We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elizabeth Fedrick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining 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?
The decision to start a business of any kind can be really daunting and overwhelming. The process of creating a business plan and attempting to anticipate all aspects of effective business functioning is a truly tedious process and can often be a barrier for individuals who dream about starting a business. These fears and concerns were no different for me when I made a decision to start my private practice. However, instead of letting this stop me, I instead created a roadmap of sorts and identified each step of the process and just started at step one. Some of the steps involved in this process were identifying my mission and the “why” of my desire to start a practice. This is so important, as it will be what keeps you going when times get difficult or overwhelming. Another crucial aspect of establishing a practice was to find the right location, the right people to be part of the team, and identifying a target population to market to. When thinking about how the practice went from start-up to established, a huge part of this was having really incredible team members who shared the same vision and passions, and who were highly dedicated to the mission of Evolve Counseling and to providing high-quality services to our clients. In spite of having a wonderful location, incredible team members, and dedicated clients, there were still challenges faced when establishing this practice. One of the primary challenges was the pandemic that started about 9 months after opening our doors. The pandemic impacted the way that businesses can provide services, and this was certainly no different for us. In spite of this challenge, what I often encourage other business owners and entrepreneurs to be aware of, is the importance of the “pivot.” You will be faced with a plethora of challenges when opening a business, but if you are prepared to “shift” the plan versus quit or give up, you will be able to make just about any vision a success.
There are a few pieces of advice that I would offer to others who are considering starting their own practice. The first being, take the process one step at a time. If you try to accomplish everything at once, you will become immensely overwhelmed, and likely just call it quits. However, if you create a gameplan, and then take the process one step at a time, you will feel much more in control and will feel accomplished each time you complete a step (which is wonderful motivation to keep going!). Another piece of advice is ensuring you have the right supports and team members in your circle. A successful business is really difficult to cultivate without a team of people who share similar visions, mindsets, and goals. Having the right people in your corner is crucial to thriving as an entrepreneur. The final piece of advice is ensuring you are very clear on your “why” of starting your practice. Having a clear vision of what you are trying to accomplish, as well as why it is so important to you, will be the fuel you need to continue on even when times get tough or feel impossible. When you are passionate and dedicated to a cause, you will be much more likely to stay focused, committed, and be willing to pivot as needed.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and private practice owner in Arizona. I have a doctoral degree in Psychology, as well as a master’s degree in Professional Counseling, and I am trained in various therapeutic modalities. I provide adult mental health services, including for individuals, couples, and families. My specialties include relationships and attachment, trauma, depression, and anxiety. In addition to providing therapeutic services, I also teach psychology courses for Grand Canyon University. I am very passionate about mental health advocacy and work to increase awareness by providing mental health talks throughout my community, as well as hosting a mental health talk show and podcast (Calm, Cool, and Connected), which airs through Cox Communications and on all major podcast platforms.
My work in the mental health field has continued to expand over the years as a result of many compounding factors. I have worked as a mental health therapist in a variety of different settings for many years. Along the way I had dreamed of opening my own practice but thought of a whole plethora of excuses as to why I should take the safe route and stay working for someone else’s business. I was finally nudged enough by others to take the leap of faith to start my own practice. This was scary, yet exciting, and required that I find other providers who shared my vision and passion and who were brave enough to take the risk with me. We are going on three years in business and Evolve counseling now has a full team of providers who all share the same enthusiasm and commitment for mental health and for providing high-quality care for all our clients.
Evolve Counseling & Behavioral Health Services is a group private practice with two locations in Gilbert and Phoenix, AZ. We provide counseling services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. We specialize in treating depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, grief and loss, life transitions, and general personal improvement. We ensure to provide our clients with the essential tools and resources needed in order to obtain the healing and change they are seeking, as well as to maintain this transformation long-term.
The primary thing that sets Evolve apart is the culture of our office. We offer a very warm and inviting atmosphere and ensure that our clients feel welcomed and comfortable while in office. In addition, even though a counseling practice is rather serious by nature, our providers and staff love to laugh and have fun. This relaxed environment contributes to our clients feeling safe, comfortable, and at ease in a place that can at times be very difficult to attend. The other aspect that sets our practice apart is the level education, training, and experience that our providers bring into their therapeutic practices. The providers at Evolve are all incredibly passionate about the field of mental health and about ensuring their clients receive the quality help and tools that they need to heal.
