Hosted by Dr. Leah Clionsky, The Worth It Practice Podcast is where clinical wisdom meets fearless business strategy - built specifically for psychologists who want to run thriving private-pay practices and grow their group practice with purpose.
Dr. Clionsky built a seven-figure, self-pay practice by believing one simple thing: I can learn anything - and so can you. Each week, she shares real lessons from her decade in the field - the wins, the missteps, and the mindset shifts that come from learning to think like a true therapist entrepreneur without losing your clinical edge.
Designed with psychologists in mind, this isn’t business therapy or surface-level marketing advice. It’s about building a mental health business that actually works - with practice management systems, pricing models, and leadership strategies rooted in evidence, ethics, and the same curiosity that drives great clinical work.
If you’re ready to approach your practice with clarity instead of confusion, business strategy instead of hustle, and confidence instead of doubt, you’re in the right place. Because scaling your practice isn’t magic - it’s learnable. And it’s Worth It.
CONNECT WITH DR. LEAH CLIONSKY:
Join the Worth It newsletter: https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/newsletter
Watch on YouTube: YouTube: https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/youtube
If you're interested in working with me, please reach out to my direct email at hello@worthitpractice.com or schedule a 20-minute free consultation meeting to see if I would be the best fit for your needs using this link!: https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/schedule
If You Were My Consulting Client, Here’s How We’d Think Through a Scary Decision
Watch this episode on YouTube! (https://youtu.be/5Hds9Pu6FOo)
Business is a gamble. I’m constantly making investments, trying new strategies, and taking risks in my own practice. And as a consulting client, you’d probably come to me at some point and say, “Leah, I’m scared. What if this decision doesn’t work?”
I wouldn’t tell you not to do it. But I also wouldn’t tell you everything will magically work out.
Instead, I’d walk you through the same business decision-making framework I use myself.
In this episode, I’m sharing the risk management process I use when I’m facing a scary decision – and the questions I ask when someone I’m working with needs help deciding whether a risk is actually worth taking.
I talk about:
Why your risk management process should include running the real numbers
Why a strong CEO mindset doesn’t mean assuming everything will work out
How better business decision-making can help you trust yourself instead of constantly looking for reassurance
I’ve made decisions that worked incredibly well, and I’ve made decisions that cost me money. That’s part of business. Developing a CEO mindset means accepting that uncertainty while still making thoughtful, informed choices.
And that’s ultimately what I want for every consulting client I work with. I don’t want you dependent on me to make every decision. I want to help you develop your own risk management process so you can evaluate opportunities and decide what makes sense for your business.
Strong business decision-making isn’t about eliminating risk. A CEO mindset isn’t about becoming fearless, either. It’s about understanding the risk you’re taking, what you stand to gain, what you could lose, and what you’ll do if things start going wrong.
Whether you’re currently a consulting client or simply wish you could bring your scary business decision into a session with me, this episode gives you the framework I’d use to help you think it through.
LET’S CONNECT:
Here’s where to connect with me!
Join the Worth It newsletter! (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/newsletter)
Watch on Youtube (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/youtube)
Free SEO Audit Tool (https://psychologist-practice-consulting.kit.com/3f6978a89a)
Have a question or topic you want me to cover on the show? Tell me here! (https://forms.clickup.com/25789131/f/rk0pb-16251/2PO40R6CM73O5TLFJC)
If you're interested in working with me, please reach out to my direct email at hello@worthitpractice.com or schedule a 20-minute free consultation. (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/schedule)
Listen to The Educated Parent Podcast (https://educated-parent.captivate.fm/listen)
My practices:
Thriving Child Center (http://www.thrivingchildcenter.com/)
PCIT Experts (https://www.pcitexperts.com/)
29 Sept 2026
Why My Group Practice Has Always Been Profitable
Watch this episode on YouTube! (https://youtu.be/jhQTqpE9v3g)
I’ve heard practice owners say it’s impossible to make money in mental health or that you can’t be profitable until your group practice reaches a certain size. That hasn’t been my experience.
Over 10 years of practice ownership, I’ve maintained business profit at every stage of Thriving Child Center, from seeing clients on Saturdays while working full-time to running a multi-seven-figure group practice today.
In this episode, I’m walking you through how I did it and the practice management decisions that helped me protect profitability as I grew.
