They tell me how to be a therapist not a business owner

In school, they teach us how to be therapists, not business owners.  When I started my practice, I thought I would just be seeing patients and have my own business on the side.  I never dreamed it would expand.  I decided I needed to gain some business skills, so I began the challenge of taking a local class at a community college that should be able to help me learn how to become a business leader.  

I enrolled in BUSM 262: Entrepreneurship Essentials at the College of Southern Idaho in Spring 2023.  The mission was to provide quality learning opportunities in business management and related studies that facilitate commercial development within the community and contribute to individual employability.  Our guide was the development of a business plan for use as a guide in starting and operating a successful business. I was required to research ideas, markets, and financial needs, development of pro-forma financial statements, and other data to prepare a complete and realistic business plan. This was provided in the context of leadership from the book “Making a Difference” by Chelsey Sullenberger. I was very happy to hear the stories of leadership, and how to become an effective leader.  The stories in the book inspired me with qualities of teamwork vs. a top-down approach to leadership that I had experienced in several job experiences in the past.  We explored ideas as to “Where do leaders come from” and how are they developed.  I even learned one of the people interviewed was from Idaho. 

I began writing my business plan and hearing terms such as marketing, finance, accounting, marketing analysis, business strategy, sales channels, branding, SWOT Analysis, SEO, and social media marketing, to name a few.  These were all brand-new concepts, and I had to think deeply about these.

What would be my new vision?

I knew I didn’t have any idea about how to create ownership and structure with my business, but I did have a passion for EMDR and knew that my local community in Twin Falls, Idaho desperately needed it.  Several clinicians had been trained, but they had no ongoing support.  Here was my optimism.

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.  -Hellen Keller

My goal was to be able to support clinicians after basic training and EMDR to provide some consultation and certification. I have an existing business, Rewired360, and was able to begin a whole other LLC business with Rewired 360. This took development in approximately April 2023 when I decided that I wanted to commit myself and my practice to be able to expand to other business owners.

Rewired360 supports the therapist to create an abundance and wealth mindset while making wise and intentional practice decisions to advance EMDR business owners. We support clinicians with a variety of resources, training, handbooks, content, and relatable learning practices to support a thriving therapist. We create a space to integrate the clinical therapist and business owner to follow a mission that serves the clinician and the patient.

Okay, so…. Now what?  Well, I recognized that I was a trauma and grief therapist, however I wanted to expand my expertise in the area of EMDR. I knew from the pandemic I had noticed several market trends:

Increase in Mental Health Issues

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide (WHO, 2022) (Lang, 2022) largely driven by the 18–25-year-old demographic (Lang, 2022).

 Increased wait times for treatment

St. Luke's Behavioral Health in Twin Falls, Idaho has a 9-month wait to access mental health care.

Shortage of Providers

Shortages also exist in rural communities with 35% of Americans living in a mental health shortage area, because most mental health professionals tend to cluster in urban areas.

 I believed in this therapeutic modality and knew eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) could help so many people in psychological distress.  According to the theory behind the approach, traumatic and painful memories can cause post-traumatic stress when you don’t process them completely. Then, when sights, sounds, words, or smells trigger those unprocessed memories, you re-experience them. This re-experiencing leads to emotional distress and other symptoms recognized as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  I had seen this change first-hand and knew rural communities could benefit from this. 

 Okay, so I am starting a new training and consulting business… What now?

I know how to treat patients, but how about this teaching thing?  I examined within and was able to reflect on my past experiences.  I knew I wanted to teach therapists this amazing modality that seemed like magic.  I knew I wanted to create a market presence, but how?  I knew my rural community needed this; but what I didn’t know was that I would expand to the national and international markets by taking on consultees to be able to teach this modality to.  My background at Boise State University for ten years, teaching social work students, served me well in creating curriculums and content, and supporting students.  Of course, this could be transferred to EMDR therapists, right?

Now the branding…

I sat for several days trying to figure out the name of the new business.  I looked back at the notes on my phone from April and the amount of sitting and reflecting on various names.  I finally asked myself, “What is the foundation of what you do?”  I then came up with the name Rewired. Rewire how we learn, lead, and thrive.  The 360 is meant to represent the circle of ongoing support and education. 

This formulated my business Rewired360, as we “rewire” the brain and offer a place for therapists to rewire how they learn, lead, and thrive.  Rewired360’s mission is to equip clinicians and patients with the knowledge, education, and services to keep them top of mind while creating generous offerings, thus empowering people to access inner resiliency and well-being.  I would offer training, consultation, and direct therapy services to assist in the practice and delivery of EMDR to patients, thus improving accelerated health outcomes… I hoped. I still have so much to learn.

At Rewired360, we believe that most small businesses and entrepreneurs need support creating thriving practices with the training and resources from people who have been there and done that.  Scarcity mindsets prevent sharing of opportunities. 

There is enough. You can make this happen.

Remember that our space is to lead, learn, and thrive. We want you to have the courage to step out into adventure and want to be a companion alongside you through the tough marketing strategies and the difficult days with blogs, content, and SEOs.  I wasn’t made to manage social media posts on Instagram, Tik Tok, or Facebook, but I am doing it.  Believe me, people have doubted me, but I have had great support from great consultants and want you to know you can do this too!  You can get here, and we’ve got you along the way.  We understand how complex the feelings are with starting your own business, and we would like to offer tools to help you be the best self you can be.  In the meantime, trust yourself and trust the process.

For more information, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and watch a video for further learning: They Teach us to be therapists not business owners

Citation:
Couch, K. ( 2023, October 23). They tell me how to be a therapist not a business owner [Blog Post]. Rewired360. Retrieved from https://www.rewired360.com/blog/they-tell-me-how-to-be-a-therapist-not-a-business-owner.