How Paula Imagines Transforming Her Private Practice With Asynchronous Therapy
Interview with Paula: An Established Therapist With a Vision for More
Anna: Okay, let's go ahead and just jump right into it Paula. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your therapy practice?
Paula: I’ve been a therapist for about 15 years and have had my own private practice for the last 8 years. I specialize in helping women with high-functioning anxiety, perfectionism, and related challenges.
Over the years, I’ve developed my own therapeutic framework using approaches like CBT, ACT, and mindfulness. I’ve created worksheets, exercises, and curriculum that I know help clients make meaningful progress.
Right now, I see about 22 to 25 clients a week. My practice is full most of the time, which sounds like a good problem to have, but I'm also kind of at my ceiling. Every dollar I earn depends on me being in another session, and I'm starting to feel like I can't keep doing that forever.
I've thought about hiring associates, but I really don't want to become a manager. I became a therapist because I love the clinical work, not because I want to deal with payroll, supervision, or quality control. That just doesn't excite me.
What I'd really love is to take the curriculum I've already created and somehow turn it into something that can help more people without me having to repeat the same training over and over in session.
I've heard people talk about online courses and memberships and asynchronous therapy, and honestly...it sounds amazing. But then I start looking at all the technology, and I immediately feel overwhelmed. There are course platforms, video editing, automations, email systems, websites, payment systems...it feels like learning an entirely new profession.
I also worry about doing it ethically. I don't want to create something that's just another self-help course. I want it to actually feel like therapy and provide meaningful clinical support.
I know what I want my practice to look like, but I don’t know how to get there.
The Barriers: Technology, Ethics, and Uncertainty
Anna: Okay, I understand you have a clear dream but tech overwhelm, ethics and uncertainty are barriers that are holding you back. Is that correct?
Paula: Yes. Those are the biggest barriers. I would love to create an asynchronous therapy program where clients can access my curriculum, complete exercises between sessions, and receive support from me in a way that feels clinically meaningful.
It just feels like there's this huge gap between where I am and how to actually build something like that. I'm not a tech person.
When the Problem Became Clear
Anna: When did you first experience tech overwhelm?
Paula: During the pandemic in 2020, I moved my practice online. I had to learn quickly under tremendous stress. That was the only way to make an income. Funders were all forced to rewrite their policies overnight! I actually felt proud of the how adept I was at transitioning to telepractice. I realized that clients could make great progress virtually.
My clients were home a lot during the pandemic, so they actually wanted me to send them assignments. Instead of just handouts, I starting sending them video clips. I noticed how often I was repeating the same training and sending the same resources.
That was the beginning of my interest in asynchronous therapy. I started researching online courses and digital programs, but they were not interactive. I wanted something that would let me track progress in therapy and keep accountability high. There were so many tech options that would have to be patched together.
How Paula Has Been Coping
Anna: And how have you been coping?
Paula: I’ve been coping by working harder. I continue seeing clients, sending worksheets, creating resources, and recording videos as needed. The problem is that I’m constantly reinventing the wheel.
The Dream Practice
Anna: Okay, it sounds like you really want to know how to add asynchronous therapy to your practice and stay authentic. You are highly motivated to give your clients more support between sessions by relying on some type of store-and-forward technology. Is that right?
Paula: Yes. The technology is not the goal. Better client support is the goal. I want a practice where clients can continue making progress between sessions while still feeling connected to my clinical expertise.
The Magic Lamp Vision
Anna: Now I want you to play a little imagination game with me for a moment. What I want you to do is imagine that I am handing over to you a mysterious, antique magic lamp – just like one you might read about in a fairytale. As you rub that lamp, out pops a magical genie. This genie is going to grant all of your wishes; specifically, those that relate to your life as a private practice therapist. As you imagine talking to your personal genie and you know he's going to help you design your perfect business, what would you say that you wanted your therapy practice to look like 12 months from now, if you could have anything you wanted?
Paula: Twelve months from now, I would have a specialized telepractice built around my signature approach.
I would still see clients, but there would be fewer live sessions. My asynchronous therapy program would provide structured support between appointments.
My ideal practice would include:
- A niche client base that specifically seeks my expertise
- A sustainable income model that is not dependent on constant sessions
- More flexibility in my schedule
- Systems that work together without ongoing glitches
- More energy for my family, health, and personal life
I want a practice that supports the life I want, instead of asking my life to revolve around my practice.
The Future Paula Wants
Anna: When you have accomplished this, what kind of things are you doing 12 months from now?
Paula: I would spend my time reviewing client reflections, providing meaningful feedback, improving my curriculum, and creating new resources.
My consultations would be more focused and impactful because clients would already have foundational support.
I would have more time to market authentically, connect with my niche audience, and grow my reputation as an expert.
Most importantly, I would have energy left at the end of the day.
The Deeper Desire
Anna: And what else do you want to have happen?
Paula: I want to know that the expertise I’ve developed over 15 years is being fully used. I want to become known for my specialty and create something that continues helping people beyond the therapy hour.
I also want financial security, confidence as a business owner, and the ability to grow without burning out.
The One Wish
Anna: As you imagine having that genie who's going to grant you all of your wishes, what's the one thing you're going to ask for, knowing that your success is absolutely guaranteed?
Paula: I would ask for a clear, proven roadmap.
What This Transformation Would Create
Anna: So when you finally have a proven roadmap, what would that do for you?
