Episode 197: Private Practice Lessons in Growth, Grit, and Authenticity [featuring Alicia Murray]

Show Notes

In this episode, host Patrick Casale and guest Alicia Murray, the founder of Therapist HQ, talk about the journey from clinical work to business ownership. Alicia shares her real story of leaving a “secure” job at the VA to start her own private practice just as the pandemic hit, the self-doubt that comes with these transitions, and how she’s built a thriving group and a supportive community for therapists.

3 key takeaways:

1. Authenticity over Perfection: Being true to yourself (even if it means swearing or not fitting the “perfect therapist” image) attracts your ideal clients and community. Don’t dilute your personality for approval—you’ll find your people by being real.
2. Self-Doubt is Normal: Even seasoned professionals experience self-doubt, especially when stepping into business ownership. Alicia’s story shows that the journey to private practice is rarely linear, and moments of uncertainty are part of the process.
3. Align Your Practice With Your Values: Building a practice (or any business) is about more than finances—it’s about designing your career so it fits your life, not the other way around. Whether it’s a 6 am start or a midday workout, structuring your schedule around what matters to you is key for long-term happiness.

More about Alicia:

Alicia Murray is a therapist turned business consultant and the founder of The Therapist HQ.

Since 2016, I've been on this therapy journey, launching my private practice in 2020 and growing it into a thriving group practice with five therapists and an admin. I'm passionate about helping fellow therapists create and grow their own private practices because I remember feeling completely alone when building mine. At The Therapist HQ, I provide accessible resources that focus on both financial success AND quality of life, believing in freedom, flexibility, and making a livable wage while doing the clinical work you truly enjoy.

• Social Media: @thetherapisthq on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook
• I have a free private practice audit and startup checklist, as well as a complete practice launch kit. Grab them here: stan.store/The_Therapist_HQ

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A Thanks to Our Sponsors: The Receptionist for iPad, Alma, & All Things Private Practice — 2025 & 2026 Retreats!

✨The Receptionist for iPad

I want to thank The Receptionist for iPad for sponsoring this episode.

This podcast is sponsored by The Receptionist for iPad, a digital check-in system that eliminates the need to walk back and forth from your office to the waiting room to see if your next appointment has arrived. Clients can securely check-in for their appointments and you'll be immediately notified by text, email, or your preferred channel. Break free from interruptions and make the most of your time. I've been using them for almost three years now and it saves me hours in my week.

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✨Alma

I want to thank Alma for sponsoring this episode.

Building and managing the practice you want can be challenging. That’s why Alma offers tools and resources to help you build not just any practice, but your private practice. They’ll help you navigate insurance, access referrals who are the right fit for you, and efficiently manage administrative tasks — so you can spend less time on the details and more time delivering great care. You support your clients. Alma supports you.

Visit helloalma.com/ATPP to learn more.

✨ All Things Private Practice — 2025 & 2026 Retreats

All Things Private Practice has some amazing retreat experiences coming up in 2025 and 2026.

If you're a leader or aspiring to start a group practice, join our Leadership Retreat in Chania, Crete, from September 6th to 11th. In 2026, we have two retreats in Queenstown, New Zealand. The first is for Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs from March 1st to 8th, and the second retreat, Beyond Private Practice, focuses on moving beyond one-on-one therapy and creating alternative income streams from March 15th to 22nd.

Spaces are limited, so check the links to sign up today. Doubt yourself, do it anyway!

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Transcript

PATRICK CASALE: Hey, everyone. Welcome back to All Things Private Practice. I am joined today by Alicia Murray, therapist turned business consultant and the founder of The Therapist HQ. Since 2016 has been on her therapy journey, launching private practice in 2020 and growing it into a thriving group practice with five therapists and one admin. She's passionate about helping fellow therapists create and grow their own practices, because she remembers feeling completely alone when building hers.

At The Therapist HQ, she provides accessible resources that focus on both financial success and the quality of life, believing in freedom, flexibility, and making a livable wage while doing the clinical work that you truly enjoy. And thanks for coming on and making the time today.

ALICIA MURRAY: Hey, thanks so much for having me.

PATRICK CASALE: I just want to say, like, you know, you asked me a question that gets asked a lot on this podcast. And it's, "Can I swear on this podcast?" And I think, like, obviously, for those of you listening, you know the answer is emphatically yes. And I think, like, it's so fascinating and therapist culture where we want to preach authenticity, but then, some places we really struggle to be authentic or authenticity is not welcome.

