Happy 2024! It's January now, and I hope you finally caught up with all emails and meetings with the family and friends. Now you can breathe and relax! I know many of us are looking for a New Year so we can start over with new goals such as going to therapy, eating healthy, or exercising!
In January, I like to reflect and clean up my systems, also known as "getting my shit together". One of the newest thing is renting a co-working space on non client days.
I wanted to share three biggest mistakes I've made in my private practice therapy business that I've learned over the years:
1) Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome of feeling not good enough: Don't wait until you are perfect or feel good enough to start anything. I procrastinated and overwhelmed myself because I did not want to fail. I learned that owning up to my mistakes and just do it - like Nike! I was able to launch and start my Instagram, networking with people besides therapists, start an Asian American Women Support Group (we read new book every month). I was self-sabatoging myself by procrastinating or overwhelming myself.
2) Not having support: My first year of business, I started my private practice with no health insurance, no accountant, no supervisor, no individual therapy, just sitting my bedroom with the bare minimum. I looked at my numbers, I've grew in 3x my income, I just paid my quarterly taxes today, and it has been four figures. I got a full-time office, and now I have a cleaning lady once a month, meal kit, accountant, supervisor, individual therapist, and lots of friends in private practice that I have lunch with regularly. One thing I learn in business, is that if you want to grow, you have to invest in yourself and outsource out. Spending and investing in trainings and supports helped me grow my business and not get burnt out!
3) Getting into insurance panels and not setting boundaries: When I first started, I did not know my own worth, and saw a bunch of clients through insurance panels and got burnt out. I barely made enough to take vacations or time off!
4) Finally getting real about my fees and rates, this one was a hard one!!! I worked on my money mindset and scarcity mindset and heal my relationship with money, feelings of shame and anxiety showed up when I look at my immigrant money story growing up, my dad would never spent money on buying me gifts, and it send a message that I wasn't worth it, so I didn't spend or felt I deserve to make money or keep it! Once I heal that with EMDR tapping and resourcing and processed it in my own therapy, money came in.
What are your biggest mistakes? I love to hear it, book a free 15 minutes consultation with me, if you like to start therapy and work on your relationship with money and leveling up 2024 in relationships and career.
So too long to read, you have to find a Asian American therapist that understands you and is willing to learn. If you want to hop on a quick chat to find out more about me, please contact me.
