Badass Therapists Building Practices That Thrive
Welcome to Badass Therapists Building Practices That Thrive, the ultimate resource for mental health professionals ready to step into their power, grow their practices, and create a career they love. I'm Dr. Kate Walker, a Texas LPC/LMFT Supervisor, author, and business strategist who's here to show you the path to success.
Formerly Texas Counselors Creating Badass Businesses, we’ve rebranded because, well, we’re way too big for Texas now! This community of badass therapists is growing nationwide, and we’re here to help you create a career and practice you love, no matter where you are.
Every week, you'll get practical advice, proven strategies, and motivation to help you build a thriving practice—one that gives you the freedom to live your life on your terms. From mastering marketing to designing scalable systems and becoming a clinical supervisor, this podcast is your roadmap to leveling up without burnout.
Hit subscribe and get ready to unlock your badass potential. Your thriving practice starts now!
Badass Therapists Building Practices That Thrive
169 Stop Winging It: Build Practice Systems That Actually Scale
If you want 2026 to feel different, your systems have to change — not your personality, not your caffeine intake. In this episode, I’m walking you through the practice systems that actually save time, reduce chaos, and keep you out of that constant “I’ll fix it later” mode.
I break down what a system really is, why most private practice owners don’t realize what’s broken, and how overwhelm usually shows up right when your practice starts growing. Whether you’re brand new or already busy, this episode helps you build a foundation that can scale without burning you out.
We focus on the three core systems every practice needs from day one: how potential clients become real clients, how you communicate in a way that’s ethical and sustainable, and how money moves through your business without stress or confusion.
In this episode, I cover:
- How to design a “potential client to client” system that reduces friction and increases show-ups
- Why your communication system has to be HIPAA-compliant and fit your nervous system
- How to build a money exchange system before your first client ever walks in
- The difference between “shiny” marketing and “sticky” systems that actually convert
If your practice feels reactive, scattered, or harder than it needs to be, this episode will help you rebuild your systems so your business can support you, not drain you.
If you want ongoing CE credit, leadership support, and real-world training you can actually apply, the Step It Up Membership is where this work deepens over time.
Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.
We're a counselor, and all of a sudden it gets to the end of the session and we put on our banker hat because we got to save money. And if they don't have the money, then we have to be like, okay, where's the money? When are you going to pay the money? I don't do invoices. I don't know if I'm going to schedule you. I mean, all of these things that are not counseling related. So having from the very beginning, before your practice even opens, having a system where your money exchange process goes smoothly, that's number one. If you want 2026 to feel different, your systems have to change. Not your personality, not your caffeine intake. Today we're mapping out the practice systems that actually save time, reduce chaos, and keep you out of that reactive I'll fix it later mode that steals your evenings. Before we jump in, make sure you download this month's free bonus. It's at KateWalkertraining.com/slash bonus. It's the perfect way to refresh your forms, your policies, and onboarding before this year gets away from you. Now let's get to work. Hey, I'm Dr. Kate Walker. Welcome to your coaching. We start with a little spiel, which is what I'm going to do right now. And I had to wear my Texas shirts. Big week, big week here in Texas. You know, you know. So what we're going to get going on today in the step it up membership, we're going to be talking about getting our practices ready for Q1. And so talking about systems today to get ready for 2026. And I wanted to, you know, I started flushing this out. And I thought, you know what? I'm going to start really, really basic with what is a system. And a system is just basically anything you do. I mean, like you get up in the morning, you've got a system. You're going to take care of business, you're going to brush your teeth, you're going to wash your face, you're going to go do the things. That's a system. You have a system for paying bills. You have a system for getting a babysitter before you go on a date night with your partner. Everybody has systems. Now, some systems work better than others. And so that's when I think practice owners, especially solo practice owners, you get really overwhelmed because you can't really put your finger on what's broken. So I wanted to start today with just real basic systems that you can go through. So let's talk about then also scaling. I remember when I started out in business, I didn't really understand what scaling was because I think as a counselor, I thought, well, you know, I've got my 20 clients a week. This is it. I can't handle anymore. But going from zero to five to 10 to 15 to 20 clients, if that's you, you know that's overwhelming. Like your system of answering every phone call may not be sustainable when you have 20 clients. Or when you get 20 clients and you got a 10-person waiting list and you bring on your first associate, now you're a group practice. So definitely you doing all the things, that system is not scalable. So I always talk in terms of systems and scaling, because even if you're not there yet, you're going to be. And it's going to happen fast. And that's when the overwhelm hits. So again, for me, it's usually my birthday month in December. And I always like think, okay, I just want to do nothing. Like