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, it's like, we want you to be authentic, but not like that, or like not too much, where then it feels, you know, like, disingenuous to the therapist, I don't know, vibe or image, if you will.

PATRICK CASALE: As if like there's only one way to be a therapist.

ALICIA MURRAY: Right.

PATRICK CASALE: I remember when I first started All Things Private Practice, back in like, late 2020, just getting, like, a lot of momentum, and it was catching on really quickly. Now, I remember getting emails where it was like, "Your content has helped me build my practice." And we're talking about free content here, not courses, not coaching programs, “…but you curse a lot, and it really turns me off, and it makes you sound lazy and unprofessional." And I was just like struggling with that, in those moments where I'd be like, "Oh, should I change who I am to, like, meet the needs of this one person, and it was just-

ALICIA MURRAY: [CROSSTALK 00:03:07].

PATRICK CASALE: …ridiculous to me, so…

ALICIA MURRAY: Oh, my.

PATRICK CASALE: Here we are.

ALICIA MURRAY: What a piece of feedback. Yeah [CROSSTALK 00:03:15]-

PATRICK CASALE: What a piece of like, “Oh, thank you. I guess you're so welcome then that helped you-

ALICIA MURRAY: And I'm sorry.

PATRICK CASALE: …for forgiveness, and I'm sorry, and the unfollow/unsubscribe button is right there.” Fascinating stuff.

Okay, so anyway, diverging too much because I'm sleep deprived, so my brain is scattered. You are The Therapist HQ, and you mentioned, like, starting out funny, which was a time where, like, obviously-

ALICIA MURRAY: What a time?

PATRICK CASALE: What a time?

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: Feels like months ago, feels like 100 years ago.

ALICIA MURRAY: Yes.

PATRICK CASALE: I don't even [INDISCERNIBLE 00:03:49] today. And it was such a good time to start a practice, right? Because, like, people were not being treated well in their places of work during a massive pandemic. And people were like, "Fuck this. I'm done with this." So, what leads you to your decision, like, on that journey?

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, so it was a really interesting, like, culmination of, as I said, occurrences at that time. So, I had actually spent all of 2019, like, researching and, like, you know, doing the life trainings, and the courses, and things like that to really build my practice. The Type A personality is just like flowing out of me right now and saying that. And so-

PATRICK CASALE: [CROSSTALK 00:04:29]

ALICIA MURRAY: Yes.

PATRICK CASALE: I always [INDISCERNIBLE 00:04:31] from New York, I don't know, maybe it’s the combination of [CROSSTALK 00:04:34].

ALICIA MURRAY: It's true. One leads to the other. And so, actually, in December of 2019, I was ready to go, but I was like, "Christmas holidays. Like, this probably isn't great." So, January of 2020 is when I launched. And I would be remiss not to mention that all through 2019 was all of the people around me saying virtual therapy is never going to work. Nobody is ever going to want virtual therapy. Like, the efficacy isn't there compared to in-person therapy. 

And at the time, I was working at the VA, which actually was kind of like the forerunner for, like, the research of the efficacy of online therapy, because of, you know, the vets in the rural settings, etc., etc.

And so, I thank goodness, stood firmly in that. And I was like, “No, I want to work virtually and like, I know that I can still provide really quality therapy in this way.” So, fast forward to, I started in January, March, shits on fire. And April, I had people coming to me being like, "So, how do you do this online therapy thing?" And like, of course, I told them, but I had moments of like, "Where were you a year ago?" You know? I was, like, wading through the mud to, like, get to this point of, not that I needed to be accepted in what I was doing, because I did feel so strongly about it, but it's hard to receive that kind of feedback, if you will.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, you need that, like, almost validation moment, right? Of, like, [INDISCERNIBLE 00:06:05]. And so, one thing you said, like, you were at the VA. So, a lot of therapists listening, you might think of the VA is like the pinnacle of mental health [PH 00:06:17] guy. Like, "Oh, my God, I got this federal job and these federal benefits." And we don't even need to talk about what's happening to federal jobs right now, fast forward to 2025. But I know a lot of people who had to really struggle with that decision of, do I leave this security and safety behind, right?

