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Private Practice Startup Podcast
Episode 177b: Coronavirus- How to Prepare Your Practice
00:41:11
Camilla Gamba
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- [00:02]
A
Welcome to the Private Practice Startup podcast where we help ambitious private practitioners across the globe to brand themselves and grow their dream practices. We chat with successful private practitioners, business coaches and marketing experts, bringing you tons of practice building Ninja tips. Visit privatepracticestartup.com for awesome resources, attorney approved private practice paperwork, and our signature marketing E course. Here are your co hosts, Dr. Kate Campbell and Katie Lemieux.
- [00:30]
B
This is a little bit of a different for because we are technically doing a podcast, but we wanted to push it out to do a Facebook live simultaneously so we can get you guys the information and the insider story and experience and really advice on how to prepare your practice for the coronavirus. From Camilla Gamba. Gamba. Gamba.
- [00:53]
C
Either way, in Italian it's Camilla Gamba, Camila Gamba.
- [00:57]
D
We're gonna say it that way. It's so much more beautiful.
- [01:00]
B
And Camilla is actually podcasting from Milan, Italy at this point. We're so grateful to have her here with us. She actually reached out to us a few weeks ago right at the start of the coronavirus and we had a podcast scheduled to hear about the preparations and how to prepare your practice. But then Camilla had rescheduled at that point because things got really scary.
- [01:21]
C
I had no idea it was going to turn out like this. I think I was just counting down. So three weeks ago we heard that we had the first case near Milan and in three weeks now here we are, total lockdown. So when I wrote to you, I kind of said, you know, this happened, but my practice is sound and I'm ready to go with it. And then everything just kind of shifted and escalated really fast.
- [01:46]
B
Yes. We're going to hear about your story and have you share that in just a few moments. And so for those of you that are watching on the Facebook Live, this is great because you'll be able to point out, post in the comments if you guys have questions, concerns, share your experiences with us. We really want to be a community of support for you all as you're going through this. And we're right there in the trenches with you with both of our practices, all three of our practices, really. And we knew it would take a couple of days for us to process behind the scenes to get this published on Libsyn for the podcast aspect of it. So we wanted to make sure you guys had the information right away.
- [02:21]
C
Yeah.
- [02:21]
D
So what we're going to do, just so we can really give you guys the information, put our attention to Camila Gamba. We're going to focus on, you know, the interview part and talking with her. But please go ahead and post your questions and we'll invite Camilla to answer them because she has that firsthand experience and knowledge. And of course, we will go ahead and pipe in there as well. And of course, if you are watching live, I know quite a few of you are right now, go ahead and say hey, hello. And we really appreciate you guys joining us. And so before we get started, because this is a podcast, is we just really want to acknowledge our sponsor who is, who is TherapyNotes. And remember, if you guys have an EHR, a lot of your guys, EHRs have an online counseling component, Right? So this is a perfect time to really get comfortable with that aspect. And we're going to be talking about online counseling, how it really can help support you during this time as well as your clients. But really, we want to turn it over to Camilla and really just understand her experience. And you know the scary thing, Camilla, you had said when you emailed us, and we woke up this morning and we saw your email and we're really excited to have you, as you're saying, like, where were you guys were three weeks ago? And I'm not a scared, I'm not an alarmist, but the reality is the reality. And so just share with us, like, your experience in this whole thing and what has happened, what has transpired, and we're just going to turn it over to you.
- [03:34]
C
All right, well, I'm going to talk, but then if I kind of, if I'm scattered, it's been an intense few weeks, so if I get scattered, you can bring me back on track. Totally understandable. I think you just said something really interesting about, like, is it serious? Is it not serious? And I think the whole risk assessment for the brain has been really difficult for everyone individually. And then the news is saying things and then politicians are saying other things and that the health departments are saying other stuff. So it's just trying to make sense of what's going on and what actions we should be taking amidst all the mixed messages. So what happened was we first got news of the outbreak in Milan, and this was before people were talking about the coronavirus that much because by then it was still like just a something happening in China. And so on Sunday evening, I sent out an email to all my clients saying, you know, just make sure you wash your hands and we're disinfecting and, you know, the things that we were being told we should do. And then after that was just like constant emails to all my clients until finally the last One was, we're switching everything to online. If you're happy to do that, then great. If you want to postpone, then we can do that as well. But it was just like a succession of lots and lots of emails.
