Purpose and Profit: The Sustainable Therapy Practice Podcast

Cecilia Mannella
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Purpose & Profit: The Sustainable Therapy Practice Podcast is for therapists who've built something real and are ready to lead it sustainably. Hosted by Cecilia Mannella, RCC, RSW — mental health practitioner, seven-figure group practice owner, and creator of the Sustainable Practice Framework™ — this podcast explores what it actually takes to build a profitable, sustainable therapy business without shrinking your leadership or losing yourself in the process. Each week, honest conversations about: - Ethical wealth and profit margins you can actually see and understand - Sustainable scaling and leadership evolution - The clinician-to-CEO identity shift — and what it costs to skip it - Team leadership, delegation, and building a practice that runs without you as the single point of failure - Building a practice that serves your clients — and your life Because burnout is not a business model. And purpose without profit isn't sustainable. If you're a therapy practice owner who's tired of being the most advanced person in the room, this is where that changes.

  1. 6D AGO

    EP 32 | Vancouver Therapist on Building a Group Practice: Why Therapists Make Reluctant Business Owners

    "I've never wanted to be in a position where I'm making decisions based on I just need this session booked because otherwise I can't pay my bills." That's how Nicole Neufeld, Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), describes the financial philosophy behind building The Commons Wellness — a virtual group practice based in Vancouver, BC. In this episode, Nicole shares what most therapists are never taught: how to actually run a business — and why avoiding that identity comes at a cost. Nicole’s path into private practice wasn’t linear. With a background in retail management, insurance, and catering, she entered the therapy world with something most new grads don’t have: a working understanding of how businesses operate. That foundation shaped everything from how she built her practice to how she leads her team today. This conversation explores the structural loneliness of therapy work, the gap between clinical training and business reality, and what becomes possible when you stop treating your practice like an accident — and start treating it like a business. In this episode, Nicole shares: Why her pre-therapy career gave her a level of business confidence most clinicians lackThe loneliness built into the therapy room — and why group practice is more than a revenue modelThe mindset shift: becoming a business owner who is also a therapistWhy the lack of business training in grad school sets therapists up to struggleHow she approaches creativity and innovation instead of following “this is how it’s done”Niching as burnout prevention — and how aligned clients change everythingWhy she has never used Google Ads and focuses on SEO, relationships, and organic growth insteadHow she structures her practice around her life goals, not just income targetsThe role of long-term vision (5–10 years) in decision-making and sustainabilityWhy collaborative leadership works — and what trust actually looks like in a group practice If you’ve ever felt like you’re running a business without a map, questioning whether the rules you’re following actually fit your values, or quietly burning out trying to do it all alone — this conversation will land. Resources + Links Mentioned:🎙️ Apply for business coaching: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnLHz7NPQMjMruYHZij6SJbSBI8JibryK-dGxHcDFhM9VZ9A/viewform 🎙️ Book a discovery call: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/business-coaching 🎙️ Listen to The Sustainable Practice Framework: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/purpose-and-profit-podcast ABOUT YOUR HOST:Cecilia Mannella is a Registered Social Worker, Clinical Counsellor, and therapy practice coach with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and nearly two decades building her own practice from solo therapist to seven-figure group practice. She helps Canadian therapists build profitable, sustainable businesses without apologizing for their ambition or compromising their values. Connect with Cecilia: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/ ABOUT THE GUEST:Nicole Neufeld, MC, RCC, is a counsellor and group practice owner at The Commons Wellness, a virtual therapy practice based in Vancouver, BC. With a background in retail management, insurance, and training and development, Nicole brings a strong business foundation into the therapy world — shaping how she builds, hires, and leads. Her practice operates as a collaborative collective of counsellors and interns working within an AEDP-informed framework. Connect with Nicole: Website: https://www.thecommonswellness.ca/ LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nicoledneufeld LOVED THIS EPISODE?⭐ Share this with a therapist who feels like they were never taught how to run a business ⭐ Send this to a group practice owner who is questioning their current model ⭐ Leave a review and tell us what shifted for you after listening ⭐ Follow Purpose and Profit so you never miss a Tuesday episode PURPOSE & PROFIT: THE SUSTAINABLE THERAPY PRACTICE PODCASTBurnout Is Not a Business Model New episodes every Tuesday © CM Consulting - All Rights Reserved

