Building a Private Practice Grounded in Wellness

    1:20PM Apr 25, 2025

    Speakers:

    Keywords:

    Private practice

    mental health

    counseling

    wellness

    compensation

    business structure

    collaboration

    continuum of care

    client care

    clinician well-being

    insurance credentialing

    work-life balance

    team building

    professional development

    self-care.

    Music.

    Hello and welcome to the thoughtful counselor, a podcast dedicated to bringing you innovative and evidence based counseling and mental health content designed to enhance your life, whether you're a clinician, supervisor, educator, or a person wanting to learn more about the counseling process. We are here to demystify mental health through conversations with a wide range of counseling professional powerhouses. In each episode, you'll learn about current issues in the field, new science and real life lessons learned from the therapy room. Thank you for joining us on our journey through the wide world of counseling. There's a lot to explore here, so sit back, take a deep breath, and let's get started.

    Hey everybody. Welcome to the thoughtful counselor Podcast. I'm Dr Madeline Clark, an associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and I'm here with Leah Reed daily, who is an individual and couples counselor, a Golden Retriever enthusiast and a bookworm. She graduated with her master's in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Toledo in 2020 and shortly thereafter, she began her work in private practice and opened her own practice, the Mental Health Collaborative, with her co owner, Dr Chelsea Albert ing in 2023 she's trained in EMDR, and is a level one gottmans couples therapist when she's not helping clients recover from trauma, anxiety, depression. She can be found watching Gilmore Girls with a cup of coffee, and Leah joins us today to talk about her experiences in private practice and the journey she went on to open her own practice as a pretty early career counselor. So welcome Leah. Like introduce yourself, share a little bit about you, and we'll jump in. Hi everyone.

    I'm so happy to be here. So that's the bio is pretty much what it is. But yes, I'm Leah Reed daily. I have my master's in clinical mental health counseling, I opened my private practice in 2023 called the Mental Health Collaborative. I am an lpccs in the state of Ohio, which basically means that I'm independently licensed and can supervise and I'm really happy to talk about private practice, because it's a really special space.

    Yeah, thanks, Leah. And I think I wanted to have you on, and we talked about this before we started recording. Is because I have a lot of students in my own master's program who are like, what's it like to be in private practice? And I did a very brief stint in private practice as an intern and didn't run the business. So I don't know anything about that, and I want to have this conversation so our listeners can learn about really, kind of your inspiration for it, because you've done, I think, something really intentional and beautiful with your practice, really doing best practice stuff at your practice, and kind of what it takes to get there in a way that I can't explain to my students, because it's just not something that I've done. So why don't we start with like, how did you know you wanted to go into private practice?

    So I think I didn't at first. So when I first thought that I would be like when I was first applying to programs, I thought I wanted to do college counseling, like, maybe eventually running a counseling center at a college, and that was kind of my plan, because I really love that population of like, transitioning adulthood, and I still Love that population, so I did my practicum and internship at the University of Toledo's Counseling Center, and I that was a great experience. I also think it was, I don't know that I got everything out of it I could have, because the pandemic started during my internship, and so that made things like really crazy. So when I was graduating, they didn't immediately have a job opening. And I was like, Oh, I better find something else. So I was like, Okay, well, and I just started applying for jobs. And one of the jobs that I applied for happened to be at a private practice, and I got the job. And so I was like, yes, hired check. And so that is kind of how it started. And there were a few things about that practice that didn't jive, and so I ended up going to another private practice and then starting my own so I think that mostly I kind of like most of the things in my life, I tripped and fell into a good situation, but it's I liked. I liked the freedom of private practice, and I liked that. I liked that I didn't have I was really nervous that I would have productivity goals, that I would really experience burnout in a community. Mental health setting that really, really scared me. And so I really wanted to be in a place where I thought that that maybe wouldn't happen, that I would be able to set my schedule in some ways. So I guess that is like a little bit of a rambling response to I ended up getting a job there and liked it, and liked doing that kind of, that kind of work.

