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One of the realities of being in private practice is that life does not stop just because we have clients to see, notes to write, and a business to run. Unexpected illness, grief, natural disasters, financial strain, and burnout can affect any of us, and yet many therapists feel pressure to keep going no matter what.
In this episode, I sat down with Jeanine Rousso, co-founder of Therapist Resource Network, to talk about what happens when therapists are the ones who need support. Jeanine shares how her nonprofit provides emergency financial assistance, burnout prevention resources, and advocacy for mental health clinicians who are navigating difficult seasons.
Our conversation is a reminder that therapists need safety nets too. Whether you are in solo practice, group practice, or just trying to build a sustainable career in this field, it is important to think ahead about financial preparedness, referral support, and how to care for yourself when life interrupts your ability to show up for others.
Meet Jeanine Rousso, LCMHC, LMHC, LPC, ACS 
Throughout her 20 years working in the mental health field, Jeanine noticed a growing need for support among mental health clinicians, especially in times of personal emergencies and burnout. As the need for mental health treatment increased among clients, so did the need for the clinicians themselves to be cared for. Unfortunately, the broken mental health system does not often afford therapists the space and financial stability to receive much deserved care in their times of need. Jeanine founded TRN as a way to support therapists in new ways.
Therapists Need Support, Too
As therapists, we spend so much of our time holding space for other people. We walk with clients through grief, trauma, anxiety, life transitions, relationship struggles, medical diagnoses, and all kinds of unexpected circumstances. But one thing we do not always talk about enough is what happens when the therapist is the one going through the crisis.
Private practice can offer a great deal of freedom and autonomy, but it can also leave therapists vulnerable when life takes an unexpected turn. If you are in private practice and you are not able to see clients, you are often not getting paid. That reality creates a lot of pressure to keep showing up, even when you may need time to rest, heal, grieve, or recover.
That is one of the reasons I appreciated this conversation with Jeanine Rousso, co-founder of Therapist Resource Network. Her work is centered around a simple but powerful idea: therapists need a safety net, too.
The Reality of Financial Stress in Private Practice
One of the hard truths about this profession is that many therapists are not as financially secure as people outside the field may assume. There is often an idea that if someone has a master’s degree, a license, and a private practice, they must be doing just fine financially. But that is not always the case.
Many therapists are balancing student loans, business expenses, insurance delays, unpaid administrative work, continuing education, supervision costs, and the normal costs of living. For solo practitioners especially, there may not be paid time off, sick leave, short-term disability, or a larger organization to absorb the impact when something goes wrong.
Jeanine shared that part of what inspired Therapist Resource Network was hearing from so many clinicians, especially newer clinicians, who were struggling financially unless they had outside support from a partner or family. That is a reality we need to be honest about as a profession.
We cannot keep telling therapists to care for themselves if we are not also creating systems that make care possible.
When Life Interrupts the Work
Unexpected things happen. Natural disasters happen. Illness happens. Accidents happen. Grief happens. Family emergencies happen.
And when those things happen to therapists, it does not just affect them personally. It can affect their clients, their practice, their income, their staff, and their long-term ability to continue doing the work.
Jeanine talked about how Therapist Resource Network began giving out grants at the end of 2024, with several of the first grant recipients being clinicians impacted by Hurricane Helene. For therapists who were dealing with power outages, water loss, property damage, displacement, or community devastation, continuing to run a practice was not simple.
Many clinicians were suddenly trying to survive a disaster while also worrying about clients, income, documentation, and whether they could keep their businesses going.
That is a tremendous amount for any person to carry.
Emergency Support for Mental Health Clinicians
Therapist Resource Network is a nonprofit that provides emergency financial support, burnout prevention and recovery resources, and advocacy for mental health clinicians.
The grants they provide are currently a flat amount of $500 for approved applicants. That might not solve every problem, but it can make a meaningful difference when someone is in the middle of a crisis. Sometimes support does not have to fix everything in order to matter. Sometimes it just needs to help someone get through the next step.