for my birthday week. So I'm like a maniac, you know, between like September and December, just like, okay, it's like iron in a flat sheet. You know, I'm just like, okay, there's another wrinkle, there's another wrinkle. And one of the things I almost always do as a deconstructor, reconstructor, I did that when I was a kid. I clean my room by like taking everything out and then I'd put it all back. I'm going through my systems as well. So, what systems do you need? Well, if you are brand new, you're going to be surprised. You need to have a potential client-to-client system. You need to have a money exchange system, and you need to have a communication system. I didn't say marketing, right? Marketing will come and you will need to have a marketing system, especially if you want to grow. But at first, you just have to get the basics down. I was at the Texas Counseling Association Professional Growth Conference doing a big six-hour pre-conference workshop. And one of the things we talked about is we take on this dual role, right? We're a counselor and all of a sudden it gets to the end of the session and we put on our banker hat because we got to save money, right? And if they don't have the money, then we have to be like, okay, where's the money? When are you going to pay the money? I don't do invoices. I don't know if I'm going to schedule you. I mean, all of these things that are not counseling related. So having from the very beginning, before your practice even opens, having a system where your money exchange process goes smoothly, that's number one. Potential client to client. Well, if you have been in my circles at all, you know how I preach the 10-minute consultation. The 10-minute consultation is a literal 10-minute consultation with a potential client that helps them understand what you have to offer so they can decide if they want to become your actual client or a raving fan of your practice. There's no in-between. That 10-minute consultation will convert them into a client or into a raving fan. So you've got that system right now. If you're a step it up member, you have it in your profile. But it starts before that. I cannot tell you how many times I look at a website or I do an audit for somebody and I look at that first page. It's beautiful. The colors are beautiful. The about me is perfect. You've got your calls to action. You're talking about the client, not yourself. And then I see a phone number and an email and a contact form. And you're telling me you take Texi. And you know, I get that because we're like, well, if I have a bigger net, I'm going to catch more fish. Well, yeah, but I'm not a fisher person, but I'm pretty sure that they have to throw a lot of fish back and they'll accidentally catch a turtle or two, or there's a dolphin in there. It takes a lot of time if you don't have the right equipment or an efficient system for getting that potential client into your circle so that you connect with them. They like you, they know you, they trust you, and they book that first appointment. So remember, our key performance indicators are contacts, right? That's how many phone calls, how many text messages, how many emails, initial contacts, right? Just very, very raw data. Our second KPI is always going to be connections, right? You got the contact, but how long did it take you to connect with them? Did it take four rounds of email tag? Did it take four rounds of voicemail tag? Then our third KPI is booked first appointment. Like they made the appointment, you got the info, you sent them the paperwork. But then our fourth and most important KPI is did they show up? Did they make that first appointment? So as we're talking about systems today and throughout December, you need to have these numbers. You need to be tracking this data. Otherwise, you don't know if anything works. I'm reading a book right now called Measuring What Matters or Measure What Matters. And so many of us, we're very, very busy. We're very busy making TikTok dances, or we're very, very busy, you know, designing flyers in Canva that we're going to take to doctor's offices. We're so busy. But is it really moving the needle on those four KPIs? So we're going to be very, very cognizant of which things work, which things don't work. And then I'm going to challenge you on December 16th to cut the things that don't work. And when I say don't work, you know, our clients say, well, what you told me doesn't work. Well, maybe it's causing conflict, which they actually need to start doing, right? So it's not that it didn't work, it's just that it's uncomfortable. So I want to challenge you to start thinking about the things that you're just doing out of habit, or because, you know, you're an introvert, or because you, I don't know, you're not a tech person. And challenge yourself to develop a system that actually moves the needle on those four KPIs. That's how we're going to define if it's working. And remember, just because it increases your contacts doesn't mean it's going to result in a showing up first appointment. That's really, really important to understand. And that's why we'll talk about sticky versus shiny marketing, right? Shiny means, yeah, you got 14 million views. You had 14 million people come to your website because it was just so freaking awesome, but you only had five of those people actually click, or you only had four of those people actually fill out the form and send the email. Right. So just because you have a ton of visibility or super shiny doesn't mean they're sticking with you long enough to convert into an actual client. Quick break. If you've been meaning to clean up your paperwork for oh the past six months, here's your easy button for January. This month's free listener bonus is the paperwork power hour pack. And it includes an updated intake packet checklist, a clean 2026 ready soap note template, a social media policy you can drop straight into your client consent paperwork, and a mini onboarding