What if the skills and knowledge you already have could become the foundation for an entirely different kind of business? 💡

That’s exactly what happened for my guest today, Dr. Jason Troyer. Jason is a counseling psychologist who spent nearly 15 years as a college professor before an unexpected opportunity introduced him to the death care industry – and eventually led him to leave a tenured position and become a full-time entrepreneur.

What I love about Jason’s story is that none of this started with some grand business plan. He followed his curiosity, paid attention to what people needed, experimented with different ideas, and learned how to turn what he knew into services people were willing to pay for.

Seriously. This is a GREAT story.

Along the way, he discovered that you don’t have to be the world’s leading expert, create something bigger and better…

…or even stay inside the professional lane you were trained for. 😎

So in this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Jason went from psychology professor to full-time entrepreneur (and the $3,000 mistake he made along the way.)
• Why combining two areas of expertise can help you create a niche that is uniquely your own.
• What happened when a potential client told Jason, “I’d pay you double if you’d just do it for me.” 😱
• Why smaller, simpler and more specific can be way more valuable than bigger, better and “perfect.”
• How speaking helped Jason build relationships, establish credibility and grow his business across the country. (And managed to get paid at the same time!)

And perhaps most importantly, you’ll hear why Jason believes it all starts with empathy: simply understanding what people actually need, then finding a way to give it to them.

That’s something we as healers already know how to do. Right? ❤️

So if you’ve ever wondered what else you could do with everything you know – or how you could make more money without simply adding more clients to your caseload – this one should get your wheels turning.

What would happen if you followed your curiosity?

~Wendy

P.S. Listen all the way to the end, because I came back to share the three ideas from our conversation that I’m still thinking about, and one of them gave me something to work on. 😉

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TODAY’S GUEST

Dr. Jason Troyer is a counseling psychologist, author, speaker, and entrepreneur who built a profitable business without maintaining a therapy caseload. He helps funeral homes, cemeteries, and other organizations better serve grieving families through recurring services, educational booklets, workshops, and scalable grief-support resources. After nearly 15 years as a psychology professor, Jason left his tenured position when his business outgrew his academic career. His work shows how helping professionals can turn specialized expertise into ethical, practical, and sustainable income.

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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:
  https://www.wendypittsreeves.com/consult
• Want to be a Guest on Ideal PracticeTM? Submit your application here: https://www.wendypittsreeves.com/guest-application
• Follow me on Facebook or LinkedIn.

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FREE RESOURCE

If you’re looking for even more creative ways to boost your income, check this out. Every single one of these are steps I’ve successfully used in my own practice!

31 Practical Ways to Increase Cash Flow In Your Private Practice (Without Becoming Salesy, Sleasy or Someone You Don't Even Like): https://www.wendypittsreeves.com/cashflow

Support the show

Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW
Host, Ideal Practice
Private Practice Coach and Mentor

www.WendyPittsReeves.com
Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

When I began my career as a young therapist, I thought there was a right way to do therapy. Assess. Make a plan. Follow the plan. Know what you’re doing.

Almost four decades later? I no longer think that way.

In this deeply personal solo episode, I’m sharing some of what all those years (and more than a few mistakes) have taught me about doing healing work well.

Experience hasn’t taught me that I’m to always know the answer. It’s taught me how to trust myself, how to pay attention, and how to discern what comes next.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why real presence requires a deep trust in yourself — not just your client’s trust in you.
• One painful early-career mistake that taught me a powerful clinical lesson about the purpose of a symptom - a lesson I’ve never forgotten.
• What I’ve learned about the role of silence, the importance of patience, and why our clients set the pace, not us.
• Why authority and humility belong together — and what happens when I can work from both of those places at once.
• What I mean when I say the most important thing I bring into the room is My Whole Self.

More than anything, my hope is that you’ll come away from this episode learning to trust your own experience even more, that you’ll listen to your intuition and own your perfectly imperfect humanity while continuing to grow in the skill of this work.

So good!

I’d love to know what resonates for you. What has experience taught you about doing your work well? Shoot me an email and tell me. I’d really love to hear your story.

