We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kendra Penski. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kendra below.
Hi Kendra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.
I first started my private practice while working another job. I had worked for the government for several years and although it came with a lot of stability it was very challenging to create change. I am someone who continually strives to make things better and desires to create spaces where clients and employees can both enjoy and thrive. I started seeing clients on my own in my practice and my schedule quickly filled up. I soon realized if I wanted to have a more profound impact I would need to start building a team of therapists. So from there, I started hiring people, but I did all the things all the wrong ways. I’m pretty sure I was even losing money on my staff at the time, but we were helping people and creating an amazing team culture and that was important to me. Eventually I was able to hire a coach in the group practice space and follow some really great mentors and leaders who helped me organize my business. I started to create policies and procedures, meet with attorneys to set up legal structures and all the things that you have to do to set up a successful business in California.
When I first started my practice I had a 6 month old baby and 1 year later another infant and then another baby at year 3 years in! It’s been fun to watch my practice grow and blossom just like my kiddos. Obviously raising 3 kiddos while also managing a group practice creates another set of challenges, but it does allow flexibility. So even though I am the person my team has to go to for many things, I have balance and flexibility which is great for my family.
In building my practice and witnessing its evolution I have been able to invest empathy, compassion and authenticity into my role and the values of the practice. It’s a business I am proud of and I can say I truly love my team, they are amazing people and amazing therapists. It’s just as important to me to keep my team happy and support them as it is to do the same for our clients. We all show up in amazing ways for our clients and community, it’s imperative that the business do the same for the staff.
Some advice for young professionals who might be considering starting their own practice….I would say, get support. Get a mentor or coach so you don’t make a lot of mistakes and fumble along the way which can cost you a lot of time and money. Also you have to have faith. It’s tough emotionally! Every time you deal with a staff or client issue it hurts emotionally, so you have to build some thick skin and always act on your morals and what is best for the practice. Don’t forget to connect with your community and avoid having a scarcity mindset. I think everyone can offer support and receive support from one another. I actually have a couple of group practice owner friends who I connect with regularly. And although we could see each other as direct competition, instead we get a lot of support from one another and cheer each other on. I truly believe that just building community in this way does volumes for your business.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Kendra Penski. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I got into the mental health field as a result of my interest and intrigue with people. I wanted to understand why people did the things they did. I was fascinated by the field of psychology. After grad school I spent over 10 years working with active duty military and Veterans providing counseling for individuals and couples. A lot of my expertise centered around supporting those with PTSD, both from combat and sexual/physical abuse. I used that knowledge and expertise to move into starting my own group practice, Freedom Within Therapy and Wellness Center. Since starting the practice we have grown to a team of 20 and expanded our range of services. We provide counseling to adults and couples experiencing life and identity transitions. This can include PTSD, trauma, relationship issues, perinatal mental health, and more. We also offer workshops and groups to support the community.
What sets us apart from others is are core values which include Connection, Humor, Authenticity, Respect, Growth and Excellence. We strive for our best, invest in regular training of our team to stay up to speed with the latest treatment approaches and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We care about the impact we make in the community and the ripple effect it creates when we help one individual and they go back to their friends, family and community as a better, more resilient person, it creates an impact for their entire community. We engage in authentic, genuine connection. This is something I model from the top that we continue to foster throughout every level of the company, down to our sessions with clients.
If clients are looking for a place they can go that feels like home as soon as they step in the office and that offers genuine human connection, that is us! We recently relocated to a building my husband and I purchased where we did a complete renovation and created the space I would want to engage in therapy in as a client. It starts with easy parking, natural light with windows in every singe office, fresh air, dimming lights and calm inviting office spaces…it feels like a warm hug. And then you add our amazing team of therapists to that and you get the perfect place to start your therapy journey with someone who truly cares about your well-being and invests in you getting better, feeling better, and living out your life’s purpose.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Get clear on your values and your vision for the practice. Once you have clear values defined for the practice you are much more clear about who you bring into the team and the people that become attracted to your team align with those values and vision. Before I had clear values we experienced a handful of mishires, which as we all know, led to some fun workplace drama. But once we became more clear on what we were looking for the hiring became easier and the employee issues become less impactful. Also be sure you invest in your team just as much as you invest in your clients/customers. Your team makes all the difference in the world with how your clients will view your business. Make it a fun and supportive place to work. Work is already hard enough, do what you can to support your team and build connection. We host monthly opportunities for connection and quarterly team outings which provide space for connection as a team and fun outside the office. We have a staff member dedicated to this role, that’s how important it is. Also, get feedback from team members, know them personally, and when you receive feedback don’t just brush it off, implement it, or at the very least let people know why you can’t or won’t be implementing the feedback. Transparency and authenticity are core features of a good leader and good team — these create trust and build connection.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
You have to be willing to endure the hard times and let that fuel you to do better. Get support from those around you and team of mentors. Lean on your community and invest in coaching. Don’t take things personally and always welcome feedback as a gift.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://freedomwithincenter.com/
- Instagram: @freedomwithincenter
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freedomwithincenter
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/freedom-within-a-therapy-and-wellness-center/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@freedomwithintherapywellne4972