    52 min

  2. APR 14

    EP 31 | Sustainable Doesn't Mean Easy: What It Actually Takes to Build a Practice That Lasts

    "If you've been waiting for your practice to feel calm, predictable, and maybe even low effort before you call it sustainable — that moment is not coming. Not because something is wrong with your practice. Because you've been working from the wrong definition." In this solo episode, I'm taking on the fantasy that's been sold to therapy practice owners - the passive income, the systemised-while-you're-on-the-beach version of sustainability - and offering something more honest, more useful, and actually achievable. Because a sustainable practice is not effortless. It's intentional. And there's a significant difference. IN THIS EPISODE, I'M SHARING: → The dominant narrative sold to practice owners - and why chasing it sent me into a spiral of 'let's just sell it or burn it down' → What sustainability actually means: intentional integration of values, vision, time, and attention - not the absence of responsibility → Why leadership isn't only a group practice concept - solo practitioners lead themselves in relationship to their business every single day → The identity claim that changes everything: not 'I am a therapist who has a practice' but 'I am a business owner and a leader - right now, not someday' → Why sustainability and stress are not opposites - and the shift from personalising every stressor as failure to reading it as information → Team conflict, revenue dips, packed decision-making weeks - what these are actually telling you → Two real experiments from my practice: the print mental health magazine that's working beautifully, and the $20,000 operations manager hire that taught me exactly what I didn't need → What a sustainable practice actually looks like: knowing your numbers, making decisions from values, having one honest peer relationship, and stopping the wait to call it a success If this episode is landing somewhere specific for you and you're sitting with a real question about where you're going and what sustainable growth looks like in your practice - let's talk. I keep a few discovery call spots open each month for practice owners ready to have that honest conversation. No pitch, no pressure. Just a real look at your practice and what's actually possible. Book your discovery call at ceciliamannella.com Explore the Sustainable Practice Framework: ceciliamannella.com/sustainable-practice-framework ABOUT YOUR HOST Cecilia Mannella is a Registered Social Worker, Clinical Counsellor, and therapy practice coach with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and nearly two decades building her own practice from solo therapist to seven-figure group practice. She helps Canadian therapists build profitable, sustainable businesses without apologising for their ambition - or compromising their values. Connect with Cecilia: Website: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/ This Episode: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/purpose-and-profit-podcast LOVED THIS EPISODE? ⭐ Share this with a practice owner who's been chasing the effortless passive income dream and quietly feeling like a failure ⭐ Leave a review if this episode reframed something you've been carrying as stress into something you can actually use ⭐ Send this episode to a colleague who needs permission to stop waiting for calm before she calls her practice a success ⭐ Hit follow for more honest conversations about what it actually takes to lead a therapy practice PURPOSE AND PROFIT: THE SUSTAINABLE THERAPY PRACTICE PODCAST Burnout Is Not a Business Model New episodes every Tuesday © CM Consulting — All Rights Reserved WORK WITH CECILIA Apply for Coaching: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnLHz7NPQMjMruYHZij6SJbSBI8JibryK-dGxHcDFhM9VZ9A/viewform

    32 min

  3. APR 7

    EP 30 | From Over-Giver to Practice Owner: Using Archetypes to Understand Your Relationship with Profit & Limits