Jeanine shared that their grants have supported clinicians dealing with natural disasters, medical issues, personal emergencies, accidents, cancer diagnoses, and even situations involving domestic violence. The need is real, and it looks different for every person.
What stood out to me is that this work is not just about money. It is about saying to therapists, “You are not alone. Your needs matter, too.”
Burnout Prevention Has to Be More Than a Buzzword
Burnout is something we talk about often in the mental health field, but we do not always address it in a practical way. We know therapists are tired. We know the emotional load of the work is heavy. We know administrative demands have increased. We know the business side of practice can feel overwhelming.
But telling therapists to “practice self-care” is not enough.
Self-care has to be supported by realistic systems. That means having financial margin. It means having a referral network. It means having boundaries around your schedule. It means knowing what you will do if you need to step away from your practice for a period of time.
Jeanine shared that Therapist Resource Network has also been offering burnout prevention and recovery workshops, therapist support circles, and resources for clinicians. That kind of community support is important because burnout often grows in isolation.
Therapists need places where they can be honest about the pressures of the work without feeling like they have failed.
Why Every Therapist Needs a Financial Buffer
One of the things I often encourage therapists to think about in private practice is building a financial buffer. Ideally, that means having three to six months of expenses set aside for your practice and personal needs.
Of course, I also know that is easier said than done.
For many therapists, especially those early in private practice, saving that amount can feel overwhelming. But the principle is still important. Even if you start small, having some kind of cushion can give you more options when the unexpected happens.
A financial buffer can help you take time off when you are sick. It can help you cover payroll if insurance payments are delayed. It can help you step away after a major loss. It can help you avoid making decisions from a place of panic.
We saw this kind of vulnerability with things like the Change Healthcare data breach, where many providers experienced major disruptions in their ability to file claims and get paid. Events like that remind us that even when we are doing everything right, outside systems can still affect our practices.
Preparation does not remove every risk, but it does give us more stability when things get hard.
The Ethics of Taking Time Off
There is also an ethical side to this conversation.
As therapists, we have to be aware of our own capacity. If we have just experienced a major loss, illness, trauma, or disaster, we need to ask whether we are able to show up well for our clients.
That can be a hard question because many therapists feel deeply responsible for the people they serve. We do not want to abandon clients. We do not want to create disruption. We do not want to let people down.
But there are times when continuing to work without proper rest or support may not be clinically appropriate. Taking time off can be part of ethical practice.
After my wife died in 2023, I gave myself permission to take some time away. I needed space to grieve and recharge. That time was important. And I know not everyone has the ability to do that easily, which is why this conversation matters so much.
Therapists should not have to choose between caring for themselves and keeping their practice alive.
Build a Referral Network Before You Need One
Another important piece of preparation is having a strong referral network.
If something happens and you need to take a significant amount of time away from your practice, it is important to have trusted colleagues you can refer clients to. These should be people you know, trust, and feel confident recommending.
A referral network is not something to build in the middle of a crisis. It is something to build over time.
Having those relationships in place can help you make better decisions if you need to step away. It also helps ensure your clients are cared for if you are unavailable.
Private practice can sometimes feel independent, but it should not feel isolated. We all need professional community.
The Importance of a Professional Will
One thing I mentioned in this conversation is the importance of having a professional will.
A professional will outlines what happens to your practice if you become incapacitated, seriously ill, or die. It can name who will contact clients, handle records, manage communication, and help close or transition the practice.
It is not the easiest thing to think about, but it is an important part of responsible practice ownership.
Just like we create policies and procedures for other parts of our practice, we need a plan for worst-case scenarios. Having that plan in place is an act of care for your clients, your colleagues, your family, and yourself.
The Changing Landscape of Therapy
Another part of our conversation centered around how much the therapy field has changed in recent years.
