Intro

Hello all! I wanted to jump on today to introduce myself. I’m an LPC associate in Texas and recently decided to go into private practice. After graduating and completing my internship, I was eager to work in mental health counseling, a field I am deeply committed to. The hardest part for me after graduation was knowing I had chosen the right field for myself and my interests, but I couldn’t see myself thriving in a hospital or in-home setting. I interned at a non-profit organization, primarily working with adolescents, teens, young adults, and their families. I very much enjoyed my time and work with these clients, and I knew I wanted to continue to serve my community.

The scariest thing I’ve done has been to go out into private practice. When I sat down and looked at the two options before me: start a business and get to work counseling clients, or continue to apply to jobs that want endless experience in exchange for a reduced paycheck (like in many other fields). When I looked at the two options, I felt the need to ask myself, am I saying no to private practice as a fear response? I knew from the moment I began studying in this field that private practice was where I wanted to be, but I felt afraid to move forward without “permission.”

After talking with my supervisor and other professionals and researching more online, I felt I could allow myself to sit at that table—believing in myself and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone to pursue my dreams and goals. Wholeheartedly, I think some days will be easier than others, and I will spend the rest of my career learning, re-learning, unlearning, and teaching to improve the work I can provide to my clients.

This can carry over for many clients and non-clients alike. We all have the voice inside our head that tells us we can’t, we shouldn’t, we don’t belong. However, approaching those statements from another perspective, perhaps the perspective of if a friend told me their dream was to enter private practice, would I tell her/him/them, “You can’t,” “You shouldn’t,” “you don’t belong” then the answer is no, I wouldn’t. So, I had to make the tough decision not to allow myself to talk to myself that way.

Mental Health Counseling is a fun field. I enjoy a good inner monologue.