    No, I love that. I think we all come into this field. I mean, I did, like, this is the kind of population I want to work with, and it takes, like, a 360 and then maybe another 180 and another 360 to figure out, like, where truly your fit is, and students need to be open to that. And like, see all populations and go out there and like, do what they need to do. I know that you kind of talked about your journey, like, oh, I stumbled into private practice. But I know you learned a lot along the way in the different settings you were in before opening your own practice. And I wonder if you can kind of talk about, like, how did you know one place was more of a good of a fit versus less of a good of a fit for you. Because I think beginning counselors, they just don't know what they don't know when they get their first job and like, what are some things they could expect from a more healthy workplace environment, versus not might be a good thing to get into?

    Yeah, absolutely. And the answer is compensation. That is just that is the answer. If you are in a healthy private practice environment, you will be compensated pretty fairly. Now, depending on what that looks like, you could expect, maybe at minimum, a 5050, split, 6040, 7030, that's really what we're looking for, also in private practice, some of the big benefit of private practice is being an independent contractor, because that means that you truly set your own schedule right. An independent contractor, you contract with a practice, but you're your own thing, and so there's so much benefit to that some private some bigger private practices are having you be like a wage based employee, a w2 Now there can be benefit to that too. It kind of depends on what is motivating you, but really, compensation is probably one of the biggest things in a private practice to know whether you're in a healthy environment or not. I

    think that's so important for us to talk about, because we talk about parity and cross. Mental Health Professions and counselors are notoriously under resourced in terms of compensation. And I love to talk about compensation as a woman. I love to talk about it with other women. The only way we talk about getting more money is talking about the money we have, right? Like a really feminist on money. And I love that you like laid that out. And some of those splits are going to because of, like, licensure level and experience and all those things the 5050, 6040, 7030, if you need supervision, if you don't need supervision, and I think you're getting into also, like, as a w2 employee, you might have health insurance, you might have retirement benefits, those other things that you wouldn't have if you're doing a 1099, or something like that. So it just seems like it's a big cost benefit analysis for a new hire to figure out what is the best fit for them and their lifestyle. And I love we should talk about money more as counselors, compensated fairly. As counselors, not only do you deserve to be well and not burned out. You deserve a living wage. To You heard it here first from us? Yeah,

    you heard it here, folks. And I, you know what? I am so happy to talk transparently about money because it matters. I think that in helping professions, like, of course, we do this because we want to help people, but this is also our jobs, and we are also highly trained, right? Like, we have master's educations, and we do field work, we do unpaid labor for a significant chunk of our training. And then, like, at least in Ohio, we have to be under supervision for two years. We have to pass two exams. This isn't like a willy nilly kind of thing that you just get into and you don't have any training. That's not how it goes. And so we need to be compensated accordingly. So the first private practice job I had, I left because of compensation. I was getting paid $32 a session, which is highway robbery, and I didn't have there was no benefit. So I was a w2 employee. I was getting $32 a session, but no health insurance, no retirement. So that really like So folks, if that's what you're getting offered, that's not great. So that's not what you want to do. And so when I transitioned practices, it was into to so much, so much better. And that that was the main reason why it's not that I didn't like the environment there, necessarily. It was that I what? Don't leave money on the table, right? Like, if you can, if you can, make more doing the same work, you should, you should do that.

    Yeah, I love that. And having those clear conversations and letting folks know what to expect is really, really important. So you worked in private practice. You got independently like. Since you remember that I was doing soup of soup with you around that time you took your exam, what? When did you know you were ready to go do your own thing? How did that happen for you?

    So I was pretty terrified. So I in my through working together, I had collaborated with Dr Chelsea Albertan, who's a psychiatrist, and we had collaborated on many clients together, and had developed a friendship. And she asked me out to dinner, and we sat down, and she's like, do you want to open a private practice with me? And I think I had a deer in the headlights look like I was like, what me? And she was like, Yeah, you she was like, I want to do, you know, I think that folks get better when they have med management and counseling together, and when those providers can talk to each other, and I want to do it with you. And I was like, Okay, I mean, I was terrified. I was absolutely terrified. And so I guess when I knew I was ready to do my own thing, I think it was like someone else saying, like, I believe you can do this, and I want to do it with you. And that's kind of how I knew I don't know. Had she not asked me, I don't know if I would be doing what I'm doing right now. I mean, maybe eventually, but it really I was like, holy cow, this is a great opportunity. And so I said, Yes.

