We were lucky to catch up with Felicia Keller Boyle recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Felicia, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risks?
For years, there were things I wanted but felt I couldn’t have. They were always beyond my reach. If only my circumstances would change, then I could make bold decisions and have the life I wanted. I figured I’d know when it was time to make the change once I no longer felt scared.
One area of my life where this showed up was in my work. I had a Masters degree and really wanted to put all my energy into building my therapy practice. But I was afraid to let out of my side hustle and the income that brought. I told myself I’d quit my side hustle once I was able to earn a little more money as a professional. I’d set a finish line for myself but once I reached it, I’d find it had moved. Finally, I realized my fear would never go away. If I was going to change, I had to accept that I would be doing it scared. I decided to leap and I survived.
Embolden, I decided to keep doing scary things…just to see what would happen. It turned out that anticipation is often much scarier than the action itself. I’ve learned that even if I encounter challenges, I can always figure it out. I’d rather take risks creating the life I want than continue living a life I’ve outgrown.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a licensed therapist, private practice business coach, podcast host, and digital course creator. I’m known online as The Bad Therapist®. Although my title might raise eyebrows, it’s not about doing poor work with clients. It’s about disrupting what I call good therapist conditioning. I believe in a world where mental health workers have access to good working conditions, earn a thriving wage, and are no longer exploited and discarded.
I’ve taken my experience as a six figure private practice owner and seasoned private practice business coach to guide therapists through the complexities of building profitable, value-aligned practices and expanding beyond traditional therapy offers.
My approach blends deep spiritual insights with pragmatic business strategies, helping mental health therapists transform their practices into thriving businesses without sacrificing their core values.
What excites me most about my work is seeing the tangible changes in my clients’ lives and businesses. They become more confident, more competent with money, and courageous. They start to enjoy their work more and have more time to spend doing the things they love outside of work.
I’m particularly thrilled about the expansion of my affordable on demand courses on marketing and sales and my high touch services like CEO Days and international retreats. My retreats are designed not just as value packed learning environments, but as intensive, transformational experiences where therapists can learn, network, and rejuvenate. Set in inspiring locations worldwide, these retreats offer a unique blend of professional development and personal enrichment, tailored to foster both business growth and self-care.
Additionally, I continuously share insights and tips on my social media accounts and my podcast, The Bad Therapist Show, where I dive into topics like fee setting, client relationships, and the psychological underpinnings of running a therapy business. These resources empower therapists to not only dream bigger but give them the guidance they need to achieve their most ambitious goals.
For anyone interested in transforming their practice or just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey in therapy, I invite you to connect, whether through a retreat, a coaching session, or simply by tuning into my podcast. Let’s redefine what it means to be successful in the therapeutic profession together!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Experimentation – Though I’m prone to perfectionism, I know growth doesn’t happen without failure. I’m constantly getting better at throwing myself at problems without expecting that I’ll get it right the first time. I’ll share the same advice I got from a mentor years ago: Make garbage. The fact is, 20 years from now you’ll look back on your silly graphics and blogs and see just how far you’ve come. But you’ll never increase your skill if you don’t start. And sometimes that starts with making garbage.
Humility – I have been so fortunate throughout my life to have met talented, generous people right when I needed them. When I’ve noticed gaps in my knowledge and skill, I look for people around me who have what I don’t have and ask for help. This has sometimes looked like informal mentorships, paid mentorships, or hiring team members with skill sets that I don’t have.
Commitment – There are so many challenging moments in running my business but I always come back to knowing I want it more than anything else. Progress won’t always move at my desired pace or look the way I plan, but I love having freedom that entrepreneurship provides. I choose that over having to ask another adult for permission to take time off any day.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal clients are ambitious private practice therapists that aren’t content with the status quo of hustling and burn out. They want to earn a good living and serve their therapy clients well.
I have worked with therapists at every stage of business from just starting to seasoned group practice owners and online course creators.
Right now I’m loving working with group practice owners! Working with this group of therapists really plays to my strengths because I LOVE systems thinking. Group practices are more complex that solo practices and I love helping therapists build effective, efficient teams and systems. I’ve helped group practice owners hire and train their admin team members, hire new clinicians to expand their practice and increase revenue, and launch new marketing campaigns. It is incredibly rewarding to see them succeed!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thebadtherapist.coach
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_bad_therapist
- Other: Private Practice Fee Calculator: https://thebadtherapist.ck.page/revenue-stimulator
Podcast, The Bad Therapist Show: https://www.thebadtherapist.coach/thebadtherapistshow
