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

Gina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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.

I have always envisioned being my own boss and, despite not hearing much about private practice and business or hearing that it may not be for everyone, I knew I wanted my own practice and that’s what I did as soon as I got licensed. As many of my close colleagues know, the licensure journey was far from easy for me, but I was determined and always had my eye on my goals. I had a vision and started looking for office space right after licensure. I went with my gut to look for space in a building I was familiar with, fell in love with the first and only space I saw and immediately went forward with signing the lease, setting up and decorating. A wall was built to section off part of the waiting area to have a conference room to be able run groups and other meetings or events. I’m particularly grateful that I’ve been able to keep my office open, as I opened my practice 2 weeks before the COVID pandemic hit. As an essential worker and child psychotherapist, I’m blessed to have been able to offer and continue to offer in-person only services for children who need this type of connection and support. I soon hope to start a group practice to be able to cater to as many children as I can and aid in their mental and overall wellness. Looking back, I don’t think I would have done anything differently. In my first ever job, someone told me I had the “knack” for business, in particular working with numbers and bookkeeping. I think I held onto that and have really built on that to actually love and not be overwhelmed by the many sides of business. I shine with the administrative work and actually love paperwork and tech. Funny enough, I was also told the opposite about wanting to pursue the arts, that it wouldn’t be enough to make it in this world and build a future. I didn’t let that stop me from finding a way to keep it in my life. In my undergraduate studies, I minored in Art and majored in Child and Adolescent Development. My masters was then in Marriage and Family Therapy and Art Therapy.
I would encourage young professionals to think about a time where someone may have told you you weren’t able to do something or perhaps were encouraged and given positive feedback to try something but you weren’t ready for whatever reason. Now is the time to act on that, listen to and gently talk back to your inner critic, listen and amplify the parts of you that know you have something special despite what others might say. Face fears because they will always be present. Have hope, know you have more courage and confidence in what you do/have to offer and move forward. No regrets.

Gina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’ve always had a deep and life-long love and passion for children and art. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Art Therapist. I work in a private practice setting in Woodland Hills, CA. I specialize in working with young children of divorce and abuse/domestic violence helping them heal from fear of abandonment in particular, but also trauma, anxiety, depression, and anger. I utilize theories such as Cognitive Behavioral, Attachment, and Narrative Therapy. I have Domestic Violence and Grief and Loss certifications as well as trained in the Trauma Resiliency Model. I’m Armenian and bilingual in both (western and eastern) dialects and am also passionate about helping my community. I believe working with young children sets me apart as I truly mean young (10 and under) and continue to offer services for these children in person. I know that the pandemic has changed this greatly, so there aren’t many offering this service these days. I personally don’t believe virtual therapy is effective for children this young as they need in-person engagement and connection.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Absolutely! Being in the helping profession is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little girl. Having been a child of divorce myself and utilizing art in my room when I could, I wanted to help other children in need and provide them with the power of art. As mentioned in the previous question, while I minored in Art in my undergraduate studies, I actually began majoring in Art because I wanted to be in Animation. When I started taking art classes and overheard someone mention Art Therapy one day, the rest was history. I changed my major to Child and Adolescent Development and minored in Art (Graphic Design) instead and was able to combine my love for kids and art in the best way possible. I now also use my graphic design abilities, in addition to bookkeeping, in my side business as well. It’s a blessing to do what you love and can adapt it to work in many ways.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Having a niche. Being passionate about helping a specific group of people with a particular pain point. Build or become part of an amazing group of like minded professionals. Allow them to understand you and your story. I’m grateful for the 9+ years I’ve been part of our local chapter of therapists and for the people who are like my mentors or inspirations now who refer to me and know what I stand for in my work with children and art therapy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theartofmft.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/theartofmft
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/theartofmft
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginabalit/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/theartofmft