And I was in community mental health for a couple of years, in crisis environments constantly. And I remember feeling very similarly and we didn't even have benefits. Like, our benefits were awful, and it was still such a hard decision. And I joke about it on here sometimes that I did write my resignation letter like seven to 10 different times, and I would just like, delete it, not send.

ALICIA MURRAY: Oh, my gosh.

PATRICK CASALE: Talk myself out of it. You know, you're always looking for like that last straw moment, in a way, and…

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, what was yours?

PATRICK CASALE: Oh, my God. So, I worked in two startups in community mental health, both as a program, like clinical program manager and operations manager. So, I had a lot to do with getting these programs off the ground, and 60-70-hour weeks, being on call all the time, all the things that we always talk about.

But like, the last straw for me was our company, which is a community mental health agency here in western North Carolina, used to notoriously, like, take pride in the fact that they didn't do raises. And they would, like, gleefully, like, stand firm with their whole chest. Like, "Yeah, we just don't do that here." And it never made any sense to me. So, we get this, like, company email one day that's like, "Hey, we have some extra money, and we're finally going to do raises based on performance, and this is going to be based on your like, 90-day evaluations." And whatever.

So, I see my staff all celebrating in the break room. Like, several of them just got like, $1,000 raises and bonuses, and I don't see anything in my bank account. And I email HR, I'm like, "What's up?" And they said, "Well, your department didn't get raises because it's new, and because, like, we don't have the funding." And I'm like, "Well, no, that's not true. All of my staff is, like, celebrating that right now."

"Well, you switched from another startup, so we didn't have a 90-day evaluation for you to base your merit off of. So, we have to give you, like, an average ranking, which doesn't qualify for a raise." And I was like, "Wait, what? You promoted me twice in like, to these positions. Like, I don't understand."

So, the whole, like, make it make sense thing, which it clearly never does. So, I walked in and, like, I wrote a 90-day notice. I was like, yeah, my team, my job, my coworkers, they all need me [INDISCERNIBLE 00:08:54]. So, like, dead man walking majorly. And then, I cut that notice short to, like, 40 days, or 30 days, or something, after I trained my replacement.

And I remember having lunch with my program manager at the time, and she was a friend, and she was like, "You're not going to make it on your own, because no one does, and you'll be back here in 30 days." And I use that [CROSSTALK 00:09:17]-

ALICIA MURRAY: [CROSSTALK 00:09:17].

PATRICK CASALE: …every day since then. And it was just like, wow. Like, this is why we struggle so much in this profession, where we struggle so much with our own projection, jealousy, resentment, insecurity, scarcity, etc., and coupled with, like, having very little business experience or knowledge or information, because I don't know about you, but our grad school never talked about private practice, and if they did, it was like-

ALICIA MURRAY: Never.

PATRICK CASALE: …a pipe dream. And you only do that once you [INDISCERNIBLE 00:09:48] so badly that you have finally made it head in this profession. And it was just like, what the fuck?

ALICIA MURRAY: Exactly like, don't love this sort of like train that we're on in this moment.

PATRICK CASALE: Not at all, not at all. So, you know, like, wow, that self-doubt in those moments is real. So, you leave the VA, it's a global pandemic, and you're kind of like, "I'm going virtual." And then, people are lining up knocking at the door, like, "Hey, how did you do this thing?"

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, yeah. Because, and I think that even people that were successful in person now all of a sudden, I mean, virtual and in person therapy, while it is so similar, like, there are different systems that you have to have in place, and, like, again, with a Type A personality, like, you got to color your ass in, you know, various different ways, because now we're, you know, kind of leaning on technology, which fails at times.

And so, there is like different systems to get set up with, and people that were always in person, even like paper charting, still they're like, "What are we doing? How are we doing this?" And like I said, of course, I helped, but there was moments of like, "Ooh, does it feel great?” But, you know, we persevere.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, I remember like when I started All Things Private Practice, back in the day, it was because I was helping people in Western Carolina start their practices for like, lunch and for coffee. And people would always say like-

ALICIA MURRAY: Same, that's so funny.

PATRICK CASALE: "You should do this for a living." And I would say, "Who the hell is going to hire me to do this thing?"

ALICIA MURRAY: Yes.

