Curt and Katie talk about how to successfully navigate the changes that occur during the summer when you’re in private practice. We look at how to plan for the whole year, sync your vacations with your clients, get business maintenance done during the summer, and make sure you’re incorporating your own self-care. It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age. In this episode we talk about: The change of pace that often happens when the summer hits The importance of taking a bird’s eye view of the full year, rather than focusing month to month How to set your fees to address the time off and missed sessions during the year Planning your vacation at the same time that your clients will be out The need to lead by example, showing self-care and boundaries How to take advantage of down times, so that you are ready for the uptick when the fall hits The types of assessments that you can do on your practice during the summer How to move away from panic, by planning financially for the full year The MTSG challenge: Catch up on your notes in July Setting yourself up for a more lucrative practice with increasing fees or cleaning up practices Taking vacations and getting your practice vacation ready Vacation coverage and helping your practice stay responsive during your vacation The joy of implementing your systems during the slower times (because it takes time) The possibility of having a better schedule when the summer ends – assessing and moving to an ideal schedule after moving people around during the summer Getting training during the summer, so you can actually implement it deliberately Re-evaluating your personal routines and self-care/self-maintenance Putting some effort into getting content (social media, blog posts, marketing, etc.) planned out and created Capitalizing on the creative time out of the office Evaluating your practice and your business planning Our Generous Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by SimplePractice. SimplePractice is a HIPAA compliant all in one practice management platform where you can schedule appointments, use paperless intakes, file insurance claims, meet with clients remotely using our integrated Telehealth system, and do so much more.  Learn more by going to www.simplepractice.com/therapyreimagined . You can also sign up and receive a special promotion of getting 3 months of SimplePractice for the price of 1. Please note, this offer is valid for new customers only.    Resources mentioned: We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Profit First by Mike Michalowicz When the Scientific Secrets fo Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink Big Magic  by Elizabeth Gilbert (Katie talked about fear riding in the car with you, which comes from this book)   Relevant Episodes: Make Your Paperwork Meaningful with Dr. Maelisa Hall Navigating the Holidays as a Therapist   Connect with us! Our Facebook Group – The Modern Therapists Group Therapy Reimagined 2019   Our consultation services: The Fifty-Minute Hour   Who we are: Curt Widhalm is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is a Board Member at Large for the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, a Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Adjunct Faculty at Pepperdine University, and a loving husband and father. He is 1/2 great person, 1/2 provocateur, and 1/2 geek, in that order. He dabbles in the dark art of making "dad jokes" and usually has a half-empty cup of coffee somewhere nearby. Learn more at: www.curtwidhalm.com Katie Vernoy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, coach, and consultant. As a helping professional for two decades, she’s navigated the ups and downs of our unique line of work. She’s run her own solo therap