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How can the therapy you practice help you become a better boss? When leadership gets heavy, what beliefs or practices keep you grounded enough to keep building? How do you balance compassion for individuals with responsibility to the whole organization?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok discusses how Nichiren Buddhism and Gestalt help Dr. Brad Larsen manage 130+ clinicians in his practice.
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.
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Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
Meet Dr. Brad Larsen
Dr. Brad Larsen is a clinical psychologist, Gestalt therapist, and the Founder and Executive Director of Portland Mental Health & Wellness, a large group practice in Oregon. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Pacific University and has trained in Gestalt therapy since 2005 at the Gestalt Therapy Training Center Northwest. Brad works with individuals, couples, and groups and is particularly interested in the intersection of Gestalt therapy and Nichiren Buddhism, bringing these perspectives into both his clinical work and leadership of a growing team of clinicians.
Visit Portland Mental Health & Wellness and connect on LinkedIn.
In This Podcast
- How Nichiren Buddhism and Gestalt help Brad be a boss
- Brad’s advice to owners of growing group practices
- Going through tough moments
- Brad’s advice to private practitioners
How Nichiren Buddhism and Gestalt help Brad be a boss
For Dr. Brad Larsen, Nichiren Buddhism and Gestalt therapy are complementary, and they have both helped him become a better, more compassionate, and inspiring leader within his large practice.
In terms of Gestalt therapy, there’s a real value for honoring the person just as they are, and the philosophy and the practice support creating the conditions that allow for the clients or consultants that you’re working with to be fully and more of who they are. (Dr. Brad Larsen)
Nichiren Buddhism is also about revealing what is already there, and not about attaining something new or one day becoming “good enough.” Both of these approaches value the person at their core, and encourage them to step fully into who they are at their best, most appreciated self, rather than pushing them to change entirely.
Brad’s advice to owners of growing group practices
One of the things that Brad started doing as his practice was growing was to begin to consider the needs of the organization as a collective entity, rather than the needs of individual people. As the practice grows larger, taking care of the business means taking care of the people, and that happens by ensuring the business itself as well.
I felt like there was so much at stake to make people happy, and then I would engage in attempts to just make people happy, no matter what, even if that was sacrificing real needs or boundaries or expectations for the practice as a whole. So, I had to start … adding to my thinking, the needs of the whole organization and not just the individual people. (Dr. Brad Larsen)
Secondly, Brad made an intentional effort to get better at communicating and setting expectations and boundaries, and to follow up on them by encouraging accountability, without thinking that it was “being mean.” Compassionate accountability was (and is) simply part of running a business with many people successfully.
Going through tough moments
I know about myself that I just really enjoy building, and I enjoy the challenge. Yeah, some days I’m just like, “I should sell and get out of this!” But I think I enjoy it quite a bit, and I know I’ll come back to the vibrance of it. (Dr. Brad Larsen)
For Dr. Larsen, when difficult moments come to pass in group private practice leadership, he’s learned to lean on both his passions and his leadership team. He takes it in his stride, works to his strengths, and also depends on, as well as trusts, his fellow staff and clinicians to take on the work.
Brad’s advice to private practitioners
If you are a clinician working in a group practice, know that 99% of the time, your practice owner has your best interests at heart. They want you to do great work and feel supported, but sometimes that’s really hard to see as an employee.
If you are an owner, recognize that there are times when you are trying to do everything that you can do, and it may still miss the mark for employees. Keep going, this work still matters.
Sponsors Mentioned in this Episode:
Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
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Resources mentioned in this episode:
Visit Portland Mental Health & Wellness and connect on LinkedIn.
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Check out these additional resources:
- Changing Our Beliefs with Nir Eyal | POP 1350
- 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
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- 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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