PATRICK CASALE: And also, like, you know, Allison Puryear, who's a friend and colleague, is here, and she runs Abundance Practice Building. And I'm like, "Why would anyone hire me if they could hire her?" So, self-doubt is like sprinkled throughout all of these journeys and stories, and I always look back on it and just laugh because audiences are so different, right? Like, no offense to Allison, but I'm not going to ever be the person on Tiktok or Instagram dancing. Like, that's not going to be me. I'm going to curse a lot. People are going to tell me how bad, you know, what I talk about. So, like, we attract and repel based on how we show up and what we put out there too.

ALICIA MURRAY: Absolutely, it's so funny you say that, because absolutely the same. And I always think about Allison and her wig skits, and I'm like, first of all, petition to bring back the wig skits. And second of all, yeah, that will never be me. Like, I don't have that in me to show up, you know, that way to get my messaging across that like the world needs, like, you know, all of our different approaches.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely, and I think when you're in it, right? Whether you're starting your practice initially, or you're starting your coaching business, or in consulting business, or you're just pursuing that goal, you mentioned in your bio, like, or in your form, like, how lonely it felt, how often it felt like disconnecting from the community. And I can totally relate. And I think a lot of people can. And if we only just talked about it more publicly, like to normalize the fear, and the failure, and the self-doubt, because it's a total normal, typical part of the entrepreneurial journey.

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, and, you know, it's such a double-edged sword, because I really try in my content to not, like, glamorize private practice, because while I do think it's glamorous in a lot of ways, like I have definitely fucked up. Like, you know, it's been over five years now. Like, there's been instances where, like, I've definitely made a mistake.

PATRICK CASALE: [CROSSTALK 00:13:20] to mind. Like, what immediately jumps out.

ALICIA MURRAY: I was very behind on my progress notes. Like, six months behind on my progress notes.

PATRICK CASALE: I'm sure a lot of you listening are like, "Yeah, me too."

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah. So, it was just like a really, I was pregnant with my second and I had undiagnosed cholestasis, which is essentially like liver failure from pregnancy. And I was just like, nauseous, throwing up like every single… I was barely making it to sessions. I was canceling them all the time. So, like, you know, I had no spoons at the end of the day. Like, and one day led to another day led to another day. And then, I had the baby. And I looked back at my notes, and I was like, "Oh, that's something."

PATRICK CASALE: I mean, I would give you a pass on that, because anyone who's dealing with significant like health and mental health stuff simultaneously, it's a lot, because I think people listening could be like, it's so easy though, like you just type the note in at the end of the session, or you concurrent documentation. And I just know so many people whose executive functioning just really struggles to get this, like, stuff done, and it builds and it's tedious, and like, who the fuck likes doing progress notes anyway? Like, I understand the point of that, but like, who the hell likes doing this stuff? And I think a lot of people find themselves in similar situations and experience a lot of shame about it too.

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, and I have so much compassion for people that have, like, ongoing, you know, like executive functioning, or, you know, like chronic conditions, because it was like once that 50 minutes hit, like I felt like I was like crawling, like, away from my desk. Like, it's something, but whenever I shared about that on my platforms, because, like, again, like, I'm trying to, like, normalize it and, like, reduce people's shame, like, I get [INDISCERNIBLE 00:15:12] the messages, a very small percentage. Like, maybe three to 5% of like, the comments and the messages. But you know, like, we're human. And those like, tend to stick a little harder.

And then, I have those moments of like, well, I'm secure and like, fine, with like, I recovered. The notes are done. Like, we're good. But people reading these comments like, maybe they're in the thick of this and like that stinks for them to have to read being like, how are you a therapist? You're going to be audited? You're going to lose all your income? You don't deserve to have an income. [CROSSTALK 00:15:45]-

PATRICK CASALE: [CROSSTALK 00:15:46] were saying these things, right?

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: [CROSSTALK 00:15:50] yeah, it's wild. It's so wild. I have had my Facebook group, All Things Private Practice shut down since March of last year, so 2024 and I will never reopen it. And my marketing person is, like, "You have 15,000 people in there. It's very active community. You need to reopen it." I'm like, "I'm not doing it." Because moderating therapy comments and from therapists is like the fucking wild west. Like, the things people say, it baffles my mind, where I am just like, how did we get here as a profession? It's so scary to me, sometimes.

