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

Alright, Natalie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

Starting my own practice was many years in the making – it took quite a while to build up the courage to take the leap. The idea first sparked when I was working as a nonprofit research and development consultant. I loved the work I was doing, but I started to feel like the organization wasn’t the right fit for me anymore. I also felt a deep pull to return to direct service, so I began dreaming about starting my own gig but it was a hard job to walk away from and I was scared to take the leap.
Around that time, I gratefully became pregnant with my second child. That shift gave me clarity. I realized it was time to start moving toward the life I envisioned, even if I wasn’t ready to go all in just yet. My first “baby step” was returning to generalist social work practice at the local children’s hospital. It wasn’t until I was on maternity leave with my daughter that I truly felt ready. I knew I could return to the hospital and be content, but it wouldn’t be my truest or most meaningful life. I realized I wanted the freedom to shape my work, to serve people more deeply as a therapist, and to build a schedule that honored the needs of my growing family.
My next step was joining a small group practice. After about six months, I realized I felt ready and capable of starting my own. So, I made the leap. In what felt like a string of serendipitous events, I found a cozy little office near my home and began seeing clients there. I often say being an entrepreneur is like walking around in the dark – you keep moving until you bump into the next thing you need to learn. That perfectly describes my first year: learning about business structure, taxes, electronic health records, and all the other moving parts. Over time, I got the hang of other small business basics like accounting, payroll, and marketing.
Today, my practice has grown to a team of eight therapists plus myself, and our mission is to guide people in “creating their truest and most meaningful lives” for both clients and clinicians. But what I wish I had known when I first made the leap is just how much work goes into running the admin side of a business, especially once it becomes a group practice. There are hours upon hours of unpaid work each week. I genuinely love the variety and find joy in wearing many hats, but it has certainly cut into the time and mental energy I thought I’d gain by working for myself.
This tension became especially real when my father was diagnosed with cancer during my first year running a group practice. He moved in with my partner and me, along with our two young children. I spent my days taking him to appointments and my evenings managing medications, all while trying to keep up with my caseload, run the business, and be present for my family. At times, it felt like too much.
What’s helped is building a team of professionals I can delegate to – outsourcing billing, marketing, and legal help. But even that has its own learning curve. Delegating takes time, trust, and trial and error. I’ve made some great decisions and some painful ones, too.
Another recurring challenge is the never-ending to-do list. There’s always more I want to do for our practice. Again and again, the work starts to creep in, and I have to re-center my priorities around my family. I’ve had to relearn how to draw boundaries—how many hours I’m willing to work and how much headspace I’ll give work outside those hours. As a recovering perfectionist and former Type A (more like Type C now), I had to accept that I might never get to the bottom of my inbox or cross off every task before the day ends. And I’ve made peace with that little red notification bubble.
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change a thing. I feel deeply grateful to do work that is meaningful, impactful, and aligned with who I am. I get to set my own schedule, take time off when I need it, and bring new ideas to life – all while supporting my team members in doing the same for themselves. With support, realistic expectations, and a steady return to my values, owning my practice has become one of the most rewarding parts of my life.

