“Right now, it is hard to be alive. We are all burnt out, and I think that that’s fine, but, like, honor that. You don’t have to do more. If you are in that season, do less or just keep the status quo. That’s also fine.” – Gabrielle Juliano-Villani
I’ll start by stating the obvious. Being a group practice owner or a group practice therapist in “unprecedented times” is a challenging endeavor. Our people and profession are struggling under the pressures of late-stage capitalism, antagonistic politics, and rage-bait algorithms —the same forces that affect our clients.
I’ll follow up the obvious with a hard truth. Some of the ills are coming from inside the house, er, practice. A deep divide is brewing between owners and therapists. Maybe it’s already boiled over at your group practice.
I believe in the good and essential aspects of the group practice model. I also believe that the only way out is through. And together. Others do, too. Gabrielle Juliano-Villani, for instance. She’s a business mindset coach and consultant who helps therapy practice owners scale, sell, and thrive without burning out. Gabrielle argues that group practices can thrive despite our current societal complications. All it takes is authenticity and integrity. No biggie.
“The way that we engage with each other online is not the same way that we would engage in person,” Gabrielle observes. “I’m seeing a lot of righteousness and negativity, a lot of this way or the highway.” Much of the testy discourse is aimed at group practice owners. I’m gonna challenge group practice therapists to hang in here as Gabrielle and I make a case for why that’s unproductive.
Group practice owners and their employees have the same common threats. When employees say they want more money, owners want more money for you, too! Really! When employees say they want more transparency and collaboration, owners want that, too!
So, how do we bridge this gap between group practice owners and therapists? Gabrielle has some recommendations for reestablishing authentic connection, exploring alternative revenue streams, and co-creating a truly equitable group practice. “Profit margins in group practice are small,” she acknowledges. Building the spaces we profess to want requires nuanced and uncomfortable conversations about money, caseloads, and community.
“There has to be a balance,” Gabrielle says. “If we gave you everything you wanted, then there would be no practice, and you would have no job.”
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Restructuring Our Field to Heal the Healers
tinyurl.com/therapistmentalhealth
Standards Board For Alternative Investments (SBAI)
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Gabrielle Juliano-Villani is a business mindset coach and consultant who helps therapy practice owners scale, sell, and thrive without burning out. After successfully selling her own 7-figure group practice, she now combines her clinical expertise as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with proven business strategies to help other practice owners create sustainable success.
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