- [04:54]
B
How long was that time span from the first email that you sent on that Sunday night notifying everybody of the hygiene practices and letting them know what you were doing and what they should be doing to the point where you made that decision that you needed to go to a completely online business model? Yeah.
- [05:11]
C
So that was Friday 24th, Sunday. I've got my calendar because it feels like a year has gone by. So that would have been Sunday, February 23rd was the first email. And then even last Sunday I sent this email saying, you know, if people want to go online, that's fine, but I'm staying open for those of you who do want to keep that in person. And I had mixed feelings about that because we still weren't sure if that was okay or not. We still had this idea that as long as it wasn't large groups, then people were safe. But I was still. I don't know, I had qualms about that. And then Tuesday we got directives from Italy has like the National Board of Psychologists. And so they sent out a directive saying, we can't keep you from meeting people in person, but we strongly recommend that you shift everything to online. So that was the deciding factor of the right thing to do, is to just go online.
- [06:12]
B
How are your clients responding to those emails that you were sending out and the progression of emails, even on that Sunday night before you guys were pretty much recommended to go online? How are they responding to that?
- [06:25]
C
That's a good question. A couple of wrote back thanking me, but most didn't because you have to keep in mind that everyone else was trying to figure out what was going on. Were schools going to shut down? Were their workplaces going to shut down? We didn't know what was happening, so they didn't actually respond, but they kept the appointments most. And what I noticed from my colleagues who didn't write anything, they got a lot of cancellations. So in a moment, because in those few days, I think the same as what you're getting, you're starting to get emails from the school as well. Closed and the gym is closed and your bank is closed. And you know, if your therapist doesn't write anything, then you don't know what's what. So I noticed that that was one of the discriminating factors between getting a lot of cancellations and not getting cancellations was just being really proactive, even if it's just we don't know what we're doing, but we'll let you know. And we're thinking about it already. Something.
- [07:25]
B
Yeah. And as people were not canceling for you after you had sent those emails and you were giving them the option, what percentage of your pract was wanting to move to online and what percentage was wanting to continue to come into the office and see you?
- [07:38]
C
Yeah, actually all of them kept coming in. And I think again it's because we weren't quite sure what the risk factor was. I think it's also important to keep in mind that it depends on your target group. So my target group is mostly like people, you know, between like the ages of 20 to 45. Most of them don't have kids, most of them work from home anyway. So they were just feeling confident in the whole scenario. But other colleagues who maybe work with carers or elderly people or people who are more vulnerable then they did switch to online just out of some sort of self protection.
- [08:19]
B
And what was that like for you to continue to see your clients in office not knowing how at risk you were or how at risk they were?
- [08:27]
C
You know, if I could go back in time, I wouldn't have done that. But again, the alarm level was just weird. But there was this weird phenomenon you might be experiencing in the US too where people would sniffle and cough and say, oh, it's not the coronavirus. And I had a couple of patients like that. And you know, to this day I don't know. But now I do know that there are some people who are being quarantined and who are having the symptoms. And I think I didn't want to switch to online too early because I didn't want to create that panic because we didn't know what we know now. But if I can really share something that we learned for everyone who's listening, switch to online, now's the time to do it. Everybody's saying so, you know, do it in a way that doesn't cause panic. You know, in all my emails I was writing like as a precaution, you know, in capital letters because I didn't want to panic people. But the risk is that you might see somebody. Well, first of all, it creates a really not so nice session. If somebody's coughing and sneezing in front.
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B
Of you, in the back of your.
- [09:39]
C
Mind, you're thinking, and then somebody else comes in after them and you're thinking, should they be sitting in that Chair. Am I doing the right thing? So you can avoid all that. And then something also to keep in mind. If you find out that you were in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, then you're gonna have to have that conversation with every single one of the patients that you saw that week. And it's just a difficult conversation because you're forcing them then to self quarantine for 14 days.
- [10:12]
B
Do you have clients that are. That have had to quarantine?