The business side of therapy is more complicated than it used to be. Therapists are navigating insurance challenges, economic pressure, technology changes, AI, large tech companies entering the mental health space, and increased administrative demands.
Jeanine made the point that it has become harder to have a financially sustainable career as a therapist. I think many clinicians feel that.
Private practice can still be a wonderful path. It offers autonomy, flexibility, and the ability to shape your work in a way that fits your values. But it also requires more business knowledge, planning, and adaptability than many therapists were prepared for in graduate school.
We need to be honest about that so therapists can make informed decisions and get the support they need.
Sustainability Should Not Require Constant Hustling
There are many ways therapists can diversify their income. They can offer supervision, consulting, trainings, groups, workshops, intensives, or even build a small group practice. I have done some of that myself, and I believe diversification can be helpful.
But Jeanine also made a really important point. Some therapists simply want to be therapists. They want to see clients, keep a reasonable caseload, and do good clinical work. That should be a financially sustainable option, too.
Not every therapist wants to build a big business. Not every therapist wants multiple income streams. Not every therapist wants to become a content creator, consultant, supervisor, speaker, or group practice owner.
There should be room in this field for clinicians to do the work they were trained to do and still be financially comfortable.
Community Care for Clinicians
One of the things I appreciate about Therapist Resource Network is that it reflects a spirit of community care.
Therapists are often the ones people turn to in crisis, but therapists are human beings with real needs, real limits, and real lives outside the therapy room. We need structures that acknowledge that.
That might look like donating to a grant fund. It might look like attending a support circle. It might look like advocating for better systems in the profession. It might look like building stronger local referral networks. It might look like simply checking in on your colleagues.
Whatever form it takes, the message is the same: therapists should not have to carry everything alone.
Preparing Your Practice Is an Act of Care
Planning for the unexpected is not pessimistic. It is responsible.
Having a financial buffer is care. Having a referral network is care. Having a professional will is care. Creating space for burnout prevention is care. Supporting organizations that help clinicians in crisis is care.
As therapists, we are trained to think about the needs of others. But part of building a sustainable practice is learning to include ourselves in that circle of care.
The more prepared we are, the more resilient our practices can become. And the more support we offer each other, the healthier this profession can be.
Gordon Brewer: Well, hello everyone, and welcome again to the podcast. And I'm really happy for you to get to know today Jeanine Rousso.
Welcome, Jeanine. Glad you're here.
Jeanine Rousso: Thanks for having me, Gordon.
Gordon Brewer: Uh, yes, and Jeanine, we were talking a little bit before, uh, we started, and as the crow flies, we're basically neighbors. Uh, not too far away from each other, both of us in the Appalachian Mountains, and so, I take pride in that. I don't know why- Yeah
but I do. But, uh, anyway, Jeanine, as I start with everyone, tell folks a little more about yourself and how you've landed where you've landed.
Jeanine Rousso: Sure. Um, well, I'm a licensed counselor. I'm licensed in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina, and have had a small private practice for several years. And in 2024, along with my co-founder, uh, we started Therapist Resource Network.
Uh, we are a 501[c]3 nonprofit, and we provide emergency financial support, burnout prevention and recovery, and advocacy for mental health clinicians.
Gordon Brewer: That's awesome. That's awesome. So yeah, so I- I've got to know the story behind how you started that and what prompted all of that.
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah, so it's actually... I feel like it's a long story with lots of little deviations, but a lot...
I lived in Atlanta for 11 years, and when I lived there, there was a similar nonprofit that founded in the food and beverage industry, that they provide emergency financial support for restaurant workers, caterers, and such. And I remember going to some of their fundraisers and I was like, "Oh, we totally need that in the mental health industry," because nobody's getting rich as a therapist.
And it just kind of stuck with me over the years. I wasn't really in a place to do anything with that idea at the moment. And as I got into doing clinical supervision, especially working with a lot of therapists who were new to the field and hearing how almost every single one of them was struggling financially unless they either came from, you know, had a solid family support or a partner who contributed.
