Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Gilbertson

Katie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

I started my therapy practice, Rainy Day Therapy in 2019. It’s not typical for therapists to start their practices immediately after grad school, but I had already spent multiple years in community mental health and was burnt out. With encouragement from loved ones and mentors I opened my practice in Tacoma, WA. About 8 months later the pandemic hit and I had to move to virtual sessions. Telehealth was not popular like it is today so learning how to support people virtually was challenging. Navigating that while trying to find my confidence, stability, and values as a new therapist was daunting. There were times where I really questioned if running a business was for me, if I had made a mistake becoming a therapist, and if I would ever feel financially stable in my job.

Fast forward to 2o24 and I’m feeling much more confident and secure in my abilities to support others. I’ve grown in my clinical skills, specializing in chronic people-pleasing, ADHD, body shame, and relationship issues. I now provide counseling in Federal Way, WA. My practice policies and values are clear and I know my purpose within the work I provide. There will always be ups and downs, especially when it comes to owning a business, but three things keep me going: supportive community, business mentorship, and a clear vision of my business goals.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

The initial challenges of becoming a private practice therapist was imposter syndrome and winging it. I had minimal confidence in my ability to help others, despite having a great client retention rate. Mentors offered encouraging feedback as well, letting me know that I was great at my job. But despite the evidence suggesting I was a good therapist, my brain wouldn’t allow me to believe it. I wasn’t able to start feeling proud of myself until about 3 years into my business. I started realizing that I had a successful practice, directly out of college, and was able to sustain that practice through a pandemic and various other social and cultural shifts.

Two years after that I became more confident in my skills as I started investing in business mentors. Becoming more familiar with my financial needs and boundaries allowed me to fully embrace my role as a business owner. It’s challenging being both a therapist and entrepreneur. One half of my brain is focused on helping people (sometimes by limiting barriers or not further burdening clients) while the other half of my brain is focused on sustaining my needs, specifically financially. Learning how to manage my needs and the guilt of making money in a profession focused on peoples’ suffering was challenging. Ultimately, I realized that I provide life-changing services and I should charge for my skills. My mindset shifts, new skills, and encouragement from my community are what have made me successful and more grounded in my business and therapy work today.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Rainy Day Therapy?

Rainy Day Therapy is a therapy practice in Washington State. I specialize in chronic people-pleasers who struggle with ADHD, body shame, self-doubt, and relationship issues. I’m considered a “modern therapist” where I’m a human first, therapist second. This means I use a balance of education and personal experience to relate to clients and help treat their symptoms. The therapeutic relationship is the most important tool. If the connection between therapist and client doesn’t work then no amount of therapy will help them heal. For this reason, I conduct free consultations with all potential clients to ensure we are a good fit and I can meet their support needs. I love using humor, self-disclosure, and pop culture references when appropriate. This mixed with modeling healthy communication and boundaries is the main reason I retain so many clients. People want to work with a human who gets it…so that’s how I show up in sessions. I’ve shared meals with clients, kicked my shoes off in session with clients, gone on walks with clients…whatever helps people get comfortable and open up is what helps the deeper healing happen.

I’m currently offering individual adult counseling in Federal Way, WA or online anywhere in WA State. I’m a proud queer, feminist, millennial therapist so folks who find that comforting are a good fit. I’m here for those who are ready to do the deep, difficult work, knowing that change will happen if they commit to the process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rainydaytherapy.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rainyday_therapy/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rainydaytherapy