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The Money Sessions

Tiffany McLain

Deep, thoughtful, raw conversations with real therapists who are in the midst of leaning into raising fees and making bank – all while working with the clients they are passionate about serving.

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S5 · E195
October 5 · 14 min
The Danger of Being Seen & It's Impact on Your Marketing
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application You say you want more clients. More visibility. More referrals. Higher fees. A practice that actually supports your life. But there's a question you may not be asking: What if you're terrified of being seen? Because marketing requires something therapists aren't always comfortable with: Being visible. Letting people know who you are. What you do. Who you help. Why your work matters. And that can bring up a lot more than a marketing problem. It can bring up shame. Fear. Judgment. The possibility of being misunderstood. The possibility of being criticized. And suddenly, "I don't know how to market myself" becomes a very convenient way of avoiding something much deeper: "I don't know if I'm willing to let people see me." In this episode, Tiffany explores the psychological cost of hiding behind perfect websites, endless preparation, vague messaging, and "professionalism" when what your practice actually needs is for you to step forward and be known. Because you can learn SEO. You can learn Google Ads. You can improve your copywriting. You can build the perfect marketing funnel. But none of those strategies can compensate for a therapist who is fundamentally afraid of being seen. In this episode, Tiffany explores: Why marketing can trigger much deeper fears than therapists expect The connection between visibility, vulnerability, and self-protection Why "I need to figure out my marketing" can sometimes be a disguised form of avoidance How fear of judgment can keep you vague, quiet, and invisible Why therapists often hide behind credentials, modalities, and clinical language instead of allowing their actual perspective to come through The difference between being professionally appropriate and making yourself invisible Why being seen by the right people is essential to building demand for a premium practice How your relationship with visibility impacts your ability to charge Life First Fees Why marketing strategy is only one piece of the puzzle What becomes possible when you stop trying to make sure nobody can misunderstand you Because here's the uncomfortable truth: You cannot be deeply trusted by people who cannot find you. And you cannot build demand for work that you refuse to clearly talk about. Being seen doesn't mean turning yourself into an influencer. It doesn't mean sharing every detail of your personal life. It doesn't mean performing online. It means becoming willing to let the people who need your particular expertise recognize themselves in what you're saying. That requires specificity. It requires courage. And sometimes, it requires tolerating the discomfort of knowing that not everyone is going to like you. Because the goal isn't to be liked by everyone. The goal is to be unmistakable to the people who are looking for exactly what you do. If you're ready to stop hiding behind "I need better marketing" and start building a practice where the right clients can actually find you, email Tiffany at tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the words "I'm Ready." Because your marketing doesn't need more perfection. It needs more of you.
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S5 · E194
September 28 · 44 min
$350/Sessions: Spilling the LIMB Tea with Jorshua Stewart
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Fun with Fees Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What actually happens behind the scenes inside Lean In. MAKE BANK.? In this episode, Tiffany sits down with Jorshua Stewart, LIMB's Student Success Manager, for an honest, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it really takes for therapists to create sustainable, Life First practices—and what happens when they hit the messy middle. Jorshua shares what she sees every day as she supports therapists through the program: the patterns that help people build momentum, the places where they get stuck, and why asking for help can be the difference between staying stuck and finally moving forward. This conversation is a deep dive into the messy middle, taking action while scared, using community, and trusting that the process doesn't have to be perfect to work. IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER What Jorshua does as LIMB's Student Success Manager and how she supports therapists throughout their journey Why Jorshua left a highly structured corporate environment without another job lined up—and what she learned about doing it scared How caring for her younger brother after losing her mom shaped the way she listens to and supports others What Jorshua notices about therapists who come into LIMB ready to make a change Why the most successful therapists aren't necessarily the ones who have everything figured out—they're the ones who keep going The reality of the messy middle and why getting stuck doesn't mean the process isn't working The patterns Jorshua sees when therapists stop taking action or avoid the scary parts of their journey How LIMB's data tracker, accountability systems, live calls, and community help students stay on track Why therapists can miss the very thing that's keeping them stuck when they try to do everything alone The importance of showing your work, asking questions, and letting other people see what you're doing Why reaching out for help doesn't mean you're behind or doing something wrong What Jorshua has learned about flexibility, adaptability, and pivoting from working inside a growing business Why business doesn't come with a perfect set of rules—and why your practice has to be built around your actual life What the LIMB community is really like and the kind of life its therapists are working toward The bigger ripple effect of therapists choosing to stop sacrificing themselves and build practices that support their lives If this episode gives you even one insight that makes you think differently about what's possible for your practice, share it with another therapist who needs to hear it. And if you're ready to stop waiting until you feel completely confident and start building the practice you actually want, email tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the word "Ready." RESOURCES MENTIONED LIMB Academy LFF Calculator
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S5 · E193
September 21 · 14 min
Escaping the Time Massa': Fees and the Legacy of Slavery