- [10:16]
C
Yeah. Yeah. So actually one of the clients I did lose was a couple. And you know, it can be very difficult to have couples therapy online, so we didn't quite do that. And then I had a lot of people who, because I work with international clients, a lot of people actually decided to go home. A lot of students that I work with, their parents asked them to come back home to their respective countries, and so then they were self quarantined because of the traveling.
- [10:47]
B
Hmm. Now, have you continued to have sessions with those who have wanted to continue therapy while being quarantined?
- [10:54]
C
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. In fact, this could go like, we could have a whole episode on sessions while you as a therapist are quarantined and your clients are quarantined. That, that's a whole separate subject that we could really go into or go into it now, whatever you want. But that there's a lot to say about that too, that we're discovering as we go.
- [11:14]
B
What would be how long?
- [11:16]
D
Just curious. How long before like, what was your practice like before the whole coronavirus epidemic?
- [11:23]
C
Do you mean like in terms of numbers?
- [11:25]
D
Well, in the sense of like, did.
- [11:26]
B
You do some online?
- [11:27]
D
Because I know that you said you work international.
- [11:28]
C
Yes, so I did. I'm just thinking off the top of my head. I have. Well, this is one of the reasons I reached out to you because in the last few months, following all your advice, I was getting more and more clients. So I had like a few full client load and I was really excited about that. But I'd say I had maybe three or four consistently online. And because the people I work with, they travel a lot. Then we would have like in person sessions and then occasionally we would have an online session if they were out of town.
- [11:58]
D
Gotcha. So a few. Not, not, not so many. And I mean, I guess I'm just wondering like the overall feel like, you know, Kate and I were talking and living in Florida and anyone kind of down on the southeast central coast as we experienced a lot of hurricanes and definitely experienced a lot of hurricanes. These last four years we had three, you know, potential hurricanes, one that definitely hit us. And it's just this very weird feeling in the air, right? Like everyone's trying to operate like in everyday life. And most people out there like are just normal, like they're not sick, they're just every day. But you know, like there's this thing like you're right, like you're always aware. Like I said to Kate yesterday, sometimes when I eat dairy I have a little like phlegm and I was like coughing. I'm like, it's the dairy, it's the dairy. And so you're aware, you're aware of others, you're trying to do normal life.
- [12:46]
C
But it's not so normal.
- [12:48]
D
So share with us now that you guys are at like a different level of it all. What is that all? Like, what are you allowed to do? What are you not allowed to do?
- [12:55]
C
Okay, maybe I'll say something about just like figuring out where you are, are you calm or is it like Armageddon out there? And I think that the first few days was just a really bouncing back and forth between panic and denial. And I think on a personal level, but also as a therapist supporting the people you're working with, find that balance between yes, it is serious, but also you don't need to panic, right? So, but you have to have that solid within yourself before you can pass it on someone else about where you stand. And this, everything's calm, but it's not on the day to day things. So we gradually, it's been such a gradual process. It's kind of, but really quick of at the moment we're in a state where we can only leave home if to go to the grocery store to get necessities, like if we need to go to the drugstore, go to the hospital or doctor's office, they've canceled all non urgent medical appointments of any sort. So that, that's not happening. But these are the only reasons we're allowed to go out. And then there's a lot of questions like, what about my dog, if I need to walk my dog and can I just, you know, what if I'm going crazy at home, can I take a walk around the block? So we're still trying to figure out like how far we can push it to actually go outside. But I think we've all internalized the fact that the less we go out, the better it is. Not just for us as individuals, but for the whole community.
- [14:31]
B
Absolutely.
- [14:31]
D
And it's interesting that you, I think, think when you had emailed us this morning, you had said something like what were, what's happening in the U.S. like you said, is like three weeks from where you guys were the other way or. And so right now it sounds very like minimal. And what I'm hearing you say and talking about, you know, if you could go back, you wouldn't have seen the clients in office. Right.
- [14:51]
C
And so, yeah, and I'm saying just, just. It was actually just one week. So it's not like I was going weeks and weeks, but it's that one week that I think, oh, that, that should have been the week. And I did have other colleagues who switch. They kind of made that call right away and switched. So, you know, I'm not saying, like, I made a huge mistake and put tons of people at risk, but it was that one week that I think I had enough information then to make that call.
