Building a thriving faith-based private practice takes courage, wisdom, and a commitment to growing your business without compromising your faith or values.
Hosted by Whitney Owens, owner of a seven-figure, multi-location group practice and founder of Wise Practice Consulting, the Wise Practice Podcast offers practical strategies, honest lessons, and real conversations for Christian practice owners.
Whether you're building a solo practice or growing a team, you'll find encouragement and actionable guidance to help you lead with confidence, build a sustainable business, and stay rooted in what God has called you to do.
You don't have to build your practice alone. Welcome to the Wise Practice Podcast.
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Is It Worth It to Run a Group Practice with Lisa Catallo, RCC, CCC, ACS
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 • Duration 29:50
Ever find yourself wondering, "Is running a group practice even worth it anymore?"
In this episode, Whitney talks with Lisa Catallo about burnout, leadership, loneliness, and what happens when the business you built starts asking more from you than you ever expected. Lisa shares why she chose to downsize her practice, what she learned in the process, and how practice owners can tell whether they need to quit, restructure, or simply get better support.
02:56 Meet Lisa Catallo 07:30 Why Group Practice Owners Start Questioning Everything 10:02 How to Protect Yourself as the Owner 11:47 Burnout, Overwhelm, and Knowing Something Has to Change 15:43 Lisa's Decision to Downsize 22:14 Growth, Leadership, and When the Business Has to Change 26:44 What to Do Before Closing Your Group Practice 27:48 Lisa's CEO Audit + How to Connect
Lisa Catallo is a Canadian psychotherapist, group practice owner, and business coach who has spent the last eight years helping practice owners lead with clarity, confidence, and sustainable systems. Through the Group Practice Network and her podcast, Empowered to Lead, she supports therapists who want to build values-driven practices without burning out or losing themselves in the day-to-day. Her work is calm, grounded, and focused on helping leaders step fully into the CEO role their practice needs them in.
Rethinking the Traditional 60/40 Split with Brittany Schank, LCSW | WP 205
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 • Duration 37:36
Whitney Owens sits down with returning guest Brittany Schank, LCSW, and owner of Solace Counseling, to talk about why the traditional 60/40 split model stopped working in her group practice. Brittany shares what it was like to realize her clinicians were sometimes taking home more than she was, why the numbers were no longer sustainable, and how she transitioned toward salary and per-session pay.
They also discuss the hidden costs of running a group practice, why higher percentages do not always mean a better opportunity for therapists, and how work-life balance, support, and strong practice culture can matter just as much as compensation. Brittany also shares her new I'm Here client check-in app, designed to make the waiting room process easier for both clinicians and clients.
00:00 Welcome + episode introduction 04:26 Meet Brittany Schank 05:19 Why the 60/40 split stopped working 09:26 When resentment signaled a needed change 14:31 What your practice offers beyond pay 16:03 Moving from splits to salary 23:58 Why pay percentages can be misleading 26:29 The reality of starting your own private practice 29:48 Changing pay structures for existing clinicians 33:16 The "I'm Here" client check-in app 36:03 Where to connect with Brittany
I'm Brittany Schank. I'm a licensed clinical social worker, and I own a group practice called Solace Counseling up in Fargo, North Dakota, home of extremely friendly people and extremely unfriendly winters. We've got 11 clinicians now, which still catches me off guard some days, since this thing started as just me and a caseload. Somewhere along the way I also started a directory that connects therapists with clinical supervisors and consultants, because finding the right supervisor should not feel like online dating.
And most recently, I built an app called I'm Here. It's really nothing fancy, just a simple way for clients to text that they've arrived so nobody has to sit in an awkward waiting room making eye contact with a stranger. I built it because I was tired of that problem in my own practice, and it turns out a lot of other practices had the exact same headache.
The Truth About Hiring Offshore: How South African Professionals Are Helping Therapy Practices Grow with Di Luden | WP 204
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 • Duration 28:12
In this episode of the Wise Practice Podcast, I'm talking with Di Luden, co-founder of Ubuntu Freelancers, about how virtual assistants can support therapy practices with intake, admin, marketing, billing, and more.