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What if your relationship with money isn't just about money? What if your relationship with time, work, rest, safety, and your right to take up space has been shaped by something much older and deeper? In this deeply personal episode, Tiffany explores a realization that stopped her in her tracks: the feeling of an internal "time master"—a constant ticking clock that says you can rest later. When you're financially secure. When your children are safe. When you've worked enough. When you've earned it. But what happens when the clock never actually stops? For Tiffany, this question led directly into the legacy of slavery, intergenerational trauma, labor, and the ways that the value of Black bodies has historically been tied to their capacity to work. And then the question gets even more uncomfortable: What if financial freedom alone isn't enough to make us feel free? Because you can earn more. You can build the business. You can create time freedom. And still have an internal voice telling you that you haven't done enough to deserve rest. This episode is about that voice. And about what might finally quiet it. In this episode, Tiffany explores: The "time master" and the internal pressure to constantly produce Why financial safety can become psychologically intertwined with permission to rest The historical relationship between labor, worth, and the bodies of Black people and women How intergenerational and relational trauma can shape our experience of money and safety Why making more money doesn't automatically create an internal experience of freedom The connection between financial security and attachment, safety, and belonging Why community can create a sense of safety and expansiveness even before financial security arrives How being seen and believed in by other people can help us see possibilities we cannot yet hold for ourselves Why your clinical work can only expand as far as you're willing to explore inside yourself The importance of having a container where difficult thoughts, fears, grief, and desires can actually come forward What happens when self-protection becomes the very thing limiting your professional and personal growth Why creating a Life First Practice is about much more than increasing your income Tiffany also shares the story of a therapist in the Lean In. MAKE BANK. Academy who once questioned whether she could really charge premium fees in her rural community—and then watched that possibility become real. She booked $450 intake sessions. Clients said yes to $300 weekly sessions. The money was important. But what made the transformation possible was something deeper: Community. Connection. Mattering. Someone else seeing the possibility in you before you're fully able to see it yourself. And maybe that's the real work. Not simply getting paid more. But learning that you are allowed to exist, take up space, breathe, rest, and be present before the money arrives. Because the ultimate goal of a Life First Fee isn't just a bigger bank account. It's the ability to finally silence the ticking clock. To sit with your kids without calculating what you should be doing. To be with your partner without feeling pulled toward the next task. To spend time with your friends and actually be there. To stop measuring your worth in hours worked. To be present for life. If this episode brought something up for you—if you're curious about what might be possible when you have the right community and container to explore these questions—email Tiffany at tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the words "I'm Ready." Because getting paid is lovely. But what's priceless is getting your life back.
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S5 · E192
September 14 · 46 min
From $110 & Paneled to $300/Session & FREE with Adina Babad
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Fun with Fees Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application When Adina Babad first found Lean In. MAKE BANK., they were charging around $110/session, fully paneled with insurance, overwhelmed, and wondering how much longer they could keep doing it. Today, they charge $300/session, have left insurance panels behind, are seeing fewer clients, earning $10K+ months, and have built a practice that actually feels sustainable. But this episode isn't about marketing hacks or overnight success. It's about the uncomfortable work of trusting yourself, challenging deeply held beliefs about money, and learning that the biggest obstacle to premium fees often isn't strategy—it's the mindset underneath it all. If you've ever thought, "Other therapists can do it, but not me," this episode is for you. IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER How Adina went from earning about $110/session on insurance panels to $300/session in private pay. Why leaving insurance wasn't just a business decision—it was a trust-in-yourself decision. The fear of "betting on yourself" and what finally helped them move forward anyway. Why borrowing someone else's belief in you can be enough until you develop your own. The mindset work therapists try to skip—and why strategy alone won't get you premium fees. How childhood, family history, gender, culture, and money beliefs quietly shaped Adina's relationship with earning more. What happened after they stopped trying to stay small and started showing up in the world. Why networking isn't about being loud—it's about being genuinely yourself. How confidence is built by collecting evidence, not waiting to feel ready. What therapists who think "everyone else is special except me" need to hear. RESOURCES MENTIONED LIMB Academy LFF Calculator Adina's Website Adina´s Instagram
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S5 · E191
September 7 · 15 min
A $55 Fee Raise in THIS Economy?! Here's What It Takes.
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application "But Tiffany, how can I raise my fee when I don't even have enough clients?" That's exactly the question one therapist asked Tiffany after describing the practice she desperately wanted: 17 sessions a week. $200,000 a year. Enough space to actually enjoy her life. The problem? Getting there would require a $55 fee increase with her existing clients—and she hadn't received a new referral in weeks. So how do you raise your fees when you don't yet have evidence that anyone will pay them? You stop waiting for the evidence. Because if you need your desired future to exist before you're willing to move toward it, you will stay trapped inside the reality you already have. In this episode, Tiffany challenges the conventional order of operations therapists have been taught to follow: Get the referrals. Fill the caseload. Then raise the fee. What if that's backwards? What if the practice you want requires you to make decisions before you have proof that they will work? In this episode, Tiffany explores: Why waiting for evidence before making a change can keep you stuck indefinitely The paradox of wanting a different practice while continuing to make decisions based on your current reality Why "I'll raise my fees once I have enough clients" may be exactly what's keeping you from building the practice you want How fear around your current caseload can keep you loyal to a business model that isn't actually working for you Why your current circumstances are not evidence of what is possible for your future The difference between following the status quo and having the audacity to create a new reality What Prince can teach therapists about creating a world that doesn't exist yet Why conviction has to come before evidence How taking decisive action can create the evidence you were waiting for A real example of a therapist raising her fees by $85/session without clients saying no Why being in demand can start with the decision to act like the practice you want is possible The economy doesn't have to be perfect. Your current caseload doesn't have to be perfect. Your clients don't have to prove to you that they can pay more. You have to decide what you're building. Because the therapist who waits until the world says, "Yes, you can do that," may be waiting forever. But the therapist who decides, "This is the practice I'm creating—and I'm going to learn what it takes to build it," creates the possibility for evidence to follow. That's what Life First Fees require. Not blind optimism. Conviction. Action. Strategy. And the willingness to move before the evidence arrives. Because you can keep building the practice that's merely fine. Or you can have the audacity to build the one you actually want. If you're ready to stop waiting for permission and start creating your Life First Practice, email Tiffany at tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the word "Icon." Because "fine" is not the goal. And neither is waiting.
