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Private Practice Success Stories

Private Practice Success Stories

Written by: Jena Castro-Casbon
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My name is Jena Castro-Casbon, MS CCC-SLP (of The Independent Clinician and The Private Practice Solution). I am part of a group of private practitioners who have taken client care into our own hands. We are skilled clinicians who pride ourselves on providing high-quality care to our clients and their families. We are fighting against productivity requirements, administrative red tape and unnecessary restrictions. We started our own private practices to take control of our professional and personal lives. Of our schedules. Of our incomes. Of our future. We work hard for our clients but on our terms. We believe in helping others – but also helping ourselves. We’re not interested in competing with each other. We hope that we all make it. We are successful private practitioners and these are our stories. Thank you for taking the time to listen to this interview.Jena Castro-Casbon Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Start Before You're Ready: Building a Home-Based Speech Therapy Practice Around Your Family with Alyse Dillon

    Start Before You're Ready: Building a Home-Based Speech Therapy Practice Around Your Family with Alyse Dillon
    May 25 2026
    What if you could walk your kids to school and build a thriving private practice? For most school-based therapists, mornings mean rushing out the door before the kids even wake up. But what if your workday could start with a slow walk to school with your children—and end with you picking them up from class? Today’s guest is doing exactly that. And I can’t wait for you to hear how she made it happen.I’m introducing you to Alyse Dillon, a speech-language pathologist with over 10 years of experience and the owner of Small Talk Speech and Language Services in Modesto, California.Alyse didn’t hate her school job. In fact, she loved it. But when life threw a move, she realized that the flexibility she wanted wasn’t going to come from being an employee. So she built it herself.Now, after two years as a private practice owner, Alyse sees private clients from her home office, contracts with her old school district on her own terms, and is home for school pickup, class parties, and everything in between.In this episode, Alyse discusses how she transitioned from schools to private practice, the unexpected way a school contract became a major part of her business, and why staying small on purpose has been the key to her happiness—both as a clinician and as a mom.Alyse Dillon is a speech-language pathologist with over a decade of experience across schools, hospitals, and private practices. She specializes in early language development, speech sound disorders, and school-based services. She holds her master's degree and describes her clinical approach as relational, family-centered, and deeply rooted in building genuine connections with both kids and their parents.Outside of patient care, Alyse is a wife and a mom of three boys. She loves being able to volunteer at her kids' school, take random Tuesday trips to Disneyland, and yes — walk her children to school every morning.In Today's Episode, We Discuss:How to start thinking about private practice when you're not burned out (yet)The surprising benefits of running a practice out of your homeHow she's combined a school contract with private clients for the best of both worldsWhy "small and streamlined" might be the perfect fit for your personality and your familyAlyse is proof that you don't have to hate your job to want something better. You don't need a huge team or a commercial storefront. Sometimes, the best private practice is the one that fits around your life — not the other way around.Want to build a private practice that gives you more time with your family, more control over your schedule, and more joy in your work? Learn more about the Start Your Private Practice program to know how to get started even if you're still working your day job by visiting www.startyourprivatepractice.com.Or, if you already have an existing private practice and you're ready to take it to the next level we'd love to support you inside the Next Level Private Practitioner. You can learn more at www.nextlevelprivatepractitioner.com.Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned:Follow Alyse on Instagram: instagram.com/smalltalkmodesto/Where We Can Connect:Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/
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    29 mins
  • Mom First, SLP Second: Designing a Private Practice Schedule That Actually Works with Jennifer Travis

