The Testing Psychologist Podcast

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Today, I’m here with Whitney Owens to discuss the critical financial and operational factors behind transitioning from a solo practice to a successful group practice. We explore the common pitfalls that lead to group practice burnout, including improper compensation structures and premature office space expansion. Whitney shares her data-driven insights on why scaling requires a minimum of five full-time clinicians to see a significant shift in profitability, as well as the cultural benefits of adopting a W-2 model over an independent contractor framework. Whether you are currently pondering expansion or seeking to stabilize your existing group practice, this conversation provides actionable info for sustainable business growth.

03:37: The core mindset shift from clinician to business manager

04:57: The financial reality of scaling and the five clinician benchmark

09:25: Common pay structure mistakes and the W-2 vs 1099 dilemma

21:10: Financial transparency and navigating employee time off

33:02: Avoiding premature overhead costs in office space expansion

39:15: The three phase roadmap for launching a group practice

44:38: Managing high industry turnover rates through strategic overhiring

50:19: Implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System for practice structure

Cool Things Mentioned

Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists

Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists

Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists

Water’s Edge Counseling: www.watersedgecounseling.com

Wise Practice Counseling: www.wisepracticeconsulting.com

Profit First: www.profitfirstbook.com

Rocket Fuel: www.rocketfuelnow.com

Traction: www.eosworldwide.com

Greenoak Accounting: www.greenoakaccounting.com

Featured Resources

TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing

NovoPsych brings 150+ standardized measures into one platform. If you’re interested in high quality measures for personality, disability, ADHD or Autism, try NovoPsych with a 15-day free trial via this link: https://novopsych.com/testingpsychologist

The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s!

I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!

About Whitney Owens, LPC

Whitney Owens knows what it’s like to build something meaningful from the ground up. As a licensed professional counselor, faith-driven entrepreneur, and founder of Wise Practice Consulting, she’s turned her own experience running a thriving 15+ clinician private-pay group practice in Savannah, Georgia into a roadmap for practice owners who want to grow without sacrificing their faith, their income, or their life.
Whitney has a rare ability to meet practice owners exactly where they are by helping them build practices that are not only profitable, but designed around the life they actually want to live. Through Wise Practice Consulting, she brings real-world strategy and faith-based grounding to practice owners who are done settling for burnout and ready to build something that works for their clients, their bottom line, and their calling.
She’s also the host of the Wise Practice Podcast and creator of the annual Wise Practice Summit, a gathering of faith-based practice owners who believe you shouldn’t have to choose between a thriving business and a life well lived.

Get in touch:

Email: whitney@wisepracticeconsulting.com

Website: wisepracticeconsulting.com

Instagram: @wise_practice_consulting

Website: watersedgecounseling.com

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.

Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to join our Waitlist!

Join the Waitlist

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here.

Watch the YouTube video here.

In this episode, I conduct a comprehensive, hands-on review of the Practice Better EHR platform, examining its capabilities for both wellness professionals and mental health practitioners. I walk through the user experience from initial registration and onboarding to client creation, service configuration, calendar scheduling, and insurance claim generation. Throughout the live walkthrough, I evaluate the system’s extensive customization options, automated scheduling rules, and native reporting tools while highlighting critical user interface friction points and workflow segmentations that impact a psychological testing practice. Ultimately, I provide an objective assessment of where Practice Better shines, where it stumbles, and whether it stands as a viable software contender for solo and group practice owners.

Main Topics Discussed

00:00: Initial Registration, Account Setup, and Onboarding Wizard Experience

01:52: Client Intake Profiles, Custom Data Entry, and Manual Saving Controls

07:13: Navigating Onboarding Guides, Administrative Access Controls, and Team Settings

09:13: Managed Billing Configurations, Payment Processing, and Claim MD Clearinghouse Integration

10:52: Practice Branding Personalization, Document Templates, and Customized PDF Design Options

12:37: Designing Online Team Booking Pages, Workflow Redirects, and Calendar Sync Constraints

19:36: Customizing Dashboard Widgets, Analytics Reports, and Booking Rules

31:48: Adding Custom Services, Locating Floating Action Buttons, and Mapping CPT and Diagnosis Codes

38:58: Clinical Note Writing, Session Record Autosaving, and CMS 1500 Insurance Claim Processing Workflows

46:38: Comprehensive Synthesis of Platform Pros, Cons, Usability Flaws, and Tiered Subscription Pricing

Cool Things Mentioned

Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists

Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists

Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists

Practice Better: www.practicebetter.io 

Claim MD: www.claim.md 

Zoom Video Communications: www.zoom.com 

Circle Community Platform: www.circle.so 

The Testing Psychologist YouTube Channel: The Testing Psychologist – YouTube

Featured Resources

TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing

NovoPsych brings 150+ standardized measures into one platform. If you’re interested in high quality measures for personality, disability, ADHD or Autism, try NovoPsych with a 15-day free trial via this link: https://novopsych.com/testingpsychologist

The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s!

