We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Betsy Usher . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Betsy below.
Dr. Betsy , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?
I started my private practice and art studio during the very start pandemic which gave me an opportunity to create art and do Telehealth psychotherapy. Since no one was meeting in person using Telehealth allowed me to not pay for office space and the expenses that come with that. I was able to see people all over Colorado which before the pandemic Telehealth was still not popular. This opened up lots of possibilities for patients to see me and within a year I had a three year waitlist to see me.
Once I was licensed I needed to get liability insurance which was more expensive than I anticipated, as was the cost of making a website which I did myself. Once I created my website, got on psychology today, paid for my liability insurance, and connected with Headway; an insurance group helping therapist with all insurances, I was off to create my practice.
I started my prices in normal range for a doctor and went up every time I became full and year fee increase for each patient not on insurance. This can be challenging to do; asking for more money and can make many therapists uncomfortable. However, it is important since most of us have our cost of living an a large amount of student loans.
Anyone wanting to start their own practice only needs to take the plunge and just do it. It’s not so scary once you begin, have your website, insurance, office space, take on insurance patients for half of your practice, and on a platform like psychology today, then you should be unstoppable. Many people need therapy and help for their mental health. I would say that as a therapist do not put down that you do all types of therapy and all types of people. Stick to a niche, I believe I’m successful because I have a small niche and a style I do therapy in.
Dr. Betsy , 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 split myself between a few industries including being a psychologist, a filmmaker for mental health- I created the award winning viral film I Am Borderline: Self Regulation Project, making music-I went to Berklee College of Music for song writing and played the sunset strip in Los Angeles for over 13 years, and I am a painter that has been in a few galleries and showcases in Denver.
I had been a musician since I was a child. I took voice lessons starting at age 11, piano age 8, and guitar I taught myself when I was at Berklee; age 18. When I move to Los Angeles at age 19 I formed a band. I wrote the songs and the band made them come alive. We played all over the sunset strip and worked with award winning producers like Toby Wright from Alice In Chains and Metallica. It was one of the highlights of my life living in LA for 16 years and playing music. Music is my home and I still write songs with patients to this day. We work together on music or I write something for them. It’s beautiful.
I got into psychology like most psychologists; I wanted to know more about myself and what was wrong with me! I started out at a community college and worked my way to a doctoral program and a doctoral fellowship at Wright Institute Los Angeles. This is where I started creating films for mental health. My greatest mentor Michelle Gomes allowed me space to create whatever I could imagine up and that’s when I made I Am Borderline and the first commercial for a community mental health institute. I also made Voices of Warriors and did some behind the scenes of therapists in Los Angeles who have made an impact at WILA. I plan to make a new film in the next year or two that I recently wrote about CPTSD (complex post traumatic stress disorder) and PTSD Post traumatic stress disorder) and the survivors.
When I moved back to Colorado in 2016 I needed more creativity in my life so I started to paint. It wasn’t long that I was in a gallery in Denver and doing the art walk and showcases. It was wild because I had only been painting for two years or less when I started to put paintings up. I can be fearless like that. I’m not afraid of failure or being shut down. I put art of any kind out and see if it sticks, if it doesn’t I try again. I’m uninhibited in that way which I believe helps me to be successful. Now I paint with patients in my art studio I have in my home and still sell paintings when I feel inspired to paint. I believe I will always be a painter, it has brought me sobriety, healing from trauma and abuse, and had decorated my house nicely.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
During my time in Los Angeles I was in an abusive relationship for 15 years which gave me Rheumatoid Arthritis a painful autoimmune disease. The doctors put me on opioids and here is where the journey begins. I took the opioids daily for 10 years. They took away the physical pain and the emotional pain and eventually I became addicted. I tried to get off for many years with no success as it was impacting my life negatively.
Then my situation changed overnight; I became pregnant. I was told by doctors it would be difficult for me to get pregnant because of a health issue and so we had given up on this becoming a reality for years. Low and behold I had a little girl coming and this forced me to not only leave my abusive relationship, helping me to wake up to that, but it helped me to get off of opioids.
The story doesn’t end there of course. After my baby was born the doctors put me on a new opioid called Suboxone to help with my dopamine depletion and cravings. After five years of being on that opioid I learned it was stronger than heroin and harder to get off of as well. I no longer wanted to be dependent on any form of opioids so two years ago I decided to begin my tapper. Yes it took two years to tapper down which is even considered pretty fast. I am happy to announce that I successfully tampered off of the Suboxone which was the worst physical and psychological distress I’ve ever been in and now am no longer dependent after 15 years of use. It’s a huge achievement and one that I feel shows my residency as I worked and took care of my daughter the entire time I detoxed including when I went fully off the medication.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
When it comes to psychology I think a therapist who is themselves and has been through what they are helping on is everything. If you are a trauma therapist you should have been through some trauma, I know that’s saying a lot but you should also have healed from a lot of your trauma as well. Pick a niche you know. Then get training in that area. I had been through abuse so I specialize in trauma and abuse, helping women all over Colorado. I also took courses in Somatic Experiencing which is the method used to treat trauma as well as Internal Family Systems. Lastly, you should continue to be up to date on what’s happening in your niche. Taking courses and talking to other therapists about their findings and working together to get the patient the best care possible.
When it comes to my creativity I would simply say to be ambitious, bold, and brave. To be uninhibited and not hold onto your art, not sharing it with the world. It should be seen. If it it’s received well try again and don’t give up. You learn every time you “fail” and you get success by putting your work out there to be seen.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drbetsyusher.com
- Instagram: relationshipabusetherapist
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZdjbLFPr5k
- Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7436016/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drbetsyusher Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/betsy-usher-denver-co/785806
Image Credits
Glenn Ross