We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bianca Hughes. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bianca below.
Hi Bianca, thanks for joining 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?
Establishing my therapy practice Authentically Be You started back in December 2016 when I was driving to Charlotte to see my sister. I was listening to various podcasts about being a therapist in private practice and what is involved in running a practice and niching down your practice. As I listened to the various episodes on the 3 hour drive it finally hit me that being a therapist in private practice means that you have to have a business mindset. From that point on I focused on developing a business mindset and building my network as much as I could.
At that time I was an associate professional counselor so technically I could not own a therapy practice but it didn’t mean that I couldn’t begin doing the work such as marketing, creating niche, and shifting my mindset for when I could obtain my full licence and then have my own. I eventually got my full license in July 2018 and Authentically Be You Counseling became official on paper in October 2018.
Even though my business was official, I was still renting space a few days to see clients a week. My landlord came to me in the June 2019 to say that the office was closing and so I had to quickly get on my feet to find office space. I reached out to a friend of my and thankfully who was ready to rent office space together, as we had discussed previously. The most challenging part of office space was learning all the ins and outs of what it means to rent and also making the best decision business wise and location wise for the therapy practice. Lastly, furnishing an office was more challenging and stressful than I realised. Therefore if I had to do this again I would give myself a more realistic timeline to finish.
Speaking specifically to therapists who have just graduated, I would tell them that it’s possible to start out in private practice as long as you are with a company that allows you to do so if you have director and supervisor, you don’t have to wait till you are fully licensed. I would definitely say if they choose the route of being in private practice focus on your mindset around business and not just being a therapist. When building your network focus on connecting in ways that work for you such as me I like one on one and in-person, some people might choose just to do pure SEO and social media but do what works for you. Speaking to people starting out in general, if you feel like there are things or people blocking your path do you research and look for work arounds because people are not always going to be supportive.
Bianca, 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?
Bianca Kesha Hughes is setting boundaries and breaking barriers. She knows how to navigate life and discover true identity while trusting in God. Known for authenticity and heart-work services, Bianca is the ultimate trailblazer in the mental health and wellness field as a therapist, coach, speaker, and podcast host, inspiring her audience to let go of the illusion of perfectionism.
She is deeply connected to her cultural values, and Caribbean heritage, and her foundation of faith is a source of light for everyone around her. A courageous and determined woman, she moved to America from London in her 20’s to follow her dreams.
Bianca experiences her fair share of trials and pain but she heals through vulnerability and connecting to her authentic self. For this reason, she is passionate about breaking down the walls of perfectionism, encouraging her audience to connect to their authentic self while creating a safer place for them to be seen and heard.
Bianca created Authentically Be You Counseling & Wellness Studio, to help women dig deeper to uncover their greatest fears and tap into the inner turmoil rooted around perfectionism. Bianca continues to help women connect to their inner selves through self-awareness and vulnerability to essentially embrace their imperfections and authentically be themselves.
Her podcast, “It Didn’t Break Me,” creates a space for honest and vulnerable conversations. Her guests share their transformational life stories around the messy stuff they didn’t think they’d come back from yet they are still here. “It Didn’t Break Me” podcast is a platform for people who are struggling with mindset shifts around perfectionism and being their authentic self, inspiring them to discover the beauty in the mess.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Throughout my counseling graduate program we were often told that it was not possible to make money in the counseling field. However, my heart told me something different. I knew being a poor therapist did not have to be my story and is not always the story for those who choose the mental health field. I had worked in corporate for 10 years, which felt like a box at times. Therefore, I refused to stay in another box in my second career and what I was created to do.
I graduated ion May 9th, 2015, which was my birthday and one of the most joyous occasions. Upon graduation I had a part-time job and was also lining up with another job that would in June. As a result of working part-time I applied for food stamps. Yep, I was holding a masters degree and applying for food stamps, people don’t always tell you the full extent o a journey. Whilst I was grateful for the food stamps there were some questions in my mind if maybe perhaps they right in graduate program, but I chose to focus on what God told me in my heart and continue on my path.
In June 2015 I realised there was not enough money in my bank account to pay for my mortgage, as a woman of faith I just had to trust God because I waiting on a job and there nothing else I could do to earn money quickly I just had to trust. Thankfully at that time I had also put one of my rooms to rent on Airbnb and I got a long-term client for three months, which covered my mortgage until I was making more money.
It’s also important to note that it takes three years to get your full license as a counselor so there is a process you have to go through with a supervisor and a director, which also means there are some restrictions. Throughout my three years ofbecoming fully licensed I never worked full-time. I worked at a hospital and my hours were never guaranteed, I worked in a private practice and you don’t always have the clients that you desire but I had the faith and I knew that I wanted to work three days a week and do other things in the field. I listen to podcasts, I connected to people who were doing what I wanted to do as therapist and making the money. This inspired motivated, and kept me grounded and also meant I didn’t give up in believing I could make money. It has been a long process and now I will say I am so thankful I did not give up. I have my own therapy practice that is thriving, I’m working three days a week, I’m making great money, I’m a speaker coach and also a podcast host and I am now moving into creating digital products to help people with perfectionism. I am grateful I stayed true to what was in my heart hat you can make money as a therapist, despite everything that was said and he ups and the downs, remained resilient and now I am where I said I would be.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
I think this is something I talk about with my clients and with my mentees but it is so important to find your tribe, meaning find people that are like-minded in your personal and professional life. I always say treat meeting professional contacts like dating. You’re going to find people who you connect and don’t connect with you, but don’t have to connect with everybody, You want to find your tribe. I think that we can build so much when we connect with people that either do the same things as us or things that may be helpful to our field such as connecting with a therapist then perhaps also connecting with a coach, perhaps a personal trainer, or a career coach whatever the case the focus is on creating your own personal network. I have discovered from having your own personal network and finding your tribe that you get opportunities you didn’t look for and you get referrals by word of mouth. The other thing I think is important is becoming confident in your work and what you’re able to do and not look to the left or to the right and compare because you’ll never measure up to other people or you may think you’re above other people. It is best to focus on your lane and become confident in what you do and the value that you bring to those who you serve.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.authenticallybeyou.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authenticallybeyou/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authenticallybu
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancahughes/
Image Credits
Carol Lee Rose