Every so often, we like to use this space to direct you to resources that might be useful to you. (See our earlier lists of resources for prelicensed therapists and for HIPAA compliance.) None of these are ads — they’re included here because we genuinely like the products and services offered, and the people behind them. We don’t receive any kickbacks or commissions for listing them, or if you choose to try any of them out yourself.
We’ll occasionally update this list as new stuff comes on the scene. You can always send me your experiences and recommendations. Logos here are of course the trademarks of their respective companies.
Marketing and business development
Fylmit – Ernesto Segismundo has made a name for himself and his company, Fylmit.com, with his relaxed style and genuine interest in the therapists he’s working with. The company helps therapists develop video ads and introductions to use on their web sites, social media platforms, and around the web.
ZynnyMe – Did you go to business school? Nah, me neither. But running a private practice or a clinic demands business skills. Miranda Palmer and Kelly Higdon run ZynnyMe, a business devoted to training therapists in precisely those skills. Their Business School Bootcamp addresses both the technical and emotional issues therapists encounter when addressing key business issues in their practices. They also have a lot of free trainings available. (I’ve been on their podcast, talking about advocacy work.)
Web sites
I’m a stickler about this kind of stuff, having for many years done my own coding. I haven’t yet seen or experienced a company that specifically does therapist web sites including all the features that therapists and counselors would readily want, and doing them all well. So my own sites generally aren’t built on therapy-specific platforms. I like Squarespace just fine, and WordPress is great if you’re a little more technologically savvy and don’t mind working with plug-ins. Our own Ben Caldwell Labs site is built on Shopify, which is meant as a marketplace. But for me, Shopify was actually the easiest to use and set up out of all these.
Electronic health records
SimplePractice – This is the software I use in my own practice for digital documentation and billing. My practice is small, so I wondered whether it would be worth the cost, but I’m so glad I made the switch to SimplePractice. It has been worth every penny and then some. It works for therapists who are in-network with insurance companies, and it allows clients to schedule themselves online (if you want). The company regularly rolls out new features, and hosts a Facebook group to communicate openly with customers. If we could just talk them into making the client portal into a fully-fledged therapist web site builder, they could easily become a leader in that space too.
Conferences
Evolution of Psychotherapy – It only comes along once every few years, but Evolution (as it’s known for short) is a huge deal. Several thousand therapists descend on Anaheim to hear from the field’s living legends. The 2017 conference includes Aaron Beck, John Gottman, Sue Johnson, Peter Levine, Cloe Madanes, Esther Perel, and many others. Just check out the full list.
Obviously, these resources are all provided by outside companies, so we can’t control or guarantee any of their work. But our experiences with them have been good, and they enjoy good reputations in the therapy world. Hopefully there’s something here that’s useful for you!