- [15:19]
D
Yeah, I wasn't saying you were putting people at risk. I'm just saying you were like, no.
- [15:23]
C
No, but that was a thought. But I think, I don't know, I don't want to, I don't want to come across as being alarmist, but I think it's good to be prepared, both logistically and mentally. So I think if people can at least be prepared if it comes to it, to have every session online, you know, because that takes logistics, that takes communications. I had, I was doing all sorts of back office stuff, trying to write to people about, you know, Zoom or FaceTime or WhatsApp video and telling them about online payments because most people pay when they come to the office. So there was just a lot of communication around that, which was kind of stressful. And then also the fact that now I'm working from home, I usually have even my online calls in my studio, so I kind of put lamps around to light up the screen. I did what I could with what I had at home. But just, you know, if you have the time to prepare, do that while your files at home, you know, everything you need, just bring it at home and be ready.
- [16:30]
D
So one point, I just want to make two points. One is about policies and procedures and then just a clear distinction. So just a reminder, guys, that Camilla's joining us from Italy. So many of you are in the US and are regulated by hipaa. So they're different. Right? So I know Camilla's Talked about like FaceTime and WhatsApp, and you all know that you can't do that. It needs to be a HIPAA compliant platform, especially if you're in the Us. And, you know, one of the things, Camilla, that I hear you saying and I really talk so strongly about, is really assuring that you have your proper policies and procedures in place. And if you don't, this is a really good time to get clear on what that looks like. I know Kate and I talk about that. And, you know, part of that, the logistics is with online counseling, we always say, you know, make sure you have payment, it's encrypted. They understand that that payment will be done prior to. You can't chase someone down the office if their card is declined, things like that. So it's just a really good time to begin to look at the flow of your company and is it working? And if it's not, go ahead and make those changes and communicate to your clients about it. So really balancing, you know, being proactive with your clients and supporting them through this process, knowing that you can support and still serve them during this time, as well as looking at the ebb and flow of your own business, is.
- [17:37]
C
Kind of what I'm hearing. Yeah, there's something else as well. I had new requests, so I actually onboarded. So to have that ready to go, you know, not have to make it up as you go, what's the procedure, you know, any documentation that needs to be signed, you know, in the midst of all this happening, then you've got your private life as well that you're trying to sort out. So just, it is good to be sure that everything's kind of streamlined and ready to go.
- [18:07]
B
Tell us a little bit more about that, about the juggling act of dealing with all the unknowns, the anxieties, trying to organize everything in your personal life. And it's like the simultaneous process where you're going through the same thing that your clients are going through with all of these unknowns. We're all in this together. And yet at the same time, when you're with clients, it's almost like there's that expectation that you have to have it together and how to get it together enough to have to be able to have those sessions when there is that anxiety. So tell us a little bit about that dynamic.
- [18:38]
C
It's been weird. I've had. Okay. One thing I want to say, and this is also something I wanted to share with you beforehand, was how important. Every message that you always give about self care, having time for yourself and having a routine that's good for you, and having all that in place, I'm very happy that it's been embedded in my mind. So even throughout this whole thing, there was no doubt that I needed to take time out. Unfortunately, my way of self care is related to going to the gym and socializing with friends. And those are two things that we're taking away. So it's kind of trying to quickly go into a new routine to make sure that you've got that personal space to kind of stay balanced.
- [19:26]
B
What is your new routine while being quarantined at home?
- [19:29]
C
I'm working on it actually. I moved in with my dad partly just to make sure that I could look after. He doesn't need looking after because he's healthy, but he is in that category. So I'm like doing the grocery shopping for him and, and we're just keeping each other company. So that's been nice. And then actually something really amazing, all this. People are getting really creative about socializing online. So we're having like dinners online and having drinks with friends online. And a lot of personal trainers are posting videos about exercises that you can do from home. And there's actually a lot of entertainment and even things like people going out on the balcony and making music for their neighbors to hear. So it's just, it's been interesting shifting that serendipitous stuff. That's just really beautiful and a lot of community spirit. Nice. Something else. Sorry, I'm talking a lot, but no, go for it.
