We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emily Burnham. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emily below.
Alright, Emily thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
After starting a YouTube channel about one of my favorite passions in life, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I knew I wanted to create a therapy YouTube channel after obtaining my Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy that integrated therapeutic teachings with gospel principles. However, during my graduate program, I received judgmental comments from professors when I brought up my religious values that led me to feel like I had to separate my spiritual self from my therapist self within my own conceptualization of who I was as a person. Their messaging made me feel like I wouldn’t be seen as “unbiased” or “professional” if I viewed case conceptualizations through a religious framework or brought up religious values with my colleagues. I was never in jeopardy of violating ethical principles in therapy sessions by preaching religion, but I did worry about clients coming across videos of me sharing religious views and then feeling judged or unsafe. This made me feel like my online presence had to be devoid of religious talk in order for me to be professional or successful. As I started my YouTube channel, Elevate With Emily, I began with generic videos about therapy & coping skills for kids—topics that were completely full of secular psychoeducation and not inline with my original goal and desire. My videos felt so flat to me and I began to dread having to film and post videos, but I continued to feel this urging to continue. Over the course of a year, I posted videos while fighting this feeling of discontent and lack of fulfillment. I opened up to other professionals about my internal struggle and received comforting feedback that my spiritual side actually made me a better therapist and that it was okay to integrate those two parts of myself because then I would attract clients who I’d be able to connect with deeper and help more. This finally translated over into my YouTube videos, where I took a risk and began relating gospel principles to therapeutic teachings. My videos started feeling more authentic and fulfilling, and I no longer dreaded the filming and editing process. I started to have more inspiration fill my mind and heart, more motivation and passion fill my soul, and even though my views and subscribers haven’t dramatically increased, I feel happier. Most importantly, I’ve noticed that I’m able to be more present and tuned in to my clients in therapy sessions because I don’t get lost in an internal dialogue where I worry about how I come across. I’m able to be my full authentic self. Despite feeling lost and broken for so long, I am grateful that God led me through this experience so that I can understand just how much I need Him in my personal life to be able to do my best in my professional work.
Emily, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi, I’m Emily Burnham! I have a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I work at a local clinic as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT), where I specialize in working with couples and families. Knowing how expensive therapy can be, I wanted to use my education and training to provide free resources to the general public and be a force for good in the world. During my Master’s program, I created the YouTube channel “Elevate With Emily MFT,” where I post videos about mental health topics. This past year, my YouTube channel became monetized, and while I do NOT make very much at all, I continue to hold on to the inspiration that got me started: strengthening families and building up individuals. My current focus is on integrating gospel principles with therapeutic principles to help challenge false and/or negative beliefs that undermine people’s mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. I also post on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok using my “Elevate With Emily MFT” handle to spread more inspiration and light into the world. It may sound cliché, but even if I inspire only one person (and even if that one person is me), I believe it is worth it!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
As I began in private practice, I thought I needed to be open to all types of clientele. However, I realized that in order to help the right fit find me, I needed to find my specialty and niche, and then market to that audience. When potential clients are scrolling through dozens of profiles looking for a therapist, they are going to reach out to the one who seems to speak directly to their soul. If you target your specific audience, becoming more narrow in what you offer, they will see you as an expert and have confidence that you can help them with their specific problem. This was difficult to believe and trust at first, and it has been difficult narrowing my niche and specialty, but I have received emails from potential clients saying, “I knew when I read your bio that you’d be the right therapist to help me and my husband. It was like you were reading our minds.”
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
I have contemplated a lot recently about whether I’d still choose to be a therapist if I knew back in school what I now know. There are definitely many hidden downsides that you simply do not know and cannot prepare for, which has led to me questioning if I chose the right path, or if my life would be a lot easier if I’d chosen another career. One of the biggest struggles with starting a business is the financial instability. You have to invest a lot of time and money for small returns, and it can be very stressful. However, whenever I start to go down that rabbit hole of stress and worry, I remind myself that I felt lead to this career since second grade, and that it will come together with time. I am here to help, inspire, and elevate others, not become super rich and famous. I cannot think of a more rewarding path, and of course it comes with its challenges. That is what makes it that much more meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elevatewithemilymft.com
- Instagram: @elevatewithemily_mft
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Elevate-With-Emily/100092199373044/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-burnham-0170b0223/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevateWithEmily_MFT
- Other: TikTok: @elevatewithemily_mft