Di shares how Ubuntu connects U.S.-based practices with highly skilled team members in South Africa, why their model creates a win for both practice owners and their assistants, and how they handle challenges like time zones, training, HIPAA compliance, and live phone coverage. We also talk about their incredibly low staff turnover and why that can make such a difference when you're building a reliable support team.
If you've been telling yourself you need to get more organized before hiring help, this episode is especially for you. Di explains how an assistant can actually help you document your workflows, create SOPs, and build stronger systems as you go. Plus, Wise Practice listeners can receive five free hours of onboarding when they sign up with Ubuntu Freelancers.
02:57 Meet Di Luden 04:05 How Ubuntu Freelancers Started 08:51 Why Hire a Virtual Assistant Overseas? 12:50 Live Phone Support + Intake Coordination 15:29 Additional VA Services for Practices 17:13 Training, EHRs, and CRMs 22:13 HIPAA Compliance + Onboarding 23:45 Five Free Onboarding Hours for Wise Practice Listeners 25:39 How to Get Started With Ubuntu Freelancers
Di Luden is the Co-Founder of Ubuntu Freelancers, helping therapy practices, behavioral health organizations, and coaching businesses build exceptional client coordination and administrative support teams using highly skilled South African talent. She has partnered with hundreds of practice owners to streamline operations, improve the client experience, and free clinicians to focus on what they do best. Passionate about people and partnerships, Di is committed to creating meaningful employment opportunities while helping businesses grow.
How to Get More Therapy Clients with Google Ads with Brandon Grill | WP 203
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 26:05
I've used Google Ads in my own practice, especially during seasons when we needed to fill caseloads quickly, so I was excited to sit down with Google Ads expert Brandon Grill and really dig into what makes them work.
In this episode, Brandon and I talk about how to know if your practice is actually ready for Google Ads, why your website and overall digital presence matter so much, and why getting more specific with the services you advertise can make a huge difference.
We also talk about the numbers you should be watching, including click-through rates and conversion rates, how to tell if the problem is your ad or your landing page, and why practice owners still need to stay involved even when someone else is managing their campaigns.
We also get into insurance versus private pay practices, how Google Ads can work alongside SEO, and what can go wrong when campaigns aren't set up or tracked well.
If you've been wondering whether Google Ads are worth the investment for your private practice, this episode will give you a much clearer picture of what to consider before you start spending money.
03:22 – Brandon's Journey Into Google Ads 05:40 – Who Is a Good Candidate for Google Ads? 08:30 – Why Your Digital Footprint Matters 09:46 – Google Ads for Insurance vs. Private Pay Practices 11:50 – Why Run Google Ads for Your Practice? 13:57 – Click-Through Rates and Conversion Rates 16:34 – Common Google Ads Myths and Mistakes 18:53 – Improving Lead Quality and Landing Pages
Meet Brandon Grill
Brandon Grill is a Google Ads expert focused on helping therapists and mental health practices. He specializes in improving every part of the lead generation process, from ads to conversion tracking to landing pages to conversion rate optimization (or CRO). His work is focused on helping private practices turn more clicks into qualified inquiries while making the most of their marketing budget.
The Free Google Tool Most Practice Owners Aren't Using with Mary Walker | WP 202
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 37:04
If you're investing in SEO, how do you actually know if it's working?
In this episode, I'm joined by Mary Walker of Simplified SEO Consulting to break down Google Search Console and show practice owners how to use it to understand what's happening with their website. We look at real data from my own counseling practice, including impressions, clicks, search queries, average position, and which pages are gaining or losing traction.
Mary also explains how to identify the keywords bringing people to your website, determine whether those searches are actually attracting your ideal clients, and find opportunities to strengthen services you want to grow. We also talk about what to look for if you've been paying an SEO company and want to know whether your investment is actually improving your visibility over time. The best part? Google Search Console is free, and the information inside it can give you actionable ideas for your website, blogs, and overall marketing strategy.
Mary is also offering Wise Practice listeners a waived onboarding fee for foundational SEO programs—a $350 value—as well as 10% off an SEO consulting package.
If you've ever wondered, "Is my SEO actually working?" this episode will help you figure out exactly where to look.