    Again, tripping into a really good situation. Everyone just remain open to the possibilities of the universe here. I think it's important to have that conversation, though, because you're talking a lot about like you wouldn't have had the confidence, unless somebody else kind of brought that to you and said, Hey, you're good enough, or you're ready to do this. And I think that's an important conversation we all can have with ourselves as developing counselors. Is that there's a sense of imposter syndrome, especially if you're younger, like you were younger when you were licensed. This is your first career, first job, right? Like not your first job, but this is your career. I'm out in the big, wide world of adult jobs, and I think that's true for many, not all, but many of our students too. So there can just be that developmental thing of being in your late 20s, early 30s, who am I, and figuring out life that comes along with that career development piece. So thanks, Dr Albert ing, for bringing you on board and letting us have this conversation and starting the snowball here that we're able to all benefit from. Tell us a little bit about logistics and the process of building your practice from the ground up.

    Friends, just like the Tiktok video once said, Don't ask me how I did it. I just did it. It was hard. That's how I feel about this. Like there are so many pieces that have to go in. So like you have the physical space, right? Like you have to find a place to do this, and that can be challenging to find a place with enough offices. So for instance, like private practice, you can have, like your individual practice, or you can have a group private practice, right? So we have a group private practice, and we knew that that's what we wanted to do. So we needed to find a place that had enough offices that was in an area that we felt comfortable with that was, you know, reaching the populations we were interested in reaching. So we had to do that. There's also, like, you have to structure a business, right? And, you know, so our business actually has three legal business entities. So you have to have all of that structured. You have to sign contracts. You have to have attorneys to make those contracts. Like Chelsea and I have contracts with each other right for how we're going to run the business. So that has to all be there. That's not it's not just like a verbal agreement. We have written legal documents that do that. So that is like all the formation of the business stuff, and then you have to find a medical record you like. And then you also have to think about billing. So there is insurance credentialing. That's a real pain. And it's that process is so senselessly complicated and time consuming. So you have to figure that out. You have to figure out workflow for how you want things to go in your office, in terms of, like, who's going to do billing? How are claims going to get sent out? How do you receive money and pay invoices like all of that, what office staff are you going to have? You know it because, like, honestly, as I say it all out loud, I was like, yeah, that's overwhelming. And it was like, it really, it really was so it's just, like, a logistical, it's just a logistical nightmare sometimes, but it's, it's a lot. And I think that being in private practices helped me to see, like, oh, there is a pro. Like, I had heard about insurance credentialing, right? Like I knew what codes to bill because I was billing them in previous practices. Like, when you're in school, like you're just trying so hard to learn the art and science of counseling, which is absolutely appropriate. That's what you should be doing, right? Right? But the business of counseling like that's not necessarily included in programs. So I'm sure when your students are asking, like, I want to do private practice, you're like, Yeah, I don't know. Like, there is no insurance, credentialing, class, right? There is no, like, billing, coding, whatever stuff you have to, like, learn through practice. So it was very it was very overwhelming, and I'm glad that that's over.

    Yeah, you bring up a good point is, it's not only do I not have that knowledge because I haven't done it, it's our curriculum is also wound so tight by krup, which I love. Krup, we're not going to get no conversation negative about kicker, but it's already a 60 credit hour master's degree. How many more credits can we put in? And if not every student is going that direction, you know, it'd be a great elective. You know what I mean? Like this would be super awesome. And I think most of our programs are bringing, like CSI, bringing folks in to talk about that and have these experiences. And hopefully this conversation supplements some of that for these people. So it sounds like you, anyone out there you want to open a private practice, you probably need to form some sort of LLC right to get that started, have an attorney that you trust and can work with to get all your contracts drawn up, and then have probably a good idea about how you want to actually run your business. And that seems like probably the steepest Hill mentally, for me, is like, where did you learn to run a business from? Is this something you've always wanted, or is this like we are trial and erroring? Is it just, how have you gotten all this good knowledge? Leo, it's