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S5 · E190
August 31 · 55 min
How this therapist & single mom got to her Life First Fee with Carol Covelli
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Fun with Fees Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What if becoming a premium fee therapist wasn't about seeing more clients—but about finally valuing the transformation you already provide? In this inspiring episode, Tiffany sits down with Carol Covelli, a therapist, business owner, and single mom of two who transformed both her practice and her life by reaching her Life First Fee. Carol shares how she moved beyond fear, stopped letting geography define what was possible, and built a practice around deep specialization instead of volume. Along the way, she discovered that raising her fee wasn't just about making more money—it was about becoming a better clinician, creating stronger boundaries, and building a business that could truly support her family. If you've ever wondered whether premium fees are possible for you, or worried that your circumstances make it harder than everyone else's, Carol's story is one you won't forget. IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER What finally led Carol to pursue her Life First Fee. How she dramatically increased her revenue while cutting her caseload nearly in half. Why being a single mom changed the way she thought about time, boundaries, and sustainability. The mindset shifts required to stop undercharging and fully own her expertise. How specializing in a highly specific niche transformed her marketing. Why therapists often confuse accessibility with self-sacrifice. The role that confidence, community, and coaching played in Carol's growth. How charging premium fees has improved both her business and her clinical work. Practical marketing lessons for therapists who want premium fee clients. Carol's advice for therapists who feel like charging Life First Fees isn't possible for them. RESOURCES MENTIONED LIMB Academy LFF Calculator Carol's Website
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S5 · E189
August 24 · 20 min
A Seam in the White Room
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application Most therapists think the hardest part is allowing themselves to want more. More income. More freedom. More creativity. More time off. A Life First Practice. But what happens after you let yourself want it? In this episode, Tiffany explores the next stage of growth—the one almost nobody talks about. Because once you stop wondering if a Life First Practice is possible and start moving toward it, something unexpected happens. You begin to see things you couldn't see before. A new possibility. A new level of clinical work. A new version of yourself. Tiffany calls it finding the seam in the white room. For years, you've been practicing inside the same room, doing meaningful work with your clients. Then one day, you notice what looks like a tiny seam in the wall. You get closer. And you realize it isn't just a seam. It's a door. A door that has been there all along. Opening that door changes everything. Not because the work you've been doing wasn't valuable—but because you suddenly discover there's an entirely new level of growth, clinical depth, and possibility waiting on the other side. And that's where the real work begins. In this episode, Tiffany unpacks: Why allowing yourself to want more is only the beginning of the journey What happens after you begin building a Life First Practice The powerful metaphor of "the seam in the white room" and what it reveals about clinical growth Why expansion often brings grief, regret, excitement, and uncertainty at the same time The hidden cost of trying to navigate new levels of growth by yourself Why every new level of success requires new resources, new support, and new ways of thinking How investing in yourself becomes part of becoming the therapist your future clients need Why the "messy middle" is not a sign you're failing—it's evidence you're growing The importance of surrounding yourself with people who have already walked through the next door How asking better questions opens opportunities that have been in front of you all along This episode is about far more than charging higher fees. It's about becoming the kind of therapist who is willing to keep opening doors. Because every time you step into a bigger room, you'll discover another seam. Another opportunity. Another level of yourself waiting to be explored. Growth doesn't end. It expands. And the therapists who build extraordinary practices aren't the ones who never feel overwhelmed. They're the ones who learn to stay curious enough to open the next door. If today's episode helped you see a seam you've never noticed before, email Tiffany at tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the words: "I Want It." Because sometimes the biggest breakthrough isn't finding a new strategy. It's realizing the door has been there all along.
