Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kevin Boyd. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kevin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

I actually didn’t consider starting my private practice until later in my career. Most graduate programs for mental health specializations assume that you will join a non-profit or public service, so working on my own in the private sector wasn’t on my mind when I graduated. In my first professional role as a therapist, I joined a short-term residential treatment program for youth on probation in Los Angeles, CA. There I provided direct client care, worked as a program director, and eventually a clinical supervisor for almost 10 years. In 2021, my wife and I moved coast to coast from California to North Carolina and I learned that a license transfer was going to take multiple months (and ended up taking close to a year). This forced me to think outside of the box and get creative with my employment. I realized that this was a perfect opportunity to start my own practice – Future Full of Hope – a fully online therapy practice. Even though most social work degrees don’t teach therapists the process of starting your own practice, I knew that I had the essential skills, resilience and passion to build something from scratch.

While the therapy work itself came naturally to me, the administrative aspects of starting a business did not. I had to learn the basics of forming an LLC, reporting to state boards, running financials for an organization and contracting out work. Some of these administrative tasks felt tangential to my mission of helping people process their past, embrace their present, and step into their future – but these things were essential to make a business operate.

The best advice I’d give a mental health professional who is considering starting their own practice is this: get some clinical experience under your belt and then when you’re ready, just start. Dip your toes into private practice by picking up a client or two while otherwise employed. The safety net can help you figure out whether you’d like to commit to full time or not and it will also help you strengthen your therapy muscle before you also take on the roles of CEO, administrator, financial expert and marketer. But at some point, you’ve just got to make the jump. There will always be reasons not to make the jump to entrepreneurship – it’s hard, scary and times, and often unpredictable. It’s not for everyone and you won’t know if it’s right for you until you try.

Additionally, networking is essential and having a supportive community around you will make or break you in the hard moments. Learning from other practitioners in private practice helped me figure out some of those business aspects. It is also nice to hear stories of people who have succeeded in your endeavors and be able to commiserate or vent.

Finally, don’t overlook all the free resources that are available for entrepreneurs. My local library has a business center that provides resources for small businesses, classes and consultations. Many local colleges also offer free or extremely discounted classes on the foundations of business. And YouTube is a treasure trove of marketing and branding information. Attend local networking events, introduce yourself to other mental health and medical professionals in your community.

Kevin, 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’m a licensed psychotherapist (an LCSW to be specific) and founder of my company Future Full of Hope, PLLC. While technically based in Durham, North Carolina, Future Full of Hope provides teletherapy across 6 six states to people who identify as being creatives, professionals, and as men. Those demographics aren’t exclusive to our clientele, but people who identify with any (or all) of those groups often connect well with the Future Full Hope methodology.

The practice is predicated on the idea that the Future is Full of Hope as long as people are intentionally creating that future. We join with clients to process their past, embrace their present, and create their future. When you go through life on auto-pilot it’s easy to lose hope and see a bleak or uninspired future. However, once you take an active role in your life, you can step into a future that excites you. Seeking support in therapy is one way that you can lean into creating your future. You’ll also notice that I talk a lot about the future. Sometimes therapy is stigmatized as being very focused on the past and reflective. While there are numerous therapeutic benefits to unpacking the past, ultimately, we can only control the way we respond to our present and therefore impact the future. This idea is empowering. So at Future Full of Hope we focus on helping you create the future of your dreams.

I have the privilege of helping clients step into their futures through tangible goal achievement such as learning how to cope with stress, wrestling with depression, or working on communication. I also typically provide short-term and goal-oriented treatment, so that my clients can embrace their present and begin envisioning what’s next. To use some therapy buzzwords, we specialize in working from a cognitive behavior perspective, and ecological perspective, and provide trauma informed care.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a therapist is that being culturally relevant is essential to connect with my clients. I grew up in a mid-size town in central Illinois but my first job as a therapist was with youth on probation in Los Angeles. I had to quickly learn the cultural context of my clients and find a way to connect with them in a humble and relevant manner. For me, this meant leaning into my love for hip hop music and culture. The kids and I were able to connect over lyrics and beats and rappers. We could banter about songs and albums. We integrated hip hop lyric analysis and creative writing exercises into the therapy sessions, when appropriate. My team and I even developed a learn-to-rap program, teaching youth to write and perform music in the context of culture. These kids did not care about my education or credential; but they knew when I made the effort to connect with them.

While hip hop is a passion, I always encourage other therapists to find common ground between their interests and their clients’ and to integrate relevant interventions. You can be the most competent and well trained therapist in the world, but if you cannot make a human-to-human connection with your client, you’ll never get to do any therapeutic work.

