We were lucky to catch up with Marcia Blane recently and have shared our conversation below.
Marcia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was your school or training experience like? Share an anecdote or two that you feel illustrate important aspects or the overall nature of your schooling/training experience.
Most people don’t understand the rigorous pace of graduate studies during the journey of becoming a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. During graduate studies, my cohort and I began every semester by saying “we can do anything in 10 weeks.” We would remind each other when things became overwhelming and exhaustion became part of the normal landscape, the constant cries of loved ones saying “are you still in school” that we can accomplish anything in 10 weeks. The semester was 10 weeks long and when you included working a full-time job, writing papers, completing research and preparing for residency, the 10-week motto encouraged us to dig a little deeper and remain focused on the end goal. I finished graduate school using the motto, I ate the elephant which is a nod to the book “How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
I am a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, Licensed Professional Counselor, Clinically Certified Hypnotherapist, author, motivator, and lover of people. My interest in mental wellness began during high school when I was first introduced to psychology. I immediately fell in love with the inner workings of the mind and the behavioral responses. I initially desired to be a pediatric neurosurgeon however after years of delay in completing my degreeI landed on my passion with mental health counseling. After completing my graduate work, I began the process of developing my private practice with the help of another practitioner who allowed me to share her office space. That was the beginning of my practice, oddly enough, COVID followed six months later. While a lot of people were experiencing various losses the mental health field increased which led to a successful practice.
I am fortunate to provide individual, couple, and family therapy as well as clinical hypnotherapy, and premarital counseling, and for those interested, I am able to officiate their nuptials. I’ve learned as an entrepreneur you have to identify your passion, activate a plan, apply the pressure through the process of achievement, and maintain progress.
As a Certified Complex Trauma Specialist (CCTS), I am able to assist clients with identifying the root cause of behavioral responses, assist with confronting the trauma and its impact, and begin to live an authentic life and better mental wellness. The mental health field was established eons ago and a lot of the techniques are antiquated and often aren’t sufficient when working with various populations. I’ve adopted the mindset of “meeting clients where they are” in order to enhance the therapeutic experience. With the offering of telemental health and social media, we have to recognize how to show up for clients. It is empowering when clients say “we talk like we are having a regular conversation and you slick teach me better skills and all I can think is, she did it again.”
What I am most proud of is my ability to guide others to their desired mental wellness journey. For potential clients, you will interact with the therapist, life coach, motivator, and cheerleader that’s needed to enhance your mental wellness. My goal is to help clients realize they are their greatest asset.
There are several opportunities to explore the Marcia Blane Brand (MBB) by utilizing Peculiar One Counseling services which provide excellent support and meet the needs of the clients. The daily 5-minute meditations allow clients to utilize breathing techniques and recite affirmations. The 14-week podcast addresses various life transitional conversations whether you are identifying trauma to solo travel. As an author, Marcia has written a guided journal to enhance self-love, validation, and self-awareness. The recently released Making Progress in the Process to fulfill your Purpose is a powerpack book that allows clients to walk through their journey and discover authentic living. Take a moment and Google Authentically Peculiar with Marcia and you will find a plethora of resources to enhance your life.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
I am fortunate that my practice grew through client referrals and other therapists referring clients to me. I experienced substantial traffic when I stopped trying to manage everything myself specifically the aspect of social connections. I hired a branding coach that turned my internal vision into an outward expression of professionalism. Blue Diamond Brandz provided comprehensive marketing expertise and reignited my social media presence.
Utilizing a billing and insurance service was the next area that caused my business to blossom. When you first begin building a professional mental health counseling business you are warned to “not take insurance.” I would hear that often and then I began to question, what happens to the individuals who can’t afford out-of-pocket care, who’s going to help them? For the first two years of my practice, I was a one-woman show that included completing consultations, completing intake assessments, facilitating the sessions, and completing the billing process. All of those actions are a part of a successful practice however understanding the need to delegate certain responsibilities. For example, I work with a company that process billing and handles concerns with the insurance companies as well as fight for fare rates to ensure the insurance companies are not underpaying therapists. I automated booking for clients to book sessions after their initial intake, and I utilize a service to contact clients as requests and referrals come in.
One thing that I want to tell anyone developing their practice is don’t be afraid to spend the money to make your process easier. I realize that a lot of companies are gouging mental health providers with high prices while the insurance company’s reimbursement rates are undercutting the provider rates you will appreciate the reduced stress levels associated with doing everything yourself.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
As a single mother during the 90s, I delayed my education to raise my children. I found myself part of the freshmen statistics with getting pregnant in 1987. I made multiple attempts to return to school but found that the support I needed to raise my son and daughters wasn’t available. With the encouragement of my children, I returned to college and earned my Bachelor of Science – In Psychology and Human Services at the age of 44. The challenge of returning to school as an older learner, being a single parent, processing the anxiety associated with a child deployed into a war zone, and maintaining a 3.85 GPA demonstrated levels of resilience and endurance to overcome any situation. I immediately began my Master’s degree program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling while maintaining full-time employment with the federal government where I supervised a team of 22 individuals during that pursuit. Completing that program at the age of 47 helped to ground my position as a therapist and provide mental health counseling with a focus on the BIPOC community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marciablane.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authenticallypeculiarmarciab/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marcia.blane.5/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcia-blane-lpc-ncc-clinical-hypnotherapist-7259b782/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/marcia_blane
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtTHAbeLdVEpZfyg5A30WBQ
Image Credits
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