The thing that I am most proud of with Evolve Counseling is that we are more than just a business. We are a team of individuals who genuinely share a passion and fervor for mental health advocacy and for providing high-quality, evidence-based services for our clients. We all care deeply about making a difference in our community and providing hope and healing to as many clients as possible.
Additionally, I am also incredibly proud of the non-profit side of Evolve Counseling that was established this year. A team of providers at Evolve Counseling came together to form a community service committee, Evolve Together, in order to find ways to support our community in much needed ways. One of the ways Evolve Together will be giving back to the community is by providing opportunities to receive high-quality mental health treatment for individuals who might have barriers obtaining these services otherwise, such as due to financial, resource, and transportation constraints. Evolve Together is passionate about assisting our community in obtaining these mental health services through a scholarship-based program that provides options in terms of a list of high-quality providers, various modalities (in-person, telehealth, group, etc.), and length of treatment process. We are very excited to watch this program grow and evolve as a way to provide support for the mental health needs of our community.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
One of the most important key ingredients for the success of a business is the reputation of both the overall business and services being provided, as well as the reputation of the individuals who represent this business. Especially for new businesses just starting up, the owner is the “face” of the brand and must ensure they are representing the business in a way the builds interest and confidence in the brand. A few things that I take very seriously when it comes to my reputation in my market is authenticity, trust, and connection.
Authenticity is something that is very important to me and is crucial for relatability to others. I am very much an imperfect human and, just like everyone else, am trying to navigate through this thing called life. I do my best to be open and transparent about the fact that just because I am a therapist, does not mean I have all the answers or don’t have my own struggles. While I do have the knowledge, training, and experience needed to provide high-quality mental health services for my clients, I ensure to normalize that this doesn’t negate the fact that I also experience my own uncertainties, setbacks, and hardships.
Building trust with my clients and the community has been another crucial aspect of building a reputation. Evolve Counseling is more than a business, we are a team of mental health advocates. Our team at Evolve is dedicated to providing high-quality services, as well as are committed to being dependable, well-trained, and genuinely invested in our clients. Evolve Counseling has a great reputation for the services we provide because we are enthusiastic and consistent about helping our clients truly heal and evolve.
Connection is a third component of building a positive reputation. Building connections is a multifaceted process that includes our team, our clients, and our community. Connection includes creating opportunities for relationship building with other professionals, with our clients, and with our team members. I am diligent about networking with other professionals and trying to provide support and collaboration opportunities as much as possible. I also stay focused on fostering a culture of acceptance and compassion within our practice and ensuring that the focus of Evolve is first and foremost about the people.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Your team is the foundation of your business. This means that when you have a well-functioning team, you will be much more likely to have a well-functioning business. There are a few aspects for effectively managing a team and maintaining high morale.
The first step is ensuring you have the right people on your team. It can be tempting to make sacrifices or just settle when finding team members if you are feeling desperate or in need of someone to fill a particular role; however, this often leads to more harm than good. It is important that your team members share the same vision and objectives of your mission statement and are dedicated to the cause. Identify what kind of people you want on your team (values, work ethic, commitment, etc.) and then ensure you are selective with who you allow in your circle.
After you have the right people on your team, it is important to set boundaries and expectations immediately. No matter what role each team member is in, they must know what is expected from them and how they can be successful in their role. People perform much better when they understand the expectations and aren’t left guessing what is wanted from them. This also creates a sense of safety and stability for your team when assignments are clear, and communication is transparent.
Another crucial component of maintaining high morale is the culture of your business. This includes how team members are treated by managers, by clients, and by each other. The culture of your business cannot be overstated and is something that should be established from day one. Keep in mind, that you are the primary role model for this, so if you desire a certain culture, it starts with you.
Providing praise, support, and incentives for your team is also a very effective way to maintain morale. People like to feel valued and respected. We are all much more motivated to want to be part of a team and to perform our best, when we feel acknowledged and appreciated for doing so. Don’t lose sight of the importance of both small and big gestures when it comes to showing appreciation for your team.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.evolvecounselingaz.com
- Instagram: @drelizabethfedrick
- Other: TikTok: @drelizabethfedrick