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S5 · E188
August 17 · 54 min
Rural Virginia: 8 Months to $40K Revenue Boost with Half the Caseload
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Fun with Fees Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application When therapists tell themselves, "I live in a rural area, so premium fees aren't possible here," Leah Harlan is living proof that assumption isn't true. In just 8 months, Leah increased her annual revenue by more than $40,000 while cutting her caseload nearly in half. And she did it in rural Virginia. In this conversation, Leah shares what it looked like to move from exhaustion and overwork into a practice that actually supports the life they want to live. They open up about the fears, mindset shifts, fee increases, and practical decisions that made this transformation possible—and why geography wasn't the barrier they once thought it was. If you've been convinced your location, market, or community can't support Life First Fees, this episode is a must-listen. IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER Why rural therapists often underestimate what clients are willing to invest in therapy The mindset shifts Leah had to make before raising their fee How they increased revenue by over $40,000 in less than a year What happened when they reduced their caseload instead of adding more sessions The fears that surfaced throughout the fee-raising process How Life First Fees created more sustainability inside and outside the therapy room The connection between therapist burnout and undercharging Why premium-fee clients exist in every community—including rural areas What changed in Leah's confidence, boundaries, and clinical work as their practice evolved Advice for therapists who believe their market "can't support" higher fees RESOURCES MENTIONED LIMB Academy LFF Calculator Leah's Website
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S5 · E187
August 10 · 15 min
Get Good Enough to Charge $600/Session
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What does it actually mean to be good enough to charge $600 per session? More certifications? Another modality? A better niche? A prettier website? Most therapists assume that charging premium fees is simply a reflection of clinical expertise. But in this episode, Tiffany challenges that assumption and asks a much deeper question: What if the thing that allows someone to charge $600 per session has less to do with what they know—and more to do with who they become? Because after working with therapists for over a decade, Tiffany has noticed something fascinating: The therapists who create Life First Practices don't just change their marketing. They change their relationship with themselves. They become freer. Freer from permission-seeking. Freer from fear. Freer from the opinions of colleagues. Freer from the invisible rules that tell them what's allowed and what's possible. And that freedom changes everything. In this episode, Tiffany explores: Why charging a Life First Fee is about far more than marketing or clinical skill What therapists often misunderstand about charging $600 per session The difference between earning more money and becoming more free Why SEO, Google Ads, copywriting, and marketing strategies are only the tip of the iceberg How internal limitations, fears, and unconscious beliefs create financial ceilings The surprising lesson Tiffany learned from a therapist successfully charging $600 per session who still didn't feel free Why making more money without doing the deeper work often leaves therapists trapped in new ways What it means to build a practice that gives you both time and money How personal transformation creates professional demand Why becoming more conscious, present, and fully yourself may be the greatest business strategy of all This episode is not about learning how to charge $600. It's about becoming the kind of person for whom charging $600 feels natural. Because there are therapists charging premium fees right now who are still trapped by anxiety, shame, people-pleasing, and fear. And there are therapists building extraordinary lives because they chose something deeper than a pricing strategy. They chose freedom. The kind of freedom that shows up in your relationships. In your parenting. In your business. In your ability to make decisions without constantly asking for permission. The real question isn't whether you're good enough to charge $600 per session. The real question is: What would happen if you became free enough to? If you're ready to build a Life First Practice that creates both financial success and personal freedom, we'd love to meet you. Apply to Lean In. MAKE BANK. through this link Or email tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the subject line: "I'm Ready." Because the goal was never just $600 per session. The goal is becoming the version of yourself who no longer needs anyone else's permission to build the life you want.
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S5 · E186
August 3 · 48 min
$600/Session: A Mystery Guest You Cannot Miss
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What happens when a therapist charges $600 per session and becomes the target of criticism, projection, outrage, and endless commentary from other therapists? In this powerful and provocative episode, Tiffany sits down with a mystery guest we'll call Maverick—a Canadian trauma therapist who built a thriving premium fee practice and now charges $600 per session for deeply relational trauma work. Maverick shares the emotional reality of raising fees, the backlash they faced from colleagues, the clinical implications of becoming the "bad object," and why so many therapists remain trapped in martyrdom disguised as ethics. This conversation goes far beyond pricing. It's about desire. It's about self-abandonment. It's about what becomes possible when therapists stop organizing their lives around being perceived as "good." And it may completely change the way you think about money, power, accessibility, capitalism, and clinical work. In This Episode We Cover: Why Maverick chose to remain anonymous—and the surprising amount of hate they receive for charging $600 per session The journey from charging $80 per session to $600 in just two years Why simply raising your fee is not the hard part The emotional and identity-level work therapists face when stepping into premium fees How therapist training reinforces self-abandonment and martyrdom What therapists get wrong about accessibility, privilege, and client decision-making Why therapists often assume they know what clients can and cannot afford The clinical importance of becoming the "bad object" How fee conversations mirror relational trauma dynamics Why many therapists unconsciously organize their practices around avoiding discomfort The difference between living in fantasy versus living in reality How Maverick learned to stop collapsing criticism into "I am bad" Why being well-rested, well-trained, well-supported, and financially secure makes therapists better clinicians The connection between premium fees and providing transformational trauma therapy Maverick's take on capitalism, social justice, and why therapists are often the wrong target Why AI will replace many forms of transactional therapy—but not deeply relational work The future of private practice and what therapists need to do to remain valuable How therapists unknowingly model self-abandonment to clients through their businesses What therapists lose when they prioritize being liked over being effective Resources Mentioned: LIMB Academy Life First Fee Calculator About The Money Sessions The Money Sessions is the podcast for therapists who are ready to stop treating money as separate from clinical work. Each week, Tiffany McLain brings you honest conversations about private practice, premium fees, therapist identity, wealth, desire, marketing, and the emotional realities of building a sustainable business. Because the therapist you become when you're financially resourced is often the therapist your clients need most. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a therapist who needs to hear it. And if you're ready to build a premium fee private practice, email tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the word Ready.
