228 episodes

Rebel Therapist is the podcast where you'll get support in being a therapist entrepreneur. I'm Annie Schuessler, therapist and business coach and strategist for therapists. I'll support you in taking your work beyond the therapy room to make an even bigger impact. I interview Rebel Therapists who are already doing work beyond the therapy room, from running workshops to writing books to creating online courses. You'll hear about how they created their unique businesses, the mindset work they've done, and the mistakes they've made along the way. Get the inspiration and information you need to be a Rebel Therapist, starting now.

Rebel Therapist Annie Schuessler

    • Business
    • 4.8 • 140 Ratings

Rebel Therapist is the podcast where you'll get support in being a therapist entrepreneur. I'm Annie Schuessler, therapist and business coach and strategist for therapists. I'll support you in taking your work beyond the therapy room to make an even bigger impact. I interview Rebel Therapists who are already doing work beyond the therapy room, from running workshops to writing books to creating online courses. You'll hear about how they created their unique businesses, the mindset work they've done, and the mistakes they've made along the way. Get the inspiration and information you need to be a Rebel Therapist, starting now.

    Getting Over The Finish Line With Hard & Important Stuff

    Getting Over The Finish Line With Hard & Important Stuff

    I’ve had a hard time figuring out how to talk to you about this.
    I never want to be a dream killer. Or a bummer.
    If you’re thinking of creating and launching a signature program, I want you to do it. AND I’m gonna talk about one of the hardest parts of that today.
    Then I’ll talk about how to handle this hard part. I promise.
    In Create Your Program, I help a small group of therapists create their high quality, high touch, niched programs. And then I help them launch those programs so that they can actually start making money.
    Those programs bring these entrepreneurs significant ongoing incomes.
    Some folks choose to shrink or close their therapy practices or leave their agency jobs once their programs are established.
    AND…one really hard part of that whole process is launching the program, especially for the first time.
    Launching basically means sharing your program with people.
    Launching involves two really hard things: being more visible and asking for help.
    You have to be visible when you launch because you need to share your program with people so that they can sign up to work with you.
    You have to ask for help because you need other people to help you spread the word.
    Launching isn’t the hardest part of the process at all in terms of skills and it’s not the most time consuming part either. But emotionally it can be really hard, especially for sensitive souls.
    We feel vulnerable and exposed when we launch, and we might even worry that we’re bugging people.
    On top of that, most of the people in Create Your Program haven’t launched this kind of program before, so these are new muscles they’re using.
    Launching can even give them queasy feelings.
    And when something is emotionally hard, and makes one feel queasy, one finds a way to avoid it.
    In Create Your Program, up until now I always walked people all the way up to that launching finish line. Participants got training and structure from me to create their launch plan. I encouraged them to take the brave final steps and even asked people to take some of that action on the final day of our program.
    And some people did that! I ask participants to share their announcement emails with me, which are the emails they send out to their colleagues and communities.
    I always received some on the final day of the program, and a bunch more in the following couple of weeks.
    Lots of people would use the momentum of the program to follow through and continue implementing.
    But some others would put it off.
    They’d say they weren’t quite ready.
    They’d say they started reconsidering their niche.
    They’d say life started getting in the way so they didn’t get around to it yet.
    Or many other valid things.
    Side note:
    As a very direct coach, I’ll tell you that these are people who really wanted to launch!
    They were ready enough, and they had already done enough work on their niches. They had indeed done everything they needed to do in order to launch their pilot programs.
    When I was describing this issue to my former business coach Claire Pelletreau, she said: “You have to walk them all the way over the finish line.”
    And I knew she was right.
    Immediately I made a change to Create Your Program.
    And I’ll describe that in a minute.
    Let’s talk about HOW we get ourselves over the finish line to accomplishing hard things in our businesses and lives in general.
    Well, there’s accountability and support. Those help.
    But you know what else helps?
    A Hard Ass Deadline.
    Accountability buddies usually don’t cut it for the really hard stuff. They’re helpful for getting focused, but not necessarily for getting over the finish line with the very hardest things.
    Now I’ve got 2 short examples for you: Taxes and Art.
    This just came up for me around my taxes.
    I get intimidated by the process of my taxes every single year.
    I’ve been trying to get my documents toghether to give my accountant for a while now. My accountant has a polic