    been a lot of trial and erroring. I think the biggest piece is that Chelsea and I agreed about the kinds of the kind of practice owners we wanted to be right. We were really on the same page about the kinds of people we wanted to work with, how we wanted to compensate them, how we wanted them to feel at work. And then we also hired an office manager who shared that vision. So we had a team of people, and we would just, you know, I remember our Tammy is our office manager. Love you, Tammy. And she, she looked at me, and she'd be like, I don't know how to do this. And I said, I don't either. Let's figure it out. Like that was the whole process. She was like, I remember when we got our first insurance payment, which meant that we had credentialed ourselves correctly, and had build it correctly, right? And so we get this check, and we're like, yay. Like, oh, we were so excited. And then we're like, now what do we do with it? Like, we didn't know how to like, credit it to the client's account, how to like, like, none of that. We didn't we had no idea. And so we're like, okay. Like, I was like, probably we can do this. And we did, we figured it out. So I think a lot of it is like having the humility to know what you don't know, and to hire experts who do, and also the like, to have a spirit of just like, Okay, let's roll with it, like we can probably figure out, figure it out, and then just like, feedback from folks, right? Like, I talk to, like, I talk to my clinicians all the time, what's working, what's not working, right? You know, what? What do you like about this? What do we need to do differently? Right? Like, that, open conversation is really helpful. And, yeah, I think that's and also, I think, like, you just need to, like, be a person that someone would want to work with, right? Like, it's, that's part of that's part of it. Like, like, I am so, like, I am still counseling every day, right? Or, I guess Monday through Thursday, um, like, I am in there. I'm still doing the work with them. Like, I'm not kind of on this island, just like running things or whatever. Like, I'm still doing it. I'm consulting with them. I'm asking what they think I want it to feel like a team. And part of that is just like me being a teammate. Like I set that right. Chelsea sets that. So that's also part of it, too.

    Yeah, I love that. I think one of the ways I try to show up every day, even though, you know, I don't identify as a practicing counselor anymore, I'm a counselor educator, right? That's my professional identity. I still want to, like, show up as a counselor first. And you talk about how you can as a business owner, and like you're an entrepreneur, right? Like, I think you can put that hat on and like you're a woman owned business, all these, like, kind of businessy words that folks use, like, you're still showing up as a counselor first, and how that reflects the values and stuff of our profession in the system that you've built at the practice. I'm also hearing you say that, like, doing this well is is going to be trial and error, like there's going to be that part, but you've been able to stay kind of true to your vision because you've kind of established a mission and vision that you are committed to, yeah,

    absolutely. And I think that I was really open with all of the folks that we contracted with. I was like, this is our first time doing it. Like you like, this was our first year, so I guess it'll be two years in March. So it was, like, our first. First Year, right? Like, it is incredibly possible that you will think she doesn't know what she's doing and be right, right? And I would love you with the kindness of Spirit to bring that to my attention, because that's probably true. So I think there's also, like, there is a humility in that too, which is, like, this is going to be a learning process. And you like, we're all learning together and and hopefully it works. And a lot of things, like, it was like, oh, okay, well, we didn't know this was an issue until it came up, and then we fixed it, right, and then we streamlined it, and all of these things. But yeah, it's, it's a lot of, it's a lot of, like, taking an attitude of non defensiveness, and I think that's really hard for people in general, but to just be like, okay, like, I can probably figure this out, and if something's going wrong, it's not personal,

    yeah, and that idea of humility, right? We talk about cultural humility as a core tenet of how to show up and be a great counselor. That's really one of humility period is probably one of the characteristics of being a great counselor, right? Is showing up being like, well, I know what I know, and I know that I don't know a lot, and making sure you're hiring the right experts to make sure you don't make any huge foibles or do anything illegal is also really important. But I think people really appreciate when folks show up in that earnest and genuine way, which is just, like, a totally Rogerian thing,

    yeah, yeah, no, it totally is right. Like, I think people can smell a bullshit or a mile away, right? Like, and it's, it's like, okay, yeah, I don't that's not, that's not how I show up in my with my clients. It's not how I want to show up with my contractors and, I try to be pretty true to that, yeah.

    I think that leads me into talking about, how do you I know a big part of you building this practice, and your practice has grown so much in two years. Like, if you go to the website, now there's like 20 therapists, maybe not 20, but like, probably a dozen. Yeah, when I was preparing for this and reading up, which is huge growth over two years, and just shows the impact you're making on mental health care in your community. How has that value of humility, showing up who you are, not being a bullshitter, allowed you to build and kind of further your mission and vision as you and Chelsea have created it?