06:13 – Why Therapists Struggle to Measure SEO 08:17 – Free Tools to Understand Your Website 10:45 – Why Google Search Console Is So Helpful 13:03 – Looking Inside Whitney's Search Console 19:13 – Are You Attracting the Right Clients? 22:31 – Finding SEO Opportunities in Your Data 27:04 – How to Know If Your SEO Company Is Working 32:03 – Can Your SEO Keep Improving? 33:54 – Special SEO Offer for Wise Practice Listeners
Show Sponsor Wise Practice Summit (Ticket sales end 9/11)
If you're enjoying today's episode, I want to personally invite you to one of my favorite events of the year—the Wise Practice Summit, happening October 8th through 10th in Nashville, Tennessee.
4 Ways Insurance-based Practices Quietly Lose Time and Money with Justin Ith | WP 201
Tuesday, September 1, 2026 • Duration 29:13
If you take insurance in your practice, there's a good chance you're losing money somewhere in the process without even realizing it.
In this episode, I'm joined by Justin Ith, co-founder and CEO of Aria, to talk about the hidden costs of accepting insurance and the places where revenue tends to slip through the cracks. We break down credentialing, eligibility verification, claim submission, and denials, and Justin shares what practice owners should be paying attention to in each area.
We also talk about why so many denials actually start much earlier in the process, how small errors can turn into lost revenue, and how automation can help growing group practices reduce administrative work without continually adding more staff.
If you're running an insurance-based practice and want to protect your revenue while making the administrative side of your business easier, this episode is for you.
04:41 Meet Justin Ith, Co-Founder of Aria 05:27 The Story Behind Aria 10:07 Four Ways Insurance-Based Practices Lose Money 11:32 Credentialing Mistakes That Delay Revenue 14:28 Eligibility Checks & Medicaid Challenges 16:52 Claim Submission, Modifiers & Human Error 19:02 Why Insurance Denials Really Happen 23:56 How Aria Helps Practices Automate & Scale
Show Sponsor Wise Practice Summit
If you're enjoying today's episode, I want to personally invite you to one of my favorite events of the year—the Wise Practice Summit, happening October 8th through 10th in Nashville, Tennessee.
If you're a practice owner who wants practical strategies to grow your business, become a stronger leader, and connect with other faith-based practice owners who truly understand the unique challenges of this work, this event is for you.
Over three days, you'll hear from incredible speakers, gain actionable tools you can implement right away, and connect with trusted partners like GreenOak Accounting and other experts who are dedicated to helping private practice owners thrive. More importantly, you'll be surrounded by a community of people who share your heart for serving others while building healthy, sustainable businesses.
Why Knowing What to Do Isn't the Problem | WP 200
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 • Duration 23:46
Have you ever thought, "I know what I'm supposed to do, so why am I still stuck?"
I've been there too.
We can listen to all the podcasts, read all the books, take the courses, go to the conferences, and fill notebooks with great ideas. But knowing what to do and actually implementing it are two very different things.
In this episode, I'm wrapping up our four-part series by talking about what I think so many practice owners are really missing: implementation and accountability.
I'm sharing several stories of practice owners who didn't find some magical strategy that suddenly fixed everything. They started taking small steps, asking questions, getting support, and actually doing the things they already knew they needed to do.
One practice owner built a full caseload. Another finally started paying herself. Another reached the point where she could step away from her practice for several days and trust that everything would keep running.
That kind of change happens one step at a time.
I also share more about the Wise Practice Membership Community and why we've built it around not just teaching you what to do, but helping you actually implement it alongside other faith-based practice owners.
So instead of asking yourself, "What should I learn next?" I want you to ask: What am I going to implement this week?
03:51 Why Knowing What to Do Isn't Enough 05:44 Information Overload vs. Implementation 07:28 Why CEO Time Often Falls Apart 10:11 What Actually Creates Transformation 10:42 From Grad School to 50 Clients in Five Months 12:20 Rebuilding a Practice From Scratch 13:25 Making Changes That Finally Create Profit 15:12 Building a Practice That Can Run Without You
Show Sponsor Ubuntu Freelancers
The 10 Most Common Mistakes I See Practice Owners Make | WP 199
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 • Duration 30:52
Running a private practice means making mistakes. The goal is not to avoid every single one. It is to recognize what is keeping you stuck and make changes before those patterns start controlling your business.
In this solo episode, I'm sharing 10 mistakes I regularly see practice owners make, including trying to do everything themselves, making decisions based on emotions instead of data, chasing shiny objects, waiting too long to hire, and avoiding difficult conversations.
