We were lucky to catch up with Nicole (Nikki) Lacherza-Drew recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nicole (Nikki), thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The journey that led to the creation of CouchSide Coordinators, a virtual assistant company that specializes in working with therapists, began with my passion for psychology and my commitment to helping others. I am a licensed psychologist licensed in NJ, NY, VT, and I have my telehealth certification in FL, and I opened my private practice in 2019, offering both in-person and online therapy. The hybrid approach allowed me to reach a broader audience, especially as New York was at the forefront of telehealth at the time. Fast forward to COVID-19… like many therapists, I experienced a surge in patients seeking help. The lockdowns and the stress of the times brought an influx of individuals needing support. To manage the increased demand, I decided to hire my first virtual assistant (VA). I needed help with scheduling, responding to emails, and keeping my calendar in check, especially while I was in session. However, the experience was not without its challenges. After the initial VA, I went through three others, each time investing significant time in training and vetting. I wanted my VAs to be more than just administrative support; I wanted them to be part of my business and my brand. Despite my efforts, the process was frustrating.
In the spring of 2023, I was feeling the weight of burnout. The past few years, along with personal family issues, were taking a toll on my mental health. I realized I needed to reduce my caseload for my own well-being and that of my patients. But with this decision came the question of how to supplement my income. A colleague, recognizing my unique enthusiasm for documentation and administrative tasks, suggested I offer my skills as a virtual assistant. She became my first client, and word quickly spread. Other colleagues, facing similar challenges with VAs, reached out. They trusted me, knowing I understood HIPAA and the sensitivity of our work. So, in June 2023, I started doing VA work as a “side hustle.” Fast forward to the fall and winter of 2023 and I had a waitlist. I was spending more time on VA work than on my private practice, which was a great problem to have. But I knew that to grow, I needed to pivot and start hiring. I took the plunge and hired my first two employees, both therapists experiencing burnout. Initially, I marketed the VA business as general, but I soon realized I was carving out a niche. On calls with prospective clients, I shared my background as a licensed psychologist, inadvertently selling the unique value I brought to the table. Within six months of hiring my first two employees, CouchSide Coordinators skyrocketed. I went from a team of two to a team of 12, and recently hired my 13th employee. The growth was both exciting and scary, but it confirmed a gap in the market for VAs specializing in mental health. We were solving a problem that many therapists faced: finding reliable administrative support that understood the nuances of mental health practice… HIPAA, insurance, and private pay. We also addressed the need for sensitivity when dealing with individuals who might be in crisis or simply having a difficult day calling into the office. What excited me most about this adventure was the ability to help others while preventing my own burnout. I was not only supporting my colleagues but also ensuring they could focus on what they do best: helping their patients. Our business model reflects the ebb and flow of private practice. We offer month-to-month contracts, understanding the seasonal changes in demand. This flexibility is crucial for therapists who value autonomy and dislike long-term commitments. We also foster a “non-hustle culture,” as I like to call it. Some therapists contacting us for services want a turnaround time for phone calls within 2 hours or by the end of the day. There is nothing wrong with that, but that only increases the chances of burnout. I set realistic expectations for my staff and those hiring us and say we will not contribute to a hustle culture. We have a 2 business day turnaround time and if that doesn’t work for you, we aren’t the right fit. Just like in therapy, the right fit needs to be there. In essence, CouchSide Coordinators was born out of a personal need and a recognition of the broader challenges in our field. It has since become a thriving business that fills a critical gap, providing specialized support to mental health professionals and helping them maintain their focus on patient care.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a licensed psychologist who became fully independently licensed and opened my private practice in New Jersey in 2019. My journey into private practice was a natural extension of my passion for helping others and my expertise in mental health. CouchSide Coordinators, my virtual assistant business, was born in 2023 out of my own need to manage burnout and decrease my clinical caseload. Initially, we provided administrative support for therapists and non-therapists alike. However, as we listened to the needs of our clients, our services expanded. We now offer a comprehensive suite of services, including:
Business Consulting and Coaching
Social Media and Pinterest Management
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Services
Graphic Design, Branding, and Marketing
Website Development, Design, and Editing
Mobile App Development
Bookkeeping Services
Our primary goal is to solve the significant problem faced by mental health professionals: burnout. The mental health field is currently experiencing a crisis, and this affects not only the clients and patients but also the providers—the therapists, psychologists, and clinicians on the front lines. CouchSide Coordinators steps in to handle the backend of their businesses, allowing them to focus on what they were trained to do: provide therapeutic support.