    • 9 min
    A Program Based On Art Journaling With Lea Seigen Shinraku

    A Program Based On Art Journaling With Lea Seigen Shinraku

    Lea had been helping people with self-compassion for years, but when she started using art journaling in her program, it came together in a more powerful way.
    Now she teaches art journaling in every session of her signature program, Everyday Self-Compassion. Once she integrated this practice into her program, she fell even more in love with her work. She’s got a feeling of presence, joy and even goofiness.
    I deeply resonate with the need to feel like my full self as I do my work. How about you?
    You’re about to hear how she transformed her program over the last several years, why she loves running it, and why she’s got fewer therapy sessions in her schedule.
    Lea Seigen Shinraku is an artist, teacher, licensed therapist and founder of the Center for Creative Self-Compassion. Through her transformative program ~ Everyday Self-Compassion ~ she helps people who struggle with self-judgment connect with their innate creativity and joy, so they can feel more calm, connected, confident and playful in meeting the uncertainty of being alive.
    Here's some of what we talked about:
    Working with people who are finally ready to really learn how to do self-compassion An example of how Lea teaches art journaling How Lea designed her program Why including art in her program made her feel more joyful and present Creating a follow up program to Everyday Self-Compassion How she fills her program How she draws people to her work with free offers and events A tip from Annie (via Claire Pelletreau) on tracking your Meta ads Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/220

    • 41 min
    A Thriving Grief Program With Amy Hyun Swart

    A Thriving Grief Program With Amy Hyun Swart

    Do you ever dream of creating a program you’ll love running over and over again?
    My guest Amy has run her program, Grief Medicine, at least 9 times now. Sometimes people wonder if focusing on grief brings her down, but you’re going to hear why working with folks around their grief brings her inspiration and joy.
    As you listen to this conversation, one thing I want you to notice is how much Amy enjoys running this program and never seems to experience it as a grind. You’ll hear how she created her program and how she continues to fill it after so many iterations. And by the way, it’s mostly NOT through social media.
    Meet Amy Hyun Swart, a therapist, writer, children's book illustrator, and entrepreneur who has been leading grief gatherings, rituals, and courses since 2015, both in-person and online. She was introduced to the healing power of grief work by way of her own life experience, the traumatic loss of a parent at an early age. As a grief activist, Amy views grief as a critical ingredient to move through these collectively heartbreaking times without losing our shared sense of humanity.
    Here's some of what we talked about:
    Why her program went from 6 to 10 to 8 weeks long How grief is handled SO badly in our culture Co-hosting local grief gatherings Co-facilititating BIPOC Art of Grief courses Creating safety and connection in her program How she fills her program each time How her program has changed over time Why she’s still feeling inspired by her program after 9 iterations Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/219