And it just, I don't know, it just kept lingering and kept coming up in my head. And really in 2023, I needed to take a step back from client work personally, and so I delved into the, uh, depths of YouTube, learning a lot about how to start a nonprofit and all the hoops you jump through- Mm-hmm ... and, which is very different from starting a for-profit company.
And-
Gordon Brewer: Mm-hmm ...
Jeanine Rousso: um, my co-founder Zandra, I took her to lunch, and I thought I was gonna have a hard sell. Um, she and I were colleagues, and I was actually her clinical supervisor. We always worked really well together. I thought it was gonna be hard to sell her on this idea, but she was in immediately. And so we got to work and, um, we f- Founded at the beginning of '24 and then started handing out grants at the end of '24.
Our first several, probably eight or nine grant recipients were Helene, were impacted by Helene. Which, you know, living in the area that was hit so hard We were doing a lot of the administrative stuff, and I was like, "Well, can we just get started?" Because we're, uh, you know, that survivor's guilt- Mm-hmm
of I'm in the middle of it. I was very grateful to not be impacted in any sort of, significant way other than, you know, power and water for a while. But, Mm-hmm ... and so since then, we've been able to give out over 30 grants to mental health clinicians dealing with natural disasters, personal emergencies, medical issues.
Um, it kind of runs the gamut, and we've been really grateful to be able to support our colleagues who do so much for their clients and for the community. All
Gordon Brewer: That's, uh, that's so, um, s- such a beautiful thing to be able to think about that in the way that you have. I know, um, yeah, I know, I, my family was affected by Helene kind of indirectly.
I mean, it was, uh, I shared with, um, with Jeanine at the beginning that my family has a place in North Carolina on a lake there, and we've had some damage and loss there, just a lot of sentimental stuff. But still- Sure ... uh, people that, a- and if you've been in that area, and I think about the people that are working and living, particularly around, there's an area called the Hickory Nut Gorge, and people have heard of the floods in Asheville and that sort of thing.
It was just, it was absolutely devastating and catastrophic. Mm-hmm. And so people were without food and water for weeks on end and- Mm-hmm ... you know, power and that kind of thing. And so no way to, number one, run a business, but a practice and all of that with this on top of you. So I mean, yeah, much needed, and we just don't know really those kinds of things are things we can't really fully prepare for, I don't think.
Jeanine Rousso: Sure. Absolutely.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and there was a, a- as I was thinking about our interview today there was another, uh, phenomenon that happened. It was right after right after COVID, which is always interesting how we mark time- ... by COVID now, but- Yeah ... there was, uh, and see if you can help me remember the name of it, but, uh, there was a clearing house that handled all the insurance claims and all that sort of thing for providers in different areas, and they got hacked, and so it just took-
Jeanine Rousso: Oh, yeah
Gordon Brewer: everybody down. It was the, um, I'm gonna look it up- I don't ... while we're talking, but yeah, that kind of thing. I think, I- Yeah.
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah.
Gordon Brewer: Um.
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah, I'd, I had forgotten about that, for sure, that people weren't getting paid and,
Gordon Brewer: yeah.
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah.
Gordon Brewer: But yeah. Yeah, the, it's, um, yeah, it's the... I'll think of it here in a minute, but yeah.
How are you, how did you think about how to structure this? I mean, as far as I know you delve into nonprofits and that kind of thing.
Jeanine Rousso: Mm-hmm.
Honestly, it is a growing and changing structure and organization, and we're learning a lot as we go along. Um, a- and it's really, I- it's been a lot of trial and error.
Uh, we got, we're kind of throwing things against the wall to see what sticks and see what people are needing. Um, like we started this year doing some programming. Uh, we did a, a handful of burnout prevention and recovery workshops that were really nice, and then we've also started some monthly therapist support groups that we are continuing once or twice a month.
