We recently connected with Jan Osgood and have shared our conversation below.

Jan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

My long-term plan has always been to start my own private therapy practice. From my initial days of graduate school, this was an aspiration I held in the back of my mind. Life continued as a worked as a School Counselor and I had children. At times it felt this dream was so far off but still swirling around. I reached a point in my career that I felt unfulfilled, and I began to use that feeling to reflect on what was not aligning in my life. It was clear-I had a bigger purpose and it was not getting met through my current career path. I knew it was time to make my move. I began my pursuit of becoming a licensed mental health counselor and started building my practice.

The decision was daunting. I was going to start investing personal money into a business that had not gotten off the ground. I was betting on myself. I started modestly and with small investments of personal money. I began my practice with being completely virtual through telehealth sessions to have the least amount of overhead. At this point I was maintaining 2 jobs-both my school career and my private practice career. I saved all of the money I earned at my private practice to create a financial cushion for when I resigned from my full-time job. I did this for a year and a half. It was a long year and a half working a lot of hours, but with a bigger plan in mind with a bigger purpose.

Once I had enough money saved up, I resigned! From that moment on I had a singular focus: concentration on building a full-time client caseload. My business picked up so rapidly that I never needed to tap into my bridge fund. This allowed me to have funds saved up to invest in my physical space for when I was ready to take on a private practice office space. Months down the road, I was able to rent an office space that is owned by other small business owners and who take pride in making their office spaces affordable for small business. I needed to invest money into the space to make it appropriate for my business, but with the money I had saved up and the physical help of others, I was able to design a space that was conducive for my business and the transition to making my therapy business an in-person endeavor.

Despite my fear that resurfaced with every decision, I remained still and thought it through carefully and methodically. There’s no rush, it’s ok to take your time making decisions to ensure that it aligns with the long-term goals as a business owner.

Jan, 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 earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in Interpersonal, Public, Organizational and Cultural Communications followed by my Master of Arts degree in Counseling from the University of South Florida. I worked as a School Counselor in Hillsborough County, Florida for over 12 years providing mental health and educational and academic support services to students and their families. I founded Osgood Mental Health Counseling in January of 2023, and it has been growing ever since.

I specialize in assisting children and adults who are dealing with anxiety, relational stress, life changes, emotional dysregulation, grief, the development of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, social skills, as well as providing parental support therapy. My expertise also extends to establishing coping mechanisms and fostering confidence and motivation. Furthermore, I am proficient in career counseling and guidance, helping clients carve out a career path they can be passionate about.

My background as a School Counselor has endowed me with a distinctive set of skills and knowledge, particularly in assisting students and families through educational consulting and advocacy. I have served as a leader for students with disabilities at my previous schools, adeptly handling 504 plans and Individual Education Plans (IEPs), and I am thoroughly knowledgeable about these processes and procedures.

I employ an integrative approach, drawing from a range of counseling theories and techniques tailored to the client’s needs. These therapeutic methods are employed to help clients identify their challenges and set them on a path to flourishing, enabling self-empowerment. The aim is to equip clients with skills that will enhance their quality of life. Counseling does not adhere to a “one size fits all” approach.

The distinction in my brand of Osgood Mental Health Counseling is personalized and consistently supportive care. My goal is providing quality care for my clients and genuine connection. I pride myself on forming a connection with clients which allows for a rapport in which vulnerability is welcomed. This is that space where healing happens-in a vulnerable space where clients can be authentic and honest about their struggles which allows for my presence as a therapist to be most helpful for them.

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

One of the most significant contributors to my success has been the circle of influence I choose to have. Starting your own business will bring out supporters and haters-it’s a fact. Choose which voices you give weight to.

I have been fortunate to find a circle of other entrepreneurs like me who are like minded, aligned in business values, and from a variety of different backgrounds and circumstances. This has been an incredible support system for me. Having the ability to share knowledge with others who are also in this field has made my knowledge base significantly most vast and allowed me to have the gift of a challenging environment. These women I share this supportive space with want me to be successful. In my business support system, there is no competition, there is only support and lifting each other up. It’s empowering and freeing to have this safe space.

One of the most significant things you can do for yourself as a beginning business owner is to surround yourself with the kind of business owners you align with that do not look at you like competition but hold the belief that we can all be successful together.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

My business is based in a community that I have lived and worked for 40 years. The school I previously worked at was my place of employment for 12 years. These roots in my community have allowed me to be well known and trusted. I create connections with my community and cultivate them to further my reach and educate myself of the needs of my community. I spend less than $500 a year on marketing. Eighty percent of my clients come from word of mouth. My connection to my community is what allows my business to thrive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.osgoodmhc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/osgoodcounseling?igsh=NHh1Z3piMnlvcWVl&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/jan-osgoodmhc2023

Image Credits

Professional headshots done by Jessica Snapshots