We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arzu Shams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arzu below.
Arzu, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
As a typical gray thinker, it’s difficult for me to pinpoint one moment that defined or changed the trajectory of my career because I believe that every step I have taken has defined me in a significant way. When I started my career, I really only had two goals in mind: 1) complete my licensure hours as soon as possible and 2) help as many people as I could. Once I became fully licensed, my focus shifted to improving and honing my skills to become the best clinician I could be. While I come from a family of ambitious entrepreneurs, I did not naturally embody this myself. I sought to keep my head low and effect change behind the scenes, with no desire to pursue leadership opportunities or venture out on my own. Despite others’ best efforts, I could not be convinced that I wanted anything different for my future. At that point, all I hoped for was to find a full time opportunity where I could solely focus on providing individual therapy.
My career took an unexpected turn in 2016, when I was offered a management position at a local non-profit agency, despite having applied and interviewed for the full time therapist position. I clearly remember the shock and disbelief I felt, and even recall asking the interviewer “Are you sure? You know I don’t have the experience, right?” Yeah, that happened. After an unsuccessful attempt at trying to persuade the interviewer out of this idea, he had somehow convinced me into taking it. From that point forward, it was a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. Navigating my way through imposter syndrome and fear, I was pushed to my limits, having to learn and grow very quickly. It was an invaluable experience, to say the least, as it demonstrated to me a capacity and potential that I had never before imagined for myself.
Fast forward to today, IHW came to fruition because of this pivotal moment in my career. In part, this was due to the skills I cultivated from being in management, but I primarily give credit to the support and confidence I received from the team I had built. Most people do not know this, but before I opened my practice, I was contemplating leaving the field altogether. I was burned out and feeling helpless in a less than ideal mental health system; I had even applied to and started the process for nursing school. All the while, I was receiving messages from my old team telling me they wished we could work together again. I felt so honored by their praise, but also knew I could not go backwards in that way. It was one of my current therapists who eventually wore me down and convinced me to open this practice in the first place, and everyone currently on my therapy team is someone I either hired, worked with, or trained from that agency. If you told me 5 years ago this is where I would be today, I would have laughed at you, but it’s for this reason that I don’t believe in having regrets. When things are not going according to plan, I consider this a reminder that the best things can come from the most unexpected experiences.
Arzu, 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?
Thank you for the opportunity; I’d love to share a bit about how we got started and what we do. Back in 2019, I opened IHW with the intention of creating a place where both clients and clinicians can thrive. My prior field experience allowed me to gather a great deal of intel regarding gaps in the industry, both when it came to employee satisfaction and client care. It became evident to me that people were struggling to access quality, affordable care due to the systemic politics and high turnover rates that exist in these larger systems. With this in mind, I wanted to make it a priority for IHW clients to have a high-end experience, without the high price tag. Accomplishing this, while also establishing ourselves as a reputable service provider in just a couple years, is something I’m really proud of.
A unique practice that I have implemented since we opened is to personally connect with every prospective client to ensure they are being matched with the optimal service provider, whether that is at our practice or a referral into the community. This may seem trivial, but the feedback I receive indicates that this goes a long way in helping clients be more successful and satisfied in their treatment. Something unique about our therapy team is that we all have a background in community mental health, which affords us a high level of training, clinical insight, and experience working with complex cases and diverse populations. Another unique thing about us is that we are really passionate about holistic care, whether that involves collaborating closely with outside providers or taking a team approach internally. Our therapists also have training and/or knowledge on the impacts of nutrition, sleep, and exercise on mental health, so these conversations are included in our care.
More recently, I was afforded the opportunity to expand our holistic vision by adding two services that have complimented our therapeutic work in a really meaningful way. One of these services includes a focus on holistic nutrition blended with functional medicine to help support clients with comorbid medical conditions, gut health issues, and/or those who desire non-medication related symptom management. We have found this service very valuable in conjunction with therapy, especially given the growing body of research around the gut-brain connection. In terms of bodywork, we have a Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner whose approach targets blocked pathways in the body. This is significant because our bodies store emotions, among other things, which can result in issues such as anxiety, chronic pain, emotional repression, muscle tension, sleep disturbance, etc. The Jin Shin Jyutsu services have been an asset for many of our clients in terms of helping them make progress towards their goals.
For more on the backstory, I was graciously afforded the opportunity of an interview with Voyage back in 2020, so feel free to check that out too!
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
In my experience, the most powerful management tool is empathy. Communicating empathy and validation goes a long way in ensuring employee satisfaction, even when you don’t have the power to effect the changes they desire. Being empathetic demonstrates that you are invested in your employee’s experience, which helps facilitate trust. When your team trusts you, it strengthens their loyalty and willingness to overcome obstacles with you. I firmly believe that decisions made from an empathetic perspective tend to have a more positive impact on the team, which translates to increased productivity and higher quality output.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
In my industry, I think it’s important to differentiate between the strategies for short-term versus long-term growth. Starting out, it was really beneficial to panel with several insurance companies, as that continues to be the fastest way to grow your business. While this approach is costly and comes with its own set of challenges, I would still recommend it to any new practice owner. From experience, I say skip the cold marketing and focus on building positive relationships in the community with people both in your industry and outside of it because you never know where the referrals can come from. I have made connections in the most unexpected ways, which continue to serve as consistent referral sources for us today. My long term approach has been more focused on ensuring optimal client experience and continuing to develop relationships with other providers. Having the trust of existing clients, past clients, and other providers in the field is invaluable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.integralhw.com