Paula: I would go for it! I would create something innovative while staying true to my values as a therapist.
The Biggest Impact
Anna: And what would you enjoy most about that result, of having a purposeful private practice instead of a stressful one?
Paula: I would enjoy feeling aligned. I would no longer feel like I was just maintaining a practice. I would enjoy seeing clients succeed in a new way and knowing that my expertise was reaching more people.
What Has Been Holding Paula Back
Anna: Now Paula, I want to take this conversation in a different direction for a moment. Tell me – being completely honest – what do you think has been stopping you, getting in your way, or holding you back from achieving that dream?
Paula: Honestly? I think it's a combination of fear and trying to do everything by myself. The biggest thing is that I don't know what I don't know.
As a therapist, I'm used to being competent. Clients come to me because I'm the expert. But when I step into the world of technology and online business, I suddenly feel like a novice. That's uncomfortable, and I think I've avoided that feeling more than I'd like to admit.
I'm also afraid of making an expensive mistake. I'm worried I'll invest thousands of dollars in the wrong platform, spend six months building something, and then discover it doesn't work for therapists or that I've overlooked an ethical issue. That's a pretty scary thought when my professional reputation is so important to me.
Another thing that's been holding me back is perfectionism—which is a little ironic considering I help people with perfectionism. I keep telling myself, "I'll start when I have the perfect plan...when I understand the technology...when I know exactly what I'm doing." Of course, that day never comes.
I also think I've been listening to too many voices. Every business coach has a different strategy. Every software company says their platform is the best. Every YouTube video tells me I need another tool. Instead of giving me clarity, it's created decision fatigue.
And because I'm busy seeing clients all week, I don't have hours to sift through all that information. So I end up doing nothing.
I think another piece is that I haven't found someone who really understands my world. I've found business experts who understand marketing. I've found tech experts who understand software. I've found clinical supervisors who understand therapy.
But I haven't found many people who understand how all three fit together in an ethical private practice. That makes me feel like I'm trying to solve a puzzle without having the picture on the box.
If I'm being completely honest, I think there's one more thing. Part of me wonders whether I'm "allowed" to build a practice like this.
Therapists are trained to value the traditional therapy hour. Even though I believe clients could benefit from structured support between sessions, there's this little voice that asks, "Will other therapists think this isn't real therapy? Am I stepping too far outside the norm?" I know that's more about my own confidence than reality, but it's there. So when I put it all together, I don't think what's holding me back is capability.
It's uncertainty.
If I knew I was building an ethical model, using the right technology, following a proven process, and creating something that genuinely improves client care, I don't think I'd hesitate nearly as much.
The Emotional Impact
Anna: As you've been struggling with all this, with having a vision for the future of your private practice yet feeling these barriers, how have these challenges affected your mood?
Paula: It has been discouraging. I’ve had this vision for years and haven’t moved forward.
Anna: How is this impacting other areas of your life?
Paula: It affects my family, my health, my creativity, and my future outlook.
I often feel emotionally drained after a full day of sessions. I want more energy for the people I love and more space to care for myself.
The Cost of Staying Stuck
Anna: What do you think the worst part of this is?
Paula: The worst part is feeling like I’m not fully using my expertise. I don’t want to look back years from now and regret not pursuing this.
I don’t want to settle when I know I’m capable of creating something more.
The Possibility of Moving Forward
Anna: Let me just pose an important question to you. If you could somehow resolve each and every one of those challenges and if you could somehow turn all these problems around and begin to move forward rapidly in the direction of your goals, what difference would that make for you?
Paula: It would change everything. I would feel confident as a business owner and finally have a practice that reflects the therapist I have become.
I would have more freedom, more impact, and more excitement about my future.
Anna: Ok, so moving forward would help you feel like a confident business owner who is applying her expertise in a new way. Your practice would finally be a reflection of the therapist you have become. Is that correct?
Paula: Yes. My clinical expertise has grown, but my business model hasn’t evolved with it.
I want my practice to represent who I am today—not who I was when I started.
The Solution
Anna: I see. Well, the really great news is that all the problems you've just described are familiar to me. It took me about ten years of trial and error to figure out the best way to add asynchronous therapy to my private practice. I’ve developed training that is specifically designed to help therapists resolve the very same challenges you're facing right now and get the kind of private practice you want. Would you like to hear more?
Paula: Yes, I would.
The Training Framework
Anna: My step-by-step training has four levels. In the first level, you will discover new concepts that will inspire you. All of the resources in level one are completely free. I have created quick, risk-free training customized for established private practice therapists.
The second level is for planning. You will use my templates to get your ideas organized, but there won't be any tech demands.
The third level is only available to people who have finished the planning assignments. You will learn how to create a website for asynchronous therapy in the AttractWell platform. Everything else is inferior. Life is short, so I have unapologetically aligned my training with a single platform for your website, marketing and curriculum.
Finally, level four will teach you how to implement asynchronous therapy in your private practice.
So when you think about everything I've just described, what do you think the most valuable part of this kind of program would be for you?
Paula: The most valuable part would be the structure and the roadmap. I don’t want to start with technology. I want to start with clarity.
The planning stage especially appeals to me because I already have the expertise and curriculum. I need help organizing it into a client experience.
Knowing there is a step-by-step process would help me move forward with confidence.
I need a proven process that helps me turn my expertise into a sustainable asynchronous therapy practice.
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