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

Natalie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

I am glad to have learned the importance of setting and enforcing professional boundaries and limitations early on in my career. I have experienced burnout as a direct result of struggling to maintain boundaries in my work as a young professional. When I first started seeing clients during graduate school, I was so eager to apply the knowledge I learned in the classroom into actual practice that I felt like I could do it all. I find this to be a common experience in the early days of entering a helping profession – there was always another client I could take on, or five more minutes of support to give beyond the scheduled hour, or a gap in my day that should have remained as a protected lunch break but was instead dedicated to a client.

Navigating professional boundaries can also be difficult when considering finances. While I am a therapist because I love doing this work, it is work that I cannot do for free. I have experienced resentment towards past employers when I was not compensated fairly for my time and expertise, which actually helped me to not work beyond my capacity. I have heard many stories of therapists being accused of not caring about their clients because they could not accommodate all of their requests, and being pleaded with to give more of themselves to prove they are not in this industry for the money.

Experiencing burnout and resentment can lead to poor clinical work and even unethical behavior at worst. I proactively set limitations on when I am available and how much work I can take on because it is easier to prevent drowning than it is to save yourself when you are already underwater. In this era of hustle culture and when we consider the impact of a capitalistic society, it can feel like an act of rebellion to say no and to work less. This encourages me to do those things even more.

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

I am a licensed therapist in the state of New York and I launched my private practice in September of 2024. I work exclusively with adults and provide individual psychotherapy services to college and graduate students, young adults and professionals, and those navigating common challenges that arise throughout the 20s and 30s. My clients come to me seeking help for their anxiety, relationship issues, life transitions, burnout and career concerns, and existential worries.

Many people in helping professions find that their own personal challenges have led them to the work they do, and I am no exception to this theory. My first experience attending therapy was during high school after a traumatic death in my family. Having that professional support was crucial for me in developing a sense of resilience that has allowed me to thrive even after it felt like my world was ending. I always knew that I wanted to have a meaningful career (and that I would not succeed at a desk job), then towards the end of my undergraduate program I realized that becoming a therapist was an achievable goal and something that would truly fulfill me.

I am so thrilled to be my own boss and to have total control over how I operate my practice. My journey was lengthy as I fulfilled hundreds of hours of unpaid internships in graduate school, accrued 3,000 supervised hours of work experience in New York and studied for an exam to become independently licensed. I feel quite confident in my clinical skills now, however I am always eager to learn more and further my professional development. I am still getting used to the business side of things, which is never really taught in grad school!

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

Authenticity has been a key tenet in marketing myself to my ideal client and growing my caseload. I love working with college and graduate students and young professionals, and so many people in this age range want a therapist who is relatable and “gets it”. I try to avoid coming off as too clinical or cold, and I certainly want my online presence to feel welcoming as clients begin to build their first impression of me. I promote optimism and instill hope in potential clients by sharing how we would work together to create change in their life, and through providing specific examples of how their life may improve if they can navigate their issues differently than they do now. I encourage my potential clients to reflect on how they feel after our consultation if they’re not ready to move forward immediately and I validate their desire to make a well-informed decision about entering into a therapeutic relationship together. I emphasize that the choice is fully theirs, rather than creating a sense of urgency and pressure. I used to have a scarcity mindset earlier on in my career and would take clients that were not a great fit for me, but I am now more selective and I reach my highest potential through working with clients who fully align with my interests and expertise.

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

Two equally important things that come to mind are humility and recognizing the importance of relationships. I am constantly working to build and maintain strong rapport with my clients, as research indicates that one of the determining factors of a successful therapy experience is the relationship between therapist and client. While I am the expert in the clinical work that I do, I embrace an idea from person-centered therapy that my clients are the experts in their own lives. The relationship between therapist and client is inherently unequal, so I seek to reduce the power dynamic by forming and maintaining strong working relationships with all of my clients and creating a safe environment for them to engage in this inherently vulnerable work.

I am still getting used to stepping into the identity of being a business owner and I want to continue to remind myself that I would not have a successful business if it were not for my clients continually choosing to work with me. While I feel confident about the job security that comes with this work, my position as a healthcare provider is somewhat unique in the sense that I do long-term work with clients and often see my clients every week for several years at a time. I have had clients share that a non-negotiable of sticking with their therapist is having a good relationship, which may not be as important when choosing other healthcare providers who are seen less frequently for different reasons than to explore the brain and mind. This brings me back to the topic of humility: I will strive to always remain humble while my success and ambition grow, as I would not have professional success if it were not for my clients who invest their time and energy into their self-growth. I constantly feel honored to do this work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nataliecapano.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-capano-lmhc-760260242/
• Other: https://secure.helloalma.com/providers/natalie-capano/