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Have you ever thought, “I could walk away from this private practice”? Did you ever consider shutting everything down and leaving the business? What stopped you from doing that – and what can help you get back on track to rebuild it better?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok and Dr. Elil Yuvarajan discuss what to do “when you’re ready to burn it down.”
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 Dr. Elil Yuvarajan
Dr. Elil Yuvarajan is a licensed clinical psychologist and the CEO of Stepping Stone Therapy. He brings a collaborative, relationship-focused approach to both clinical work and organizational leadership, supporting adolescents and adults through anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, and major life transitions. Dr. Elil earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Baylor University and previously worked internationally in Human Resources, shaping his practical, systems-aware perspective on mental health and leadership. He is known for his grounded, approachable style and emphasis on meaningful, sustainable change.
Visit Stepping Stone Therapy and connect on LinkedIn.
In This Podcast
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Hitting rock bottom in the business
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Track the numbers
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Reconnect with your mission and vision
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Spend time with your passion
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Dr. Yuvarajan’s advice to private practitioners
Hitting rock bottom in the business
Dr. Yuvarajan’s wife noticed his stress.
One day over dinner, she suggested that they close their private practice and see clients as solo practitioners, combining their income, to make as much money as they were already making – without the stress of running the business.
This suggestion is what opened Dr. Yuvarajan’s eyes to the reality of his frustration and the fact that his wife could see that he was suffering so much.
Why am I putting in more money, more energy, and more time … and not getting the return that I want? So, I think it’s those moments in time where … I look at my finances, as I look at some of these things, I realize, “Okay, let’s break it down to the details of what we’re doing: where am I spending my time? Why am I so stressed out? Where is the money going right now?” [It’s about] tracking back to the root of those things and seeing what we need to do to change these things. (Dr. Elil Yuvarajan)
Noticing that he’d hit rock bottom sparked a change in his mindset, propelling him to make changes, and the change began by tracking all aspects of his business.
Track the numbers
Dr. Yuvarajan recommends tracking all the numbers, from statistics to finances. Look at:
- How many hours are you spending working on your business?
- On which tasks do you spend the most time?
- How much money would you be paid if you spent more time seeing clients instead of completing administrative work?
As much as we’re passionate about our businesses and really want things to thrive and grow … Profit is the lifeblood of the practice. Without profitability, without being able to make money, we can’t grow the practice, and we can’t serve clients the way that we want to, and we can’t hire clinicians in the way that we want to either. (Dr. Elil Yuvarajan)
Reconnect with your mission and vision
After gaining a better understanding of your numbers, return to the mission and vision of your organization. Ask yourself:
- Why am I doing this type of work?
- Which change do I want to inspire?
- What is motivating me to get out of bed and head into work each day?
If we have 20 clinicians, and they’re each seeing 20 clients, right, that’s 400 clients that are being seen even on a weekly basis and being helped. That’s more than the 40 that my wife and I could see together. So, I think that’s the second level: what kind of impact do I want to make? (Dr. Elil Yuvarajan)
Spend time with your passion
Once you have reconnected with your finances, mission, and vision, the third piece that Dr. Yuvarajan recommends is to reconnect with your passion.
What do you enjoy doing? Which aspect of your work pours back into your cup?
How can you do more of these tasks, and perhaps outsource the rest to other qualified professionals?
Dr. Yuvarajan’s advice to private practitioners
It is okay not to be perfect. You won’t get everything right, so give yourself the flexibility to rethink and redo things – without shame. “Failures” are simply data and information on how to move forward better next time.
Sponsors Mentioned in this Episode:
Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.
Work with us one-on-one!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Visit Stepping Stone Therapy and connect on LinkedIn.
Check out these additional resources:
- Building Great Lakes Online Counseling: Phone Systems, Accounting, Nexus Registration, and Virtual Assistants | POP 1331
- 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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