ALICIA MURRAY: I give you a lot of credit. I have been in your group for a long time. Like, I want to say since, like, community mental health days.

PATRICK CASALE: Oh, really?

ALICIA MURRAY: And, yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: I'm so glad you [INDISCERNIBLE 00:16:37] until now.

ALICIA MURRAY: Well, I don't talk in those groups because I'm petrified, you know? Especially, starting out like, I loved, like, reading, and watching, and all of those things. But, yeah, no, you couldn't catch me dead talking in those groups during that time. But it's the moderation is just like…

PATRICK CASALE: It's exhausting.

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah.

PATRICK CASALE: And if you try to set boundaries, right? Like, I'm like, okay, I want to put my phone in a different room, starting at like, 6:00 PM, and like, I want to cut off from being responsive, because I have a problem with being overly responsive. And I would wake up with, like, almost like dread, because I would not want to open the app and see any potential like, moderation alerts that I needed to respond to, or fighting with each other on the West Coast, or whatever is happening overnight. And I was like, “I can't do this anymore.” This has been four years of my life, and every time I've gone to like, resume it, I just find myself like postponing it as far as it can go, as far as Facebook will allow me to do it. So, I'm like, "This is probably a sign that this has come to an end for me.”

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, which is, like, they can be such, like, a great resource if used appropriately, but like they're so rare, that, like the community, because it's not the moderators, it's the community, it's the people in it are able to use it appropriately.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. And I think for all of you listening, who maybe you have a group that's ongoing, have wanted to start one. Like, at first, when you do set the tone and the culture feels good and you feel really engaged, it feels great. Like, I loved it at first. I felt like, "Man, this is so cool, like we're doing things so differently. Everyone feels like in sync." 

And as the group gets bigger and bigger and bigger, it becomes so much harder to moderate and maintain the culture. And then it becomes like, burdensome, and it burns you out, and in reality, like what I should have done, and for those of you listening, I recommend taking more routine, like, pauses and breaks instead of, like, keeping it open at all times.

And towards the end, I started pausing it during retreats when I was traveling internationally, because I just don't want to be thinking about this while I'm gone. And then, ultimately, like, not having it open for the last year and a half has felt really relieving and really free.

ALICIA MURRAY: Well, I love that for you.

PATRICK CASALE: I mean, yeah, it's lost me a lot of money. But like, I think the reality is you have to anchor into whatever your values are in terms of your business journey. And that's important, right? Like when you started out and you left the VA, I imagine like your business trajectory, and I can't say for sure, and you can tell me if I'm wrong. But did you ever think like you leave the VA and grad school, you start a private practice, which leads to a group practice. You have an Instagram account that has 40 plus thousand people that are… Like, did you ever think that's a thing?

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, no, that was never the plan. Like private practice was on. Like, I had, like, you know, the classic like note section of, like, vision board and private practice was, like, always on there. But like, the VA, like you said, how it's like the pinnacle of, like, being a mental health worker, like it felt more like attainable and it felt more sustainable, which is like such a joke, because it was really neither of those things.

And so, I think the disdain with and, like the disappointment, really, because I remember even my best friend when I was like, "I hate this job." She's like, "Oh fuck. Like, you've been at this to get this job, and like, oh boy." And so, that really pushed me into the private practice. And, you know, being able to create it. I think that's why I also was so painstaking about creating it, because I knew I wanted a family and I wanted it to align with, like, my schedule and my life, and like, the changing seasons of life. Like, being an agency, work and community mental health, it's like, this is your role, and these are your hours, and this is your pay, and like, that's it.

And it's like, I don't think that's going to work for me forever. Like, things change so consistently through life, and like, I want this thing that's going to change along with me. And then, you know, that's where the group practice was born, and that's where the consulting was born, and the social media was born. And it's been, you know, a lot of work, but it's work that I really enjoy. So, I think that helps a lot.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, that's really well said and I can totally relate. I think that following that passion and figuring out where the values are driving you, and like that changes, and giving yourself permission to pivot, adapt, change, and potentially even say, like this no longer serves me in this stage or season of life. And that's the beauty of being a small business owner. I think that's like worth all of the struggle, and heartache, and like stress is the ability to have creative freedom, and autonomy, and control. And for me, I always say that, like, the worst day as a small business owner is a million times better than the best day in my agency job.

ALICIA MURRAY: 100%.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, I would never go back.

