If running a group practice feels like herding highly educated cats, this episode is going to feel like someone finally put words to what you’ve been living. I’m joined by Amanda Esquivel, a Texas group practice owner who’s scaled to 50 clinicians across seven locations—and she’s breaking down why most “staff problems” aren’t actually staff problems. They’re leadership-role problems.

Amanda names the four roles practice owners bounce between when growth accelerates: babysitter/manager, bottleneck, firefighter, and mentor-leader. And she’s honest about where she’s had to course-correct—because when everything runs through you, you don’t just get busy. You get stuck. Your team gets stuck too.

We also talk about what employees are really reacting to when they complain about low pay, lack of tools, unrealistic expectations, and “promises” that don’t materialize. Amanda shares the transparency practices she uses to educate rather than defend—like showing where the money actually goes, tracking attendance metrics without shaming, and building a training hub so clinicians aren’t reinventing the wheel. The throughline is simple: your job isn’t to be everyone’s emergency contact. Your job is to build people and systems.

If you’ve been living in manager mode, exhausted, resentful, and constantly “on,” this conversation will help you shift back into leadership that develops your staff instead of babysitting them.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The four roles group practice owners cycle through—babysitter/manager, bottleneck, firefighter, and mentor-leader—and how to identify which one is running your practice right now.
• How to shift out of constant firefighting and bottlenecking by building systems, metrics, and delegation structures that develop staff instead of controlling them.
• What staff complaints about pay, tools, expectations, and follow-through are really communicating—and how transparency and education reduce resentment and turnover.
• Practical leadership tools that support retention and accountability, including structured one-on-ones, attendance and caseload metrics, shared training hubs, and role clarity.

If you’re ready to move out of manager mode and into grounded, sustainable leadership, start by grabbing the bonus resources that support this kind of systems-based growth.

If you’re still clarifying how your practice should be structured, the free practice guide will help you name what needs attention next.

For supervisors and practice owners who want clearer expectations and less daily friction, the Supervisor Checklist gives you a concrete place to begin.

And if you want ongoing CE credit, leadership support, and real-world training you can actually apply, the Step It Up Membership is where this work deepens over time.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

If the idea of delegating in your practice immediately brings up fear about HIPAA, confidentiality, or losing control, this episode is for you. In this solo episode, I’m breaking down exactly what you can delegate right now (and what you shouldn’t) so you can protect your license while still getting critical tasks off your plate.

I walk through real-world examples of delegation, from marketing tasks and intake calls to inbox management and follow-ups, and I clear up a lot of the myths therapists carry around about HIPAA. I explain how HIPAA actually works in practice, why delegating the wrong things first can waste time and money, and how proper training—not avoidance—is what keeps your practice safe as you grow.

If your practice feels like you’re “building the plane while flying it,” or you know an uptick in clients is coming and your systems aren’t ready yet, this episode will help you get grounded and move forward with confidence instead of fear.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What I recommend delegating first in a therapy practice, like intake calls, follow-ups, basic marketing workflows, and inbox management, without violating HIPAA
• How I think about training and onboarding VAs, including HIPAA education, clear boundaries, and realistic expectations
• Why I stopped using long written SOPs and switched to short screen-recorded workflows, and how that reduced mistakes
• How to tell the difference between tasks that actually move you toward revenue and ones that just keep you busy

If you’re ready to stop doing everything yourself and start building systems that support your growth, this episode gives you a practical, HIPAA-aware place to start.

If you’re ready to lead with confidence, join the 2026 Supervisor Course waitlist for early access to bonus tools, templates, and fast-track grading. Strengthen your systems today with the free Supervision Onboarding Checklist, and get ongoing CEUs and live coaching inside the Step It Up Membership. You’re not just building a practice, you’re building a legacy.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.

If the idea of hiring help in your practice immediately brings up fear about HIPAA, confidentiality, or losing control, this episode will bring a lot of clarity. Dr. Kate Walker breaks down exactly what therapists can delegate right now, what you should never hand off blindly, and how to protect your license while still getting critical tasks off your plate.

Kate walks through real-world examples of delegation—from marketing and intake calls to email management and SOP creation—while explaining how HIPAA actually works in practice (not the scary myths most of us carry around). You’ll hear why delegating the wrong things first can waste time and money, how to train VAs responsibly, and why systems—not hustle—are what allow practices to grow without chaos.

If you’ve been trying to “build the plane while flying it,” or you know your systems need to be in place before your caseload spikes, this episode will help you delegate with confidence instead of fear.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What therapists can safely delegate to a VA, including marketing tasks, intake calls, email workflows, and follow-ups—without violating HIPAA.
• How to train and onboard virtual assistants using HIPAA education, clear boundaries, and simple SOPs that actually prevent mistakes.
• Why screen-recorded SOPs, Trello boards, and structured workflows work better than long written instructions—and how to set them up efficiently.

If you’re ready to stop doing everything yourself and start building systems that support your growth, this episode gives you a practical, HIPAA-safe place to start.

If you’re ready to lead with confidence, join the 2026 Supervisor Course waitlist for early access to bonus tools, templates, and fast-track grading. Strengthen your systems today with the free Supervision Onboarding Checklist, and get ongoing CEUs and live coaching inside the Step It Up Membership. You’re not just building a practice, you’re building a legacy.

Get your step by step guide to private practice. Because you are too important to lose to not knowing the rules, going broke, burning out, and giving up. #counselorsdontquit.