    "People treat you the way you teach them that they can treat you." That's how Rebecca Steele, therapist and depth-based coach, opens one of the most honest conversations this podcast has had about why therapists over-give and what that costs a practice. In this episode, Rebecca brings a depth psychology lens to a problem most practice owners feel every single day but rarely name out loud. What does it actually mean that we offer free consults, absorb missed appointments with guilt, and feel like charging for our time is somehow at odds with our values? Rebecca argues there is a name for this pattern, and it is not just professional culture. It is archetypal. In this episode, Rebecca shares: Why therapists unconsciously take on the 'Good Mother' archetype and what it costs when you have no needs of your own The orphan archetype explained: how a pattern of emotional deprivation in early relationships shows up later as over-giving and poor boundaries in business The connection between bread-crumbing in relationships and the way therapists accept less than they are worth How guilt about enforcing your cancellation policy is rarely about the policy, and what emotion is actually underneath it Why Rebecca started charging a $25 fee for consultations and how it changed the power dynamic from the very first contact The patriarchal structure of the therapy profession: who built the frameworks, who practises them, and why financial inequity is baked into the system Why therapists staying invisible while unqualified coaches claim the space is not just a business problem. It is a professional and ethical one What Rebecca's forthcoming book Helper as Mother is naming, and why she is willing to be a contrarian voice in the field If you recognize yourself in the helper archetype, if you have ever felt guilt about enforcing a boundary, wondered why charging feels hard, or quietly resented giving time away for free, this one's for you. Resources + Links Mentioned: 🎙️ Take the free CEO Readiness Assessment: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnLHz7NPQMjMruYHZij6SJbSBI8JibryK-dGxHcDFhM9VZ9A/viewform 🎙️ Book a discovery call: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/business-coaching 🎙️ Listen to The Full framework: The Sustainable Practice Framework — ceciliamannella.com ABOUT YOUR HOST: Cecilia Mannella is a Registered Social Worker, Clinical Counsellor, and therapy practice coach with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and nearly two decades building her own practice from solo therapist to seven-figure group practice. She helps Canadian therapists build profitable, sustainable businesses without apologizing for their ambition or compromising their values. Connect with Cecilia: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/ ABOUT THE GUEST: For over a decade, Rebecca Steele has helped adults untangle the unconscious patterns shaping their relationships, identity, and life direction. In her work as both a therapist and a depth-based coach, she integrates archetype theory, the Enneagram, and relational pattern work to support insight that translates into lived change, not just intellectual awareness. Rebecca is particularly known for her exploration of the Orphan archetype and how it appears across culture and storytelling. Through films and series like The Queen's Gambit, Anne of Green Gables, Peaky Blinders, Adolescence, and Good Will Hunting, she examines how themes of abandonment, resilience, and belonging mirror our own psychological landscapes. Connect with Rebecca: https://www.rebeccaannesteele.com/ Instagram: @rebecca.anne.steele | https://www.instagram.com/rebecca.anne.steele/ LOVED THIS EPISODE? ⭐ Share this with a fellow practice owner who has ever felt guilty about enforcing their cancellation policy. They need to hear this conversation ⭐ Leave a review and tell us: which archetype did you recognise in yourself? Your answer might show up in a future episode ⭐ Send this to a newer therapist in your network who is still offering free consults. This is the reframe that changes everything ⭐ Follow Purpose and Profit so you never miss a conversation that puts a name to what you are already living PURPOSE & PROFIT: THE SUSTAINABLE THERAPY PRACTICE PODCAST Burnout Is Not a Business Model New episodes every Tuesday © CM Consulting - All Rights Reserved

    40 min

  4. MAR 31

    Ep 29 | Clinician to CEO Identity Shift: Why Therapy Practice Owners Who Avoid Hard Business Conversations Are Still Leading Like Therapists

    If you are a therapy practice owner who makes business decisions every day but still defaults to leading with compassion when clarity and strategy are what's actually needed, this episode is for you. Cecilia names the specific identity shift from clinician to CEO that most established practice owners never recognize is happening — and shares exactly what it looked like in her own group practice and in a recent coaching client's leadership breakthrough. This is Purpose. And it is the piece most established practice owners skip entirely. In This Episode: Why the shift from telling associates what to do to coaching them toward their own growth is the actual threshold between clinician leadership and CEO leadershipThe low-grade frustration and resentment you carry when associates don't perform is a signal you're still leading from your therapist identity, not a sign they're failingClinical training gave you the ability to hold complexity without collapsing it, sit with ambiguity, and notice relational patterns — skills that business leaders pay years and significant money to developA coaching client thought her problem was systems and processes, but the real gap was that she was hiring, leading, and having performance conversations as a therapist instead of a CEOThe three signs you're moving into CEO thinking: you lead relationships with clarity instead of avoidance, you stop outsourcing your authority to peers and coaches, and you stop apologizing for your ambition In this episode, we work through the Recognize and Examine steps of the RECLAIM framework — naming the gap between the clinician identity you were trained into and the CEO identity your business actually requires, then examining the beliefs you carry about what kind of person builds a business. If you've been telling yourself that your clinical training should have been enough to prepare you for running what you've built, this is where we name it and start to move through it. Work With Cecilia — 1:1 Coaching You've built something real. A full caseload, a respected reputation, a practice that runs — mostly — on your own steam. And if you're honest, it's also running you. 1:1 coaching is for established Canadian therapy practice owners who are ready to stop managing the chaos and start leading with clarity — fewer clinical hours, cleaner margins, a team that doesn't require your constant oversight, and finally, the time off that doesn't cost you a week of catch-up. Apply here: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/business-coaching Resources + Links Mentioned: Website: ceciliamannella.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cecilia-mannella/Explore the Sustainable Practice Framework: ceciliamannella.com/sustainable-practice-frameworkInterview with Steph Davis on owning leadership mistakes: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/purpose-and-profit-podcast/episode/3367950b/ep-28-or-hiring-growth-and-profits-in-group-practice-how-stefanie-and-lucinda-built-new-ground-wellness If This Episode Landed for You: ⭐ Share it with a therapist who's feeling the pull between clinical identity and business leadership ⭐ Send it to a colleague who apologizes for their ambition more than they should ⭐ Leave a review — it takes 90 seconds and helps more Canadian therapists find this work ⭐ Hit follow for more honest conversations about what it really takes to lead a therapy practice About Your Host: Cecilia Mannella, RSW, RCC is a therapy practice coach with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and nearly two decades building her own practice from solo therapist to seven-figure group practice. She helps Canadian therapists build profitable, sustainable businesses without apologizing for their ambition or compromising their values. New episodes every Tuesday. © CM Consulting — All Rights Reserved