    Yeah, well, I think, like, the biggest piece is that, like, well, I guess having providers, having providers who you trust and who have the client's best interest at heart, and who are collaborative in spirit and curious, I think that that has been really like, really Important to like growing and being like, in the space that we want it to be in. And I think too, like, I honestly, I don't know I like this growth. It's like, it's absolutely amazing, and it's, it's because we've needed it, and I am, like, also kind of in on it. Like, as you were, like, that's crazy. You're making such a positive impact in your community. I like tears in my eyes that I was like, can you believe? Like, I can't sometimes, like, I'm pinching myself. I remember, like when Chelsea and I were looking at office spaces. I was like, Oh, well, maybe we should get like, five offices. And she was like, No, Leah, we need more offices than that. I was like, Okay. Like, I just I couldn't believe that it would grow like that remind me of what your question is. Now I'm just, like rambling, I guess

    I just kind of want to talk about how building that team, it sounds like it just has happened for you, like, be out of the need and the necessity of, there's just not a lot of mental health care providers out there. Yeah?

    Well, yeah, I think twofold. Number one is like, I like, love counselors, and I like, really need friends. And when I moved to Toledo, I'm not from here, so I was like, I had, you know, I all of my friends were living, like, across the country, all over the place, and I was like, hello, would you be friends with me? And one of the things that I found was that, like, a lot of my friends became counselors, because that's where I was working, that's what I was doing, right? And I just met some of the best people, and so we just kept being friends, right? And so when I opened the practice, they were like, hey, like, I would like to work with you. And I was like, Yeah, perfect. Love. We also like, so this was, like, kind of a wild thing that happened in the Toledo area. There was a practice here that, like, very unexpectedly closed. They gave their clinicians 30 days notice, and they closed. And that, like, what coincided right when our practice opened. So a lot of those counselors were looking for jobs, and some of them came like that. They were like, you they were from UT, great. So I knew some of them. And so they were like, we don't have jobs. And I was like, We have offices. And so that, like that helped. And then we just started, you know, we just talked it, honestly, it's been like, word of mouth, like, Hey, do you. Someone who's looking for something, whatever. We also offer one of the best compensation packages in the area, like, period. So it's like, you know, we want talented counselors, and talented counselors want to get paid, and so it's a match made in heaven,

    yeah, going back to COVID. Like, the cost benefit of that is like you're going to be able to recruit and retrain higher quality folks by compensating them the most fairly that you possibly can, right? Yeah,

    my goal, oh, yeah, go ahead. My goal is to my goal is to make our practice like one of the best places clinicians have ever worked, and also to provide the best care to clients that they've ever gotten. And I think the way that you keep counselors is you pay them fairly, and you create a fun, helpful, supportive environment to work in, yeah, like, period,

    yeah. And that kind of leads me to my next question is, I wonder how you and Chelsea and your colleagues, and I think you've done this really intentionally created a space where folks feel valued money, one we've heard but like wellness and care, because I really feel like you've built a community of care. And when we talk about self care as like an individual act that's really useless if the community around a person isn't providing care for them. So thinking about counselors like it can't just be a counselor's responsibility to self care. They need to be in a practice, a community, a organization that cares for them as well. How have you done that? Maybe with concrete actions, or what's your mission or vision? How do you approach a new employee, what do you tell them? What are the vibes? I guess is the big question.

    Yeah, right. What are the vibes? So I think that actually, like, I love the question, like, what are the vibes? Because it's actually about the micro things in addition to the macro things, right? So like, for example, like the way that our office is structured, we have, like, where our front desk is, there's actually, like, a kind of a bigger space that is pretty private that we all kind of gather, right? And we talk and we talk between clients, and we joke around and we laugh like we have there is this practice joke that we have because also, like, while I was starting this practice, I was also pregnant, which was an absolutely crazy thing I did, and we had this situation where the toilets kept breaking Okay, and it was like, I was eight months pregnant and I couldn't, like, I just could not. And so I sent out an a message, and it was like, your eight month practice owner is hanging by a thread. Like, I was like, I need help with the toilet situation right now. Like, and it was this. It was like, there was like, it was very it was supposed to be a funny message, and it was also like, a cry for help. And so now we have, we have this, like, bulleted board in the back where it's like, are you hanging by a thread? And we have pictures of all of us, and if you're hanging by a thread, you, like, get put on your thread, or whatever it's so it's just like a funny joke that we have now. But I think that that is like the kind of that's like the kind of stuff, right? That creates community, like jokes together, being invested in like, people's personal lives as much as they want to share, right? And also how they're doing clinically, right? Like, how's your caseload looking? How are you feeling about your effectiveness? Like, that kind of stuff we're always talking about that.

