You know, women are taught that it's rude to toot their own horns. I think that's a bunch of patriarchal bullshit. I'm going to toot my own horn all I want because dammit, I've earned it.

I graduated from my masters program with my degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy in 2015. Right after that --and I mean RIGHT after that-- I started my private practice. It was a challenge and I didn't have a lot of support because many of the mentors and instructors in my program were pushing towards working in community mental health.

Now, I understand that there is a great need for therapists willing to work in community mental health, there are many clients who need care and not enough therapists to meet those needs. But the community mental health agencies in my area paid around $25-$30 per hour. I could make that much (probably more, actually!) serving at a restaurant, bartending, or something else that I didn't need to work my ass off in a university setting for 4 years at undergrad and then 3 more years at grad school just to make the same wage I made before I started school. It wasn't going to work for me. I knew I valued my time, my education, and my skills more than that.

So I pushed through the Negative Nancy feedback I was getting, found an AMAZING supervisor (shout out, Katy!!!) who was willing to support me in my entrepreneurial endeavors, and I built my own business from scratch. Fast forward through working by my lonesome in my private practice, doing great, but lonely, work, and I decided to expand my business to include more therapists, specifically interns and associates working toward full licensing. At this time I had also completed some more educational pursuits which included my AASECT Certified Sex Therapy certification and my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. I realized through my PhD that I absolutely LOVED mentoring and supporting new therapists just coming into their own therapist identity, the ones working through impostor syndrome, and I loved watching them experience that passion to build their own businesses just like I did.

When I first started to expand my business, my first intern was Michell, who is now my business partner and colleague in our company, FlowArt Learning, where we create and teach courses for the general public about the intersectional identities of being neurodivergent and queer. We have an amazing podcast called Neurosparkly where we talk about what it's like to be neurodivergent while being a therapist (something I'll share with you here in Baby Therapists as well), lots of topics about neurodivergence in general, lots of topics about queerness in general, some sex therapy topics, and much more. It's fun and insightful, and of course, like Michell and I, it's very awkward.

My practice is now a half a million dollar clinical private pay practice and still, about 50% of our clients are people who have financial difficulties work with myself and my therapists at a reduced rate. It's extremely important to me to give back to lower income communities because those communities, like neurodivergent and queer communities, are a part of my roots. I will never stop serving people who need my care, and I would love to show you how to build a thriving practice that sits close to your core values and social justice ideals while still making you a great income. You deserve it!

I hope you'll allow me to support you in your journey towards your business creations as well, as I have had the honor to do with so many students, interns, and associates before you. I know you'll appreciate my insights and I would love to watch your excitement blossom into something amazing, and real, and profitable, and difference-making. Let's do this!