    33 min

  5. MAR 24

    EP 28 | Hiring, Growth & Profits in Group Practice: How Stefanie & Lucinda Built New Ground Wellness

    ABOUT THIS EPISODE In this episode, I’m joined by Stefanie Denluck-Larkin, RCC, and Lucinda Wray, RCC — the co-founders of New Ground Wellness in the Okanagan. What started as two therapists sharing office space in Penticton eventually grew into a multi-location group practice serving clients across British Columbia. But like most real practice-building stories, it didn’t start with a perfectly mapped-out business plan. Stefanie and Lucinda share how they built their practice while raising families, navigating risk, and learning the realities behind the idea that group practice is “passive income.” We talk about the financial narratives therapists carry into business, the responsibility of holding other clinicians’ livelihoods, and what it really looks like to grow a sustainable practice over time. They also walk through the full story behind their recent rebrand from South Okanagan Counselling to New Ground Wellness — including what they learned about incorporation, systems, and scaling a practice the second time around. WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE • How Stefanie and Lucinda went from sharing office space in Penticton to co-founding New Ground Wellness with hybrid offices across BC • Why not overthinking their early decisions became one of their biggest advantages as founders • The reality behind the “passive income” narrative of group practice and what it actually costs you in the early years • Independent contractor splits, what 80/20 actually signals in this industry, and why therapists often interpret these numbers differently than other allied health professions • How our money stories often drive business decisions more than our numbers do • What it means to hold responsibility for other clinicians’ livelihoods — and how that leadership role lands differently in a caring profession • The full scope of their rebrand from South Okanagan Counselling to New Ground Wellness, including new incorporation, systems, and infrastructure • Why incorporating earlier would have saved them significant complexity and administrative work ABOUT STEFANIE & LUCINDA Stefanie Denluck-Larkin, RCC, and Lucinda Wray, RCC are the co-founders of New Ground Wellness, a growing multi-location group practice based in Penticton, BC with hybrid offices across British Columbia. What began as a shared office during the early years of the Okanagan transition grew organically into a full-service wellness practice spanning counselling, breathwork, nutrition, sleep support, and workplace wellness. Their practice is built around three hubs — mind, body, and workplace wellbeing — and serves clients throughout British Columbia and other Canadian provinces. Formerly operating as South Okanagan Counselling, they completed a full rebrand and incorporation into New Ground Wellness in early 2026. Website https://www.newgroundwellness.ca Instagram https://www.instagram.com/newgroundwellnesscollective ABOUT YOUR HOST I’m Cecilia Mannella, a Registered Social Worker, Clinical Counsellor, and therapy practice coach. After 25 years as a mental health practitioner and nearly two decades building my own practice from solo therapist to seven-figure group practice, I now help Canadian therapists build profitable, sustainable businesses — without apologizing for their ambition or compromising their values. Website https://www.ceciliamannella.com Podcast https://www.ceciliamannella.com/purpose-and-profit-podcast Apply for 1:1 Business Coaching https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnLHz7NPQMjMruYHZij6SJbSBI8JibryK-dGxHcDFhM9VZ9A/viewform ENJOYED THIS EPISODE? ⭐ Share it with a therapist who’s thinking about group practice and still believes the passive income story ⭐ Send it to a colleague navigating a rebrand who needs to hear that the messy middle is normal ⭐ Leave a review if this conversation named the financial tension you’ve been carrying but couldn’t quite articulate ⭐ Follow the podcast so you don’t miss the next honest conversation about building a sustainable therapy practice PURPOSE & PROFIT: THE SUSTAINABLE THERAPY PRACTICE PODCAST Burnout Is Not a Business Model. New episodes every Tuesday. © CM Consulting — All Rights Reserved