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S5 · E185
July 27 · 14 min
The Myth of the Insurance Boogeyman
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application Therapists are afraid of a lot of things. Raising their fees. Leaving insurance panels. Being visible. Being judged. Failing publicly. But according to Tiffany, one of the biggest obstacles standing between therapists and the lives they actually want isn't reality. It's a story. A story that says: Insurance is the only safe option. The market is too competitive. Clients won't pay. The economy won't support it. Someone out there is stopping you from succeeding. In this episode, Tiffany challenges one of the most persistent myths in private practice: The belief that there is a boogeyman standing between you and the business you want. Because while insurance companies certainly create challenges, many therapists have unknowingly built entire careers around reacting to fear instead of responding to possibility. And that fear comes at a cost. A cost measured in exhausted evenings. Financial anxiety. Overloaded caseloads. Missed time with family. And years spent living far below your actual potential. In this episode, Tiffany explores: Why therapists often give away their power to systems they believe control them The hidden emotional payoff of believing someone else is responsible for your limitations How fear-based thinking keeps therapists trapped in business models they no longer want Why insurance isn't the true obstacle for most therapists The difference between reacting to circumstances and creating a vision for your future How chronic financial stress quietly impacts your quality of life Why many therapists have stopped imagining what they actually want The invitation to stop building a practice around fear and start building one around possibility What it means to become the hero of your own story instead of waiting to be rescued How to begin imagining "you to the max" and building a practice that supports that vision This episode is ultimately about reclaiming agency. Because the question isn't whether insurance is frustrating. The question is: What are you going to do with the one life you have? Will you continue organizing your business around fear? Or will you finally give yourself permission to imagine something bigger? A practice where you see fewer clients. Charge fees that support your life. Spend more time with your family. And stop carrying the constant weight of financial anxiety. As Tiffany asks in this episode: Who are you at your fullest potential? Who are you to the max? Because the future you want won't be built by hiding from fear. It will be built by deciding that fear no longer gets to make your decisions. If you're ready to stop playing defense and start building a Life First Practice, fill out an application through this link Or email tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the subject line: "I'm Ready." Because there is no insurance boogeyman powerful enough to stop a therapist who has finally decided to put their life first.
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S5 · E184
July 20 · 56 min
Danielle's Journey to $255 & Full: A Journey through the VERY Messy Middle
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What if the "messy middle" isn't proof you're failing… but proof you're growing? In this deeply honest episode, Tiffany sits down with Danielle Robbins, an LMHC in New York, who went from opening a private practice with one client at a $200 fee to charging $255/session, nearly full, and preparing to leave group practice for good. But this is not a shiny overnight success story. This is the story of fear. Shame. Doubt. Identity shifts. October–November panic spirals. Networking while terrified. Feeling like "everyone else can do it but me." And continuing anyway. Danielle shares what it actually looked like to build a Life First Fee practice while navigating deep internal conflict, grief around leaving scarcity behind, and the emotional reality of stepping into more—especially as a Black woman therapist navigating messages about service, struggle, and success. If you've ever thought: "Maybe this works for other therapists, but not me…" This episode is for you. Because Danielle thought the exact same thing. And now? They're here telling you why you can do it too. In this episode we cover: How Danielle went from 1 client at $200 → 8 full-fee clients at $255 and growing What it really feels like in the "messy middle" (spoiler: doubt doesn't magically disappear) Why so many therapists mistake normal growth cycles for failure The shame Danielle experienced around success, money, and "doing well" How being a young Black therapist shaped their beliefs about wealth, visibility, and belonging The unspoken money dynamics in therapy—and how Danielle's own experience as a free pro bono client changed how they practice What happened when inquiries slowed down and fear got LOUD Why networking became Danielle's biggest growth strategy (even though they were terrified) How stepping into higher fees required stepping into a new identity The difference between "failure" and simply being on page three of chapter one Why Danielle says therapists don't need confidence to do this—they can do it scared The mindset shift that helped them keep going when nothing seemed to be working What it means to stop colluding with scarcity and start building a practice rooted in desire, freedom, and sustainability If this episode hit home, send it to one therapist who needs permission to stop mistaking the messy middle for failure. And if you're ready to stop white-knuckling your way through private practice and finally build a business that supports your actual life? Email tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the word "Ready." Resources mentioned: LIMB Academy Fun With Fees Calculator Danielle's website: Connect with Danielle: danielle@soulfulharmonycounseling.com
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S5 · E183
July 13 · 25 min
Come to the Hamptons With Me
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What if the thing standing between you and your Life First Practice isn't strategy? What if it's the story you tell yourself about who you're allowed to be? In this deeply personal episode, Tiffany shares a surprising encounter that sparked a profound realization about wealth, self-concept, and the invisible limits therapists place on themselves. A simple conversation about the Hamptons uncovered something many therapists do every day: They automatically rule themselves out. Not because they can't. Not because it's impossible. But because somewhere along the way they decided: "That's for those people. Not for me." Whether it's a trip to the Hamptons, charging $350 per session, making $20,000 a month in private practice, speaking on bigger stages, or simply taking up more space in the world—many therapists unconsciously reject opportunities before they ever give themselves permission to consider them. And that's exactly what Tiffany challenges in this episode. In this episode, Tiffany explores: Why therapists often disqualify themselves from the very lives they want before they even try The hidden psychological cost of choosing what's "comfortable" instead of what's actually aligned with your goals How self-concept—not marketing—is often the biggest barrier to charging Life First Fees Why therapists routinely shrink themselves around wealth, success, authority, and visibility The surprising ways Tiffany caught herself minimizing her own success in real time What your desired fee symbolizes psychologically, emotionally, and relationally Why therapists readily accept negative projections ("struggling therapist," "martyr," "burned out clinician") but resist positive ones like authority, expertise, and abundance How to begin expanding your capacity to hold more success, more visibility, and more ease without abandoning yourself The paradigm shift required to build a practice that generates both freedom and meaningful income This episode isn't really about the Hamptons. It's about the places, spaces, opportunities, and identities you've quietly decided aren't available to you. It's about the part of you that wants more—and the part of you that immediately explains why you can't have it. And it's about learning to stay present long enough to question whether those stories are actually true. Because the therapists who build Life First Practices aren't necessarily smarter. They're not better marketers. They're simply willing to ask: "Who would I have to become if this were actually possible for me?" If you're ready to step into a new paradigm—one where $350 sessions, $20,000 months, spacious mornings, creative work, and financial ease are no longer things that happen to "other people"—this episode is for you. Email tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the word "Paradigm." Because the goal isn't the Hamptons. The goal is becoming the version of yourself who no longer automatically assumes you don't belong there.
