We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Annette Munoz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Annette, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

Very early on during graduate school, I decided I would one day open a private practice. At the time, although I didn’t know when or how, I knew was that was my goal. So much so, I signed up and attended a training on how to open your own practice. The training was not paid for or given by the university I was attending. It was a vigorous training located approximately an hour away. The class was a four-week evening course that met for two hours every week. Needless to say, I was the youngest attendee, the only person not licensed, and the only person still attending graduate school. As I completed my graduate internships and licensing intern hours, I found myself accumulating information from a business perspective as much as I did from a clinical perspective. I watched, listened, asked questions, and learned. I found it fascinating when I would meet clinicians, or heard of clinicians, that opened their own practices. I would often visualize myself in this position, especially when facing hardships during internships and trainings. I was motivated and hungry. My mind was already made up. I would one day own my own practice. At this point, it was only a matter of when. One of the main steps I had to take was deciding on a meaningful name and location. I also had to decide what population I would want to work with in order to determine the room set-up, as well as if I was going to accept insurance and go through the credentialing process.
A key challenge in setting up my practice was that I did not have anyone to assist me with questions. I would do my research and figure out each step myself, which helped me learn from my mistakes. Each step was a goal itself, leading to my overall end goal of starting/owning my own practice. The one thing I would have done differently is how I established my tax identification number as a sole proprietor and should’ve established it as a limited liability corporation (LLC) instead. Having an LLC allowed me to create one corporation that has multiple businesses under it. By originally establishing my practice as a sole proprietor, I had to recredential with all the insurances under the new LLC with the new tax identification number, which ended up costing more money in the end. The reason for this is because I am co-owner of a gym as well. The end goal is to eventually merge the two disciplines to offer both mental health needs and physical health needs in one building for those interested in working on both. But it doesn’t end there, I will always continue to learn and grow as a professional and a business owner to better myself both professionally and personally.
My advice to a young professional who is considering starting their own practice is to do your research, utilize all resources, ask many questions, and most importantly, don’t give up when facing adversity and hardship. There are do-ers and say-ers; Always ask yourself: Are you a do-er? Or are you a say-er? If you are a do-er, then be patient and persevere. Stay motivated and always celebrate your accomplishments towards your goal, no matter how big or small.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was originally interested in a law degree, but I did not get into the law school I wanted. My plan was to find a graduate program that I could begin, so I could continue school while reapplying for law schools. I got accepted into University of Texas at San Antonio in the Graduate School program for a Master of Counseling Degree. This was supposed to hold me over until I got into law school, or so I thought. God had other plans for me. Once I sat in my first class of the program, it was game over for me. It came so natural to me. I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I excelled in all my classes and fell in love with the profession. With time and experience, I grew a passion for helping others with their mental health needs.
I am the proud owner of Cherry Blossom Counseling Center. I provide services related to mental health needs and overall wellness. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor. I help individuals with their mental health needs. I provide psychoeducation to assist clients with understanding their mental health needs and/or diagnosis through symptom management, identifying underlying emotions and behaviors associated, identifying unhealthy thinking patterns (such as overthinking and irrational thoughts), and processing any past traumas causing distress and negative affects to their daily lives. In addition, my diverse training has helped me with the knowledge necessary to recognize certain alarming behaviors and potential crisis situations. I utilize two main types of therapeutic models in my practice: client-centered and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. I will often use both types of therapy, however, some clients do better with only one model. This is determined on a case-by-case basis. The reason I use two types of therapies in my practice is because I feel these two therapies work well together, and I have seen success with clients. One thing I am most proud of is the ability to build strong therapeutic alliances with my clients. I love what I do and connect really well with others. I work hard to make clients as comfortable as possible, due to the nature and vulnerability of the counseling process. I have a good retention rate, and I am very knowledgeable in my field. I also stay current with any changes and/or new advancements/research regarding mental health.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Upon getting fully licensed, my previous employer offered me a room in one of his areas of practice. This individual was aware of my goals and plan to work as a contract counselor until I was able to get an office and establish a private practice. I had a meeting with him and went over the necessary steps towards my goal. I diligently took notes as he asked questions, and he gave me what I thought were the exact directions on how to get the ball rolling. I was so eager to get started after completing all the steps and waited to hear back from him on what my next moves were to begin. It turned out, he did not follow through with his end of the deal, and I felt so defeated. I had done everything I needed to do to begin. It was such a difficult and confusing process, so when this happened, I broke down and began crying. Everything I had been through to this point had been so difficult and stressful. I felt as though I was knocked down. My husband swooped me up and built me back up as soon as he saw the tears rolling down my face. He, very sweet and gently, reminded me that I can do this on my own. In that moment, he encouraged me to look for buildings that day, cut the middleman out, and go straight for my goal of building my practice. And so, I did and have not turned back since. My husband has always been my strength in my times of need. I continue to persevere and grow every day and remind myself of this obstacle, along with many other hardships throughout my journey, to help me stay motivated and resilient.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I feel like having empathy for clients is the most helpful for succeeding in this field. When you have empathy for others, it allows you to have compassion and effectively help them with their mental health needs as a counselor. When you are genuine and compassionate, you build a strong therapeutic alliance with the client. When clients have good experiences and positive changes in their life, they often return when faced with other hardships or mental health challenges they need assistance with. Clients that have good experiences will also often refer friends and family to you.

Contact Info:

• Other: Email: [email protected]
  Phone: 210-773-1058

Image Credits

Annette Munoz