We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Fagan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Michelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.

60+ hour workweeks.

24/7 accessibility.

Unrealistic deadlines.

Prioritization of work over family.

These are just a few of the messages corporate America preaches.

Yet, in so many ways, this is the antithesis of what promotes well-being. 

I’ve seen the impact of this in so many of my clients. They come to me experiencing severe burnout, extreme fatigue, lack of joy, and feeling hopelessly stuck in the corporate rat race.

This mindset has bled into the mental health field as well. Large corporations such as BetterHelp and Sondermind promise broad accessibility to mental health support…but at what cost? Preliminarily, it seems to be negatively impacting clients and therapists a great deal.

Already, we’re seeing the detrimental impact of unboundaried accessibility, severe lack of compensation, and unrealistically high caseloads expected by therapists employed by these companies.

Clients are sharing horror stories of therapists who are overtly checked out in session, failing to provide informed support, and in some cases, completely ghosting them.

To be fair, therapists should have the capacity to set boundaries for themselves to avoid these unfortunate scenarios that cause harm to their clients. We did take the Hippocratic oath after all.

Yet, in my opinion, this is a direct result of a society that values quantity over quality. Fitting mental health services into a corporate blueprint simply does not work.

Therapists cannot, and should not, churn out session after session for client after client.

Our work is based on presence and mindfulness. Did you know, the number one determining factor for progress in therapy is the client’s perceived connection to their therapist?

It is simply impossible to build a genuine connection with 30+ clients a week.

Think about it: Have you ever had a friend or family member for whom you’ve been a sounding board during a difficult time in their life? Think about how closely you listened to their words, how much you felt their pain while they shared their struggles. How did you feel afterwards?

Now multiply that by 30. Plus, add additional mental energy such as recognizing patterns, observing nonverbal communication, formulating potential interventions, and more.

It’s a lot of work.

The majority of us entered this field because we want to help people. We care about our community and the suffering that it will inevitably experience. We want to facilitate healing, connection, and resilience.

This work is deeply personal for both the client and the therapist.

For that reason, many of us (including myself) have refused to follow corporate America’s guidelines.

Owning a private practice allows me to make my own rules, ones which ultimately benefit my clients.

I choose to have a caseload that allows me to be present, engaged, and genuinely invested in my client’s well-being.

In return, I can ensure a regimented self-care routine, adequate rest, and my own continued inner work.

In short, I choose quality over quantity because that’s simply what we all deserve.

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 Professional Counselor in Colorado providing holistic mental health therapy to those who want to heal from their trauma, build self-esteem, and create healthy long-lasting relationships.

Truthfully, I wanted to be a therapist since the first day I stepped into my Intro to Psychology course. I had this lightbulb moment where I thought, “Oh, other people think like me??” It felt like a missing puzzle piece finally fell into place.

I’ve realized that I’ve always had a sensitive soul, one which quickly became the emotional container for my family and our unhealthy dynamics.

From a young age, I learned how to listen carefully, pick up on other’s emotions, and empathize with their struggles.

I honed these skills as I followed my passion for psychology all of the way to graduate school where I earned a Master’s in International Disaster Psychology. I now have my own private practice which allows me to continue doing what I love.

I offer individual therapy services for people who are looking for deep and long-lasting healing. This may be from their own unhealthy family dynamics, traumatic events, or difficult relationships.

I use a holistic approach, recognizing that I must consider mental, physical, and spiritual health of my clients in order to facilitate meaningful changes in their lives. I implement a number of the most up-to-date therapeutic techniques that align with my approach to ensure my clients receive the best care possible.

Seeing my clients grow and transform is truly one of the most inspiring things to witness. Watching them take back control of their lives, dismantle old patterns, and step into a happier, more confident version of themselves is truly magical.

I also find great joy in my new business venture as a copywriter for holistic healers. I’ve combined my ability to deeply understand others and my joy of writing to help other business owners connect with their perfect clients. This has been a fun new adventure and I can’t wait to see where it takes me!

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

Clarifying my personal and business values has been one of the most transformative and beneficial parts of my business journey so far.

It has allowed me to confidently interact with potential and ongoing clientele in a way that is truly authentic to who I am.

It’s turned my mindset from “I hope this person likes me!” to “I’m curious if this person and I will work together well.”

In turn, I’ve been able to build a caseload of clients who align well with my approach and values.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Surprisingly, I have had to unlearn a lot of what I learned in graduate school.

Don’t get me wrong, it was incredibly helpful in many ways.

Yet, once I started working with clients, I noticed an internal conflict between what I was taught to do and what I felt was most authentic for myself and my client in that moment.

As therapists, we’re taught to operate from a certain therapeutic approach. Depending on that approach, we are supposed to respond to clients in a certain way.

Yet, for me, this seems to leave little room for what is most important: the genuine connection between a client and a therapist.
I’ve found that in some moments when my clients are sorrowful, distressed, or even incredibly joyful, a therapeutic intervention just isn’t effective.

I mean, imagine sharing your deepest darkest secret and being met with, “And how did that make you feel?”

What I’ve found to be more effective in those moments is to authentically be me. Many times that looks like rejoicing with my clients in their moments of joy or sitting with their heaviness of sorrow.

While my therapy books may not agree, I believe simply relating as one imperfectly perfect human to another can be the strongest intervention there is.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.michellefaganllc.com
• Instagram: @michellefaganlpc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellefaganlpc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-fagan-ma-lpc-b328064a/
• Other: Copywriting website: www.callalilycreative.com