    50 min

  6. MAR 17

    EP 27 | Nobody Gave You the Map: The Business Training Gap Every Therapist Carries

    You have absolutely no idea what you're doing financially, operationally or strategically. Nobody told you what was actually coming — but here's the kicker. Everybody told you to do this. That's Cecilia Mannella, RSW, RCC, naming the thing most therapists in private practice have carried quietly for years. Grad school celebrated private practice as the destination. Supervisors recommended it. Programs normalized it as the path. And then you signed the lease, set up the diffuser, and discovered nobody had sold you the map. In This Episode • Why the training-to-reality gap in private practice is a systemic problem — not a personal failure — and why the profession keeps it quiet • The predictable patterns that show up when therapists receive no business training: pricing at random, overworking or underworking, and paralysis around financial decisions • The identity tension at the centre of it all: clinician who has a business vs. business owner who does clinical work • Why your clinical training already gave you the skills to tolerate uncertainty — and how to apply those same skills to revenue, growth, and business decisions • The shift from reactive clinical responsiveness to proactive strategic thinking • What it actually means to sit in the CEO chair instead of simply tolerating the business side of your practice • Why releasing hustle culture is not optional if you want a practice that lasts — and the Canadian cultural layer that makes financial ambition feel like something to diminish • Three closing reflection questions designed to move you from therapy chair to CEO chair Listen If • You've ever blamed yourself for struggling with the business side of private practice • You're a solo practitioner who knows something needs to change • You're trying to bridge the gap between clinical excellence and business sustainability Listen to Cecilia's full framework: The Sustainable Practice Framework About Your Host Cecilia Mannella is a Registered Social Worker, Clinical Counsellor, and therapy practice coach with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and nearly two decades building her own practice from solo therapist to seven-figure group practice. She helps Canadian therapists build profitable, sustainable businesses without apologizing for their ambition — or compromising their values. Connect with Cecilia Website https://www.ceciliamannella.com/ Podcast Page https://www.ceciliamannella.com/purpose-and-profit-podcast Work With Cecilia Apply for business coaching: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnLHz7NPQMjMruYHZij6SJbSBI8JibryK-dGxHcDFhM9VZ9A/viewform Interested in working together? Apply for 1:1 Business Coaching here: https://forms.gle/uSmLFhnsmxAXafZE9 Loved This Episode? ⭐If this episode put words to the quiet shame you've been carrying about the business side of your practice, share it with a colleague who needs to hear it's not their fault either. ⭐Know a therapist who just signed their first lease or is thinking about private practice? Send them this episode before they set up that diffuser. ⭐If Cecilia's line about sitting in your own uncertainty the way you ask clients to sit in theirs stopped you mid-commute, leave a review and tell her — it helps more therapists find this conversation. ⭐Follow the podcast so you don't miss the rest of March — we're going deep on money, profits, and the entrepreneurial gap all month. PURPOSE & PROFIT: THE SUSTAINABLE THERAPY PRACTICE PODCAST Burnout Is Not a Business Model New episodes every Tuesday © CM Consulting — All Rights Reserved

    29 min

  7. MAR 10

    EP 26 | How a Business Partnership Actually Works: Steph Davis, RCC-ACS on Culture, Leadership & Letting Go