We'll also talk about why your practice will always go through changing seasons, how easily your identity can become tied to your business, and why consuming more information will not help unless you actually implement what you are learning.
Y'all, you do not have to fix everything today. Choose one area that stood out to you and take one practical step forward.
00:00 Ubuntu Freelancers 01:39 Welcome and upcoming private practice webinar 03:30 Ten common mistakes practice owners make 05:40 Trying to do everything yourself 10:01 Data, shiny objects, and hiring 15:30 Difficult conversations and changing business seasons 18:55 Identity, investing, and implementation 24:10 Building community, episode recap, and Wise Practice membership
Show Sponsor Ubuntu Freelancers
If you've thought about hiring remotely but weren't sure where to start, you're not alone. Questions about quality, communication and finding the right person stop many practice owners from taking the next step.
That's where Ubuntu Freelancers comes in.
Ubuntu specialises in connecting therapy practices with exceptional South African professionals who have the skills, professionalism and experience to become valued members of your team. Every candidate is carefully vetted and matched to your practice, making the hiring process straightforward and stress-free.
The 12 KPIs Every Practice Owner Should Track | WP 198
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 • Duration 28:56
Are you making business decisions based on actual data, or are you chasing whatever shiny idea feels promising this month?
When your practice has one great month followed by one disappointing month, it can be hard to know what is really working. You might invest more money in marketing, hire another therapist, or make a major change without having the numbers to support that decision.
In this episode, I'm sharing the 12 key performance indicators, or KPIs, that every private practice owner should be tracking. These numbers can help you identify problems earlier, make calculated decisions, understand whether your marketing is paying off, and create more consistent growth in your practice.
We'll talk about the intake numbers that matter, including new inquiries, conversion rates, and no-show percentages. I'll also explain how to measure the real value of your Google Ads, what to look for inside Google Search Console and your Google Business Profile, and why revenue alone does not tell the full financial story.
For group practice owners, we'll also cover payroll, operating expenses, therapist caseloads, client churn, and average length of stay. These metrics are not about judging your team. They are tools that help you start better conversations, improve the client experience, and make thoughtful decisions about the health of your practice.
You do not have to track everything perfectly overnight. Choose one number from this episode and start there. What we consistently measure is much easier to understand, improve, and grow.
02:58 Why Your Practice Growth Feels Inconsistent 05:23 Why Measuring Your Numbers Matters 08:28 Intake KPIs Every Practice Should Track 10:36 Conversion Rates and Intake No-Shows 13:52 Marketing KPIs and Google Performance 17:18 Revenue, Payroll, and Operating Expenses 20:49 Therapist Caseloads and Client Churn 23:42 Average Length of Stay and Final Takeaways
The Hidden Reason Your Practice Isn't Growing | WP 197
Tuesday, August 4, 2026 • Duration 21:30
What if the thing keeping your practice from growing isn't your marketing, your website, or how hard you're working?
Y'all, most practice owners already know a whole lot about what they should be doing. The hard part is actually following through when you're trying to make every decision, solve every problem, and carry the weight of the business by yourself.
In this episode, I'm talking about why community may be the missing piece in your practice growth. I'm sharing how support, accountability, and honest feedback changed my own journey from solo practice owner to group practice leader. We'll also talk about why more information isn't always the answer and how having the right people beside you can help you move forward with more confidence.
You were never meant to build your practice alone.
01:46 Free webinar invitation 02:47 The hidden reason your practice isn't growing 05:18 Why practice ownership can feel so lonely 07:48 How community changed Whitney's business 11:00 Why information alone doesn't create growth 13:44 Every season of growth requires support 17:12 Inside the Wise Practice Community 19:28 Enrollment dates and webinar details
Show Sponsor Ubuntu Freelancers
If you became a therapist to help people, but now spend your evenings answering emails, managing schedules, chasing paperwork and trying to keep your practice running, you're not alone.
Ubuntu Freelancers helps therapy practices build dedicated remote administrative teams, so practice owners can spend less time managing the business and more time caring for clients.
Unlike general staffing agencies, Ubuntu focuses on work with therapy practices and behavioural health organisations. They understand the unique demands of mental healthcare and carefully match practices with experienced Virtual Assistants, Intake Coordinators, Executive Assistants, Billing Specialists and Client Care Coordinators who become a trusted extension of your team.
