skills framework, you’ll learn what’s actually happening in your brain when plans change and why it can feel so hard, especially if you have ADHD. This isn’t about excuses. It’s about understanding the real problem so that you can get to real solutions.  In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why rescheduling is more than “moving things around”The executive functioning skills being used all at once (and where the breakdowns tend to happen)The power of the pause: creating space between trigger and reactionWhy emotional regulation is the gateway to better decision-makingHow working memory + time constraints + interruptions create the perfect stormCognitive flexibility: getting out of all-or-nothing thinking when the plan changes Mentioned In This Episode: Dawson, P., Guare, R., & Guare, C. (2024). Smart but scattered: The revolutionary “executive skills” approach to helping kids reach their potential (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press. Ep. 157: Scheduling Curveballs (Without the Mom Guilt)Episodes Coming Soon: AI tools I'm using to reduce the mental loadWhy email wording/tone becomes its own executive function rabbit hole 🚨FALL RHYTHM RESET!!🚨 Sign up for this free workshop and join me on 8/31/26 at 3 PM ET. Learn more here.  To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here. Come join Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists on Facebook for more tips and tricks! Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

  8. Jun 30

    157. Scheduling Curveballs (Without the Mom Guilt)

    Full disclosure: I recorded this episode the night before it goes live because, well, life happened. One of my kids came home sick, my focus was fried, and I had to make real-time decisions about rescheduling and protecting my boundaries. Then I found a second curveball: someone booked on a day I’m off (because I hadn’t updated my calendar). In this episode, I walk you through how I coached myself through it so you can borrow the mindset shifts and the practical strategies the next time your schedule blows up.  What You’ll Learn: How I stay considerate and professional without apologizing for being a parent and business ownerA simple reframe I use (The circumstance is neutral, the meaning I attach is optional.)Why rescheduling takes serious executive function (decision-making, working memory, planning, prioritizing)How I reduce the cognitive load when I have to reschedule (especially on low-focus days)What I do when systems and scheduling tools fail—and how I use that failure as useful data Why systems can support boundaries, but can’t replace your responsibility to set/hold/communicate them Key Takeaways: You can apologize for short notice or inconvenience without apologizing for your boundariesA scheduling mishap isn’t proof you’re scattered, it’s information you can use to adjust your systemIf rescheduling feels hard, maybe that’s because it is hard. But it can get easier.  🚨FALL RHYTHM RESET!!🚨 Sign up for this free workshop and join me on 8/31/26 at 3 PM ET. Learn more here.  To find out how I can help you improve your work-life balance, click here. Come join Work-Life Balance for Speech Pathologists on Facebook for more tips and tricks! Learn more about Theresa Harp Coaching here.

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A podcast about coaching strategies and time management tips for busy SLPs, PTs, OTs, therapists, and private practice owners who want to feel successful in their personal and professional life at the same time. Let's take back control of your time! 

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