    Yeah, it sounds like that. Goes back to that humility piece, and the conversation was showing up genuinely like you now find yourself as a business owner, as a supervisor, like you're the person with power. I know this has happened to you very quickly, but I think what you're saying is the person who has that power has to model that for their supervisees, for their employees, for them to probably feel comfortable, to open up.

    Yeah? I think so, right? Like, and it also, yeah, it absolutely matters that I share too, right? Or that I'm like, Hey, I have this case going on. What do you think about it? Right? Or, you know, this funny thing happened, like, let's talk about it. And it's also like, the other things we do too, is like, everyone gets birthday gifts, like we do, we did a Christmas party. And Christmas gifts, like, those kinds of things, like, they create an important culture, right? And it's like, it's not about like, it, I guess it's not about like, the content of the gift, but it's about the thing that we're thinking about you and we're appreciating you in that way we want you to feel. We want you to feel thought of. So I think there's that. And then we also, like Chelsea and I are really big on like. We don't work on Fridays, and you shouldn't either, right, like, or something like, the expectation is not that you're working all the time. We think that you should be working enough where you're meeting your financial goals, but not too much. We don't want to do that to you. And I think that that being the thing that we say matters a lot. Like, when you hear your practice owner say, like, I don't want you to burn out. So. What do you need to do to stop doing that? Like, that's so different from the message that counselors hear. Because I think a lot of people see counselors and see money signs,

    yeah, and they the conversation about burnout is always individual like, how should you as an individual be preventing burnout? And you know, the most burnout I've probably been is when I came back from maternity leave and walked into a job where I didn't have a lot of support, and nobody's really done anything while I was gone. And, um, what? What could have I done to prevent that burnout? Right? Like, that's not my responsibility. That's a system's responsibility, and you're taking that on. I think that really honors the the really holistic, system based, person centered work that happens there, right? And, you know, Christmas gifts maybe seem silly to some people, but I think the power of ritual is a real thing. There's a book called The Power of ritual by Casper turret. It's a really great book about how we all love to do the same things, and that's good for us as humans, but like that just shows like we're interested in your well being. And I hate to say the bar is the bar is the floor, but sometimes in the workplace, the bar can really be the floor, because I've heard of settings that are really difficult.

    Yeah, no, truly. And I think part of it is just like, you know, like we, you know, I talked to Tammy about this a lot our office manager, like, what kind of what do we want people to feel when they come into work. And we want them to feel, we want them to feel like this is a place that they don't mind being right, like, you know. And some days it's like, yeah, I'm not feeling it as we're like, Yeah, same, right, like, but we, you know, we want it to when they come in. We want, you know, folks to be like, greeted happily, right, for us to talk to them, for us to engage with them, like that matters, like and I know that that, again, that sounds like bars on the floor, but it's just like, when you care about your clinicians as people, like, truly, like, that makes all the difference. And you can't fake that, by the way, right? Like that. Like, if you don't care people, know? So again, I think this is kind of like, like, who you are as a person, what your personal values are, like that shows up in the in the work of owning a practice, yeah.

    And it sounds like, you know, we can talk about being successful by contracts and attorneys and being good at business, and those things are important. But there's this other part of like, your business has had a lot of success because you've shown up with this mission of vision of one having the best client care possible, but also having clinicians be as happy, healthy and whole as possible, which then ultimately informs really good client care, right? So there's multiple points to this, in terms of being a successful practice owner, yeah,

    yeah. I think it's right on. And it's like this kind of continual spread. I mean, really, the best, the best marketing we have, is, like, word of mouth, right? Like, and we do, we, like, run out, we do that kind of stuff. But like, word of mouth is really, like, you know, when they're like, yeah, I gotta. I had a really good experience here, I think especially for mental health. Like, unfortunately, there's still a stigma. People are still really nervous, and I get that, like, you're gonna be with a counselor, you don't know if I'm weird or not, you're gonna sit down and like, I'm gonna ask you to tell me about some of the hardest stuff for you. Like, okay, right? So I think word of mouth is like, Hey, I had a really good experience here. That matters a lot, right? I not only is it like, Was everyone friendly, but like, I feel better. That's amazing.

