We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Vargas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Andrea , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
My dream was always to have my own practice. I imagined having a beautiful office with a playroom for play therapy that had all the things a play therapist could ever want. At the time, I was working for a community mental health agency and would provide therapy in homes and in schools. I kept all my supplies (toys and arts and crafts) in the trunk of my car. During those 6 years, I did a lot of driving around and although I learned my way around the city, the driving got tiring. I wanted to be able to have my own office where clients came to me. I started to look for office space to rent by the hour while I still did agency work, I found an established private practice that offered the best of both worlds, support, mentoring, and also the freedom to do my own thing as well. It was great until I started realizing I need more space for my play therapy materials. I then moved on to my own executive suite, I made some changes to my practice to balance work and my family life a little better. I sought out business coaching, learned about marketing and how to use social media, and became inspired by so many success stories. After hearing a rumor about the building being put up for sale, I wanted more stability and went on my search again for office space. I found a much larger space which was pretty much my dream office. I was having the most amazing time decorating and furnishing it when the world pretty much shut down for the pandemic. I kept my office and offered virtual counseling for a whole year. It became my own private retreat to get some peace and quiet (two kids, a husband, and a dog at home). I just celebrated my 10th year in private practice and I feel extremely blessed that my practice has thrived. There was a point when I needed a virtual assistant to help with call volume, I am consistently booked and often have to stop taking new clients. I am now renting my space to other therapists and just hired my first independent contractor. The journey to private practice can be overwhelming, I believe that it is important to look to others for inspiration, support, and guidance, and know you do not have to do it all yourself. I have found myself encouraging others and it has led to me to offer consultation to therapists making the transition to private practice.
Andrea , 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 help loving but exhausted parents find the peace back in their homes. I am Andrea Vargas Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. I have over 15 years of experience in working with children, adolescents, and their families. My passion has always been to help children, prior to becoming a therapist I worked as a case manager connecting children and their families to needed resources and I volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, AmeriCorps, and the Kristi House.
As a play therapist, I meet the child where they are developmentally, play is a child’s natural way of expression. Children do not always have the right words to communicate their feelings, play allows them to express and process. I am trained to use play and sandtray to connect with the child and see their struggles through their eyes. At the same time because I understand that when a child struggles it is not enough to work with just the child. It takes a village and for the people in the village or this child’s world to understand how to support the child for long-lasting change to occur. Behaviors are just the symptoms, it is my job to help parents understand what is triggering the behavior. The best part of my job is to see families understand each other better and strengthen their relationship.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
Yes, one thousand percent. I find myself even 15 years later still fascinated by all things psychology. Working with children and teens keeps me young and working with families keeps me grounded. I see their struggles, their vulnerabilities, and their hard work it is truly inspiring,
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy has been networking with other providers. My biggest referral sources are other therapists, everyone has a specialty a niche, and we can not do it all. Taking the time to meet for coffee or zoom and getting to know each other has been helpful. Also, private practice can get lonely so having more therafriends is always a good thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.andreavargaslmhc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreavargaslmhc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreavargaslmhc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-vargas-22798547
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq7vGwvWJt9L4DZJGYLawjw
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@andreavargaslmhc