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What does it look like to onboard virtual support for your practice? How do you build trust and structure when your team isn’t in the same room as you? Could hiring the right remote support be the key to scaling your practice sustainably?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok shares his onboarding call with Ubuntu Freelancers owner Di Luden for building Great Lakes Online Counseling.
Podcast Sponsor: Alma
As a clinician, you probably chose this field because you wanted to support people in navigating challenges and finding personal growth. But many mental health care providers end up spending almost as much time on billing, insurance, and other documentation as you do in sessions with clients.
That’s where Alma can help.
Alma supports clinicians in building rewarding private practices—with simplified insurance credentialing in under 45 days, enhanced reimbursement rates, and guaranteed two-week payback.
Plus, a free profile in their searchable, filterable directory—making it easy for clients who are the right fit for your practice to find you.
Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
Meet Di Luden
Di Luden is the Co-Founder and Therapy Practice Operations Lead at Ubuntu Freelancers, a South African-based virtual staffing company supporting clinicians worldwide. With a background in high-level operations on luxury superyachts, she brings deep expertise in logistics, systems, and confidential client support. Today, she specialises in building streamlined operational structures for therapy practices while creating sustainable remote work opportunities for South African professionals.
Visit Ubuntu Freelancers and connect on LinkedIn.
In This Podcast
- Onboarding with Ubuntu Freelancers
- Great Lakes Online Counseling needs basis
- Hiring virtual staff
Onboarding with Ubuntu Freelancers
Di, who co-founded Ubuntu Freelancers, runs Joe through the process of onboarding new clients who are seeking freelance support in their practices.
Usually enquiries are made on the website, which gives Di and her team:
- Your name
- The practice that you run
- Your basic information about what you are looking for
We are a virtual recruitment agency. We are based in South Africa. We have international freelancers that live in South Africa and work for mental health practices throughout the US. How it works and why people find it interesting is that by hiring through us, there is almost like a third-party buffer. (Di Luden)
Becoming a client with Ubuntu Freelancers gives you the chance to have a “third-party buffer”, as Di calls it, which helps support you with the work that needs to be done while removing potential stress.
If something extra comes up, they handle it, while you continue.
I am that in-between person. So, not only does it help for if there are negative things, but it also helps for onboarding. We do a lot of pre-training with our team members. We are there right from the start! (Di Luden)
Great Lakes Online Counseling needs basis
Great Lakes Online Counseling is going to be serving:
- Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota
- They are not going to practice in New York
The client base that Joe wants to focus on are:
- People post-divorce
- Dealing with co-parenting issues, dating after betrayal, and the general grief of moving through a break up
With regards to admin tasks, Joe is using:
- Headway for credentialing and insurance
- Session Sites for the WordPress website
- Spruce or Google Voice for the phone system
I think primarily, at this phase, it’s having someone that can answer questions about the practice, get people booked, get their intake going. That they’re trained and just like able to help people get into their intake session for online [therapy]. (Joe Sanok)
Hiring virtual staff
For many private practice owners, the idea of hiring someone virtually feels daunting.
It does seem a little unordinary to have someone work for your company who’s not sitting next to you, and that you can’t manage more directly.
More trust is involved, clear communication and expectations, and procedures to follow if and when the work is misaligned.
The first thing that I say which is a really simple way of easing your mind is to ask the person who is working for you to send you a quick message … They give you a little round up of what’s on their agenda for the day. That helps remove the mental load from you going, “I wonder if they’ve got that [today]?” (Di Luden)
So, Di’s advice is to set up clear communication channels with your virtual staff, and have them:
- Text you at the start of the day what their tasks are
- At the end of their day to say what they had done
The goal isn’t to over-communicate, but to lay a great foundation
Sponsors Mentioned in this Episode:
Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
Sign up for the 2026 Group Practice Boss Conference!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Visit Ubuntu Freelancers and connect on LinkedIn.
Work with us one-on-one!
Sign up for Group Practice Boss!
Check out these additional resources:
- Building Great Lakes Online Counseling Week 12: Reference Checks, Hiring Paperwork, and Offer Letters | POP 1357
- Practice of the Practice Network
- Group Practice Launch
- Group Practice Boss: www.practiceofthepractice.com/grouppracticeboss $149 a month
- PoP Group Practice Owners Facebook Group
- Free resources to help you start, grow, and scale
- Work with us
- Practice of the Practice Network
Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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