    We worked literally next to each other. We didn't meet for eight months. That's how Steph Davis describes the beginning of her business partnership with Laura — the woman who would become her co-founder at Shoreline Counselling, a 25-therapist practice in Fort Langley, BC. In this episode, Stephanie Davis, RCC-ACS, PCC, COC shares: → How a group therapy invitation (and a weekend with a stranger's husband) turned into a 7-year friendship and business partnership → Why the biggest challenge of partnership isn't money, contracts, or disagreements. It's making time for the friendship → How they survived opening six months before COVID with a large mortgage and no roadmap → The one early decision they regret, & what they'd do differently as leaders now → Why building culture in a therapy practice is uniquely complex, and why so many group practice owners get it wrong → The frank conversation about passive income, new grads, and what actually makes a private practice sustainable → How AI is threatening the field of therapy — and why clinical excellence is our differentiator If you're thinking about a business partnership, building a group practice, or navigating the leadership evolution that nobody warns you about — this one's for you. Connect with Steph: Shoreline Counselling: https://shorelinecounseling.ca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniedavisconsulting/ Podcast: A Not So Private Practice Resources mentioned: The Sustainable Practice Framework™ — listen to Cecilia's full framework on the podcast Work with Cecilia: Interested in working together? Apply for 1:1 Business Coaching here: https://forms.gle/uSmLFhnsmxAXafZE9 ABOUT YOUR HOST: Cecilia Mannella is a Registered Social Worker, Clinical Counsellor, and therapy practice coach with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and nearly two decades building her own practice from solo therapist to seven-figure group practice. She helps Canadian therapists build profitable, sustainable businesses without apologizing for their ambition — or compromising their values. Connect with Cecilia: Website: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/ ABOUT THE GUEST: Stephanie Davis, RCC-ACS, PCC, COC is the co-founder of Shoreline Counselling, a 25-therapist group practice in Fort Langley, BC. With over a decade in the field, Steph is known for her work in leadership development, practice culture, and building collaborative business partnerships in the therapy space. She also hosts A Not So Private Practice, a podcast for therapists navigating the realities of running a group practice. Connect with Steph: Website: https://shorelinecounseling.ca LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniedavisconsulting/ Podcast: A Not So Private Practice LOVED THIS EPISODE? ⭐ Share it with a therapist who's thinking about a business partnership — or wondering if group practice is right for them ⭐ Leave a review if this conversation named something you've been carrying quietly ⭐ Send this episode to a colleague navigating the leadership evolution nobody warns you about ⭐ Hit follow for more honest conversations about what it really takes to lead a therapy practice PURPOSE & PROFIT: THE SUSTAINABLE THERAPY PRACTICE PODCAST Burnout Is Not a Business Model New episodes every Tuesday © CM Consulting — All Rights Reserved

    54 min

  8. FEB 24

    25 | Live Coaching: From OT to RCC With Lisa Brooks — Building Permission to Self-Promote