checklist for new employees or contractors. It's everything you need to tighten up your systems without spending an entire weekend buried in forms. Grab it at KateWalkertraining.com/slash bonus and give your practice a smart start to the new year. So potential client to client. What it takes, let's say I'm a potential client, for me to find you, contact you, connect with you, book with you, and then either press the button for my camera to come on or find your office in the park, make my way through your office to your door and enter to receive a counseling session. I mean, I have seen some offices that are like mazes and no front office staff. And you may, you know, I've heard people say, Well, I give them a map. I'm like, okay, they were pissed off before they made the appointment. Think how they're gonna be by the time they actually get to your office, especially couples. So potential client to client, what is the system that you have right now? And I want you to think like a client. And which system do you enjoy? Right? Do you enjoy 15 voicemails in your inbox at the end of every day after you've had a wonderful day? You're patting yourself on the back because the sessions were so good. And then you're like, holy moly, I've got 25 missed calls and 10 voicemails. And you kind of know in the back of your head, these folks, they've already moved on to the people that they can actually connect with. But you know you have to return every single one, and you can't engage with your family or eat your dinner or go on your walk until you get these phone calls returned. Does that make you feel good? You can already tell how I feel. I hate voicemail. I think I'm gonna tell you right now, I'll be honest with you. I have 102 unanswered voicemails. That's real. Like I honestly, the only voicemails I answer are from my doctor's office. But I usually read the transcript first and don't listen to it. So the same thing with text messages. I could tell you how many text, I don't even bother with DMs and Facebook messages and things like that because it gives me anxiety. So for my potential clients, there is only one way to contact me. Now that brings us to communication, though, because that's marketing in a way, right? It's a system to get potential clients, turn them into actual clients, and make sure it's easy, but it's called reducing friction. We want to reduce the friction, but there has to be a means of actual communication. This is just your regular client. You've got your caseload, you're gonna engage with 15 to 20 people this week, and there needs to be some kind of a communication system, right? So think appointment reminder, think appointment confirmation, think uh appointment, hey, you missed it, and now I'm gonna charge you for your no-show. Or, hey, you're brand new and I need you to fill out this paperwork. That's just regular communication. That communication has to be HIPAA compliant because it's storing that protected health information, which is your client's name and email address. Now, again, I'm gonna tell you what you kind of know what stresses me out. I don't like texts, I don't like emails. And I found out early on, I didn't really care if my client was running late. I mean, it and I told them that. I would, I mean, this isn't a surprise to my client. I would say, look, if you're running late, you're running late. I'll be at the window, you know, the camera for 15 minutes. Or if I was still in an office, I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna be here all day. If you get here with 10 minutes left, you can have a 10-minute session. I can prorate it, and you know, we'll see you next time. But to have my phone going off or my Apple Watch going off, somebody saying, I'm running late. Okay, what am I gonna do? That doesn't do anything for me. So I nixed it, I got rid of that communication, and I went on and on and on with that. I only use my systems scheduling software. So now we're talking about these kind of robust software purchases you can make. Full slate. There's a HIPAA compliant version, it takes care of all of that existing client communication. We make the appointment, it sends a confirmation. A couple of days before, it sends a reminder. One day before, it sends a text message. I can even set it up so that after three months from their last appointment, it can send them a list of resources. Hey, we notice you haven't come in for your last uh, you haven't been in for a few months. We hope you're doing great. Here's some resources. We can program it so that after a year, it can send an email that says, hey, we haven't seen you in a year. We know that you're doing great. And we just wanted to remind you, because you and I, we understand the anniversary effect. We understand that when our clients come to see us at a particular time of year, that they may be experiencing that issue again the following year. And for those of us who have practices that aren't our name, they may say, Oh my gosh, what was the name of that counselor? I remember the name, but I can't remember their last name or their first name. I mean, pull your friends, ask your friends who've been to therapy in the past, say, Do you remember your therapist's name? I bet half of them don't. So the ability for your system to send a follow-up email. And, you know, with my system after 12 months, I don't think we can program it to send any more after 12 months. But when they come back in, the cycle starts over. So they have a few sessions, the system picks it up. Three months later, they send them this, a year later, they send them that. So the clients know that I'm going to be actively reaching out to see how they're doing. Now, I don't call that marketing, I call that care, but I guess you could think of it as marketing as well. So we've got potential client to client, what's your system? We've got just communication. How are you communicating with your client so that it's HIPAA compliant, it's ethical, and it doesn't drive you