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

Bradford, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As an introvert, I jumped into the unknown and embarked into the dual role as an entrepreneur and licensed marriage and family therapist. I moved across the country to a place where I had no connections. I built a thriving private practice within six months with no business, marketing, entrepreneurial, or accounting training/experience. Along the way, I challenged unhelpful cognitions, danced with doubt, and edged towards extroversion.

Upon arriving to Utah, I joined Facebook groups of mental health providers and became an active consumer of the information shared. I attended luncheons, workshops, found a business coach, and pursued local opportunities to share about my practice. I also tried many marketing strategies that were recommended from other mental health providers, dropping off cookies with physician offices, to passing out business cards and flyers, and emailing university counseling centers and staff to create connections—all of which didn’t work. It was then that I decided to pivot and focus on nurturing relationships from colleagues in Virginia, many of whom I worked with while finishing my doctorate. Through these connections, I began to grow my practice.

One of the biggest things that helped in achieving this feat was asking the right questions—something that I had received years of training in between my masters and doctorate degrees. Questions from filing paperwork to register the business to connecting with other providers, to identifying what marketing methods would work best, questions were one of the keys to opening doors and opportunities. Another key that was helpful was making meaningful connections with others. Not only did these connections help me with answering my questions, but they shared additional information and perspectives that enhanced the questions I asked.

Bradford, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I didn’t plan on becoming a therapist when I was growing up. I was going to be a fighter pilot, or a doctor, or a city planner. Yet, as I progressed through my undergraduate, I found that the field that most resonated with me was human development and family science. After graduating with my bachelors, my wife and I moved to Texas to pursue a masters in marriage and family therapy and thought that would be it.

However, becoming a university professor was alluring, as was my research interest in learning more about grandparents raising grandchildren, so before long, I was pursuing a doctorate. Six years, three kids, three dogs, and one grateful wife later, we—it was truly a family accomplishment—graduated from Virginia Tech with my doctorate in Human Development, with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. A few days later, we moved across the country to Utah, where I started my thriving private mental health practice, BridgeHope Family Therapy, within 6 months.

I work online with adults who live in Utah, Virginia, or Texas who have experienced trauma in their childhoods, through car accidents, or from difficult relationships at my practice BridgeHope Family Therapy in Provo, Utah. I primarily utilize an evidence-based practice called Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) which has shown to be effective both these mental health conditions as well as other conditions such as anxiety, depression, and panic disorder. I also specialize in treating adults with anxiety and people with relationship issues, whether it be with another person, or with themselves (i.e., low self-esteem, low confidence, or shame). I also work with couples who are experiencing life transitions, communication issues, or recovering from infidelity.

When I work with couples, the number of sessions is tailored the the depth of their situation and goals. Because of this, sessions can range anywhere from 12 to 36 sessions, and sometimes more. When couples work with me, they commonly report feeling more hope, better communication skills, and feelings of being closer to their partner.

As noted above, I provide therapy to adults. This therapy is generally considered brief, or 18-22 sessions, on average. When adults work with me, they not only commonly address the root cause of their problems, but also learn coping strategies, and greater self-awareness and self-confidence.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I’ve had to unlearn is that of letting go of expectations. Prior to starting my mental health practice, I was very optimistic—I had read reports online about the impact of COVID-19 on people’s mental health and the high demand for mental health providers. As a result, I came up with some expectations on how quickly my practice was going to fill up, who I was going to work with, and how much I was going to charge.

However, these expectations quickly limited my progress and created feelings of frustration and confusion. It wasn’t until after I talked with a colleague about the beginnings of his practice that I realized that to succeed, I needed to loosen my expectations and lean into flexibility—that things will work out in ways that were not according to plans. Building my private practice has not been easy; however, it has been rewarding. It has involved a steep learning curve; however, as I have expanded my view to not do everything by myself, and rely on others, I have found success. A quote that has guided me through both my doctoral program as well as my private mental health practice is “Don’t give up; Don’t give in. There is always an answer to everything.”

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Creating connection through relationships is the most crucial component for succeeding in the field of mental health. Humans are wired for connection and as I’ve continued my career journey, I have observed time and time again that authentic connection in relationships continues to be crucial.

This connection not only extends to those whom I work with, but also through relationships with other providers, with my family who support me, as well as with myself—on both the good and not-so-good days.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bridgehopefamilytherapy.com/
• Instagram: @bridgehopefamilytherapy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradfordstucki/