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

Emma, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I started my private practice in 2022 after deciding to leave my much loved job in intensive home-based therapy, where I was serving youth and families experiencing a range of high acuity mental health challenges. In home-based work, I was able to see clients in their home, community, and schools. I have a passion for working at the intersections of community and clinical work, and this job was exactly that. I absolutely loved working with my clients and families, however working in the community mental health setting has systemic and structural challenges which led to burnout. When I decided to go off on my own I hadn’t even launched my practice, but I knew that it felt nearly impossible for me to maintain my high intensity full time job and visualize my own business with the ability make conscious, thoughtful decisions around the development of my practice. I decided to get a job at a psychiatric hospital where I could pick up shifts based on my schedule, and make it fit in with my needs as I spent as much time as I could dedicated to creating and building my ideal practice. It was definitely a risk to leave my job without having the security of an established practice, or even the beginnings of a practice. A part of me knew at the time that I needed to rest, recover and properly close that chapter of my life before starting to write the next one. I greatly admire the clinicians that have started their practice on the side and worked on growing it before leaving their full time agency positions, and I have to acknowledge the immense privilege I had to be able to do it in the way that I did. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing and I am proud of the courage, trust, and care that I put into creating a practice that aligns with my values and provides quality services to my community of clients.

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 a licensed clinical social worker and an owner of a mental health private practice located in Metro Detroit called Adventurous Heart Therapy. I provide psychotherapy for youth and adults who deeply experience emotions, including specialities in anxiety, ADHD and neurodiversity, self harm, and LGBTQ individuals. I have lived experience with ADHD, and am proudly part of the neurodiverse and LGBTQ communities. People come to me with feelings of being out of control or overwhelmed by their emotions, feeling out of place in finding where they belong, experiencing shame or a loud inner critic. I utilize an intuitive approach to therapy and integrate a variety of treatment methods. I am also a Certified Clinical Adventure Therapist (CCAT), and provide adventure therapy services in office and outdoor settings, in which we incorporate experiential forms of engagement. Clients who are seeking genuine connection and are open to the possibilities of experiencing life outside the box tend to be a great fit for my approach. I enjoy being creative in my work with clients which might include going for hikes, utilizing artistic expression, and making time and space for experiencing joy in therapy as part of embracing and celebrating the range of human emotions.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

This is talked about a lot in therapist and business ownership circles, but finding my niche was so important. It not only distinguished and clarified my practice, but helped me nurture a healthy mindset. A perspective that I can’t serve all clients, and that’s okay. I serve my populations really well, instead of trying to serve everyone with everything and being just okay at that. It helps good-fit clients find me, and vice versa ensures that I’m providing quality services to clients. I feel so fulfilled and grateful every day that I get to work with my clients using my core values of connection, empowerment and compassion at the forefront. It can take time and reflection to find the niche, but is totally worth it in the end. I spent time considering what types of clients I worked best with in the past, what were their mutual experiences, interests, and so on, to help me narrow it down. A niche really mutually optimizes the experience for clients and the therapist.

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

Yes, absolutely. I’ve been blessed to have known for a long time that I wanted to work in the field of mental health. It is truly an honor to be able to join clients on their journey of self discovery, healing, and personal growth. One of the great things about social work in particular, is that it opens up so many doors. I love my private practice, but I’ve also loved home-based and community work. I’ve also worked in schools, hospitals, consulting, and nonprofits. There’s so many opportunities in the workforce for social workers: policy development and advocacy, community engagement, working in schools, hospitals and medical positions, justice oriented settings, child welfare, mental health, and more. Choosing social work gave me the freedom to choose amongst many career paths, and the shared values of social work gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adventuroushearttherapy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventuroushearttherapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551930541446
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-ottenhoff-lmsw/