Some of you know this, and some may not (because I’ve completely put writing blog posts on hold for the past two months)– but apparently if you send a girl to Europe for the summer, she’ll come back ready to start her own therapy practice? It’s happening y’all!
I graduated with my Master’s in Social Work degree (concentration in behavioral health) in 2018, with the *long-term* goal of having my own private practice. The catch: in Wisconsin, all licensed therapists need 3000 hours of clinical practice while working underneath a certified supervisor before they can become totally independent, which allows for one to bill insurance & run a practice without supervisor-free/completely on your own. Knowing this, and the fact that I have a chronic illness that keeps me from working full-time, I recently started embracing the fact that it would be *eons* before I’d reached this goal of mine/ I may never reach it all and I’ll just find joy in doing other social worky things besides actually providing therapy.
But then, this fall, I unexpectedly connected with a local counselor who is also a clinical supervisor, who runs her own clinic. After chatting with her, I soon learned that she has a whole crew of therapists who rent space in her clinic from her while also holding their own individual practices, choosing their own rates, getting their own clients, etc. etc., and if I was up for operating this way, she was game to supervise me (by mtg once a month), and allow me to rent the space a couple days a week.
Hold up, an actual job opportunity that I could control how much work I take on? With no official “job description” I’d have to live up-to and wonder if I’m completing due to the flexibility I need to manage my health? After some time to sit with this actually being a possibility, and making sure all was okay legally as long as I have a supervisor, and really no other reason to say no–I went for it.
Then began the journey of starting my own LCC, setting up a business bank account, making business cards, learning how to market myself, figuring out paperwork, and all else that has entailed making my own practice an actual thing, much before I ever anticipated it could be.
And I’m so here for it! Running my own business has had a major learning curve, to say the least, and it has been a gradual start, but as things pick up and clients become scheduled, I am so so grateful and honored to have this opportunity to work with them, in a way that’s been so manageable so far.
If you’re in Wisconsin and you are (or you know anyone) seeking therapy, especially if a teen/young adult, or someone struggling with chronic pain/ illness, I would so love to connect. More info on my approach, etc. at my page titled “therapy services” above (or if you’re feeling lazy, just email me carrie@schuesscounseling.com). 🙂 Let’s do this!
Let’s Choose Grit. 