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S5 · E182
July 6 · 43 min
From $6K Months to $10K+ Months… and Having WAY Fewer Sessions with Hillary Pilotto
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What happens when the practice you built starts feeling like a trap? In this deeply honest Money Sessions episode, Tiffany sits down with therapist Hillary Pilotto to unpack the emotional, financial, and identity-level shifts that helped them go from exhausting $6K months to consistent $10K+ months… while seeing WAY fewer clients. And here's the thing: Hillary already had what many therapists think they want. A thriving group practice. An associate. An admin team. Insurance referrals flowing in. A "successful" business on paper. But underneath? They were overworking, overwhelmed, disconnected from their own life… and quietly realizing they didn't actually want the business they had built. This conversation is about what happens when you finally stop abandoning yourself to keep everyone else comfortable. It's about: ✨ Leaving insurance ✨ Letting yourself disappoint people ✨ Rebuilding your relationship with money ✨ Releasing "good therapist" conditioning ✨ Learning to trust your own desires ✨ And creating a business that actually supports your LIFE And perhaps most importantly? Hillary talks openly about the grief and fear that comes with changing — even when the change is exactly what you need. Because no… This process isn't easy. But it is possible. In this episode we cover: Going from 20+ sessions a week to just 10–13 clients Increasing fees to $280/session Why "successful on paper" can still feel deeply unsustainable The emotional labor of owning a group practice Leaving insurance despite fear, guilt, and external pressure Why so many therapists stay trapped at the $5K–$6K/month ceiling The difference between marketing strategy and mindset work How community support changed everything Releasing scarcity and stepping into abundance Building a practice around motherhood, spaciousness, and nervous system regulation The identity shifts required to charge Life First Fees One of the most powerful moments in the episode? When Hillary says: "If I don't want to do something anymore, I don't question it or feel guilty. I just know… I don't want to do that." WHEW. If you've been secretly fantasizing about working less… If you've built a practice that no longer fits your life… If you've been telling yourself "this is just how private practice has to be"… This episode will crack something open for you. And if this episode hit you somewhere deep… If you're realizing you've been over-functioning, over-giving, and undercharging for far too long… Email Tiffany directly at tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the word READY. Resources mentioned: LIMB Academy Fun With Fees Calculator Hillary´s Website Hillary´s Instagram Connect with Hillary: Hillary@betterbalancecounseling.com
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S5 · E181
June 29 · 17 min
The Travesty of the Cupcake Shop
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application There is a reason so many therapists are exhausted, resentful, financially anxious, and quietly fantasizing about leaving the profession altogether. And it's not because they "aren't good at business." It's because most therapists are trying to run their private practice like a cupcake shop. In this sharp, disruptive, and deeply clarifying episode, Tiffany unpacks one of the biggest misunderstandings therapists have about the work they do—and why it's leading directly to burnout, overwork, low fees, and emotional collapse. Because therapy is not a commodity. You are not selling cupcakes. You are not selling a cute, inexpensive, endlessly reproducible product designed for mass consumption. You are offering highly specialized, relational, psychologically sophisticated work that changes lives. And yet therapists continue to price, market, and emotionally position themselves as if they are competing in a bargain marketplace. The result? Overfull caseloads. Constant financial stress. And therapists trying to survive on business models that fundamentally do not match the depth or intensity of the work being provided. In this episode, Tiffany breaks down: Why therapists unconsciously market themselves like low-cost consumer businesses The dangerous psychological consequences of treating therapy like a commodity How scarcity thinking drives therapists to overload their caseloads Why "affordable for everyone" often becomes unsustainable for the therapist themselves The hidden resentment and burnout that emerge when therapists continually undercharge How clients experience therapists who are financially stretched and emotionally depleted Why premium fees are often necessary for deeper, more attuned clinical work The difference between transactional services and transformational relationships Why therapists must stop comparing themselves to mass-market industries What shifts when you begin treating your work like a true profession instead of a hustle for survival This episode is ultimately about professional identity. Because the way you price your work reflects the way you understand your value. And if you continue operating like a cupcake shop—high volume, low margin, emotionally unsustainable—you will build a practice that consumes your life instead of supporting it. Therapy is intimate. Complex. Transformational. And your business model needs to reflect that reality. If you're ready to stop building a burnout machine and start building a Life First Practice, apply to Lean In. MAKE BANK. through this link Or email Tiffany at tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the subject line: "Cupcake Shop." Because the future of therapy belongs to clinicians who stop commodifying themselves— and start valuing the depth of what they actually do.
