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

Jenn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

I think the common perception of what I do is to give advice, but I don’t give a lot of advice as a therapist and teacher. I tend to spend time familiarizing you with an idea, and then teaching you how to listen to yourself and tune into your own inner knowing. There are some themes that I stick to though, and the ones that seem to connect for the most people are to “Check your motives.” and “Know what you value.” I think pretty much anyone can benefit from those two concepts. These probably seem a little cliche at first glance. I think people benefit from them because they are really grounding concepts for when you feel like you don’t know what you “should” do or what you are “supposed to” do in a situation. They are also relatable, if I explain them in detail, and when things are relatable we buy- in. The buy- in is where we are able to actually use an idea, because we connect with it and believe it will work.

Check your motives- When I give this feedback, it requires some insight and awareness. Many times we do things because of motives we aren’t even aware of at the time. Sometimes we do things to earn our worthiness in the eyes of others. We may take on things because we are hoping it will get someone to help us or care about us. We can also be making choices, actively or by default, because we are are afraid and don’t see a way out except by sabotaging ourselves. Checking your motives means that we take a hard look at why we are REALLY doing something, even if the answer isn’t pretty. In some cases it may mean asking someone whose opinion we respect what they see, because sometimes we can’t see what we are doing from the inside. This requires a lot of honesty and introspection, but is a great tool for checking yourself..

Let your values be your guide- This advice is one of my own core values, professionally and personally. All roads lead to and from our values. To let your values be your guide requires that you know what they are first. My go- to for creating this list is using Brene Brown’s work, and her list of values. Once you identify your core values, you will start to see that your passions, your pain and shame, and your most nourishing self- care skills are all connected to what you value most. When we are not showing up in a way that matches who we really are, we feel shame and it creates a lot of painful experiences. When we take advice from people about decisions or even how we should do self- care, but those people’s values don’t align with ours, we will often find the outcome to be disappointing or unhelpful. My best example of this is gossip. Most of us have done it, and most of us don’t want to be a person that others cannot trust. When we gossip, we typically don’t feel good afterwards, because that is not how we want to show up. It directly conflicts with a value of ours. Knowing your values helps you identify which way to go when you come to forks in life’s roads. It also helps you have less regret when things don’t work out perfectly, because you know you stayed true to yourself.

Jenn, 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 am a licensed professional counselor supervisor, and a registered yoga teacher. I own Hiatus Wellness. We are a private practice that offers wellness services- therapy, yoga, retreats. We have offices in San Marcos and West Austin. We are best known for our trauma work (specifically EMDR and Trauma Conscious Yoga Method informed work), our workshops based on the work of Brene’ Brown, and our weekend long intensives called Hiatus Retreats. We provide spaces for people to fall apart and be messy without having to show up for anyone else, or” keep it together”. We do this by offering different levels of intensity and ways of connecting, depending on what level of contact you need. What makes us different is that we are all intensely trained in multiple types of therapies, and approach all of it by showing up as a real person. We also don’t cast a wide net. We do just a few things, but we do them well. We do deep group work, we hold magical retreats, we help you learn to regulate your feelings and connect with your body, and we advocate loudly for you to take intentional breaks and handle yourself with care. I am so proud that the brand and name reflects exactly what we do- encourage you to take time out for yourself to do the work that keeps you well.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?

I did not have capital to start. I think in my industry if you don’t know how private practice works, it seems impossible to start, and much of the myth is that you need a lot of money to start. Most of our graduate programs in counseling have no business courses or training on starting a practice or dealing with insurance, etc. I had to get creative and think outside the box, which luckily is one of my top five skills. Discovering the ideas of co-working and work- trade were how I was able to get my foot in the door to lay a foundation. I would later learn that statistically, women are more likely to engage in these business habits and practices. I reached out to three local therapists I had never met who were already practicing on their own and asked for an hour of their time for consultation. One of them had an empty office in the suite she shared with other therapists. I was able to initially rent/ sublet space by the day for significantly less than taking on my own space. I built a client list and added additional days as needed until I had enough consistency to go month to month. During that time I utilized every resource I had and exchanged work or consult for skills I had to offer. I have experience with curriculums, workshop creation, education, etc. I traded these tasks and skills for graphic design, webpage design, retreat management assistance, etc. If you don’t have access to capital, you can still start. Find a space where people are doing what you want to do, and investigate where there is space for you and what you can offer.

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

One of my mentors gave me this advice, and it applies to many industries- “Find where your audience already is, and make partnerships there.” I thought about every kind of client I thought I was a good fit for and that I wanted to attract and then went where they were. I formed partnerships with employers whose employees were struggling at work and needed support, local yoga studios, churches, treatment centers- anywhere that had overlap with me and attracted hurting people. I find that once people meet you and feel heard and seen, they WANT to tell others about you. It is just a cascade effect from there. Everyone prefers a referral from people they know and trust.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hiatuswellness.com
• Instagram: @hiatusretreats
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/hiatuswellness
• Linkedin: @hiatuswellness

Image Credits
@mistyranaephoto