Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lauren Johnson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

My journey started within my own town, I worked in my local area as a community mental health practitioner for eight years. While working for a major corporation specializing in community mental health, I found myself focusing mainly on clientele with low socio-economic status, as well as teenagers and their families. It was in this environment that I grew a backbone. I learned every trick of the trade, and for that, I am forever grateful. But the 50-60 hour-a-week workload was exhausting. There came a time that the red-tape and hoops were too much to jump through. I was tired of working for the man, so I took a risk. I jumped into my own private practice.
The grueling process of developing my practice lasted 18 months. By happenstance, I found a cheap office space and made it my own. I would clock-out of my corporate job and clock-in at my private practice every single day of the week. My routine was Monday through Sunday—no breaks except for major holidays—with the final day of the week ending in tears. Sundays were the days that I cried, expelling the frustration and sadness which came with missing spending time my family. But when the money evened out, and I began making the same amount at my private practice that I did at my corporate job, I quit it with a smile on my face. It took 18 months, but the bet I had placed on myself had finally paid off.
The biggest problem I faced in private practice was getting credentialed with insurances. To this day, it is still the most difficult element of my career. It took hours and hours of being put on hold and transferred, and months of waiting, in order to navigate the insurance company playing field. If I could go back in time, I would have hired someone to set this process up for me, but it was worth it in the end. Now, having run my private practice since the beginning of 2018, I know the lay of the land. I know every in-and-out of this practice, and I’m better for it. And to anyone even considering opening up their own mental health private practice, I say, with all urgency, “do it”. Have faith in yourself, be genuine, and people will come back to therapy with you because they like you. This isn’t to say that there isn’t stress involved, because there is. But the stress is of a different kind, and I’d rather be stressed because of me than because of someone else.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My career as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor began in education. Originally perusing an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Ed, I pivoted towards mental health after a presentation by my very own elementary school counselor. Since that point, I have graduated with a Master’s of Science in Counseling and currently am the founder and CEO of Moonlight Mental Health Counseling.
At my now group practice, I specialize in trauma-based therapy and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. My assertion across the board is this: you can heal from trauma. There is evidence-based research proving this fact. Therapy is hard, but worth the work to heal.
What sets me apart as a therapist is my ability to be genuine. I’m not afraid to call people out or be direct, or to show my true personality and get messy. In addition to this, my sense of humor is always present. Because I am authentically myself, I’m able to have people laughing and crying during the same session, and this, I believe, is what keeps people coming back.
With my private practice, my pride rests in the fact that I have cultivated a safe space for other therapists to work alongside me. This environment is like a hybrid of community-based mental health practice and private practice. Community-centric elements are also a source of great pride for me. The community knows Moonlight Mental Health, our brand, and has had continual positive experiences with us. This reach stretches even into my past work with teenagers who, over the years, have reached out to me in order to share their experiences with the impact I made on their lives. I am incredibly grateful to have such a strong connection to my clientele, community, and colleagues through my private practice.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

In the spirit of authenticity, I want to be genuine in saying that, if I could go back in time, I would not choose the same career path. Given the opportunity, I would urge my past self to peruse her true interests: horticulture and botany. I also have determined that, personally, I feel I would have been successful following a path of interior design.
My job is incredibly rewarding, but it takes a severe emotional toll. The stress of this position can lead to somatic issues within a person. No matter how much I follow my own therapeutic advice, the pressure can be overwhelming. This is because, at the start of my career, I wasn’t supporting myself in the way that I should have.
I say this to advise young professionals to follow their passions. Especially in a career which focuses on wellness, prioritizing your own health and wellbeing should be considered as important as the care of others. By doing this, you may be able to steer away from burnout and exhaustion like I have faced in the past.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

By immersing myself within my community and prioritizing members of my community, I was able to not only garner a clientele base, but build a reputation as a leader and supportive figure.
I first worked within the school system, providing mental health care to adolescents. In these situations, I connected with my teenage client base, but also got to meet school staff, faculty, and resource officers. Conversations with these individuals were incredibly beneficial to furthering my reach as a counselor.
Following the creation of my private practice, I put community outreach at the top of my priorities. My main focus was on local businesses, doctor’s offices, and law enforcement. Even with such simple treats and care packages, like dozens of donuts, I was able to interact with and market my practice to a plethora of community pillars. Joining wellness clinics and participating in festivals with booths advertising the services of my practice were also important outlets for brand outreach.
Showing up in and for your community is pivotal. These methods are integral for building reputation and growing clientele, but also for supporting your local environment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.moonlightmentalhealthcouseling.com
• Instagram: moonlightmentalhealthar
• Facebook: Moonlight Mental Health
• Linkedin: Moonlight Mental Health
• Other: Tiktok: moonlightmentalhealthar

Image Credits

Joules Margot