Group Practice - Business Growth or Burnout Multiplied?

Author: Dr. Colleen Long, Dr. Jennifer Politis, and Erika Bugaj, LICSW
Published: Tue 19 Aug 2025
Episode Link: https://off-the-chair.captivate.fm/episode/group-practice-business-growth-or-burnout-multiplied

Ever wonder if you're the only one silently struggling while running a practice? You're not. This episode dives deep into the raw reality of therapist burnout - and what comes after.

In this episode, we pull back the curtain on our personal journeys through therapist burnout, the emotional toll of leadership, and the hard-earned lessons we’ve learned from building and breaking our therapy businesses. We’ve led teams, scaled services, and weathered some serious storms inside our own group therapy practice models. And we know firsthand how often clinician mental health is sacrificed in the process.

Whether you're dreaming of launching a side hustle for therapists, reimagining your practice, or dying to explore fresh mental health business ideas, this is your space.

In this episode, we talk about:

How we recognized therapist burnout and why we finally decided to stop pushing through
What’s missing in most conversations around clinician mental health, and how to center your own
Why traditional paths aren’t sustainable - and how we started building mental health business models that actually support us
How a side hustle for therapists can offer freedom and purpose when the 1:1 model starts to wear thin
The real-life mistakes, wins, and mental health business ideas we’re exploring now

If you’re holding space for everyone but yourself, questioning whether you can keep going, or wondering if it's possible to run ethical, profitable therapy businesses without breaking down - this conversation is for you.

We’re sharing our stories not because we’ve figured it all out, but because we know someone else needs to hear them.

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WATCH THE FULL VIDEO EPISODE HERE!

Connect with us!

Podcast Website: www.offthechair.com

Colleen Long, Psy.D.

Website: www.claritypsychologicaltesting.com

LinkedIn: Dr. Colleen Long

Jennifer Politis, PhD, LPC

Website: www.wellnesscounselingBC.com

Instagram: @wellnesscounselingnj

TikTok: @wellnesscounseling