I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health! credits you purchase from At Health!

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.

Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to join our Waitlist!

Join the Waitlist

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Megan Helmen to delve into the complex clinical landscape of intellectual giftedness and twice-exceptionality. We explore how giftedness functions as a distinct neurotype rather than merely a high score on an intelligence test, emphasizing both its quantitative benchmarks and its qualitative realities. Dr. Helmen highlights the critical importance of looking beyond standardized psychometric thresholds, illustrating how bright children frequently utilize advanced compensatory strategies to mask underlying developmental disabilities like ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. By shifting our clinical focus from rigid score cutoffs to qualitative process observations during testing, we can better identify hidden impairments and avoid misinterpreting a child’s struggles as mere quirkiness. Our conversation offers actionable insights for refining the diagnostic interview, navigating overlapping constructs such as Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities, and connecting twice-exceptional families with appropriate educational and community resources.

Main Topics Discussed

03:39: Defining Twice-Exceptionality from Quantitative and Qualitative Lenses

12:05: Understanding Asynchrony and Skill Variability in Gifted Profiles

14:57: Exploring the Link Between Gifted Traits, Anxiety, and Perfectionism

19:01: Deconstructing Dabrowski’s Five Overexcitabilities and Clinical Frameworks

27:14: Conducting Effective Diagnostic Interviews and Eliciting Parent Stories

38:56: Shifting Assessment Focus from Psychometric Scores to Process Observations

52:14: Analyzing the Intersection of Autism and Giftedness Through Discrepancy Profiles

01:05:45: Essential Resources and Interventions for Highly Gifted and 2E Individuals

Cool Things Mentioned

Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists

Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists

Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists

National Association for Gifted Children: www.nagc.org

Davidson Academy: www.davidsonacademy.unr.edu

REEL 2E: www.reel2e.org

Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education: www.bridges.edu

Bright and Quirky: www.brightandquirky.com

Young Scholars Academy: www.youngscholarsacademy.org

Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented: www.mcgt.net

American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology: www.theaapdn.org

Minnesota Psychological Association: www.mnpsych.org

Developmental Discoveries: www.developmental-discoveries.com

Featured Resources

TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing

NovoPsych brings 150+ standardized measures into one platform. If you’re interested in high quality measures for personality, disability, ADHD or Autism, try NovoPsych with a 15-day free trial via this link: https://novopsych.com/testingpsychologist

The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s!

I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!e from At Health!

About Dr. Megan Helmen

In her early work with autistic children and their families, Dr. Helmen became increasingly aware of how difficult and disorienting the diagnostic process could be. This awareness shaped her professional mission: to provide a more informed, compassionate, and empowering introduction to neurodevelopmental understanding. Dr. Helmen’s approach combines clinical expertise and research-backed strategies with genuine connection and a sense of humor. After more than a decade of clinical practice within medical systems, she founded Developmental Discoveries to offer a more humanized and family-centered model of service. The practice is built on ensuring that children feel welcomed and understood, while caregivers gain meaningful insight into their child’s strengths, struggles, and opportunities for growth.

Get in touch:

Email: drmeganpresents@gmail.com

Speaking & consulting: https://www.developmental-discoveries.com/speaking

Clinic website: developmental-discoveries.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/developmental_discoveries/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DevelopmentalDiscoveries

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-helmen-psy-d-l-p-945b2716/

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.

Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to join our Waitlist!

Join the Waitlist

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here.

In this episode, I sit down with renowned assessment expert Dr. Cecil R. Reynolds to discuss the upcoming release of the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Fourth Edition, widely known as the BASC-4. We dive into the complex science behind test construction, examining why regular revisions are necessary to combat the seven year half-life of psychological knowledge and adapt to shifting clinical realities. Dr. Reynolds shares an insider look at the specific updates featured in the new edition, including neurodiversity-affirming adjustments to item language, an upgraded autism index for early childhood, and the upcoming introduction of narrowband scales for ADHD, autism, and mood disorders. We also address the systemic challenges of test development, the critical ethical requirement to choose instruments capable of withstanding legal cross-examination, and how practitioners can directly advocate for the creation of an adult broadband equivalent of the BASC system.