ALICIA MURRAY: 100%. And that really goes to show just how, you know, bad those days got. It was dark.

PATRICK CASALE: You know it was dark, for sure. And I had so much self-doubt at the time when I left. I kept telling myself, like, okay, if this doesn't work in private practice, like I can always go back, just like my manager said, like I can always go back. And one of my friends was like, "No, you never go back. Like you have to set that precedent for yourself that you will literally do anything else. Like, go back to bartending, go drive for Uber, go do anything else. Because if you allow that to be that, like, door that's kind of left cracked open, you're never going to fully invest yourself or submerse yourself in the stages of practice building, which, at first, it does take an enormous amount of energy, like networking, and content creation, and just getting a rhythm down and figuring out your own policies, and procedures, and like, dealing with the self-doubt that creeps up every time a client cancels on your no shows you, and then, like everything that comes with it. So, it does take a couple of years to really get, like, comfortable with the uncomfortable and getting comfortable looking at your calendar and seeing all this blank space when you're like, "I'm supposed to fill this."

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, yeah. Very intimidating. That's so funny, because I felt so similarly about like, "Okay, I'm not going to burn any bridges, like leaving." Like, deep down I want to, like, you know, set shit on fire, but like, I'm not going to, like, you know, we got to, like, maintain these relationships, just in case, like, just in case this doesn't work out. And just in case I need to come back and, you know, then I think it was, like, maybe two years in, I was like, "Oh, I'll never have to go back. Like, however, I need to, like, make this work. And, you know, continue making the income that I need. Like, I'm never going to go back."

And like, I can only hope that like, people stick it out long enough to get to that point where it's like, oh no, you don't have to go back. Like, you don't have to go back to the toxicity, and the politics, and the workloads, and the caseloads, and the lack of pay, and working multiple jobs on top of this really toxic job. You don't have to go back to that.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, absolutely. I think people need to hear that over and over and over again, especially, for those of you who are just starting out or starting to think about making that decision and taking that leap. I think it's an important message to hear.

Because I want to give you time to talk about your platform that you've created and the why and what it does. Do you want to talk about therapy or Therapist HQ?

ALICIA MURRAY: Sure. So, very similarly to you, it was born out of sitting down for coffee and going through the checklist in my phone that I've had about starting a practice, and multiple really, really good friends and colleagues being like, "Please, let me pay you." And I'm like, "No, the coffee's great." Like, that's like a great coffee.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. So, sorry all of you who I've charge since then. Thanks for that.

ALICIA MURRAY: Exactly. And yeah, being like, you need to be, like, doing this. And one of, like, the best… Like, I don't think she meant it to be such a high compliment, but she was, like, "The way you explain it just makes it sound so easy be, because I was so intimidated by this business aspect. Like, we're therapists, we're not business owners. Like, literally, what the fuck is like a DBA?" Like, you know?

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, yeah. And DBA, MPI, all the acronyms are so confusing and they're so easy. Like, it's so confusing and it's so easy, it's weird.

ALICIA MURRAY: Exactly. And I remember the first year I was like, "I just don't want to commit a crime. I don't want to go to jail." Like…

PATRICK CASALE: Sure.

ALICIA MURRAY: So, yes, that was such a high compliment. And so, I kind of took that part of it. And really, when I was creating my initial guide, so therapist guide to building your business, which is like my step-by-step guide to start up, the copy in it, I didn't want to hire anyone for it, because I wanted it to be like my voice. And I wanted it to be like you were just sitting down having a conversation with me. And I'm very fortunate, the feedback that I've gotten is like, it feels like I'm just chit chatting with you as you're explaining what felt like very intimidating and intricate business steps, and processes, and things like that. And I also really focus on, like, the goals and values of it. There's like, a whole value section in the beginning of the workbook to really get clear about our values.

I think even as therapists like we can kind of like, lose the plot sometimes as to what is important to us. And like, where do we want to spend our time? And I want to make sure people know that going into it, because I remember in my group, one of my therapists wanted to do sessions at 6:00 AM because that worked for her. And I was like, "Hell yeah. Like, we'll fill those spots." And so, I use that example of, like, if it's important to you to, like, go to your 7:00 AM workout class, like, okay, like, we're going to fill your schedule outside of that. If it's important to you to take a four-hour lunch break. Like, cool, like, we'll make your schedule around that. So, the values part is also really important for me to work with people I make sure that we're recruiting in that category.