- [20:31]
B
You're doing a beautiful job. Yeah.
- [20:33]
D
We want to give you the space to share your experience because it's so valuable.
- [20:38]
C
Okay. So one thing I did in the weeks where things were escalating was I stopped watching the news or I would tap in just very minimally, but I did stop as much as possible watching the news because I could just feel it in my body, the anxiety rising. But I did check regularly, like the government sites and the, you know, any medical site, the kind of institutions, and see what updates they had to make sure that I was informed. But in those weeks, the media was just not part of my routine because it was too much for me to handle.
- [21:17]
B
Yeah, it really is a lot. The media frenzy and all of the anxiety. I can feel it in my body and my chest. I have a two month old baby at home. He's actually sleeping in the other room right now as we podcast with the nanny who's there. And when I'm up in the middle of the night feeding him, I'll often scroll on Facebook, I'll read articles and whatnot just to kind of like pass the time. And now it's like toxic. I can't Even do that because it's just too anxiety provoking. And two, it gets my thoughts going and I can't go back to sleep. So I completely understand that it's important to be informed, but also to not go down the rabbit hole with all of that.
- [21:55]
C
Yeah, exactly. Because then there is also the phenomenon of information overload. And you're getting all this information and some of it is conflicting and you're brain is trying to work it out. And I just kind of set that aside. So that was my. This is my new routine. But something about having sessions, I think last week when we were still in the midst of figuring things out, was quite stressful and a lot of my clients were in transit, so shifting sessions and my calendar was all over the place. But. So that was hard. But this week we know, okay, we're housebound. This is what's happening probably for another few weeks. Some people are saying months. Okay, kind of forces you to live in the moment. But something that's really nice about the sessions is for a lot of my clients, it becomes a moment where we talk about unrelated stuff. So it's kind of like protecting the session from the coronavirus, you know, coming in and invading the session. Because some people don't want to talk about that. They've got other things. So that's actually been good for me to have moments in my day where that's not part of the reality.
- [23:09]
D
I always find that that's one of the beautiful things that I do love working about clients is because whatever's going on in my world is just put on the back burner and you can be really fully present. And you know, that's a cool thing about the work that we do. There's no cell phones, there's no, you know, we're just fully present and it really can just kind of take our mind away and really be in the present moment.
- [23:28]
C
So that's interesting.
- [23:29]
D
So I mean, is the coronavirus and anxieties and stuff like that kind of coming up in session two as well? And what is the content?
- [23:35]
C
Well, no, I think for all of us. And maybe I can also pass this on. People are not concerned about the health aspect because we've internalized the fact that we're trying to slow down the contagion so that our hospitals are not overworked. And it is a concern for the elderly and people with health problems. And okay, so we're trying to protect, protect them, but I think we've internalized that. The virus itself is not, you know, monster. That's Gonna kill us all. But what I think most people are concerned about is the measures that are taken to contain it. And you know, for example, people who have small businesses and they're having to shut down and they don't know when they'll be open or parents at home with kids there that we're on to our third. We've just finished our third week with kids at home and I don't have kids, so I don't have this issue. But I can only imagine what it would be like to keep working from home with kids in the house. You know, these are kind of the concerns around the coronavirus. It's not the health issue, but the measures and the consequences which I think most people are really embracing. We're all happy that these measures have been taken, but we just kind of have to cope.
- [24:50]
D
Yeah.
- [24:52]
C
With making them happen.
- [24:54]
B
Yeah. I know we're asking a lot about your kind of like the timeline of things and your. And your story and what. And as we go through this, you're sharing some things that you've learned along the way. What else would you want to let Startup Nation know that three weeks ago you wish you had known going into. Because. Right. We're right in the trenches of the unknowns. There's a lot of anxiety, you know, and depending on where people are in the country. And we do have some international listeners as well, people from around the world.