Outside of all that, I'm a mom to four kids and married to my husband Landon, who is also the COO of our counseling practice (we met working together, so when he joined full time it felt like a full-circle moment). In my free time, you can find me watching my kids play while in cozy socks and an oversized sweatshirt and sweats, drinking an iced coffee, beating my kids in a game of Uno, or out catching the biggest fish!
If you're a practice owner who wants practical strategies to grow your business, become a stronger leader, and connect with other faith-based practice owners who truly understand the unique challenges of this work, this event is for you.
Over three days, you'll hear from incredible speakers, gain actionable tools you can implement right away, and connect with trusted partners like GreenOak Accounting and other experts who are dedicated to helping private practice owners thrive. More importantly, you'll be surrounded by a community of people who share your heart for serving others while building healthy, sustainable businesses.
We're just a few weeks away, so if you've been thinking about joining us, now is the time to grab your ticket. I'd love to meet you in Nashville and spend those three days learning and growing together.
Mary Walker is the owner of Simplified SEO Consulting, where she helps private practice owners grow their businesses through ethical, strategic SEO. With dual Master's degrees in Psychology and Digital Marketing, she brings a unique blend of human insight and technical expertise to her work. Mary is passionate about helping therapists and helping professionals feel confident in their online presence without losing the heart of what they do. She is also a mom of five and a strong advocate for building a business that supports both professional success and personal fulfillment.
Mary Walker's Resources
Website (I'd love to offer listeners a waived onboarding fee for our foundational SEO programs, which is a $350 value, as well as 10% off our SEO consulting package).
We're just a few weeks away, so if you've been thinking about joining us, now is the time to grab your ticket. I'd love to meet you in Nashville and spend those three days learning and growing together.
Justin Ith is the co-founder and CEO of Aria, the practice automation platform for growing group practices. He has spent the past decade in health technology, with a focus on billing and revenue cycle, working with organizations of every size, from solo practices to large systems like Optum, Providence, and Seattle Children's. What he cares about most is the business side of running a practice: the owners who set out to help people and end up buried in back-office work they never trained for. That is the problem he started Aria to work on.
Imagine starting your day knowing the phones are being answered, new client enquiries are being followed up, appointments are booked, your inbox is organised and your administrative systems are running smoothly.
That's what building the right team can do.
One practice owner recently shared this after hiring through Ubuntu Freelancers: "I am elated with Nicole! I feel a huge relief every time I open my email. She has already made a huge impact helping me create routines and stay on top of daily priorities. I truly feel she is going to be a life-changing addition."
Ubuntu Freelancers helps therapy practices build high-performing remote administrative teams with carefully matched professionals who become a genuine extension of the practice.
If you're ready to spend less time managing your business and more time doing the work you love, Ubuntu would love to help.
Wise Practice listeners receive five complimentary hours of onboarding support with every successful placement. Just mention the code WISE when you book your Discovery Call at www.ubuntufreelancers.com.
Whether you're hiring your first Virtual Assistant or expanding your support team, Ubuntu guides you through every step of the journey.
As a thank you to Wise Practice listeners, Ubuntu will cover the first five hours of onboarding support with every successful placement. Simply mention the code WISE when you contact Ubuntu at www.ubuntufreelancers.com.
What happens when a potential new client calls while you're in session?
Maybe they leave a voicemail. Maybe they don't. Either way, there's a good chance they'll call another practice.
Every missed enquiry is someone looking for help, and every delayed response is a missed opportunity to grow your practice.
Ubuntu Freelancers specialises in helping therapy practices build dedicated intake and administrative support teams who answer calls, respond to enquiries, schedule appointments and create an exceptional first impression for every client.
Because Ubuntu Freelancer's focus's on behavioural health organisations, they understand what great client care looks like from the very first interaction.
Wise Practice listeners receive five complimentary hours of onboarding support with every successful placement. Simply mention the code WISE when you book your Discovery Call at www.ubuntufreelancers.com.
As a special offer for Wise Practice listeners, Ubuntu Freelancers will cover the first five hours of onboarding support with every successful placement. Simply mention the code WISE when you book your Discovery Call.
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