I sent an email out to folks on my email list (click here to join or learn about it). I said to them that I wanted to feature them on my website. I thought to myself, I know them, they know me, but y’all don’t know one another!

Today I want to introduce you to Stacey M. Rossi, Ed.D, LPC. I met her at The Most Awesome Conference. What’s really cool about the conference, is it has given us all a huge network of people that can help us grow! For me, I have all these new people that know about my work and want to be a part of my community. For them, they get all sorts of tips and leads to grow their practice, it’s such a win-win.

Name: Dr. Stacey M. Rossi, Ed.D., LPC Professional Psychotherapist

Practice: www.rossicounselingllc.com

What’s something you learned from Practice of the Practice?

I think the most important thing I learned was to trust myself to try new things. I would have ideas all the time that I often discredited, but Joe’s work encouraged me to give my own projects a chance for success.

What is your therapeutic specialty?

I help adults to make changes in their relationships, most importantly the one they have with themselves.

What is an action you took to grow your private practice?

I wrote and self-published a book on Amazon: 21 Days to Change Journal

Complete this sentence: When I first started a private practice, I…

I had many fears, especially surrounding my massive student loan debt and my ability to make money in a private practice. I have been open for 9 months and have grown consistently since opening. I have realized that not every thing I read from others in the private practice world fits for me. For example, I LOVE accepting two local insurance companies because they pay well and aren’t a hassle. I quit all of the companies that didn’t work for me, but kept the two I enjoying working with for now…if that would change in the future, I will deal with the necessary change and that point.

How have you grown your income and influence?

I have taken one giant step back and recognized that I need to be my own greatest fan. At times throughout the past nine months, I would let the anxiety set in of my phone not ringing and perhaps not having enough clients. At some point in time, a light bulb went off in my own head and I started to really challenge this negative thinking. I actually sat down and counted my clients and realized I had more than ever before and that the phone didn’t need to be ringing, because for all intensive purposes, I was already full. This confidence allows me to talk about my practice without being pushy or sales-like. I share my passion with others about my practice without needing them to sign up for counseling or refer others to me. I have gotten feedback from people on Linkedin that my blog posts speak to them and that is the greatest feeling. I enjoy writing and want to devote more of my time in the future to doing so.

What’s next for you?

I am currently training in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program and studying Mindful Self Acceptance. I hope to use these tools to reach more clients and to push myself to continue my writing, perhaps devoting a more serious portion of my time to this pursuit. 

What is one specific podcast or article that helped you grow quickly?

I have utilized the first 12 months of a private practice infographic almost weekly since I opened my practice. I ordered the newsletter, but honestly I have been ‘ahead of it’ for almost the entire program. I think this was because I did a really good job reading/listening to the podcasts and doing those things that were recommended before I subscribed to the newsletter.

If every counselor in the world was reading this, what would you want them to know?

Normal, ‘everyday’ people are doing amazing things in the counseling private practice world. You don’t have to be superhuman to make it happen for yourself, but you do have to believe in your ability to do this; as well as get back up one more time than you have been knocked down.

What are 2-3 resources you love? How do you use them to grow your practice?

1)Linkedin — have networked and reached out to new community resource persons–also enjoy blogging on this forum and later adding the entries to my website and my Pinterest

2)Simple Practice — I LOVE this program and it has made my relationship with billing and paperwork so much more enjoyable

3)Wealth of knowledge for free on the web: Practice of the Practice; Wealthy Therapist; Zynnyme; All Things Private Practice; MYOB; etc

Joseph R. Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC

Joe Sanok is an ambitious results expert. He is a private practice business consultant and counselor that helps small businesses and counselors in private practice to increase revenue and have more fun! He helps owners with website design, vision, growth, and using their time to create income through being a private practice consultant.

Joe was frustrated with his lack of business and marketing skills when he left graduate school. He loved helping people through counseling, but felt that often people couldn’t find him. Over the past few years he has grown his skills, income, and ability to lead others, while still maintaining an active private practice in Traverse City, MI.

To link to Joe’s Google+ .