We're d- we're kind of dialing it down for the summer, but we'll probably pick back up in the fall to twice a month. And really just as we're getting applications and as we're chatting with other people and networking and spreading the word, we get feedback, and we're just kind of adding that to what we do.
Um- Mm-hmm ... there's no I... There is a plan, but it's certainly a flexible plan, as this is, again, something- Mm-hmm ... we are figuring out as we go along.
Gordon Brewer: Yes. Yeah, I'd, uh, not to change too quickly, but it was called Change Healthcare was the-
Jeanine Rousso: Yes ...
Gordon Brewer: was the big data breach- Yeah ... that happened, and it basically shut down the ability to file claims and that sort of thing.
And so I know- Yeah ... a lot of us were struggling during that period to make- Mm-hmm ... payroll and to get paid and all of that sort of thing. And so-
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah ...
Gordon Brewer: things like that happen, so yeah, yeah. So, um, curious, how did you, how have you gotten funding for your nonprofit, and how does that occur?
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah, so most of our funding has been individual donors.
We've had one, um, or a couple of, uh, companies, for-profit companies that have made donations. Um, we are hoping in the coming weeks to be launching some opportunities for companies to get involved through sponsorship of, you know, our events or our newsletter or also possibly through a it's called a commercial co-venture.
So, you know, if there's a CU company out there that has a training coming up that they wanna donate $10 from every registrant to us, you know, we'll, we'll promote that as well. And, um, so, so we are c- we're looking at other ways for larger organizations to get involved, but honestly, it's mostly been individual donors, which has been pretty cool.
Gordon Brewer: Interesting. Interesting.
Yeah ...
Jeanine Rousso: yeah, I think some of the most meaningful donors to me are the therapists who are giving 5 to $10 a month, and that's what works for them. And- Mm-hmm ... it all adds up. And we, right now our grants are a flat rate of $500 for anybody that applies that is approved. Um, so- And so, uh, just a handful of donors can build up a, a scholar- a, a grant for us.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So what are kind of the some of the criteria if somebody were to apply for a grant? What sort of things do you look for?
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah, so our requirements right now are that you're a master's level clinician who at the time of the event was working in the mental health field in some way, shape or form.
It could be, I mean, we've had people in academia, we've had lots of private practice people, we've had people working in agencies and hospitals and a lot of people who work in multiple settings, right, as we do. The qualifying event had to be within the last six months or 180 days and, um, you do have to be a resident of the United States.
The qualifying event, we've, we kind of keep it pretty open, but it does, um, we have to have some sort of documentation, so certainly, you know, a natural disaster and being impacted in some way by the natural disaster. And then a lot of medical stuff that we've had. Um, we've had people, we've had a couple of pedestrian accidents- Mm
um, and injuries. We've had cancer diagnoses. We've had people leaving a domestic violence situation. So it just you know, again, runs the gamut. Um, we try to be as open and flexible as we can. If you can submit your documentation and, um, answer our questions meaningfully, then we've been, knock on wood, we've been able to approve every grant, except for at the beginning when we were first getting started with Helene, we did get a lot of applications and we weren't able to fill all of those.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. But since then, if it's been a qual- if, if it's qualified, if it's met our qualifications and the documentation is there, um- Mm-hmm ... we've been able to fill every grant that we've received an application for, which is pretty cool.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah. That's good. That is good. Yeah, so what, what advice would you give people and just, you know, other than seeking out grants, just thinking about being prepared for different things that might happen in a, in a private practice?
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah. I think especially in the world of private practice, a- as much as you can to budget for time off, whether it's planned time off or unplanned time off, because there's always- Mm-hmm ... part of the human experience is get- is getting sick and having medical issues, and we cannot avoid that. So as much as you can financially have your own nest egg.