I talk about:
The important difference between revenue and business profit
How I knew when it was finally time to invest in admin support
Why your expenses need to grow intentionally as you scale your business
Why practice ownership should financially compensate you for the risk and responsibility you take on
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about practice management is that growth is a balancing act. Delegate too early, and you can take on expenses your practice can’t comfortably support. Wait too long, and you can become overwhelmed and turn yourself into the bottleneck.
If you want to scale your business, don’t get distracted by impressive revenue numbers. Your practice can bring in a lot of money while leaving very little for you to actually take home.
For me, protecting business profit has meant knowing when to invest, when to keep doing the work myself, and when the practice was financially ready for the next stage of growth.
Good practice management isn’t about growing as quickly as possible. And successful practice ownership isn’t about earning the biggest revenue number you can advertise. The goal is to scale your business in a way that allows the practice, and you, to remain financially healthy.
LET’S CONNECT:
Join the Worth It newsletter! (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/newsletter)
Watch on Youtube (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/youtube)
Free SEO Audit Tool (https://psychologist-practice-consulting.kit.com/3f6978a89a)
Have a question or topic you want me to cover on the show? Tell me here! (https://forms.clickup.com/25789131/f/rk0pb-16251/2PO40R6CM73O5TLFJC)
If you're interested in working with me, please reach out to my direct email at hello@worthitpractice.com or schedule a 20-minute free consultation. (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/schedule)
Listen to The Educated Parent Podcast (https://educated-parent.captivate.fm/listen)
My practices:
Thriving Child Center (http://www.thrivingchildcenter.com/)
PCIT Experts (https://www.pcitexperts.com/)
22 Sept 2026
The Truth About the "Soft Life" in Private Practice
Watch this episode on YouTube! (https://youtu.be/b-6AKzbSVmU)
There’s a version of private practice ownership we see all over social media: set up your systems, make money while you sleep, and run your business from a beach somewhere. But that’s not the full reality of practice management at least not all the time.
I’m recording this episode on Labor Day because I’m currently in a season of growth and working harder than I normally do. And I want to talk about why that doesn’t automatically mean something has gone wrong.
In this episode, I’m sharing what I think good healthcare practice management actually looks like when you account for the natural seasons of business ownership. Sometimes you’re building, growing, or solving a problem, and that requires more of you. Other times, your systems are established and you can step back. Knowing the difference is an important part of avoiding entrepreneur burnout.
I talk about:
How I think about growth seasons versus periods of stability
Why sustainable practice management requires knowing when you’re sprinting and when you’re running a marathon
How healthcare practice management changes as your team and systems grow
The therapist resources and support that can help when you can’t see a path out of constant hustle
There’s nothing inherently wrong with working hard when you know what you’re working toward. The bigger concern for entrepreneur burnout is when the hustle never ends, and you can’t identify what needs to happen for things to ease up.
Good practice management isn’t about avoiding hard work entirely. And good healthcare practice management isn’t about building a business you never have to touch again. It’s about creating something sustainable enough that intense seasons can eventually give way to easier ones.
If you’re in a growth season right now, the right therapist resources can help you determine whether you’re experiencing a temporary sprint or whether something in your business needs to change. Entrepreneur burnout shouldn’t be your permanent operating model, but working hard for a season doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing it wrong.
Use the therapist resources available to you, be realistic about the season you’re in, and keep building toward a practice that can eventually give you more space.
LET’S CONNECT:
Here’s where to connect with me!
Join the Worth It newsletter! (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/newsletter)
Watch on Youtube (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/youtube)
Free SEO Audit Tool (https://psychologist-practice-consulting.kit.com/3f6978a89a)
Have a question or topic you want me to cover on the show? Tell me here! (https://forms.clickup.com/25789131/f/rk0pb-16251/2PO40R6CM73O5TLFJC)
If you're interested in working with me, please reach out to my direct email at hello@worthitpractice.com or schedule a 20-minute free consultation. (https://worth-it-practice.captivate.fm/schedule)
Listen to The Educated Parent Podcast (https://educated-parent.captivate.fm/listen)
My practices:
Thriving Child Center (http://www.thrivingchildcenter.com/)
PCIT Experts (https://www.pcitexperts.com/)
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