- [25:23]
C
Yeah, I would say it's just the anxiety and the panic. There's no need for that. If you can maybe just prepare for the idea that chances are you're going to be people, your whole community is going to be self isolating and it's not that bad. Okay. So we're here with a smile on our face. But just if you can start that. There's nothing wrong with starting today, just not going out, not socializing with friends. If you feel that it's important to see your clients in your studio, you know, that's fine if you haven't gotten directives to not do that. But then in your own private life you can make choices. And it's. We've learned that it's not about large gatherings. It can be just as simple as going out with. To have coffee with a friend. And you don't know that friend may have, you know, had coffee with another friend who then tested positive. And then it just kind of has this ripple effect. So that's one thing just to be mindful starting today of your own personal life. So we're kind of all going about the world Imagining that we might have it and not have symptoms, and so we don't want to pass it on to someone else. So that's one thing. And here I think people are just generally very positive. There's a lot of humor, a lot of funny things going viral, and just, you know, people making good use of staying at home. Like sorting through your drawers and finishing up that scrapbook and, you know, picking up your guitar. Exactly.
- [27:02]
D
Finishing the projects that are undone. I've already, like, already made a list in my mind.
- [27:07]
C
Yeah, exactly.
- [27:08]
D
My own renovations. Because I would have a new bathroom.
- [27:11]
C
By the time this is.
- [27:13]
B
And what better time to work on your business, you know?
- [27:15]
C
Exactly. Yeah. In fact, I was thinking, if I get a lot of cancellations, and this is the time I haven't had any time to blog, and I knew that that was something I wanted to do. And so I already have this idea that, okay, I can do that. But then I also. Because I do a lot of work with trauma and grief. But then I thought, okay, I think in this time I'm going to want to blog about other things. I want my mind to be on other things.
- [27:45]
B
I'm just curious, Camilla, what is it like when you actually do need to leave your house to go to the grocery store or to get medicine? What is that experience like?
- [27:56]
C
Very weird for us here. So we're in Italy, and Italians are very funny about following rules. Some people are very good and some people aren't. And so I was at home for four days straight chatting, you know, with friends who were also at home. And so we. And the media was saying, like, milan's deserted. No one's on the street. And then I walked out and there were just people on the street walking their dogs and chatting and, you know, little groups going to the grocery store. So it was just really weird, that reality of you're not quite sure where things are. But, yeah, when I did go to the grocery store, it was just weird because they were letting people in a few at a time, so I had to wait in line.
- [28:44]
B
Are they taking your temperature or, like, assessing for symptoms or anything like that?
- [28:48]
C
No, no, I think they've kind of. I don't think they have the resources for that. And. And that's fine. That's understandable because they can't, like, you know, across the. The nation be testing people. And it's kind of down to everybody's own sense of responsibility. There is a huge sense of responsibility here that they've been advocating, you know, from politicians to influencers and celebrities just that there's a hashtag, yores, tacaza, I'm staying home. So just trying to get everyone to understand that even if you don't have the military telling you that you can't go for a job, just don't do it. That's kind of the message.
- [29:32]
D
I was wondering about that. Is there a lot of military and police, like on the streets and areas or telling people to go?
- [29:37]
C
You know, there's bits, but, you know, they're here and there they go around. It's not like we're not a militarized country. So there's not that much law enforcement around, you know, to cover every street. And also something to keep in mind is like the more they can also stay at home, the better it is for everyone. Because. True, you know, we're just trying to get human beings, no matter what their roles are. We've got politicians here who've tested positive and they're doing whatever, you know, commentary they have to make from their own homes. So it's kind of this weird thing of patrolling the streets and testing would require people to be out. And we're trying to keep people in. So it's finding that balance.
- [30:25]
B
What are you hearing from those who have tested positive? I know it's different for different people at different ages and different immune systems, but what are you hearing about those stories and how that affects them?
- [30:35]
C
Yeah, well, I'm trying to think. I don't have any direct contact with anyone who's tested positive, but because the people who get tested are the people who are at risk in the at risk category. So I know people who've got the symptoms who were in close contact with people who tested positive, but their symptoms are mild. Right. Like a cough and a fever and they're just staying home and resting and, you know, for. I don't have numbers because I've been hearing numbers all over the place and I'm sure you have to, but there's a portion of people, a good portion of people who get the symptoms, mild flu and then they recover. And those are the people that I know. But the intensive care units are full. I think they're right about the numbers. I'll check later on tonight where our numbers are. But yeah, that's a problem when the symptoms do go into, like pulmonary infections. And I'm not a doctor, so I can't. And again, I don't want to give too much information that might be wrong or misleading, of course, but I think there's that psychological thing like you were saying, you know, you kind of feel a cough and shortness of breath is one of the symptoms and I've had that. But I know it's kind of anxiety related, so I think there is a lot of wondering from people, could it be, could it not be? And then you kind of get it into your head it could be. So I'm going to be very mindful.