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S5 · E180
June 22 · 44 min
From $5K months to $17K months with 15 sessions: Canadian-based therapist Amelia Sloan leans all the way in
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math. 🎁 Download our FREE Fun with Fees Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application Think therapists in Canada can't charge premium fees? Think again. In this episode of The Money Sessions, Tiffany sits down with Amelia Sloan, a Canadian-based therapist whose journey challenges the belief that geography, culture, or the therapy industry determines what you can earn. Before making changes in their practice, Amelia was seeing 15–18 clients a week, charging roughly $80–$140 per session, and bringing in about $5K–$6K months in private practice. Like many therapists, they carried a deep sense of responsibility to make therapy accessible—often subsidizing clients while quietly watching their own quality of life decline. But when Amelia realized they couldn't even afford the services they valued from others, something shifted. Instead of continuing to sacrifice their own sustainability, Amelia decided to rethink everything about how they approached fees, value, and the role they played in their own business. Today, their practice looks radically different. They see about 15 clients per week, charge $300 per session, and recently hit a $17K month—all while creating more space in their life as a parent of a young child. Their story is a powerful reminder that building a Life-First Practice isn't about working more—it's about aligning your work, values, and fees in a way that actually supports your life. In this episode, we cover: What Amelia's practice looked like before raising their fees The moment they realized they were subsidizing everyone except themself How social justice values and money beliefs kept them undercharging Why many therapists get stuck around $5K–$6K months The grief and fear that often come with raising fees Moving from $80–$140 sessions to a $300 Life-First Fee Hitting $17K months while seeing just 15 clients per week Why raising fees actually improved their clinical presence and capacity The mindset shift from scarcity to abundance and mutual exchange Building a thriving practice in Canada—even when people say it's impossible Resources Mentioned LIMB Academy FWF Calculator Amelia`s Website ameliasloantherapy@gmail.com
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S5 · E179
June 15 · 26 min
Modalities That Offer Rapid Results
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math.🎁 Download our FREE Life First Fees Private Practice Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application Therapists are asking the wrong question. The question is not: "How do I get more clients?" The real question is: "How do I become a therapist whose work creates powerful, noticeable transformation?" Because in 2026, clients are no longer simply looking for weekly emotional maintenance. They are looking for results. And therapists who can confidently help clients experience meaningful movement—without collapsing into hustle, overwork, or performative "fixing"—will become increasingly valuable. In this episode, Tiffany breaks down the conversation almost nobody in the therapy industry wants to have openly: Why certain modalities create faster, deeper transformation—and how that impacts your positioning, authority, and ability to charge Life First Fees. This is not about gimmicks. It's not about promising overnight healing. And it's definitely not about becoming a "therapy influencer" chasing quick wins. It's about understanding that clients who are paying premium fees are often looking for therapists who: can articulate how change happens, understand transformation deeply, and practice with intentionality, precision, and confidence. In this episode, Tiffany explores: Why "results" have become increasingly important in the therapy marketplace The difference between transformational work and endless processing How modalities that create rapid insight and nervous system shifts naturally position therapists differently Why many therapists secretly fear effectiveness because it threatens long-term dependency models The relationship between clinical confidence and premium fees How clients experience therapists who deeply trust their own process Why high-value clients are often seeking clarity, momentum, and measurable internal shifts The danger of becoming overly rigid or dogmatic about any one modality Why relational depth still matters more than technique alone How therapists can evolve clinically without becoming performative or salesy This episode is ultimately about professional evolution. Because therapists who understand how transformation works—and can confidently guide clients through it—will not need to convince people to value therapy. The work will speak for itself. And in a rapidly changing world where AI and low-cost mental health platforms are flooding the market, therapists who offer deep, nuanced, high-impact work will increasingly stand apart. If you're ready to build a Life First Practice rooted in both clinical depth and financial sustainability, apply to Lean In. MAKE BANK. through this link Or email Tiffany at tiffany@leaninmakebank.com with the subject line: "I'm Ready." Because the future belongs to therapists who know how to create transformation— and who are finally willing to value it accordingly.