I think the other piece that's really hard for therapists is- To take that time off and think about it from the ethical perspective too of- Mm-hmm ... if you're not showing up, if you've just been through a life-changing hurricane or, had- Mm-hmm ... unexpected surgery or a car accident or whatever it is, can just being aware of your own limitations and-
Being mindful of the ethics around that, I think that's really tricky because there's also the fact that we don't get paid if we don't work when we're in private practice.
Gordon Brewer: Exactly.
Jeanine Rousso: And I, and it's a tricky balance, and I don't think, I, I don't think there's a perfect way to prepare for that. But as much as you can factor that into your plan, your financial planning, uh, it's certainly- Mm-hmm ... helpful.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah. I always in doing consulting with people around their private practices, always, always encourage people to build up at least a three to six-month nest egg, if you will, or buffer to cover- Mm-hmm
your expenses and what you pay yourself and pay your people for those times. And I know- Yeah ... that was what kind of got us through, in my practice, during the change heal- healthcare, event that happened. Mm-hmm. And also to, to your point about just self-care and the ethics of things people that have been listening to the podcast for a while know that I lost my wife back in 2023 after a, you know, years of a, of a battle with breast cancer and that sort of thing.
And so I gave myself permission at that time to take a few months off. And so- Yeah ... I think being able to, to have that downtime to recharge your batteries, to be able to do the self-care, Yeah, we therapists are terrible at self-care.
Jeanine Rousso: Couldn't agree.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah.
Jeanine Rousso: Add to that list, though, of preparing, of having a really good referral network- Mm-hmm
of people that you trust that you can refer- Mm-hmm ... to if, heaven forbid, you have a big loss or you're diagnosed with cancer or, you know, there's some other thing- Mm-hmm ... where you've got to take a significant amount of time off, that you can refer your clients and feel really comfortable and confident that you're matching them with, a good fit for them.
Gordon Brewer: And I would say to add to that I think one of the things too that a lot of, and I haven't, we haven't talked about this on the podcast in a while, and probably another episode idea coming up in my head, but having a professional will and, uh- Mm ... you know, you know, worst-case scenario, something happens- Mm
to you, either you're just, you get some sort of severe illness or you, uh, heaven forbid, you die or whatever- Yep ... who takes over the practice, and who helps things- Yeah ... continue, and having a pl- a clear plan for that and how, what that would look like. And so that's, um, yeah, that's a, a thing I would encourage everybody to do.
Um-
Jeanine Rousso: Absolutely. Yeah.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, so i- if people are thinking about, "Okay, yeah, I'm in a rough spot," how do they apply and get in touch and that kind of thing?
Jeanine Rousso: Sure. Our application is pretty easy to find on our website, which is therapistresourcenetwork.org. Um-
I- I've tried to be very clear about the qualifications for the application, but if people have questions- Mm-hmm ... or they're not unsure certainly they can reach out to us by email and that is just therapistresourcenetwork@gmail.
Gordon Brewer: Mm-hmm.
Jeanine Rousso: Um, and we encourage everybody to get on our email list. We send out a monthly newsletter which always includes a couple of resources that are free for therapists, so usually something around self-care, something around the business side of or the trade side of, of therapy.
Mm-hmm. And then we have a blog that either somebody on our team will write or we often have guest bloggers if there's anybody interested in guest blogging.
Gordon Brewer: Mm-hmm.
Jeanine Rousso: Um, and then also, we always include our upcoming events, so our therapist support circles that are happening and one of the things I'm hoping to be more consistent with and maybe build a volunteer team around is some, some more burnout prevention programming, and then also some advocacy programming about, you know, even the business side of practice, but also how to advocate for yourself in- Right
this world of therapy that we're in right now.
Gordon Brewer: Mm-hmm.
Jeanine Rousso: Um, as we know, the landscape has changed a lot, especially over the last four or five years, and therapists are having to do a lot more work to keep themselves employed, safe-
Gordon Brewer: Right ...