    Mom First, SLP Second: Designing a Private Practice Schedule That Actually Works with Jennifer Travis
    Jun 1 2026
    What if you didn't have to choose between being a present parent and a passionate clinician? For today’s guest, that dream became reality. She’s a mom of two young boys, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, and the owner of a growing private practice.I’m so excited to introduce you to Jennifer Travis, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, a member of the Start Your Private Practice program and the owner and founder of Rise Pediatric Therapy Services in Nashville, Tennessee.After years of working in clinics, schools, and outpatient settings and feeling more and more depleted, Jennifer knew something had to change. She wanted more time at home with her sons without losing her passion for helping families. So she took the leap and started her own private practice in 2022 and has continued to work in pockets of her days to help clients achieve their goals. As a busy wife and mom to two young kids, building her own private practice gave her the flexibility to be home first while continuing to do what she loves — helping others with their speech, language, and feeding challenges.In this episode, Jennifer shares how she went from feeling overwhelmed to building a sustainable, joyful, and flexible practice, mostly through word-of-mouth and small, attainable steps. She describes herself as a dreamer who prefers to keep things small and she’s proof that you don’t need multiple locations or a huge team to build a profitable, fulfilling practice.Now, she sees clients in their homes or daycares, stacks her sessions into focused blocks, and spends the rest of her time being present with her two little boys without the burnout she once accepted as normal. She loves when her oldest son gets excited about her therapy materials, and she’s learning to embrace the messy, beautiful balance of being both a clinician and a mom.In Today's Episode, We Discuss:Why being a parent can be the catalyst not the obstacle to starting your practiceHow to build a full caseload through simple, low-pressure word-of-mouth referralsThe "schedule stacking" approach she uses to be fully on as a clinician AND fully present as a momWhy she chose to stay private pay to keep her freedom and flexibilityJennifer’s story is a beautiful reminder that private practice doesn’t have to mean big and busy. It can mean small, sustainable, and joyful. Whether you’re a new parent, a burned-out clinician, or someone who’s been dreaming of more flexibility for years — her journey proves that you can start exactly where you are.Want to build a private practice that gives you more time, more joy, and more control over your life? Jennifer launched her practice after going through our Start Your Private Practice Program where we help clinicians like you go from “someday” to “day one.” Learn more at www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com.Or, if you already have an existing private practice and you're ready to take it to the next level we'd love to support you inside the Next Level Private Practitioner. You can learn more at www.nextlevelprivatepractitioner.com.Whether you want to start from scratch or grow an existing practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance you deserve. Visit www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned:Follow Jennifer in Instagram: instagram.com/jenspeaksandeats/Check out her website: risepediatrictherapyservices.comWhere We Can Connect:Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/
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    23 mins
  • From Burned Out to Lit Up: How One OT Built a Practice That Actually Fits with Tanya Glass

    From Burned Out to Lit Up: How One OT Built a Practice That Actually Fits with Tanya Glass
    May 18 2026
    What if you've been an OT for 27 years and you're starting to wonder if you're done? Not done with the profession—just done with other people's systems. Today's guest felt exactly that way, and she did something about it.I'm introducing you to Tanya Glass, an occupational therapist and the owner and founder of her private practice, Grow and Thrive OT, based in the San Antonio area of Texas.Tanya is a 27-year veteran OT who has practiced in many areas but has specialized in pediatrics and feeding therapy for the last 19 years. After moving from Nevada to Texas, she struggled with her identity as a therapist while trying to find the right fit in a position. Frustrated by hospital politics, early intervention rules, and systems with policies that exist "just because," Tanya decided to stop looking for the perfect job and start creating it. She now runs a mobile private practice where she sees neurodivergent children and adolescents with feeding and eating differences, sensory processing challenges, and emotional regulation needs.In this episode, Tanya discusses how focusing on her niche helped her fall back in love with OT, why even a small side practice can transform your mental health, and how she built her business gradually—starting with the Start Your Private Practice program while working as a contractor—to get to a 60/40 split between her own practice and home health.Outside of patient care, Tanya currently works as an independent contractor for a home health company, as well as a contractor for a company that does special school contracts with OTs as "sensory coaches." She also creates webinars for Summit Education while she continues to grow her own private practice. Tanya is deeply passionate about creating opportunities for OTs to connect and hosts a monthly Zoom support call for Texas OTs. In her free time, she enjoys continuing to find new ways to support fellow clinicians.In Today's Episode, We Discuss:What it really feels like to lose your spark in this professionHow building her own practice brought it backTanya is truly living proof that it's never too late to reinvent yourself. After 27 years in the field, she went from feeling like she might be "done with OT" to building a practice that lights her on fire again—all while continuing to work as a contractor, create webinars, and build community for other Texas OTs. Her story does not have to be the exception; you, too, can achieve the career of your dreams if you simply start taking steps to get there.Want to build your private practice the right way—with a solid foundation, just like Tanya did? Learn more about our Start Your Private Practice Program, where Tanya got the step-by-step guidance and mentorship she needed to go from burnout to business owner. To learn more, please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com.Or, if you already have an existing private practice and you're ready to take it to the next level we'd love to support you inside the Next Level Private Practitioner. You can learn more at www.nextlevelprivatepractitioner.com.Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.Resources Mentioned:Follow Tanya on Instagram: instagram.com/growandthriveot/Check out her website: growandthriveot.comWhere We Can Connect:Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/
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    24 mins
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