00:35: The upcoming summer release timeline and rollout schedule for the BASC-4

01:18: The seven year half-life of psychological knowledge and the necessity of test revisions

06:40: Incorporating neurodiversity-affirming language into standardized items without sacrificing validity

11:17: New positive development metrics and expanded early childhood autism screening capabilities

23:26: The clinical functions and structural features of the upcoming BASC-4 narrowband scales

34:08: The psychometric dangers of diagnostic over-identification when using standalone narrowband tools

45:37: Selecting legally defensible instruments aligned with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing

51:54: Market realities of the test publishing industry and the path forward for an adult broadband measure

01:00:21: Defining clinical efficacy and balancing workflow efficiency with scientific accuracy

Cool Things Mentioned

Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists

Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists

Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists

Purchase the BASC-4

Join the BASC-4 webinar trainings:

https://www.pearsonassessments.com/en-us/Store/Professional-Assessments/Behavior/Behavior-Assessment-System-for-Children-%7C-Fourth-Edition-/p/P100125000?productId=A103000453455

https://www.pearsonassessments.com/en-us/Store/Professional-Assessments/Behavior/Behavior-Assessment-System-for-Children-%7C-Fourth-Edition-/p/P100125000?productId=A103000453456

Featured Resources

TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing

NovoPsych brings 150+ standardized measures into one platform. If you’re interested in high quality measures for personality, disability, ADHD or Autism, try NovoPsych with a 15-day free trial via this link: https://novopsych.com/testingpsychologist

The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s!

I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!ount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!

About Dr. Cecil Reynolds

Cecil Reynolds is author of what are now 4 editions of the Behavior Assessment System for Childre, with BASC-4 about to release in 3 weeks. He is also the author of more than 50 commercially published psychological tests and a frequent contributor to The Testing Psychologist.

Get in touch:

Email: crrh@earthlink.net

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.

Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to join our Waitlist!

Join the Waitlist

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here.

In this episode, I sit down with Nicole Brewer to discuss a transformative approach to hiring within private practice: the integration of artificial intelligence. Nicole shares her journey from seeking simple efficiency to discovering how AI can expose deep seated biases like overconfidence and the halo effect. We explore her structured four layer hiring process and how tools like Claude can be primed with a practice’s mission and values to provide objective, data-driven insights. This conversation offers a practical framework for practice owners to move from hiring good candidates to securing the best possible fits for their leadership and clinical teams.

Key Moments

00:53: Why AI is essential for uncovering hiring biases and gaps

03:04: Identifying the four main biases that plague traditional hiring

09:19: How the level of responsibility dictates the patience required in hiring

18:31: The four layer process for vetting candidates effectively

21:17: Integrating assessments like the Kolbe and DISC into the interview flow

35:15: Technical steps for priming AI projects with practice specific context

40:33: Using AI to generate custom interview guides and candidate reports

53:35: The limitations of AI and the enduring need for human intuition

Cool Things Mentioned

Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists

Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists

Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists

Free Hiring Prompt Pack: https://www.rethinkyourpractice.com/Hiring-Prompt

Featured Resources

TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing

NovoPsych brings 150+ standardized measures into one platform. If you’re interested in high quality measures for personality, disability, ADHD or Autism, try NovoPsych with a 15-day free trial via this link: https://novopsych.com/testingpsychologist

The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s!I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!rrent and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!

About Nicole Brewer, LCPC

Nicole Brewer is the founder and CEO of reTHINK Therapy, a 24-person group practice in Henderson, Nevada, where she’s building what therapist employment should look like, salary-based, benefits-backed, and grounded in the belief that excellent therapy starts with great therapists. Over the past decade, she’s evolved from solo clinician to practice leader, and now shares what she’s learned with other practice owners through reTHINK Your Practice. Nicole is especially passionate about the practical, human side of running a therapy business: building teams, designing systems, and, lately, using AI to make hiring smarter, faster, and more aligned.

Get in Touch:

Website: www.rethinkyourpractice.com

About Dr. Jeremy Sharp

I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.

As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.

Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to join our Waitlist!

Join the Waitlist