We were lucky to catch up with Dan Drake recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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 a newly licensed therapist, I was offered a position at an organization. This organization offered me a space to see clients, referrals, and took care of all of the confusing and annoying HR stuff that I had no experience doing. The big catch: They took a huge percentage of the client’s hourly rate. I was torn: Do I take something that’s for sure, or do I take a risk to start on my own? If I set out on my own, I’d have to learn a bunch of new skills, and there would be no guarantee that I’d even be able to build a sustainable caseload. But if I went with the organization, I’d not be able to build an income to support my family.

After a lot of soul-searching and reaching out to trusted friends for wisdom, I decided to take the risk to start on my own. I thought to myself, “At the end of the day, would I be more disappointed in myself if I tried and failed in a private practice or that I never tried at all?” I realized that I would be more disappointed for not believing in myself and not trying. So I took the plunge! 15 years later, I have a successful and fulfilling practice. I am now supervising other therapists and I have amazing clients. It’s not been an easy road, and at times it’s still scary and overwhelming, but I don’t regret for a moment that decision to take a risk for myself.

Dan, 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’m a licensed therapist specializing in helping couples restore their relationship after infidelity. I’m a Certified S*x Addiction Therapist Supervisor, a Certified Clinical Partner Specialist Supervisor, and I’m EMDR trained. I’ve written multiple books, including Full Disclosure: How to Tell the Truth After Sexual Betrayal, Letters from a S*x Addict: My Life Exposed, and my most recent book, Building True Intimacy: Creating a Connection that Stands the Test of Time. And while I’ve received a lot of training and experience, what I do best is to connect with individuals and couples, helping collaboratively determine the best way that my clients can heal. Every client is unique and every situation is unique, so I work really hard to create a safe place where each of my clients feels heard and cared for. I’m honored to have a team of amazing therapists working with me. We’re dedicated to helping our clients heal and restore.

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

One big lesson that I learned early on was that I had to be the best and have all the answers. I did well in school, achieved awards, and generally did the school thing pretty well. I carried that same focus into my practice. And while that ambition helped me to continue to learn and grow, and to write books and become a leader in my field, I’ve come to know that I don’t know everything. In fact, the more experienced I am and the more wisdom I’ve gained over the years has shown me that I will be a lifelong learner. I’ve even told colleagues of mine, “The day that I say I have everything figured out, PLEASE implore me to retire. Since that’s when I’ll do damage to my clients by not staying current with new science and advancements.”

In letting go of the need to know everything, I’ve actually opened myself up to a new world. This new world is a world of wonder, a world where each client’s story is unique. I’m continually humbled that people would let me into the deepest and darkest places of their past and present. I also realize that while I have a lot of expertise, each client is the expert of their own life and their own experience.

So today I come as a learner. I get to learn more each and every day about myself, others, and the world. I learn how to better serve my clients, and hopefully help in one small way to heal brokenness in our world.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

When I was starting out in my practice, I thought that writing blogs, articles, books, or being on podcasts would help me build a reputation within my community. And while those things have certainly helped, I’ve learned that there is simply nothing better to help me build a reputation than to truly care for clients, one person at a time. Also, I’ve worked to build connections with other colleagues and fellow specialists, one person at a time. Perhaps there are shortcuts for others, but not for me. I’m in such a deeply personal, vulnerable, and relational specialty. So I try really hard to be a safe space for clients and colleagues. I’ve seen over the years that this is what has helped me build a reputation more than anything. It’s really helped me to specialize in my field, helping me build connections with colleagues and recognition with clients too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.banyantherapy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/banyantherapygroup/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BanyanTherapyGroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-drake-mft-lpcc-ccps-s-csat-s-6557b117/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fbanyantherapy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9XcxIVClbH3Qjio0AWBs4Q
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/banyan-therapy-group-studio-city?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)