~Wendy

P.S. Has this episode brought another therapist, coach or healer to mind? Help them out. Send it their way…. They may thank you later.

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MENTIONED

Episode 209: The Power of Inner Silence: Why Your Presence Matters More Than Your Method with Lex Santi’

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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 request 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

What does it really mean to be fully present with your clients?

As healers, we spend a LOT of time mastering techniques and promising new methods, pursuing certifications and figuring out new ways to help people feel better.

And all of that matters.

But there’s something even more foundational underneath all of that, something we can easily lose sight of: our ability to slow down, quiet our own minds and really see the human being sitting in front of us.

My guest today is psychotherapist, writer and fellow LCSW Lex Santí. Lex is developing a new psychometric framework called AMI—Acceptance Motivation Inquiry—designed to help clinicians better understand a client’s motivation for therapy and their relationship to the problem they’re facing.

But our conversation became about something bigger than the framework itself.

In this episode, you’ll hear…

1. Why moving too quickly – and assuming you already understand what’s happening – can cause real harm. (Speaking from experience…)
2. What Lex calls “inner silence,” and how your relationship with yourself can impact your ability to be truly present with anyone else.
3. How understanding and tracking AMI’s four categories (Seekers, Survivors, Skeptics and Stoics) can help us think differently about the people sitting across from us.
4. Why meeting clients where they actually are matters way more than getting them where we think they should be.

We explored the seduction of methodology, the surprising problem with our “best” clients, what AI can (and cannot!) replicate about human connection, and the extraordinary courage it sometimes takes just to walk through your door.

There is nothing quite like being fully seen by another human being.

And as our tools get faster, smarter and more sophisticated, I believe our ability to offer that kind of presence is going to matter more than ever.

So listen to this one with your clinician hat on.

And the next time you sit down with a client, see what happens when you quiet your own mind, stay curious…and let them show you who they really are.

~Wendy

P.S. I’d love to know what this brings up for you. How does presence show up in your work? Drop me a note at Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com and share your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you.

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TODAY’S GUEST

Lex E. Santí, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, novelist, and founder of A Key Therapy in New York state. He has been in private practice since the early days of COVID-19, helping adults navigate anxiety, life transitions, relationships, and questions of meaning through mindfulness, narrative therapy, and Acceptance & Motivation Inquiry (AMI), a framework he developed to support lasting change. He is the author of multiple published books, including a novel, and previously worked as a therapist at Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca and Cornell University. Lex is currently pursuing his Doctor of Social Work (DSW) at the University of Kentucky.

Learn more:
A Key Therapy: https://www.akeytherapy.co/
Lex Santí: https://www.lexenricosanti.com/

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MENTIONED

• AMI — Acceptance Motivation Inquiry (New protocol being developed by our guest.)
• AAIT — Acceptance and Integration Training / Melanie McGhee
• Motivational Interviewing
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

_______________

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

What could happen if you stopped waiting for permission?

Permission to want something more…

Permission to try something brave…

Permission to go after that crazy idea that's been calling you forward for so long — even though you have no freaking idea how to make it happen. 😬

That's where we're going this week.

Last spring, I was invited by Emma Lagerlow, host of the Australian podcast It's a Mindset, to be a guest on her show — and our conversation went somewhere I don't often go, here on Ideal Practice.

So I asked if I could share it with you all, too. :)

We had a beautiful conversation about courage and confidence, self-worth and intuition, money and adventure — and I shared quite a few of the experiences that have shaped who I am and how I approach my work.

I also walked her through the seven-step Courage to Confidence Success Cycle — a process I first began to recognize decades ago in my own life, and one I've used over and over again anytime I've set out to do something big, scary or (seemingly) impossible.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why I believe you are already far more courageous than you think.✨
• The seven steps I’ve used repeatedly to move from big dreams to big action.
• Why figuring out the HOW is almost never the real problem. 🔥
• What self-worth has to do with the life and business you're willing to create. ⬅️
• Why sometimes the most important thing you can do is simply give yourself permission to try. 💛

We’ll also wander through Switzerland, the Appalachian Trail, hang gliding, kayaking, violin lessons, money, marketing and a few other adventures along the way. Because apparently that's what happens when someone else gets to ask me the questions. 😂

But underneath all of it is something I believe deeply:

Life is meant to be lived. Fully. Wholeheartedly.

