We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Elizabeth Steckel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Elizabeth below.

Elizabeth, appreciate you joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

In 2013, I proudly obtained a M.S.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling and Counselor Education. I soon had serious doubts about my decision to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. My training did not fully prepare me for the reality of life as a psychotherapist, be it terminally licensed or not. (For those unfamiliar, a terminal license means the final license you must obtain to practice without supervision and bill your clients’ health insurance.) My earnings were less than minimum wage. I was in substantial student loan debt and I had a severe case of imposter syndrome. Various clinical settings left me wondering if a healthy AND fairly compensated work environment for psychotherapists existed. My passion for helping others and a healthy dose of self-care kept me going. I dreamt of one day creating my own practice. I desperately wanted to create a professional space in which I could better serve my clients. I needed the foundation for this space to be increased autonomy, so that I could meet my own personal and family needs. My biggest obstacles to going solo were my own fears. I just happened to meet a fellow psychotherapist while taking my puppy to training classes. This connection ultimately led me to an office lease too good to pass up. I tallied my prospective overhead costs and discovered that there were really no objective grounds for my fears. I soon realized that I would be able to make money and have a more flexible schedule. In 3 months, I created Healing Paths, PLLC, got my practice in network with health insurance plans, and was seeing clients. I chose to tackle insurance credentialing myself, which was not as difficult as I had expected.

I gained my supervised post-degree hours as an independent contractor for a private group, later taking a W-2 employee position at an agency for financial reasons. My advice to a not yet terminally licensed therapist is to consider initially taking a W-2 employee position for an agency or a hospital. Without a terminal license, you cannot bill most health insurance plans and you typically have to pay a terminally licensed therapist to supervise your work. At a hospital or agency, you will likely be paid “reasonably” and these settings will help you build competencies and skill sets for some of the most challenging situations you might encounter in this field. Agencies and hospitals are often difficult employment settings both in terms of the clinical work and the employer’s demands; however, I believe that if you are assertive, engage in self-care and utilize your own support systems, you may find the financial compensation and experience worth it for a few years until you can create your own private practice. You know you best. Do your research, listen to yourself, trust your gut and do not let unfounded fear limit you!

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 innately and empathically drawn to people and their stories. I want to really understand their experiences—without judgement—and help them shift the narrative in their lives to one of empowerment. Sometimes mental health struggles come about from genetics, environmental situations, such as trauma, or often a combination of both. Environmentally speaking, we live in a world of frequent comparison, snap judgments and assumptions. These fuel divisiveness and feelings such as anxiety, shame, inadequacy, depression, anger, and defensiveness, all exacerbated by social media. In my approach to therapy, my priority is to actively listen so that my clients feel seen, heard and valued. I educate my clients about topics relevant to their experiences. I challenge any unhelpful or irrational thoughts, connect clients to their values and build support in their lives. I grew up in rural Missouri walking the woods and pastures, so I liken this process to stepping off the beaten trail and creating some new paths. In life we travel certain routes and we develop patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. As we do this, neural connections are being made in our brains and we create neural pathways. Sometimes people need help letting the grass over grow less adaptive paths, while being encouraged to find and travel some new healing paths. Each of our healing paths will be different. I do not believe that therapy is one size fits all. I draw from a variety of evidence-based practices so that my clients’ therapy experience fits them and their needs best. I work with clients to help them see themselves as resilient, creative and courageous beings who have not only survived, but are capable of thriving, and helping others on their journeys in life.

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

Whole-heartedly, yes! While at first I questioned my decision to become a Licensed Professional Counselor as it seemed that reasonable pay and work-life balance were mutually exclusive, but creating the right environment for myself made all the difference. Helping others is my passion and where my talents lie. You won’t love this field if your primary objective is to make money, however, you will struggle to be a healthy therapist if you aren’t making a fair wage or you are in a work situation that sets you up for burn out.

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

You need to be self-aware, empathic, humble and open to life-long learning. Know your own wounds, biases, and unmet needs and work to ensure your “stuff” does not enter the therapy session. Having your own therapist is a great idea. Know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the limits of your knowledge and clinical competencies, seeking case consultation from colleagues as necessary. Sometimes you realize you aren’t the best fit for a client and you need to refer the client to another provider. Lastly, growing your connection to something transcendent, whether it is spiritual or religious, can be grounding and helpful as you support your clients through challenging terrain.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nwahealingpaths.com
• Facebook: Elizabeth Steckel, LPC at Healing Paths, PLLC