We recently connected with Amanda Lerchie and have shared our conversation below.
Amanda, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
I decided to step out in faith to open my own private practice in May 2023. Private practice had been my goal since starting my journey of becoming a licensed professional counselor in 2015. In theory, I learned from my mentors the ins and outs of private practice the five years I spent working alongside Dr. Lindsay Ballinger and Dr. Sandra Davis. Starting something of my own felt like a huge leap from the safety net. My vision has always been to start a practice that focuses on integrative techniques of sound approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Counseling, Christian Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapies so that I could serve children, adolescents, adults, families, and groups. It has always been my goal to provide quality mental health counseling with unique approaches for each client where they might be in life.
In addition to my training, licensure guidelines, and my mentorships from Dr. Ballinger and Dr. Davis and other colleagues, I studied and signed up for trainings for running small private practice business. I have been blessed by the support of my mentors, colleagues, and especially my husband Sean, dealing with the challenges that have arrived over my almost two years in sole practice. I would say bookkeeping/taxes and insurance billing has been the biggest learning curve for me. They are constantly changing have big stakes in private practice. I have discovered owning and operating a business is fulfilling and a full time job.
My advice to any young professional considering starting their own practice is to work in different settings within the mental health field to absorb as much experience as possible. Consult with mentors who have started and thrived in their own private practice. Lastly, pivot when you need to. Learn about bookkeeping/tax laws and requirements or hire an expert. You will never be completely ready, but that is part of the journey! I hope to someday expand my sole practice with other practitioners and pay it forward just like my mentors.
Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I grew wanting to be a teacher most of my life. I worked 60 plus hours towards my bachelor’s degree in elementary special education while being a stay at home mother. After experiencing mental health challenges with my three children, I found a purpose in helping other families heal. This passion for helping others led me to changing my undergraduate degree to applied behavioral sciences and complete my master’s degree in professional counseling. It was important to me that I provide Integrative Christian counseling to others, because that is the foundation of who I am and how I work through healing with my family and within myself.
I am most proud of my dedication to the practice of mental health and learning as much as I can, so that I deliver sound therapy and skills to my clients. It is an amazing experience to partner with a client on their journey of healing and watch them apply their work in their own lives. That is why I named my practice Shine Integrative Counseling. It is amazing to watch my clients shine their light; even when they were not able to see it in themselves before.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
I say everyday that I was made to be a wife, mother, and counselor. It is a blessing and privilege to be able to do this job each day. I am so grateful for the families and individuals that trust me to partner with them on their healing journey.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I struggled as a child in school with learning difficulties and emotionally from childhood trauma. Growing up as a child of a single mother and unique learner/adhd with trauma made childhood difficult. I was fortunate to have a forward thinking parent who knew behavior was just a symptom of something deeper. She worked hard to provide and parent myself and my younger sister. I had a few great teachers who saw my potential and strong will as a strength. My mother, grandparents, and those teachers shaped the person I am today. My early experiences have helped me understand my clients with neurodiversity and trauma on a deeper level. It also helps me identify their resiliency factors for treatment.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amanda-lerchie.clientsecure.me/
- Instagram: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fshineintegrativecounseling%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExTWRwNEdTTlE3UURjdzBESAEeq2grP4a32QuYYrXJHNhVwjrT2gcM0QaXqSIwfaavgBneQBwR1-wDF2b_xd0_aem_AbOAEgatOfFHlZedsePSoQ&h=AT25x8tn7u2sTPBcDM072RurTDtqB9RPs8qOQgT6kvLb2JIR-D42nBVgE9XYwt6dmU0KzrMFxJyahnQffIN_vhDg7lB6Q-a0UqwOypZkdjXIQYHvth-yhS5fw1Ahp5Zqf8-1
- Facebook: Shine Integrative Counseling
