We recently connected with Jacqueline Fulcher and have shared our conversation below.

Jacqueline, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I wasn’t really expecting to start my own private practice. I would have most likely joined a group practice, or worked for a hospital or established organization. However, when the COVID pandemic occurred, I found myself thrown into a completely different path. My field transitioned largely online, which gave me the opportunity to try out my skills in a new venue. It turns out, I absolutely love working with clients online, as they can complete therapy in the comfort and safety of their own home. This also allows working professionals to engage in therapy during their lunch hour, and for parents with small children the opportunity to attend therapy without necessarily needing to find childcare.

The online venue also created a new avenue for psychological assessment, allowing many in rural areas to compete evaluations and pre-employment activities which would have previously required a long commute and a full day off of work.

Increased interest in mental health due to the stress of the pandemic also allowed for a larger client base, and more impactful work and opportunities to help new clients who had never tried therapy previously. The changes that occurred throughout the past few years have provided more access to mental health services, and more areas for delivery.

Jacqueline, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a licensed clinical psychologist in Arizona. I am PSYPACT certified, and able to provide psychological services in almost 40 states. I provide individual counseling for adults and adolescents, as well as psychological assessment services including pre-surgical evaluations. I have contracts with organizations to provide evaluation services for veterans and for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. All of my work is conducted online through a HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform.

I also provide psychological education and information through my website blog, and through apps developed within the mental health space. I enjoy providing information and education on psychology, and tips/tricks for using psychological information in daily life.

I named my private practice Painted Owl Psychology, due to the 4 owls which reside in the wash behind my house. I greatly enjoy watching them, and feel that they are beautiful animals. Every few years, a new batch of baby owls is hatched and I enjoy seeing them learn to fly and navigate the world.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I enjoy sharing tips and tricks related to the field of psychology. I feel that this information is helpful to others who might want to add psychology and mental health to their daily life. I reach out to the community through my website blog, Facebook, and Instagram.

I started out with only friends and family as followers, and I would share mindfulness techniques as well as pictures of the Arizona desert scenery. Through exploration and tapping into the mental health community, I learned how to provide meaningful information in succinct format. I still enjoy sharing scenic pictures from the Arizona desert, as well as places I travel. Mindfulness and mental health are highly boosted by nature, and sharing these pictures allows the viewer to understand how to use the five senses in psychological practice.

My advice to anyone building their social media audience is to post pictures of things you enjoy, and find a way to connect with the audience through an avenue of your own personal passion and interest. This will help you to establish content creation ideations.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

When starting a practice in psychology, I found it important to draw on the advice and opinions of those whom had successfully started one before me. I also sought advice from books and seminars on the topic, In particular, I found great resources from the book “Building Your Ideal Private Practice” by Lynn Grodzki, as well as seminars and information from the Teletherapist network. I also greatly enjoyed viewing the YouTube videos by private practice psychologist Dr. Marie Fang, in her series “Private Practice Skills.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://paintedowlpsychology.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paintedowlpsychology/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaintedOwlPsychology
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-fulcher-phd/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LlcPainted