    • 31 min
    The Least Stressful Way To Start A Group Program

    The Least Stressful Way To Start A Group Program

    Today I’m gonna talk about one of the fastest and least stressful ways to start a group program.
    Let’s say you’re excited to run a signature program beyond your private practice, and you know you want it to be a small group.
    I relate. I LOVE running groups.
    Just a few reasons you might be in love with the idea of creating a group program:
    Participants benefit from each other’s wisdom and feel less alone. You make more money. A sense of accountability is often bigger in a group. Groups give you energy. You’re gifted at running groups. In a group, you get the richness of discussion. Let’s imagine this is you.
    You’ve written up a sales page or registration page for your program. You’ve told everyone you know all about it. You’ve sent out emails to your small but growing email list. You’ve posted on instagram, in FB groups and anywhere else where it’s appropriate to post. You’ve reached out to every single colleague who might make a referral. You’ve even reached out directly to a handful of people who you think would be great participants with a no pressure invitation to check it out.
    All your friends and colleagues are excited for you. You keep hearing: “People will want this!” You’ve got the outline ready. You’ve got the zoom link ready to share. The group calls are on your calendar. You’ve figured out how to accept payments. You are just SO ready.
    You offer a free consultation to anyone who has questions about the program and might want to sign up.
    And then the consultations start…
    You talk to one person who might be interested but not right now and is wondering when you’ll run it again.
    You talk to another person who might be interested and will let you know.
    You talk to a third person who decides to sign up. Yay!
    You talk to a fourth person who says they want to do it but then realize they’ll be away for the first 3 weeks of your program.
    And then…no more consultations. No more sign ups. And your start date is next week. Arg!
    Did you do something wrong? Is your group not meant to be?
    First of all, you are not alone. This has happened to me. This has happened to many people who run successful group programs now.
    This often happens when you’re transitioning to a new kind of business. Even if you already had a full therapy practice, this can easily happen when you step into selling a program for the first time.
    Perhaps your mistake (if you made one) was to start with a group program.
    Perhaps you should have started with a 1:1 structured, niched and outcome based program.
    What?! We just talked about why you really prefer to run a group.
    But you STILL might be better off starting your pilot program 1:1 and then turning that offer into a group when your business is ready.
    Listen to the episode in which I break down why starting with a 1:1 structured, niched and outcome based program might be your fastest, least stressful way to create a group program.
    Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/218

    • 13 min
    Don’t Double Your Therapy Sessions

    Don’t Double Your Therapy Sessions

    Maybe you plan to double or significantly increase your income this year.
    If you’re in private practice, you might look at the numbers and think you should double your sessions. And you totally could. People are out there looking for a therapist exactly like you.
    You might feel like adding sessions is your ONLY option to increase your revenue.
    That’s not true.
    You’ve got other options.
    Check in and be honest with yourself. Will adding to your client load exhaust you or head you towards burnout?
    If you’re already seeing 12 clients or 15 clients and you’re starting to feel a bit of dread around sessions…do not double your sessions.
    On the other hand, If your’e excited about filling up your private practice further, follow that excitement and do it. Like I said, there are plenty of people who need a therapist like you.
    If you’re like SO many therapists I know, you might have the time in your schedule to add more sessions, but you don’t have the capacity in other ways.
    You don’t have the energy, the self-care practices, attention or focus capacity to add even more sessions.
    I want to invite you to take a step back and look at your business model.
    Your business model is basically the way your business is set up to make you money. It’s the combination of the things you get paid for.
    If your business model is built on 1:1 private practice sessions, and that isn’t sustainable for you…you are in good company!
    There’s nothing wrong with you.
    A full private practice might not be the right fit for your nervous system or your particular gifts.
    There are other business models.
    For years I thought I should be happy to have 25 or more therapy sessions a week. I had worked so hard to build that business. I was helping people and making good money so I thought I should just be grateful.
    But that business model wasn’t right for me long-term.
    Then I started helping therapists build their private practices and I talked to tons of therapists privately about what really works for them.
    I discovered that LOTS of therapists don’t find it sustainable to have 25 or more sessions each week.
    Like me, they built their private practices and then discovered it wasn’t right for them. And they felt guilt or shame like they SHOULD want the full private practice they worked so hard for.
    They started to feel drained and overwhelmed. Either their work or their life outside of work or both began to suffer.
    Therapists often don’t want to tell people they feel overwhelmed by a full private practice. So they think they’re alone.
    If working in a different way at least some of the time would be a better fit for you and for your nervous system and your gifts, now is the time to start building a different business model.
    I know that it’s really hard to carve out time and space to do something different. But it is SO important to start building a business you’ll be more fulfilled by.
    The business model I help people create is based on running your own high-touch, niched, outcome-based signature program.
    If you’re someone who loves teaching or facilitating and you’d love to really focus in on a topic you’re passionate about, a signature program might be a great fit for you.
    If this resonates with you…but you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of getting started…mostly because you’re not even sure HOW to get started, do not let that stop you.
    I end up hearing from grads of my program that they just wish they had realized sooner that it was possible to grow a signature program.
    They are so relieved to have another income source and another place to direct their creative energy. They’re happy that they no longer have all their eggs in the private practice basket.
    If you think you want to run a signature program, don’t wait.
    Don’t set yourself up to stumble along exhausted trying to build something AFTER you’ve burnt out.
    AND Don’t just make little tweaks to a business model tha