crazy. And I know you guys, some of you are just really, you don't want to be the one that misses their call, right? And I get that. I want to validate that. But I would just challenge you to take a look at these systems that may be driving you crazy. Finally, is the money exchange. If today is your first day seeing your very first client and they show up, you're going to have a banker hat. You're going to have to have put on your banker hat and receive money. This is not the time to be thinking, oh my gosh, did I set up my DBA? Do I have my business bank account? Am I separating my funds? Oh no, they gave me cash and I need to buy groceries on the way home. Oh, what am I going to do? That should all have been worked out before. And if you're a step it up member, you have all those resources. There's a course called Badass Basics. Jump in there. You can cherry pick what you want to look at. But we talk about setting up your business so you have a separate account. So when it's time to take that money, in that moment, you know where it's going. You know that it's going into a place where it's going to be accounted for as a business income, not an expense, an income. And it won't get mixed with your personal money. So you're pulling your hair out at the end of the year when you're trying to find all your write-offs and all your income. But the actual mechanics of are you going to hand them your phone and everybody and you're going to tap and then it's going to be on Venmo and you're not sure if you set your Venmo to private. Or are you going to use something like Ivy pay, Ivy like the plant, not the needle. And with that, it's another, it's very seamless. The client gets a text, they enter their own credit card information, and you don't have to worry about it. There are pros and cons because one of the things we talked about in the presentation last week, I have a colleague and I know several people who go through and run credit cards at the beginning of the day. You know, their philosophy is mine as well. Hey, day of, I've sold your time. It's gone, right? So I'm going to go ahead and run your credit card at the beginning of the day. And if you don't show up, well, too bad, because I mean, you bought the time. And after the 24 hour window, it's yours, whether you use it or not. So IV pay makes it a little difficult to do that. I mean, you can sit and charge people. So I don't know. I would need more information. It was easier for me to have their credit cards on file if I'm going to charge them. And of course, this doesn't ever solve the Problem is somebody's going to dispute the charge. That's a whole other podcast. That's a whole other training on what to do with disputed charges. You do have avenues though. So let's go back over what we covered. We talked about what is a system. I want to say one more thing about this. If you're ever curious about how to see or how to define your system, I would challenge you, especially Mac users. I think it's easier on Mac than it is on PC. Hit record your screen when you're doing just something very, very simple. You know, like uh designing a newsletter. Just hit record and then go about the newsletter, you know, and save that. And that can become your SOP because you've recorded it. It's something you could hand to somebody else and say, hey, this is my system for putting a newsletter together. And so think about that through your day, your system for making dinner, your system for inviting people to dinner. You're about to do Thanksgiving. Are you an attender or are you a provider? What is your system for getting all of that done? Or showing up at somebody's house and being a guest, right? We have a system for all these things, but it's just so unconscious, we don't think about it. And as a business owner, you don't have that luxury. You must make these systems out and about. So, what is a system? We talked about scaling. Scaling simply means if you are the only one answering the phone calls and emails and the texts, that may work when you have five or ten people, but not going to work when you have a bigger client load or you start to grow. We talked about what systems do you need starting off from potential client to actual client, the money exchange system, and a system to communicate with your clients that is HIPAA compliant, but is very caring, is very clear, and doesn't drive you crazy. So that's your base, that's your foundation. But we will continue to talk about marketing because I know that's a huge just a pile of spaghetti for so many of us. We're just like, well, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that, I'm gonna do this. And we will talk about that right from the very beginning. These systems for being shiny. So think SEO optimization, you know, search engines finding you, AI finding you. That's shiny. But then the sticky, that's building opt-ins, helping people uh stay with you, refer your site, refer your expertise, tell their neighbor, oh my gosh, I couldn't book with this person, but you've got to go to their website and see their video about infidelity or see their video about uh helping kindergartners on the first day of school. Before you head out, a quick reminder this month's free bonus for podcast listeners is the paperwork power hour pack. If you want your intake forms, soaked notes, and supervision paperwork to stop being the slowest part of your day, this bundle will get you there fast. You can grab it at KateWalker Training.com slash bonus. It's free for January and built to make your practice run smoother without adding more to your plate. Thanks for spending part of your week with me. I'll see you in the next episode. If you love today's episode, be sure to leave a five-star review. It helps other badass therapists find the show and build practices that thrive. Big thanks to Ridgley Walker for our original fun facts and podcast intro, and to Carl Dianella for editing this episode and making us sound amazing. See you next week.