    Yeah, not only is it comfortable, but it also the method is working, and now folks manage their mental health. However, that presents when they come in. Right? I want to switch gears a little bit, and I want to talk about how you are working in a continuum of care. And have built a continuum of care on purpose, because I think counselors aren't always educated and understand exactly what it's like going in and working, you're going to be working in a continuum of care. Spoiler alert, but you're really doing that with intention. And how does that look like in your practice? And what do counselors need

    to know? Yeah, so this is, like, the main thing about our practice, right? Like this is, like, this is a really important piece, which is that, like Chelsea and I believe that folks get better when they have again, when appropriate, right? But when they have medication management and therapy, they're doing it together, and those providers know each other and are part of the same treatment plan, right? And so the thing that is so hard is like, when you are working with folks that are like, outside of the practice, it is so hard to get a hold of them, like, it is not easy to consult. But what is really easy is when I see you in the lunchroom and say, Hey, can I grab you for a second? Or, Hey, do you have a have a second? Like, we have done that intentionally. We also have really intentionally, like, where, how our offices are set up. There's not like, one side for med management and one side for therapy, like, they're all kind of intermingled. So like, and that's on purpose, right? Like, we believe that, like, these services are equal in their ability to help. And so, yeah, so that matters a lot. I think that, like, the the biggest thing, and this is, like, because Chelsea has kind of directed, it is, she was like, we trust counselors. Like, that's, that's the, that's how med management is. And. It's because we spend an hour with these folks, likely weekly or every other week. Med management sees them for a half hour every month or so, right? We catch things. Right? We catch things. And so when we interview folks for med management, we're like, how do you like, how do you integrate feedback from counselors? And if the answer isn't good, like, they can't work with us, right? Like, it's because the idea is that we want to, of course, they're not just, like, blindly trusting us or whatever, but, like, it's like, Hey, I'm assessing for OCD. Do you see that too? Right? Like, or, Hey, I think they're we thought this was depression. I think they're manic right now, like, help right like we want there to be that that conversation and that feedback, because both pieces, both pieces bring really valuable insight to the client as a whole.

    I think that is obviously the best practice and like a perfect, a really perfect situation, not only for the clients, but also for the counselors, because I know my experience working in these continuum of care is sometimes counselors are like the step child of the group, yes, and we are often talked down to or looked down upon, especially by medical providers. I'm sorry. Psychologists are sometimes not. Some of you are really great. I'm so sorry. I think it means a lot that those providers have come in and intentionally said, I trust your expertise, and this is yours, especially where you know professional identity, our own expertise and our scope of practice has been constantly challenged just because we're such a new mental health profession. So that is, that sounds really special, and that probably also created kind of that environment of, like collaboration. I mean, collaborative is in your practice name, but it sounds like collaboration is, is the foundation for how you do all the good work you do.

    It is. And honestly, this is like kudos to Chelsea, because Chelsea is the one who is like, she is a psychiatrist, and this is like, she is setting that culture right, because she is the one saying, like, we trust counselors here, like, at this practice, we trust counselors. And I think that's amazing. And honestly, not every psychiatrist I've worked with has been like that, right? So, when? So when that happened with Chelsea, and she's like, do you want to start a you want to start a practice with me? I was like, Yeah, I'll do anything with you. Like, yeah, absolutely. Like, yeah. Because I just like she she believes that, like she believes, and has always made me feel like what I think is going on with clients is worthy of her attention and that is so validating when we don't get that in a lot of places, yeah,

    and I think that is reflected throughout how you do things, right? It's like you show up and you hear people and hold space for what their opinions are, and that just creates a healthier system. Everybody in your practice, we're kind of running up on time, but I do want to ask you one wrap up. Kind of big question is, like, what are some of your biggest lessons learned as a business owner and as a counselor? If folks are, like, trying to take the leap want to go into private practice, what are some of those big takeaways that you want folks to know? So I think,