    • 10 min
    Be Willing To Do These Three Things For A Successful Signature Program

    Be Willing To Do These Three Things For A Successful Signature Program

    As this episode goes live, registration for Create Your Program is open. This is my process to help you create and launch your signature program beyond private practice.
    If you’d like to start growing another part of your business and make money in a new way, this is the best time to jump into Create Your Program.
    If you register by Sunday, January 7th, you’re going to get lifetime access to a bonus training that has helped grads of CYP to fill their programs.
    Go to https://rebeltherapist.me/create now to register.
    I can’t wait to see you inside.
    Today I want to talk about a few really important things that set apart the people who launch programs and succeed from those who wish they had.
    Here are 3 things people who succeed with their programs are WILLING to do. 1: Be willing to work through discomfort in your marketing. My last guest, Samantha Fox, is great at this.
    Just like most people who sign up to work with me, Samantha was really nervous about getting more visible and sharing her work with large audiences.
    Her program is called Unbox Your Sexuality. She helps women all over the world who are realizing they are not as straight as they thought they were.
    She had to work through her discomfort with being known as a queer thought leader.
    A few years later, she’s so glad she did! She’s constantly creating content, including videos, and sharing it with people all over the world.
    She’s guested on about 20 podcasts and gotten comfortable using her voice in that way.
    She gets to hear from people she's never met about how much her work has changed their lives.
    So even though she is an introvert and she used to be afraid of visibility, she’s now a very public leader who feels abundant love and energy for the people who find her from all over the planet.
    2: Be willing to talk about your program with a lot of enthusiasm, and ask people to help you share it. Thing is something that the prior guest, Sonya Brewer, knows how to do!
    This one sounds obvious, but asking for help is NOT natural or easy for many folks who sign up to work with me.
    Sonya said that she shared the news about her program, badass boundaries for trauma survivors, with everyone she knows.
    She asked people: “Who do you have for me?”
    Sonya was able to do this because she knows her program is excellent. She sees the transformations her participants are able to make, and so she’s willing to spread the word.
    Many people start to shrink or hide or even apologize when it’s time to sell their programs.
    Even if this doesn’t come easily to you, I know that you CAN learn to ask for referrals with enthusiasm!
    I used to shrink when it was time to talk about my work, and now I ask for referrals with ease.
    I no longer feel like hiding how awesome I know Create Your Program is. I’ve iterated it over 28 times. I’ve worked over 200 therapists through it. I’ve worked with a curriculum designer. We’ve got the best expert guest teachers who come in and teach particular vital things.
    CYP has grads like Sonya and Samantha and so many others who have created SO much value.
    Now when I talk about Create Your Program, I exude a lot of enthusiasm.
    I also don’t care any longer if some folks don't like me because of my confidence. For every person who feels annoyed at my confidence, there are a few people who are encouraged to be a bit more confident themselves.
    So follow Sonya’s lead and shout your program from the rooftops. 🎉
    3: Be willing to show up and work directly with your participants. That means being willing to create a high touch program. NOT a program that’s self-led.
    This one might freak some of you out. Maybe you’re burned out, you want less contact with clients, and you dream of having passive income and not dealing with clients at all.
    I want to encourage you to reconsider that approach.
    Showing up in your program and leading your participants through it does NOT mean you’re constantly working. Y

    • 18 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
140 Ratings

140 Ratings

amawayu ,

Life changing podcast for therapists looking for more

I can’t say enough about Rebel Therapist. This podcast was exactly what I needed to change the course of my work to something way more authentic and fulfilling. I share this podcast with all my therapy friends and colleagues.

anw22 ,

Inspires me and offers new ideas!

Thanks Annie.

Conscious_Marketing_&_PR ,

Annie is very wisdomous!

Annie is very wisdomous. She's so inspiring. Actionable tips for a thriving business while maintaining your dream job as a therapist and health expert.

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