So, yeah, I did that workbook, and then I made it into an eight-week course with weekly consultation groups with me. Now we have a paid community where we do trainings, and resource libraries, and consultations, and a discussion board, which is a very lovely place to be, because everybody has buy in, literally, and so it's a very encouraging, lovely, lovely community. Yeah, so that's where we are today. I don't know how I got here sometimes, but we're here.

PATRICK CASALE: I think about that constantly. And congrats on that, because it sounds like-

ALICIA MURRAY: Thank you.

PATRICK CASALE: …an amazing journey. And I imagine, because you seem we have similar personalities, I assume, like, maybe this is not the end point, like, and sometimes the end point feels like the end point in the moment. Right? And then, the kind of interests change, and the goalposts move a bit, because, like, I remember being like, private practice is the end goal. That's all I know. Then it was like, private practice is boring to me now, and I got really good at it, and so now I need to do something else with my energy. And then, it was like, think coaching is the end point. And then, it was like starting a group practice, and then starting a podcast, and then hosting retreats, and then, like, who the hell knows where it goes from here? 

And that's what I've really liked, is like allowing myself to say those things more often of like, who knows what happens next in the next season of life and where, like, my interests will be. And I think that's why you were mentioning values, is like anchoring into your why is so important every time you reevaluate and reassess, like, is this bringing me joy? Is it lighting me up? What is taking energy from me? Where do I want to spend my energy going forward?

And I think as business owners, especially, as private practice owners, we don't do that enough where we're just kind of like in our business, instead of zooming out and working on our business, we're working in it way too often and allowing the business to kind of dictate and control. And I really like having those planning sessions where I'm just like, "Okay, let's take a like, look at everything that you're doing. Are these still things that serve you? Are these still things that feel aligned?" And some of those have fallen off. Like, I used to do a lot of individual coaching, I realized how much I hated it, that's gone. I used to do like, four and six month programs about Taking the Leap, and starting practice, and getting really authentic with content creation, that's gone.

I'm working on, like a Beyond Private Practice to help diversify income streams more so for, like, all the things that I've done over the last five years. But in reality, I'm like, I don't know when that will end. You know, it's just one of those things where I've just given myself permission to consistently evolve, pivot, and adapt. And I think that freedom to do so has been really, really, really incredible, and also really remarkably beautiful in a lot of ways.

ALICIA MURRAY: Yeah, absolutely, I would, like forever die on the hill that, like, we are better therapists when, like, our cup runneth over, if you will, because, like, the work that we do is hard, and showing up for our clients every day, like, is hard, even if we're really good at it, even if we have the best self-care in the whole entire world. I think that having that contentment and that neutrality, at the very least, about our business, and the way that we're scheduling and how our days are flowing is so necessary to, like, continue in this line of work. Like, I'm all about, like, sustainability and longevity, because this is our career. Like, you know, got to pay the bills, got to keep the lights on. And so, like, how do we get to that place where this is sustainable and we have that longevity without, like, selling our soul for it.

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely. Well said, Well, I really appreciate you coming on here and making the time. I think I'm coming to-

ALICIA MURRAY: Thank you.

PATRICK CASALE: …your community in a couple of weeks to talk about retreats. So, that's exciting. 

ALICIA MURRAY: Yes, you are.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. So, tell the audience where they can find you, and you know, if they want to sign up for any of the things that you're doing. And we'll also link this in the show notes for everyone listening, so that have easy access to everything that Alicia is offering right now.

ALICIA MURRAY: Sure, so you can find The Therapist HQ across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Spotify, and then everything is linked in those bios for the courses, the community, some free resources, things like that.

PATRICK CASALE: Sweet. Well, thank you for that. And again, we'll have that linked. And thank you so much for coming on and making the time. 

ALICIA MURRAY: Thanks for having me. 

PATRICK CASALE: To everyone listening to the All Things Private Practice Podcast, new episodes are out on Saturdays on all major platforms and YouTube. You can like, download, subscribe, and share. Still have some space in our Beyond Private Practice New Zealand retreat for March of 2026. If you want to sign up, my links are in my website, allthingspractice.com. Doubt yourself, do it anyway. And we'll see you next week.