    honestly, like, I was like, I'm gonna keep going full steam with my caseload and also run this practice as if those aren't two full time things. And so I think for me, this is something that I am always learning is like, how to manage my time a little bit better. And honestly, this makes so much more sense. I just got diagnosed with ADHD, and I was like, Oh, no wonder I have trouble with have trouble with this, because I, like, forever, I'm like, why can't I get this? And it's partially because of how my brain is, but I think that taking care of myself matters so much for how I show up as a counselor. Like, I'm very interpersonal, right? Like, I use the relationship as, like, one of the mechanisms of change, and so when half the relationship me is not doing well, um, like, even though I'm obviously not like talking about that with my clients, right? Like, they're not dumb, right? They can, they can sense when something's off, right? So it really, actually matters a lot to make sure I'm taking care of myself. Um, so that really matters. I think I feel really, really confident in my clinical skills. So it was more so just like, Okay, walk the walk. Girl, like, walk the walk. And then one of the things that I learned the most as a business owner is hire experts for things that you really don't know how to do. Like, truly do, like, we have a biller, right? She knows how to do billing, and so that really helps. Like, it's not just someone we are, like, can you, like, just try to figure out billing, like she does billing professionally, right? Like our attorneys, right? Like, that's that stuff you need. Like, you just, you're. Going to need those professionals that know how to do things better than you or tax people. Like, you need people to do your taxes. You need to be meeting with them kind of frequently, okay, like, it's like, stuff like that. Like, it's like, yeah, so you don't have to do it on your own. You need to get a team of folks that you trust and then rely on them,

    yeah, and be okay with, like, outsourcing that labor and expertise to another person. Like to be good as a business owner, as a counselor, as a clinician, is not to be necessarily an expert. Biller, I guess sure you could take that on if you wanted to. But is the juice worth the squeeze? Kind of? Jen,

    right, yeah. And I think that like for so and when you're considering, like, if you want to do your own individual practice a lot of times, like individual practice owners, in order for them to, like, make the money they're looking to make, they do it all themselves. So that is the potential benefit of a group practice, because you, like, really show up, you do your job, and then you leave, and everything else is up, up to, like, the practice owners and the management team, right? And so there is, I think, a huge benefit if you're in a group practice where you feel like you're appreciated, getting fairly compensated, all of those things, there is, like a huge incentive to stay, because then you get to show up and do the work you love and not the work you hate. Yeah, that's great. I think

    you've created an environment that kind of allows best of both worlds for people, the autonomy of private practice with the support and structure of the group practice to do billing, which terrifies me, very spooky.

    Same I've gotten a little less scared of it, but still, insurance makes no sense, and I still think it's a scam. So

    So as we wrap up here, are there any final thoughts, things you want to say in closing? As we wrap up today,

    I think one of the things that I will tell folks is that, like, wanting to, I don't know, sometimes I feel like there is maybe this culture and counseling where, like, private practice isn't doing the work or something, that there is, like, that that's a cop out or something, or that's like, really, like luxurious, the bars on the floor, okay? Like the work I do, I treat mental illness, right? My folks are sick sometimes, right? Like I do see folks that are suicidal. I do work with bipolar disorder, OCD, right, PTSD, right. Like personality disorders, like, I still see that in private practice and that. So it's not a cop out. It's really just kind of trying to get yourself in a situation where you can, like, make the money you want to make and not have to work as much. And unfortunately, the whole culture of mental health isn't structured that way, right? But I think it it matters to know that, like you're not doing a cop out thing, like you actually are impacting folks, and that, I think it's important that counselors know that,

    yeah, thanks, Leah, I think it's important that, you know, in a mental health system based on wellness, that's holistic, that once our clients to be well, We also prioritize as a system, our clinicians being well in whatever way that looks like for them, but we know compensation and quality of life and work life balance, those are all things that impact our overall wellness and able to show up and be with our clients, and how we can make more spaces for all counselors to feel that way, to be more effective is really, really important, and I think a journey our profession is going to continue to be on. So I hope

    so. I hope so. And the journey I want to be a part of, right? You're doing it.

    You're doing the good work. We appreciate it, doing it. All right? Thank you all for listening. Thank you so much, Leah, for sharing your expertise. We'll have some more information about Leah's practice, the Mental Health Collaborative, in our show notes, thanks. Thank you.

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