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S5 · E178
June 8 · 51 min
Half the Income & Happier Than Ever with Krissy Johnson, LMFT
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math. 🎁 Download our FREE Fun with Fees Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What happens when you cut your income in half… and feel more free than ever? In this unforgettable episode of The Money Sessions, Tiffany sits down with Krissy Johnson, LMFT, whose path into private practice is anything but traditional. Before becoming a therapist, Krissy toured the country as a performer. When COVID shut down the industry, she finally used the therapy degree she had earned years earlier—quickly building a full private practice on insurance panels and seeing 25 clients a week. On paper, things looked great. She was bringing in around $8K a month. But behind the scenes, she was exhausted—often juggling 20–25 clients a week while performing in a musical eight shows a week in Las Vegas. Even though her practice was "full," her time wasn't hers. Her schedule was packed, her energy was drained, and she knew something had to change. Today, Krissy charges a $310 Life-First Fee, works with a highly specific niche, and sees about 5–6 clients per week. Her income is currently lower than it was before—but her life is completely different. She has spacious mornings, time to write music, and the freedom to build a practice around the work that truly matters to her. In this episode, we cover: Krissy's journey from touring musician to therapist Building a "full" practice on insurance panels—and why it still felt unsustainable Seeing 25 clients a week while performing eight shows a week The fear of leaving insurance and having the first conversation with clients Why the first fee conversation changed everything in her body Gradually raising her Life-First Fee from $150 → $210 → $310 Seeing fewer clients while creating more freedom and spaciousness Marketing by showing up where your ideal clients actually are Attending a major adult-industry expo as the only therapist in the room Reclaiming her voice after years of silence—and how that shaped her niche Krissy now specializes in working with women in the adult industry and women living "double lives." Her work is deeply personal, rooted in her own lived experience and commitment to helping clients find their voice. Her story is a powerful reminder that building a Life-First Practice isn't just about money. Sometimes it's about reclaiming your time, your creativity, and the parts of yourself that were silenced along the way. Resources Mentioned LIMB Academy FWF Calculator Krissy Johnson`s Website Krissy Johnson`Instagram
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S5 · E177
June 1 · 24 min
Quantum Shit & Getting Marketing Scammed
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math. 🎁 Download our FREE Fun with Fees Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application What if the biggest thing holding back your private practice isn't your marketing… it's the paradigm you're operating in? In this episode, Tiffany dives into one of the most uncomfortable (and liberating) truths about money, business, and therapists: many of us are unknowingly operating in a zero-sum paradigm where someone always has to lose. And if that's the world you believe in? It becomes almost impossible to build a thriving private practice. Because every exchange of money starts to feel like exploitation. Charging your fee feels like hurting someone. Investing in yourself feels like getting scammed. Growing your practice feels morally suspicious. So you stay stuck. This episode explores the two completely different financial realities therapists live inside—and why choosing a new paradigm might be the most important business decision you ever make. Tiffany also shares her own story of growing up with deeply ingrained scarcity beliefs, how those beliefs shaped her relationship to money and business for years, and what finally allowed her to step into a completely different way of operating. Because here's the truth: You can build your practice inside a world where someone always loses. Or you can step into a paradigm where everyone wins—and growth compounds for everyone involved. Your clients. Your colleagues. And you. If you've ever wondered why your income stalls, why raising fees feels terrifying, or why every investment in your business feels like a potential scam—this conversation will hit deep. And it might just change how you see your practice forever. In this episode, we talk about: The two financial paradigms therapists unknowingly operate inside Why the "I win, you lose" mindset silently sabotages private practices How scarcity beliefs make charging fees feel unethical or dangerous Why therapists often stall around the same income ceilings How suspicion around money blocks growth, investment, and connection The hidden clinical consequences of feeling "scammy" about charging clients What it actually looks like to run a business in a true win-win paradigm Ready to build a practice where everyone wins? Inside Lean In. MAKE BANK., Tiffany helps therapists step into their Life-First practice—charging premium fees while seeing fewer clients and creating financial and emotional stability. If you're ready to explore what that could look like for you, fill out an application through the link in the show notes. Your future clients are looking for a therapist they can trust with both their healing and their money.
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S5 · E176
May 25 · 51 min
From $60/session to $425 as a Multi-racial, Solo Breadwinning Mom of Littles
Ready to set your fee? You choose the dream, we'll do the math. 🎁 Download our FREE Fun with Fees Calculator 👉🏽 https://www.leaninmakebank.com/free Ready to charge Life First Fees? Click here to fill out an application When Alana started her private practice, she was charging as little as $60 per session. Like many therapists, she deeply believed therapy should be accessible. But as a multi-racial therapist, solo breadwinner, and mom of a young child, the reality of running a practice quickly caught up with her. Despite being an excellent clinician and working hard, her practice was bringing in $4K–$6K months, and the financial pressure was constant. She tried what many therapists try first—adding new offers like couples intensives—but nothing solved the underlying issue. Her fees simply weren't aligned with the life she needed to support. Inside this episode, Alana shares how she moved from a patchwork caseload with clients paying anywhere from $60 to $200, to building a private-pay practice where most of her clients now pay $250–$425 per session. Today, about 90% of her caseload pays $250+, her practice is full, and she's preparing for maternity leave with a level of financial stability she never thought possible. Her story is a powerful example of what happens when therapists stop waiting for referrals, marketing hacks, or new services to fix their income—and instead address the deeper beliefs keeping their fees low. In this episode, we cover: What Alana's practice looked like before raising her fees The concept of "pretend fees" and why many therapists unknowingly operate this way Why adding intensives didn't solve her income problem The emotional and psychological blocks that kept her undercharging The moment she realized waiting wasn't going to work What it was actually like raising fees with current clients How fee conversations can become powerful clinical work with couples Building a sustainable practice as a multi-racial therapist and solo breadwinner Resources Mentioned LIMB Academy FWF Calculator Alanna`s Website
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