What if your life first fee isn't just about earning more — but about creating a practice that can truly support your life?
In this podcast takeover episode, Linzy hands the mic to her biz bestie, Tiffany McLain — founder of The Lean In. MAKE BANK. Academy and host of The Money Sessions — for a bold conversation about what it really takes to build a life first fee practice.
Tiffany speaks honestly and unapologetically to the therapist who knows they want a more sustainable practice, but still finds themselves pulled back into lower fees, insurance dependence, inconsistent referrals, or marketing that does not seem to bring in the clients they actually want to work with.
She names the shift many therapists are feeling right now: the private practice landscape has changed, and the old ways of filling a caseload are not working the way they once did. But instead of responding by working more, charging less, or trying to compete with therapy platforms and AI, Tiffany points toward a different path.
This episode invites you to think differently about your fee, your positioning, your clinical authority, and the kind of practice that can actually take care of you while you take care of your clients.
If you have your life first fee written down somewhere, but are not yet living it in your practice, this conversation is for you.
Timestamps:
00:34 - Linzy Introduces the Podcast Takeover
02:36 - Tiffany’s Life First Fee Practice Framework
04:22 - Why Referrals Feel Different Now
05:14 - The Private Practice Landscape Before the Pandemic
06:15 - What Changed When Therapy Moved Online
07:14 - Big Tech, Therapy Platforms, and Cheap Labor
09:01 - The Pressure of Lower Reimbursement Rates
10:25 - AI, Burnout, and the Race to the Bottom
13:00 - Why Life First Fees Are a Different Path
15:46 - Why Therapists Cannot Compete with Big Tech
16:49 - Returning to Deep Human Work
17:32 - Marketing Beyond the Scaled Online Game
18:58 - Start by Knowing Your Life First Fee
20:55 - The “R to the Third” Client: Resourced, Ready, Recognized
25:00 - How Specificity Helps Clients Find Themselves in Your Work
27:19 - Where Life First Fee Clients Come From
29:18 - Stepping Into Professional Authority
31:04 - Linzy’s Final Reflection and Community Invitation
Connect with Tiffany McLain:
Tiffany McLain, LMFT is a clinical fee strategist for therapists in private practice. Her mantra is, “Full fees are the new black.” Via her program, The Lean In. MAKE BANK. Academy, she helps therapists ethically earn significantly more per month while seeing fewer clients and doing BETTER clinical work.
The Lean In. MAKE BANK. Academy is a program that addresses the underlying money mindset stories that keep therapists broke so they can become THAT therapist who charges premium fees, cash pay. With the LIMB 4-step framework to make BANK, regular coaching calls to help you go to the next level, a phenomenal community of funny and intelligent therapists, be ready to get real raw and real rich.
Website: https://leaninmakebank.com
Life First Fee Calculator: https://leaninmakebank.com/fee-calculator/
Email: hey@leaninmakebank.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leaninmakebank/
For other episodes with Tiffany, check out:
Episode 204 - Breaking the Martyr Cycle: Therapists, Money Shame, and Self-Care with Tiffany McLain
Episode 200 - Seasons of Entrepreneurship: Growth, Contraction, and the Truth About Business
Episode 100 - A Look at Our Financial Origin Stories with Tiffany McLain & Maegan Megginson
Episode 60 - Raising Fees and Showing Up Differently with Tiffany McLain
Episode 15 - Charging an Appropriate Fee to Match Your Money Goals with Tiffany McLain
About Linzy Bonham:
Linzy Bonham is a therapist turned money coach who helps private practice owners and health professionals feel calm, confident, and in control of their finances through her podcast, free workshops and comprehensive programs: Money Skills for Therapists and Money Skills for Group Practice Owners.
It all started when she saw her extremely skilled colleagues struggle with the money side of business. Some had even left private practice, or were avoiding starting one, because managing finances was just too stressful.
So Linzy set out to support helpers and healers with developing peace of mind about their money. Since so many were never taught money skills, she focuses on the “how” of making the business side of private practice doable — and even super satisfying.
You can learn more here: https://moneyskillsfortherapists.com/about
And you can follow along on social media:
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/linzybonham/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/moneyskillsfortherapists/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moneynutsandbolts
Want to feel more calm and confident about your money? Join one of Linzy’s free online workshops for private practice owners who want practical support with money mindset, avoidance, and the technical side of managing business finances.
Explore upcoming workshops and save your spot or register to get the replay: https://moneyskillsfortherapists.com/workshops
You can also join the new private WhatsApp community to connect with other therapists, health practitioners, and podcast listeners. Email hello@moneynutsandbolts.com for an invite.
