A pandemic that offered me the opportunity to be self employed!

Facebook memories reminded me that this month 5 years ago I started putting in place things to start seeing clients in private practice. During networking events I constantly heard colleagues share that their ultimate goal was to work full time in private practice and even though I was envious of their goal, I was left feeling ambiguous and anxious about the possibility of it for myself.

You hear therapists and business owners say that it's amazing to work for yourself and the freedom it provides you but you don’t often hear them talk about the insecurities of the fluctuation of the business, the constant scrambling to promote yourself and have a steady income. So, while those aspects remained in the front of my mind, I continued to have a full time job which offered a steady income and health insurance and with lots of push from friends therapists, I started with the small steps of getting an NPI, applying for insurance credentialing and creating a psychology today profile.

Half way through the year of the pandemic, I lost my job, and while trying to navigate for the first time in 20 years the abyssic system of unemployment, I started taking on more clients. Teletherapy made it easier for me to increase my caseload and save on office rent and use that money to start investing in membership platforms to attract more clients. While applying and interviewing for other jobs, the decision to do private practice full time still didn't feel as comfortable. The idea of starting another job remotely did not appear attractive to me either. I felt a bit stuck in trying to let go of what felt safe and familiar but it appears the universe had other plans for me. I looked deep inside me, heard that inside voice telling me to go for it loud and clear, refused a job offer and indulged full time into having my own business.

Almost two years later, I feel grateful to have grown as a therapist, to have worked with a lot more clients and to have supported them through a pandemic. I feel being self employed has provided me with the mental space to grow in other areas and cultivate different skills and invest more time in self care and.

Take the leap and let the universe have your back!