Jeanine Rousso: you know, stable and all that stuff. Right.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah, it's definitely the landscape is changing a lot over the years.
Yeah. And, um, yeah, and I think, um, yeah, just being able to be flexible with those kinds of changes is a huge thing- Mm-hmm ... as well.
Jeanine Rousso: Sure. Yeah.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah. You know, being able to kind of lean into it and figure out, okay, yeah, there's, I've had several episodes here lately just talking about AI and-
Jeanine Rousso: Mm-hmm
Gordon Brewer: you know, also the advent of, um, of, um, tech companies, you know, getting into- Yep ... the therapy space and that kind of thing. Yeah. And being able to be knowledgeable on all those things.
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah and I think that, w- we've, it's one of the things that pushed us to actually jump into this when we did is that it, it, to me, it, having been in this field for 20 years, I have found that it is harder and harder to have a financially sustainable career as a therapist.
Mm-hmm. And that's so disheartening, 'cause I love this job and I love the work. And I sometimes have a hard time recommending this field to people who are thinking about it. Mm-hmm. Because it is... I mean, it's not, I don't wanna say it's... It's certainly feasible. I don't wanna-
Gordon Brewer: Mm-hmm ... put
Jeanine Rousso: that out there.
Yeah. But I think it has become harder to be financially independent and comfortable as a therapist. And some of that is- Mm-hmm ... obviously the economy is-
Gordon Brewer: Yeah ...
Jeanine Rousso: it is what it is right now. Yeah. But,
Gordon Brewer: Well, too, especially if someone is a solo therapist, um- Mm-hmm ... in private practice, it, it takes, um, it takes, as my friend David Hall says, a bit of intestinal fortitude to kind of push forward with things.
But- Sure ... I think there are lots of different ways in which therapists can, uh, diversify their income and even, you know, even consider go- starting a group practice or a small group practice. Sure. And it doesn't necessarily have to be this big fantastical thing. It can be small and simple, and that's what I've done with my practice.
My practice is a small practice, but I've-
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah ...
Gordon Brewer: I've done that intentionally.
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah. I, yeah, and I, again, I think it's certainly feasible, but there's also a lot of therapists that just wanna show up and be a therapist and have a reasonable caseload, and I personally believe that they should be financially comfortable as well.
I- Yes, absolutely ... like, you know, it doesn't seem like we should have to go out and diversify if we don't want to. Now, I, listen, I'm on your page. I love diversifying. I like to have my hands in a lot of different things. Mm-hmm. But I know that's not for everybody, and I think- Right ... that's one of the things that's tricky about our field is there's so mu- that'll, like people who are not in it don't understand that there's so many different ways to be a therapist.
It's not all- Mm-hmm ... cookie cutter. It's certainly not 40 hours a week with benefits kind of job most of the time.
Gordon Brewer: And the, the, the, and the upside of private practice is it gives us the aud- autonomy to be able to- Sure ... structure it however we want to.
Jeanine Rousso: Absolutely.
Gordon Brewer: And that's huge. I know that was-
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah
Gordon Brewer: one of my big motivators for going into private practice when I did years ago, so yeah.
Jeanine Rousso: Yeah, absolutely.
Gordon Brewer: Yeah, sure. Well, Jeanine, I gotta be respectful of your time, and I know that, that we could talk about these things for hours. But, uh, tell folks again your website and how to get in touch with you.
Jeanine Rousso: Sure. Our website is therapistresourcenetwork.org. Hop on our email list, and if you have questions or wanna get involved, you can send us an email either through our website or therapistresourcenetwork@gmail.com.
Gordon Brewer: Awesome, awesome, and we'll have links in the show notes, in the show summary for people to a- access that easily.
So well, thanks, Jeanine. It was great getting to know you, and hopefully we'll cross paths here soon.
Jeanine Rousso: Sounds good. Thanks, Gordon.
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Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Instagram @practiceoftherapy, and “Like” us on Facebook.