You don't have to know exactly how you're going to get there. You don't have to be fearless. And you certainly don't have to wait until you feel confident.

You just have to give yourself permission to begin.

Enjoy. :)

~Wendy

P.S. Emma originally shared this conversation as Episode 92 of It's a Mindset. I'll also link her earlier appearance here on Ideal PracticeTM, Episode 188, in the resources below.

• It's a Mindset Podcast / Episode 92
• Ideal Practice / Episode 188

• Need a Quick Start Consult? If you're ready to get out of your own way and could use some focused support figuring out what's next, this 1:1 coaching work session could make all the difference. Learn more here. << Add LINK www.wendypittsreeves.com/consult
  
  
• Want to be a Guest on Ideal Practice™? If you have a clear message, an engaging style, and a heart for healers, let's meet! www.wendypittsreeves.com/guest-application

Support the show

Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW
Host, Ideal Practice
Private Practice Coach and Mentor

www.WendyPittsReeves.com
Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

You did it.

You figured out what kind of help you needed. You found the right person. You interviewed them, tested the fit, made your choice — and finally got to say those two beautiful words:

You’re hired.

But then Monday morning rolls around. Your shiny new team member is sitting there in your office or in your inbox – ready to go and waiting for instructions…

And that’s when it hits you.

Ohhhhhhh. Now I have to TEACH them how to do all of this. 😳

Ruh-roh, Scooby Doo.

That’s where the final stage of the CAST Method™ comes in: TRUST.

Because hiring someone is an act of hope. Onboarding them well is how you turn that hope into trust.

In this fourth and final episode of my series on hiring in your private practice, I’m walking you through the first 90 days with your new hire, and the five stages that will help both of you build a working relationship that lasts.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why hiring doesn’t really end when someone says YES. 🎯
• The two-way nature of trust — and what your new hire is trying to figure out about you.
• The five stages of effective onboarding, and how to navigate each. ⭐
• Why being more specific than you think you need to be, sets a new hire up for success.
• How to step back so your new team member can take ownership of the role. 🙌

The goal here isn’t to hover over their shoulder.

It’s to teach well, stay close long enough for both of you to learn, and then gradually get out of the way.

So that eventually, you’ll trust your new hire to do what you hired them to do — and they will trust that they made the right decision when they said yes. :)

And when that happens?

You’ve moved past hiring help to save your sanity… Now you’re building a culture. A strategic partnership.

Now you’re building a team.

Congrats!

~Wendy

P.S. There are a LOT of moving pieces to keep track of during those first few months, so I’ve created something to make this easier for you! Grab your free CAST Method™ 90-Day Onboarding Checklist at wendypittsreeves.com/onboarding. It will walk you through the practical details you’ll want to think about from Day One through that first 90-day review.

____________________

LET’s CONNECT:

• Quick Start Consult: If you’re ready to grow and need some help, this 1:1 coaching work session could make all the difference. Learn more here → www.wendypittsreeves.com/consult.
• Want to be a Guest on Ideal Practice™? Submit your application here → www.wendypittsreeves.com/guest-application

Support the show

Wendy Pitts Reeves, LCSW
Host, Ideal Practice
Private Practice Coach and Mentor

www.WendyPittsReeves.com
Wendy@WendyPittsReeves.com

When you’re hiring, your job post announcement should be more than a bullet list of duties, hours and pay rates.

Done well, it should help you decide exactly WHO the job is for.

In Part 2 of my four-part hiring series, we shift from Clarity into Attraction, the second stage of my CAST Method™ for hiring the right people for the job.

Today, I’m walking you through the process I use to create a detailed position profile that attracts the right people — and filters out the wrong ones — way before I ever schedule an interview.

Because here’s the thing.

The best hiring ads do more than list duties and qualifications. They communicate who you are, how you work, what you value, what you expect... ...and what kind of person will thrive as part of your team.

