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

Hi Sehrish, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

To be honest it was not that long ago. I would say I’ve always had a vision in mind but bringing the idea into fruition really began in 2020 at the height of the pandemic (so not the most ideal timing). As with all growth and change, this developed out of a place of discomfort and really feeling stuck. As a therapist, my primary goal was to be able to work in a setting that fits not only my specialty but also integrates my work styles. Early on, as a younger therapist, my goal was simply to gain clinical experience by working in various settings. I tried to soak up all the knowledge and wisdom while developing a better understanding of what my personal take and flair on therapy would be. This gave me the space to better understand the type of therapist I would want to be. That’s essentially also when I decided specialize in eating disorders, I began recognizing the gap in the multicultural and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) community. I took notice of the lack of resources in certain communities.

After I felt like I had the training and expertise, I had to get familiar with the logistics of setting up my own business. I was unfamiliar with managing budgets and numbers and so that continues to be an area o growth for me.I train and focus fully on aspects of clients care and get help with the other areas of business that are not my strengths. I have learned to compromise and leave the numbers and certain administrative tasks to the professionals. To any other young professionals thinking about starting a practice my advice would be …do it! Trust the process, accept help from other experts, and be as authentic as you can be one way to do this is simply by reflecting on why/how you initially decided to do what you do!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Guided Growth Therapy is a private practice that is operated and managed by me, Sehrish Ali, a licensed counselor and eating disorder specialist. As a therapist I have had the privilege of working in several clinical settings where I have been inspired by the daily work, the clients, and coworkers. My goal with starting my business was to continue the work that I love doing in setting and pace that suits each client’s individual needs. Guided Growth Therapy is a private practice that considers how each clients journey is not like any others. The things that make us so unique need (including their multicultural and BIPOC identities), body image, trauma, and disordered eating history effect one’s treatment.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Mentorship, connection, and collaboration. I have personally been quite lucky over the years to have a great set of mentors that I have leaned on since my early “baby therapist” days. Having individuals, you can trust and rely on not from just a competence aspect but also to consult with about yourself care and how you are managing can be vital. We all have hard days and having a sounding board you trust can make all the difference on those harder days. My field is filled with some amazing humans who have dedicated their lives to helping their clients grow. As an eating disorder therapist, it’s important for me to collaborate care with dietitians, physicians, psychiatrists, and various other professionals. I feel that my experience and mindset around the team approach has made me realize the value of collaboration and how vital it is for both the clients ‘and professionals.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My consistent need for collaboration, connection, and authenticity. I believe that my ability to work on a team and coordinate care with several clinicians has built rapport with those clinicians. I believe that others in the community can feel confident that they can trust me to keep them in the loop. Authenticity is big for me I have my clients practice self-awareness and how to show up as the “real you” which is easier said than done. One of the most important pieces in a therapy setting is the rapport the client builds with their therapist, its an essential piece of the therapeutic relationship. We are doing some intense vulnerable stuff which requires consistently showing up and being the most authentic you it’s important that my clients know that I am able to do the same for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.guidedgrowththerapypllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guidedgrowththerapy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sehrish-ali-79420546/

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