- [32:10]
D
I know that when you initially had reached out to us, you had mentioned about. I think you had mentioned about profit first.
- [32:15]
B
Right.
- [32:15]
D
And having the emergency fund.
- [32:17]
C
Yeah. Oh, yes, I forgot about. Wow.
- [32:21]
B
It feels like a lifetime ago. Yeah.
- [32:23]
C
Okay.
- [32:23]
D
That preparedness came probably like far beyond like where we are today. But share with us a little bit about as you got into the pandemic and things like that, and you knew that you had done profit first and have your emergency fund and things like that. Like, what feeling did you have?
- [32:39]
C
Actually, I was. I did all my homework very diligently. So whenever I listen to your podcast and I've been listening like to everything since about, I don't know, April, May of last year. And so I had my. I've got all these Excel spreadsheets, you know, nothing fancy, but each kind of episode has its own Excel sheet. And I had the profit first Excel sheet. And I also have different, like, fee settings and how many cancellations I could get before I have to worry and what the break even point is for my practice, you know, I had all these numbers. So what I did, again, going back to the Friday 21st of February where we had the first case, then super high escalation, then the first email to my clients saying we're going to be mindful of practices. And then Monday morning I just opened my laptop and I was like, okay, here are the numbers. And because I was imagining like immediate cancellations and I didn't know it was going to happen, I was kind of panicking, imagining the worst.
- [33:40]
B
And my nanny's peeking her head out going, can I come out with a baby yet? There's just, you know, this is life, guys. And this is part of what it would be like to be working from home and I guess having telehealth and, you know, the baby, the kids in the other room and that sort of a thing. And Camilla, it's been so helpful to have you on today, just hearing your stories and your journey and there's that sense of like, relief for a lot of the anxiety that I know that I'm experiencing with the unknowns. I tend to be someone who likes to feel like things are in control and Obviously, I can't control anything outside of myself, but having a newborn in the house and a lot of people in my family who are in the at risk, you know, category, it just see unknowns of how this will affect people. And then also being the owner of a group practice with a team of 20 clinicians and navigating that with them all week, this week, because we're where you were three weeks ago and not knowing how to navigate this in the way that, the best way that everybody's protected and all of that. So it's really, really helpful to hear your perspective and, you know, we all need to take this.
- [34:44]
C
I'm glad it can be helpful.
- [34:45]
B
Yeah. We all need to take this very seriously and be proactive and think about how we can take those steps that we need to, to protect ourselves, our clients, our families, our practices, and all of that. And I definitely want to be able to continue to check in with you to see how things evolve and for you to be absolutely a resource to Startup Nation, especially in our Facebook group. So, Katie, can you hear us now? I see you nodding your head.
- [35:12]
D
I can.
- [35:13]
B
Okay.
- [35:13]
D
I'm glad that you realize that I lost volume all of a sudden.
- [35:16]
B
I know your non verbals very well.
- [35:20]
D
That's what happens when you have a really close, awesome business partner. Yes. I was like, just went out like nowhere and I'm like, I can't hear.
- [35:28]
B
Yeah. And before we bring things to a close, Camila, what would be the main takeaways that you want our audience to take away from your story today?
- [35:39]
C
Okay, I would say to take what's happening very seriously, but there's no need to have anxiety over it. There's another trending hashtag in Italy. It's andratutto bene. And people are hanging this outside their windows, you know, drawing it on sheets. And it means everything's gonna be fin and we are a community. And it can be your local community and your group of therapists and your town and then your nation. And now I think we're realizing that we're a global community. So if you're struggling in all of this, then reach out to someone or everyone. Right. Because we're definitely all in this together.