And when you get that right? You may find yourself with the best kind of hiring problem: too many great candidates to choose from.

Like I did last time. 😎

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why great hiring begins with great filtering — long before the interview.
• The five essential parts of a strong position profile.
• How to separate your true “have-to-haves” from your “nice-to-haves.”
• How to communicate the personality, values and working style behind the job (not just skills!)
• One simple way to learn something important about an applicant before you ever meet.

I’ll also show you exactly how I’ve used this approach myself — and why it brought me some of the strongest applicants I’ve ever had.

The goal? To spend less time sorting through poor-fit candidates and more time choosing among people who could become a genuine long-term asset to your practice.

Want some help putting this into action?

I’ve created a free template that walks you through the process I’m teaching in this episode. It’s called The Perfect Position Profile, and it’s based on the framework I’ve used myself when hiring members of my own team.

Successfully. Repeatedly. Happily. :)

Grab your copy right here: www.wendypittsreeves.com/profile.

Use it as a guide to get started, make it your own, and you’ll have a hiring ad that makes ALL the difference.

Because the right people will see themselves in what you create - and that’s the start of a beautiful thing. :)

~Wendy

P.S. If you missed Part 1: Go back and check out Episode 204 first. That’s where I’ll help you get crystal clear about what you actually need to hire for before you begin looking for who.

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MENTIONED

• Episode 204: Ready to Hire Help for Your Private Practice? Start Here.
• The Perfect Position Profile: www.wendypittsreeves.com/profile
• Kolbe A Index
• MBTI
• DISC
• Strengthfinders

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WANT to BE a GUEST on the podcast?

We are currently scheduling interviews for the last part 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

Hiring your first team member (or heck, your 5th!) can feel both really exciting... and really scary.

(Am I right? 🤷🏼‍♀️)

Because most business owners hire when they're overwhelmed, and frankly, feeling a bit desperate…

So they hope against hope that the new hire works out. And they’re terrified that it won’t actually help at all.

Well - in my experience, that's all backwards.

The best hiring decisions don't begin with a job posting.

They begin with clarity.

In this first episode of a four-part series, I'll show you how to step back, evaluate the work that's actually happening inside your business, identify the role you actually need to fill…

…and avoid some of the expensive hiring mistakes I've seen over the years (including a few of my own!)

This is really going to help you.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why hiring from overwhelm can easily lead to disappointment - and what to do instead.
• How to conduct a simple – but oh-so-useful! – Systems Audit that reveals where you really need help.
• How to identify the tasks only you should be doing — and the ones someone else could own.
• How to define the role, hiring criteria, and budget before you ever post a job.

The biggest takeaway? Hiring isn't about relieving overwhelm—it's about getting clear on the business you're really trying to build.

Because the clearer you are before you hire, the easier every decision becomes afterward.

Not even kidding, y’all.

And hey - I've put together a free Systems Audit Worksheet to go along with today's episode. It'll help you identify where your time is really going and where hiring could make the biggest difference.

You can absolutely do today's exercise without it, but I think it'll make the process much easier!

WendyPittsReeves.com/audit

Next week? I’m going to show you how to take the next step (one you will now be better prepared for!) because once you know what you're hiring for, it's time to attract the right people.

And I’ll show you how to do that before the interview process even begins!!

Now - go listen to this episode. Do your homework. And I’ll see you next week.

~Wendy

P.S. Don't make the mistake of thinking this series is only about hiring someone like a virtual assistant! Whether you're looking for someone to mow the yard, answer your phones, help with marketing, or become your next right hand... this process works.

Stay with me over the next four weeks 😘

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FREE RESOURCE

Download your free copy of the Ideal Practice Systems Audit, a one page data collection sheet you can use for the exercise I’m recommending here in Part 1 of the hiring process.

Get your copy here: wendypittsreeves.com/audit.

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MENTIONED

Kolbe A Index > Learn more here. (Not an affiliate link.)

_______________

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.
• Follow me on Facebook or Linked In.

_______________

WANT to be my guest?

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