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

Alright, Diana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights 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?

Stepping out on my own into my own private practice was one of the most challenging decisions I had to make. Luckily, I had a lot of great mentors and people cheering for me that made it more feasible for me to pursue this. Leaving the safety net of consistent referrals from my former practice and not having to worry about all of the “back of the house” concerns like taxes, overhead, etc. was something that kept me stuck. On paper, opening my own practice felt like a no-brainer. I could be my own boss, I could run my operations the way I saw fit, and I could pursue the avenues in business that made the most sense to me. I think the biggest challenge was taking the risk. Putting myself out there felt so vulnerable. I would have days where I would think “you have this!” and other days where I was like “what are you doing?”. I chose to listen to the voice that said I could do this and that I would be OK. I know I don’t have all the answers and I know I’ll make mistakes a long the way, but it was not worth me being comfortable in another person’s system. I was willing to risk the discomfort. My dad is a business owner for 25 years and opened his own veterinary practice around the same age as me. When I realized that and through a lot of phone calls and conversations with him – I took the same chance he did 25 years ago. My best piece of advice is to lean on your mentors and your people – they will be the light you need to believe in yourself.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am psychotherapist in the Baltimore, Maryland area. I offer both in-person and virtual options for clients. I was formerly a school counselor for 10 years and towards about year 8 of that career I was overwhelmed, burnout, and stuck. I pivoted my degree to completing my requirements to get my clinical license just to give me something else to look forward and grow. What was meant to be a side gig, turned out to be something I rapidly felt a draw towards. I decided to move towards being a therapist full time in 2020 and have never looked back. It fits me more than school counseling cause I do not have to worry about all the other things going on outside of the room with a client – I can sit with a person (or couple) and whatever is facing them in that moment is facing me. I have an immense amount of respect for the education professionals out there – but I was not able to serve the needs I wanted to.

I work with individuals and couples who struggle with sexual health, trauma, neurodivergence, and a lot of the spaces that these concerns overlap. I also uniquely offer neuroaffirming assessments for folks exploring ADHD and/or Autism. I have a strong affintiy for learning and that includes learning about my clients. My values are always rooted in collaboration, honesty, humor, and curiosity. My number one goal for my clients is that you are living a fulfilled life – that looks different for everyone and that’s what we explore. It does not always have to be a problem to be solved, but getting unstuck out of places you don’t even know how you got stuck in to begin with.

I am most proud of my ability to care for my clients. I want to share my knowledge and passion for people with my clients. I want to laugh with them, cry with them and help them feel like that time in therapy is their act of self or relationship care. I root for my clients constantly.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Training has been one of the most helpful aspects of my career that has helped to build my confidence, but it’s within those training communities that I was able to meet others and build a network. Knowing others and getting to hear other professionals talk about their areas of interest/expertise has been invaluable. Having a community of professionals from other therapists, experts, medical professional or service providers is what keeps me motivated to keep learning. I know I couldn’t possibly do what I do in isolation. Build your team on the outside!

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I think I always belonged in the helping field. My mom told me stories from childhood that I always wanted to help others. Whether that was making an extra sandwich for a kid at school who didn’t have a lunch sometimes, or offering a ride to my neighbor who had to walk farther to the bus stop in the morning. I wanted to help. So, I think I’m right where I need to be and want to be.

The thing I love most about my role as a therapist is that I can add in new specialities or new trainings that interest me. I can move the needle in whatever way I see valuable. I always find that whatever I’m interested in at the moment can help me gain new perspective with clients. I love that I can use my love of learning to help people in different ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hardenmentalhealthservices.com/
• Instagram: instragram.com/therapywithdi
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-trujillo-harden-516229245/

Image Credits

Ingrid Berrios Photography