Today, that value of cultural relevance is central to my work. When you visit Future Full of Hope’s website, you’ll notice rap lyrics everywhere. As you read the blog, or visit our Instagram page, you’ll see mental health content inspired by music. I should caveat that I don’t force hip hop into each clients’ treatment plan. What works for one client will not work for all clients. Instead, it’s important to help each client tap into their own strengths and interests and make sure to include those in each client’s pursuit of change. Sure, sometimes that means listening to a Kendrick Lamar album in-between therapy appointments. But that might also mean practicing communication skills while playing Minecraft, adopting a new intention to your yoga routine, or rewatching a favorite film featuring a favorite character whose experience you relate with. Being culturally relevant allows us to make connections with the people we work with and to develop creative interventions to support their experience..

I personally think that cultural relevance can also go beyond the therapeutic profession. Regardless of your business or endeavor, the ability to build a human connection based on shared experiences or interests is a catalyst for success.

I am particularly proud of the fact that, in addition to assisting clients on a one-to-one basis, Future Full of Hope is committed to macro-level world change by being a member of 1% for the Planet. This means that we’re committed to donating at least 1% of our yearly revenue to support environmental causes. In 2023 we gave our 1% to the Ron Finley project in Los Angeles and we’re excited to add an environmental partner in North Carolina this year (and maybe other states in the future!)

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Growing a clientele is one of the most challenging aspects of private practice. After all, we’re trained to help people, not write a business plan! Not only that, but therapists make great listeners often because we don’t like talking about ourselves. So, self-promotion or marketing is extra challenging! A few things that have been helpful for my practice were (1) identifying my niche, (2) owning my role as an entrepreneur, and (3) relying on relationships.

First, identify your niche. When I first started my practice, I thought my ideal client is anyone and everyone. I eventually realized that it’s not possible to help everybody and marketing myself as such was both generic and inauthentic. So I had to consider which clients best connected with me in therapy and which methodologies I am strongest in. For me, this meant focusing on creatives, professionals, and men. I’m also a trauma informed practitioner which allows me to lean into that expertise and am adept at helping people clarify and achieve their therapy goals. Because I know who I’m marketing for and what my strengths are as a clinician, I’m better able to get my name and the Future Full of Hope brand in front of potential clients. While I of course work with women or individuals who don’t identify within a specific demographic, I realized that focusing on a client persona helped make my message clearer.

I also had to learn to own my role as an entrepreneur. Again, this doesn’t come naturally to me, and sometimes I still introduce myself with some variation of “I’m a therapist,” and not “I’m a founder of a therapy practice called Future Full of Hope.” Ironically, so much of my work is helping people practice self-acceptance – and I’m still practicing some myself. But this step is important. Our thoughts impact our behaviors, and our words sometimes represent our thoughts. It’s important to embrace your role and introduce yourself as such. Be confident in your work and make room for serendipity.

Finally invest in your relationships. This includes both professional networking and building your own support system. Your professional network will provide you with support, referrals and an opportunity to support others. Attend the networking events, grab coffee with recent grads and new entrepreneurs and don’t scoff at professional networks. Future Full of Hope, for example, is part of the 1% For the Planet initiative, is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, and is affiliated with Guidance Teletherapy. We’re also present at many local events. Your professional networks both keep you in the loop on the industry trends, provide brainstorming opportunities and connect you to amazing professionals who can relate to your experience.

Your personal support system will also help you keep your sanity. At the end of a day filled with helping clients, it is essential to have people around you who don’t expect you to help unpack their trauma. You need people who will go on a hike, share a meal and make silly jokes with you. Your friends may also become your biggest advocates and help promote you by word of mouth. I’m thankful to have people in my life who care about me and the work that I do, and I am grateful for their support.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

It’s important to keep up your curiosity. Being curious about each client’s experience helps me to individualize their treatment and prioritize their unique goals. That curiosity allows me to position myself as a helping professional and support rather than as a “fixer.” I’ve also found it useful to continually seek inspiration. Sometimes that’s from others in our field, learning from their work, experience and expertise. Once you start approaching your clients from a cookie-cutter perspective rather than unique individuals with distinct goals, you’re already burning out.

The burnout rate is often high in our industry and prioritizing your self-care supports both your wellbeing and that of your clients’. Self-care is essential for succeeding as a mental health professional. Providing therapy can be emotionally taxing and physically draining, and you will not be able to best help others if you’re not taking care of yourself. Self-care takes many forms, anything from utilizing leave/sick time, to setting boundaries for the way that you engage in your work, to seeking therapy yourself. Regardless of how busy you are, you must prioritize activities and people in your life who revitalize you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.futurefullofhope.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurefullofhope/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-full-of-hope-pllc
• Other: https://directories.onepercentfortheplanet.org/profile/future-full-of-hope-pllc https://www.guidancett.com/kevins-corner

Image Credits
Anh Point Photography- https://www.anhpointphotography.com/