    When you've got unfinished PESI courses piling up and a background in OT, how do you actually translate all that knowledge into shameless self-promotion? Lisa Kessier-Brock is a registered clinical counsellor who blends her occupational therapy roots with psychotherapy to support parents navigating the messy, never-ending journey of parenthood. Cecilia coaches her through the permission piece, tech overwhelm, and building sustainable marketing systems that don't require dancing on social media. What You'll Learn: Why permission to self-promote is the first hurdle most therapists face (and how to get over it)The tech intimidation factor for women and how to move through it with practical toolsHow to maximize your existing tech stack instead of complicating things with more platformsThe strategic difference between workshops that convert and workshops that just drain your energyWhy time blocking isn't a time management issue — it's a self-boundary issueHow to create automated email sequences that nurture workshop attendees without Jane AppThe real reason content takes three hours instead of 45 minutes (and it's not the content)Why your ADHD brain needs built-in creative time blocks, not rigid productivity systems Key Topics Discussed: Lisa's journey from OT to RCC and why the mental health piece was always the passionThe COVID-era "everyone has a wait list" myth that set up unrealistic expectationsPermission to share knowledge and why life experience is as valuable as seven courses from PESIShameless self-promotion as a Full Practice Formula breakthroughTech intimidation as a gendered issue and how to overcome itWorkshop strategy: free vs. paid, in-person vs. virtual, and what actually convertsBuilding email automation with MailerLite forms and Google Meet (no Jane App needed)Time blocking as a self-boundary practice, not a productivity hackThe brain's relationship to time allocation and why tasks expand to fill the space you give themIntegrating ADHD needs into your business systems instead of fighting them Mentioned in This Episode: Lisa Kessier-Brock, M.Ed., RCC - Registered Clinical Counsellor, Vancouver, BC Nurtured Foundations Therapy & Consulting - Lisa's practice supporting parents Full Practice Formula - Cecilia's program for therapists building sustainable practices PESI - Professional education platform with endless course options MailerLite - Email marketing platform for automation and landing pages Squarespace - Website platform Lisa uses Google Meet - Free video conferencing tool for workshops Jane App - Practice management software (discussed as unnecessary for simple workshops) Comedy Connection - Lisa's brother is a comedian; therapist siblings are a thing Live Coaching Breakthroughs: The Permission Block: "I think one of the many things that I got from the course was just that permission to... there's so much knowledge that we build and it's valuable to share it." The Tech Overwhelm: "I think especially for women, there's like an intimidation level when it comes to tech." The Reframe: Learning tech is easier than learning everything you already know about working with people — you're smarter than you think. The Workshop Trap: Not all workshops are created equal. Free workshops work when they're designed to convert, not just educate. The Time Boundary Truth: "If you give yourself an hour to do a task, you will do the task in an hour. If you give yourself three hours to do the same task, it'll take you three hours." The ADHD Integration: Don't fight your brain — build systems that work with it, including creative time blocks and strategic breaks. Key Coaching Moments: "We have spent at minimum seven years in school, probably eight. We get so overwhelmed with these things that are actually really doable and easy to learn because we have learned the complex things already." "It is just time blocking. You also want to integrate your ADHD need. You need to make space for it." "Whatever we allocate, we will use. That is the self boundary around like, I have this much time to do these things and that is it." "It's not a time management issue, it's a self-boundary issue." Practical Action Steps: Embrace shameless self-promotion — your knowledge and experience are valuableCreate a simple workshop funnel: landing page (MailerLite) → Google Meet → automated email sequenceTag everyone who registers (e.g., "free workshop Feb 2026") so you can track and nurture themTime block your content creation and stick to it — 45 minutes for an email, not three hoursMaximize your existing tech stack instead of adding more toolsBuild ADHD-friendly systems with creative time blocks and intentional breaksRemember: imperfect and done beats perfect and never posted Relatable Struggles: Seven unfinished PESI courses gathering digital dustPermission paralysis around self-promotion and visibilityTech intimidation as a barrier to marketingThe COVID influencer flood that made you want to exit the arenaTime disappearing into tasks that should be quickADHD brain needs vs. rigid productivity systemsFeeling like you need to do TikTok dances to market your practiceWorkshop overwhelm and not knowing where to start The Comedian-Therapist Connection: Lisa's brother is a comedian, and at the Emmys, multiple comedians said their siblings were therapists too. As Cecilia puts it: "We all work through our trauma differently. Some of us support other people with their trauma to work through it and some people tell jokes." ────────────────────────────────────────── ABOUT YOUR HOST: Cecilia Mannella is a leadership coach for therapists and wellness practice owners with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and 17+ years building her group practice from solo therapist to seven-figure success. She specializes in helping therapists find niche clarity and visibility strategies that feel aligned, not gross. Interested in working together? Apply for 1:1 Business Coaching here: https://forms.gle/uSmLFhnsmxAXafZE9 Connect with Cecilia: Website: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/ This Episode: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/purpose-and-profit-podcast ABOUT THE GUEST: Lisa Kessier-Brock is a registered clinical counsellor in Vancouver, BC, with a background in occupational therapy. She blends practical life roles and routines from her OT training with psychotherapy to support parents navigating the journey of...

    52 min
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Purpose & Profit: The Sustainable Therapy Practice Podcast is for therapists who've built something real and are ready to lead it sustainably. Hosted by Cecilia Mannella, RCC, RSW — mental health practitioner, seven-figure group practice owner, and creator of the Sustainable Practice Framework™ — this podcast explores what it actually takes to build a profitable, sustainable therapy business without shrinking your leadership or losing yourself in the process. Each week, honest conversations about: - Ethical wealth and profit margins you can actually see and understand - Sustainable scaling and leadership evolution - The clinician-to-CEO identity shift — and what it costs to skip it - Team leadership, delegation, and building a practice that runs without you as the single point of failure - Building a practice that serves your clients — and your life Because burnout is not a business model. And purpose without profit isn't sustainable. If you're a therapy practice owner who's tired of being the most advanced person in the room, this is where that changes.

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