Episode 2

Group Practice - Business Growth or Burnout Multiplied?

Published on: 19th August, 2025

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.

Subscribe and listen now. New episodes every Tuesday.

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

LinkedIn: Jennifer Politis

 

Erika Bugaj, MA, MSW, LICSW

Website: www.dandelioncounselingcare.com

Instagram: @dandelioncounselingcare

LinkedIn: Erika Bugaj

Transcript
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Colleen Long: Welcome to Off the Chair, where visionary therapists talk business burnout and building something better

Jennifer Politis: because to lead, to earn more. Reclaim your creativity and truly change the mental health system. We have to get off the chair and into the role of visionary CEO and change maker.

Colleen Long: I'm Dr. Colleen Long psychologist, entrepreneur, and founder of a seven figure practice I built.

Colleen Long: Broke, rebuilt, and exited. I'm here to ask the hard questions. How do we adapt? How do we survive, and how do we fight back against a system outsourcing mental health to the lowest bidder?

Erika Bugaj: I'm Erica Bugaj, clinical social worker, psychotherapist, group practice founder and doctoral student. I work with therapists who want to build brave values led businesses without burning out, because real growth doesn't just happen in the chair.

Erika Bugaj: It happens when you step out of it.

Jennifer Politis: And I'm Dr. Jennifer Politis, psychologist, entrepreneur, multi-site group owner of a seven figure practice and business coach, obsessed with making strategy simple, sustainable. 0% Bs. I help therapists lead like CEOs and build businesses that work for them, not the other way around.

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I really see our podcast as for two types of people, and I, and you guys chime in here, if you agree or disagree. So I, I see the podcast as being for people that, uh. Are either wanting to own a group practice and are kind of wanting to see like, is this a good idea for me? Or people who you know, already own a group practice and want to better scale, learn how to grow, implement systems, that type of thing.

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About the Podcast

Off the Chair
In a world where a nail artist can out-earn a licensed therapist, behavioral health professionals have no choice but to get scrappy, color outside the lines, and start writing our own rules. The old path—graduate school, licensure, paneled with insurance, packed calendar of 1:1s—is broken. It’s time for a new blueprint.

That’s where Off the Chair comes in. We’re not just talking about surviving the grind, we’re exploring radically different ways to thrive. From building passive income streams to launching scalable service lines, we dive into business models that break the mold. We cover how modern technology; AI, digital products, automation, and online communities—can even help clinicians step out of the therapy chair and into a more expansive, creative, and financially free version of practice.

Off the Chair is the no-BS podcast for therapists ready to break out of burnout, reclaim their income, and build values-driven businesses beyond the therapy room.

Hosted by Dr. Colleen Long, Dr. Jennifer Politis, and Erika Bugaj, LICSW—three clinician-entrepreneurs who’ve built, broken, and rebuilt thriving mental health companies—this show brings you weekly conversations on what it really takes to succeed in today’s broken behavioral health system.

Whether you're a growth-minded psychologist, a private practice owner, or a therapist wondering how to scale without selling your soul, Off the Chair is your roadmap to redefining what success looks like in mental healthcare.

What You’ll Learn
- Business & Practice Management: Navigate the operations side of private practice with insight into EMRs, scheduling workflows, profitability pivots, and systems that scale.
- Hiring & Leadership: From managing your first intern to leading multi-state teams, get real-world advice on creating aligned, sustainable teams (and firing fast when it’s not a fit).
- Financial Freedom for Clinicians: Understand compensation models, create recurring revenue streams, and stop trading time for money—all without compromising your ethics.
- Mental Health Industry Reform: Challenge the status quo with honest dialogue on insurance gatekeeping, clinician burnout, and what it takes to build a more human-centered system.
- Personal Resilience & Growth: Behind every spreadsheet is a dark night of the soul. We talk mindset, mission drift, and how to stay motivated when the math doesn’t math.
- Overcoming Challenges: The podcast addresses common challenges faced by therapists, such as negative reviews, legal threats, and the fear of failure, offering strategies for navigating these obstacles. Overall, Off the Chair aims to empower clinicians to: Become more effective leaders and managers. Build strong, efficient, and profitable practices. Enhance their personal well-being and achieve a fulfilling career. Stay ahead of the curve in a constantly evolving industry.

Why Listen?
Off the Chair isn’t just about the logistics of running a practice—it’s about reclaiming your creativity, your autonomy, and your voice as a leader. No jargon, no perfectionism. Just vulnerable, strategic conversations that meet you in the messy middle.

New episodes drop every Tuesday.

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
LinkedIn: Jennifer Politis

Erika Bugaj, MA, MSW, LICSW
Website: www.dandelioncounselingcare.com
Instagram: @dandelioncounselingcare
LinkedIn: Erika Bugaj