What sets us apart from other virtual assistant businesses, especially those that claim to specialize in working with mental health therapists, is our unique perspective and experience. I am not aware of any other VA business founded and owned by a licensed psychologist. Our team includes some therapists who understand the burnout and challenges faced by mental health professionals. We empathize with their experiences and are dedicated to supporting them.
Our approach is holistic. We understand the sensitivity required when working with individuals experiencing mental health symptoms or in active crisis. We ensure that our customer support reflects the warm and fuzzy vibe expected from a therapist’s office, while also setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries.
One of the core values of CouchSide Coordinators is work-life balance. This value stems from my own experience with burnout and is something I am adamant about for my team. We do not subscribe to the hustle culture; instead, we prioritize transparency, boundaries, and preventing burnout. We are clear about the hours we will and won’t work, and we do not engage in practices that could lead to burnout when working with clients.
I am particularly proud of creating an environment that promotes work-life balance and modeling this for my team and clients. In a society that often glorifies the hustle, I believe it is crucial to prioritize well-being. This is reflected in our business model and our approach to client relationships. CouchSide Coordinators is more than just a virtual assistant business; it is a community that supports mental health professionals, allowing them to focus on their clients while maintaining their own well-being. We are transparent, supportive, and dedicated to preventing burnout, both for our team and our clients.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for CouchSide Coordinators has been word-of-mouth referrals from current or former clients. It has been this way since the very beginning. This form of organic growth is not only the most effective but also the most rewarding. It speaks volumes about the trust and satisfaction our clients have my team and the services we offer. They are the ultimate testament to our commitment and loyalty to our clients. When a client refers us to someone they know, it’s the highest form of endorsement. It shows that they trust us enough to associate their name with ours, which is the greatest compliment we can receive. I do not take that lightly. Word-of-mouth referrals are the cornerstone of our growth strategy. They reflect the quality of our work, the trust we’ve built with our clients, and our dedication to supporting the mental health community.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the most significant lessons I had to unlearn was the pervasive belief that “the grind” is the American dream. This idea was instilled in me early on, suggesting that success could only be achieved through relentless work, often at the expense of personal well-being and family time. And, I subscribed to this belief for a very long time.
As a psychologist and business owner, I found myself caught in the cycle of working 7 days a week, with days often stretching to 10-12 hours. This relentless pace meant missing out on family events and personal time, a sacrifice I increasingly found to be not worth it. The pursuit of success had become a race to an unattainable and unsustainable finish line. The turning point came when I recognized the toll this lifestyle was taking on my mental and physical health. I realized that the hustle culture, while glorified, was not conducive to long-term success or happiness. It was a fantasy that had been placed upon us, promising achievement at the cost of our well-being. I had to unlearn this toxic mindset and embrace the idea that success could be achieved without sacrificing work-life balance. This shift was not just personal but also professional, as I wanted to model a healthier approach for my team and clients at CouchSide. In order to break free from this cycle, I set clear work schedules for myself, allowing for flexibility based on circumstances but adhering to boundaries, which I am a big supporter of. I encouraged my team to do the same, emphasizing the importance of communication in setting and maintaining these boundaries. Communication became key in this process. I encouraged open dialogue about working hours, turnaround times for communication, and deadlines. This transparency helped manage expectations and fostered a culture of respect and understanding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.couchsidecoordinators.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/couchsidecoords
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CouchSideCoordinators/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/couchside-coordinators/
Image Credits
Headshot: George Segale Studios
All other photos: Unsplash