We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Morgan Thomas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Morgan below.

Morgan, appreciate you joining 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 started my practice in 2023 after years of searching for a therapy job that was the right fit. Unfortunately it’s common to be severely underpaid in the mental health field. I kept interviewing with practice owners that were more focused on making a profit from me than helping me grow a client caseload.

I moved from Indiana to Colorado and became fully licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). You don’t become fully licensed as a therapist directly after graduating with your master’s degree. Therapists also have to work under someone who is fully licensed for several years while accruing hours and take additional tests. Being a pre licensed therapist was one of the toughest moments in my career so far. As a young professional, I was eager to continue working with clients while accruing my hours to obtain full licensure. I wish I would have known that I could take my time to find a practice that aligned with my values and paid me well versus just taking any job.

I decided that I was burnt out on trying to find the right job for me and instead started my own private practice. I received my Colorado license and within a few months opened Growing Rose Therapy, LLC.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a multifaceted therapist who wears many different hats in life. I’m also a professional psychic/tarot reader. I love that my practice offers more than mental health therapy. Offering intuitive readings and coaching helps me work with clients from around the world. Another barrier we face as therapists is our license can only serve the people residing in that state. My goal is to become licensed in more states in the next few years, which will hopefully continue making my practice more accessible.

I’m also a writer and currently writing a memoir in between seeing clients and growing my social media accounts. Writing has been a way to express my emotions and work through hardships I have been through. I post on Substack bi weekly on my publication: The Bisexual Agenda.

I always try to practice what I preach to my clients and regularly engaging in creative expression is so important for my mental health.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

You have to know yourself as deeply as you want your clients to know themselves. Being a therapist requires continual self work and the ability to understand oneself deeply. The schooling and continuing education will only take you so far if you do not know your core values and what you stand for.

You also have to recognize your own inherent self worth. Self sacrificing in the name of “being a good therapist” will only lead to burnout and exhaustion. Our clients deserve us at our best selves and this is through having boundaries in all areas of life.

Also, never underestimate the importance of fun and engaging in play. This field is serious of course and it also gets to spark joy and passion in our daily lives. Taking a walk, going on vacation, and laughing as much as you can also helps maintain the love of this field.

I do not subscribe to being a blank slate therapist who lacks personality! We can be trauma informed while also laughing with our clients. Not every therapy session is going to be groundbreaking with tears….and that’s okay. It’s a part of the therapeutic process.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I recently shared a video on social media about this, but you can’t wait for your life to look aesthetically pleasing to go after your dreams. I’m currently doing this interview while maintenance people are in my studio apartment repairing the drywall to my ceiling. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve written or posted on social media while the environment around me was less than ideal. Being a great therapist has nothing to do with your personal aesthetic and if you have a bad ass office space. A great therapist is someone who can compartmentalize their stress while being a regulated human for their client.

I’ve been an entrepreneur for 5+ years and most of those times I’ve been in some sort of transitional phase. Honoring my humanity is what makes me a relatable therapist. Even if my clients don’t know what’s happening in my life behind the scenes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.growingrosetherapy.org
• Instagram: @morganonealll_
• Other: Tiktok: @morganonealll_

  Substack: The Bisexual Agenda

Image Credits

@jasminetafoyaphoto