- [36:21]
B
I love to hear you say that. I got goosebumps. And the Italian language is just so beautiful. To hear you speak it. I. Yeah, it's just gorgeous. Katie, anything that you want to add?
- [36:31]
D
Yeah, no, I appreciate you kind of bringing this kind of like a sense of. You said, like, take it seriously, but don't be panicked and it's like, well, that's contradictory. But just kind of like hearing you talk and just having peace with it and, you know, knowing that there's really beauty in all of this, I think that's really important, but also being proactive. And I know that, you know, we had talked about this being a simultaneous live Facebook and podcast and, and because we were all kind of scrambling and just trying to get on the platform and make sure we were recording. I know I didn't fully introduce you, so I just wanted to share a.
- [37:00]
B
Little bit about you at the close.
- [37:02]
D
Right, so Gamba is an Italian American psychotherapist working in Milan. Obviously you heard her story today and her contribution to really helping us. And she's passionate about psychology and different cultures. She's a bicultural family and has lived in California, Italy and London. And she practices in Milan, as you guys have heard, working with people from all over the world. And our primary focuses are culture shock.
- [37:25]
C
Trauma, grief and relationship issues.
- [37:26]
D
And we just so appreciate you being here today with us.
- [37:31]
C
Thank you for having me. It's been a treat for me.
- [37:35]
B
Absolutely.
- [37:36]
D
Thanks for rolling with the punches. I know that we went to the Facebook live.
- [37:40]
C
You're like, oh, no, no. That's how these weeks have been. Just take things as they come and it's good. Thank you.
- [37:48]
B
And one of the additional ways that we want to be able to support you, Startup Nation. I know we've been talking a lot about the online, online counseling telehealth and moving in that direction as a way to protect yourself, your clients and your families and all of that. And it's just, I'm sure it'll be a different time depending on where you're located and whatnot, and what populations you're working with and whatever you decide is right for your practice. But we wanted to be able to offer a resource which is our attorney approved private practice paperwork. We have specifically a technology assisted counseling form and it's a consent form that's really important to use if you're going to be doing online counseling of any sort at any time. And we, we want to be able to offer that to you guys along with an online course that we have recorded specifically for online counseling called Tips for Tac. It talks all about the best practices for online counseling to really give you guys the tools that you need to get through this time. And we're going to offer a special discount for just for the, you know, we love you guys. We want to be able to support you for everything that you're going through. That's with the code. Be well. B E W E L L be well is the code for $20 off of the technology assisted counseling form. So we will make sure to put the link for that in the show notes along with all of the other resources. And then for those of you watching live on Facebook, we'll put the link in the chat below. And we just hope you guys stay healthy, stay as informed and as calm as possible during this time, and know that we can get through anything together. And we're here for you. We're right there in the trenches with you, going through this with you. So we want to be able to really be that community of support. Support. And yeah, yeah.
- [39:26]
D
And one other thing that I wanted to share is, you know, as you've listened to this, I would just also invite you to listen to. It's not just about the coronavirus, right? Like, there's other things that happen with natural disasters and things like that. And really looking at your business and being proactive. I know when many of us worked in agency work, there was a risk manager, right. And there was a plan.
- [39:44]
B
Right.
- [39:44]
D
And maybe this is the time to consider really looking maybe at profit first or something like that, have an emergency fund, but also your profit processes and procedures regarding if there are things to happen if you don't have Internet, if you do have Internet. So this is just a time to, like, reflect and get really clear on how can you continue to work and serve the people that you care about. And like Kate said, be well, stay well, protect yourself. So Startup Nation, I know we're doing live, but we're also doing a podcast recording, so we always sign off by. Thank you for allowing us to inspire you guys. From Startup to mastery. It's been an honor to have you, Camilla, and we so appreciate your.
- [40:20]
C
Thank you.
- [40:22]
D
And we know that this is really invaluable information to all that we serve.
- [40:26]
C
So thank you. Thank you.
- [40:28]
B
All right, bye everybody. Stay well.
- [40:30]
C
Bye. Bye. Ciao.
- [40:33]
B
Thanks for joining us on the Private practice startup. Visit theprivatepracticestartup.com for awesome resources, free trainings, attorney approved private practice, paperwork work, and so much more.