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

Starting my own practice was many years in the making – it took quite a while to build up the courage to take the leap. The idea first sparked when I was working as a nonprofit research and development consultant. I loved the work I was doing, but I started to feel like the organization wasn’t the right fit for me anymore. I also felt a deep pull to return to direct service, so I began dreaming about starting my own gig but it was a hard job to walk away from and I was scared to take the leap.
Around that time, I gratefully became pregnant with my second child. That shift gave me clarity. I realized it was time to start moving toward the life I envisioned, even if I wasn’t ready to go all in just yet. My first “baby step” was returning to generalist social work practice at the local children’s hospital. It wasn’t until I was on maternity leave with my daughter that I truly felt ready. I knew I could return to the hospital and be content, but it wouldn’t be my truest or most meaningful life. I realized I wanted the freedom to shape my work, to serve people more deeply as a therapist, and to build a schedule that honored the needs of my growing family.
My next step was joining a small group practice. After about six months, I realized I felt ready and capable of starting my own. So, I made the leap. In what felt like a string of serendipitous events, I found a cozy little office near my home and began seeing clients there. I often say being an entrepreneur is like walking around in the dark – you keep moving until you bump into the next thing you need to learn. That perfectly describes my first year: learning about business structure, taxes, electronic health records, and all the other moving parts. Over time, I got the hang of other small business basics like accounting, payroll, and marketing.
Today, my practice has grown to a team of eight therapists plus myself, and our mission is to guide people in “creating their truest and most meaningful lives” for both clients and clinicians. But what I wish I had known when I first made the leap is just how much work goes into running the admin side of a business, especially once it becomes a group practice. There are hours upon hours of unpaid work each week. I genuinely love the variety and find joy in wearing many hats, but it has certainly cut into the time and mental energy I thought I’d gain by working for myself.
This tension became especially real when my father was diagnosed with cancer during my first year running a group practice. He moved in with my partner and me, along with our two young children. I spent my days taking him to appointments and my evenings managing medications, all while trying to keep up with my caseload, run the business, and be present for my family. At times, it felt like too much.
What’s helped is building a team of professionals I can delegate to – outsourcing billing, marketing, and legal help. But even that has its own learning curve. Delegating takes time, trust, and trial and error. I’ve made some great decisions and some painful ones, too.
Another recurring challenge is the never-ending to-do list. There’s always more I want to do for our practice. Again and again, the work starts to creep in, and I have to re-center my priorities around my family. I’ve had to relearn how to draw boundaries—how many hours I’m willing to work and how much headspace I’ll give work outside those hours. As a recovering perfectionist and former Type A (more like Type C now), I had to accept that I might never get to the bottom of my inbox or cross off every task before the day ends. And I’ve made peace with that little red notification bubble.
At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change a thing. I feel deeply grateful to do work that is meaningful, impactful, and aligned with who I am. I get to set my own schedule, take time off when I need it, and bring new ideas to life – all while supporting my team members in doing the same for themselves. With support, realistic expectations, and a steady return to my values, owning my practice has become one of the most rewarding parts of my life.

Natalie grew up the youngest of three children in the small community of Fremont, NE. Natalie had a pleasant childhood disrupted by her mother’s cancer diagnosis, parental divorce, and mother’s death. Despite excelling in school, Natalie overcame a painful adolescence peppered with substance use, legal issues, and domestic violence, to know the peace and stability she has today.
While Natalie’s proclivity for caretaking and passion for humanity paved the way toward her career as a therapist, it was her acquaintance with deep pain and personal struggle that cultivated a compassion for others that made her the therapist she is today. Natalie’s favorite part of being a therapist is witnessing the profound moments of healing that can occur in session – sitting in presence with the remarkable power of the human spirit to overcome.
Natalie’s mission is to live life fully and in line with her values – while helping others to do the same for themselves. These days, this looks like connecting with her children and spouse deeply, spending time outdoors regularly, taking risks often, learning lessons intentionally, doing yoga purposefully, swimming leisurely, painting unskillfully, learning about psychology and spirituality amply, writing informally, and scrolling Tik Tok shamelessly. Her work at Wildflower Collective brings her healthy challenge and true fulfillment – which makes working one of her favorite things to do.
In her professional identity, Natalie holds Bachelors of Social Work, Masters of Social Work, and Masters of Public Administration degrees from the University of Nebraska – Omaha. Natalie has completed advanced training in EMDR, Brainspotting, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Her professional experience includes case management for teens with major mental illness, substance abuse treatment for women, social work in out-patient and primary care pediatrics, research and evaluation, adjunct teaching for graduate social work, and organizational consulting with nonprofits. Natalie loves engaging her diverse skillset in working directly with clients, leading Wildflower Collective as the founder and Director, and advocating for policy change.
As Natalie’s client, you can expect a warm, affirming, and informal environment often infused with laughter and tears. In addition to therapist, Natalie will be your hype-man and cheerleader. Natalie is not a ‘white-coat’ type of therapist – she is a genuine, imperfect human ready to join you in the pain as we find a way out together. Natalie’s clinical style is focused on relational attunement, brain-body healing, mindful embodiment, and values-aligned living. Natalie is open-minded and embraces the many beautiful ways of being in the world and loves working with people of diverse identities. Natalie brings humility to the process, trusting her clients as the experts on their own lives with infinite healing wisdom within.
If you are someone who has been through a lot in life, didn’t have the support you needed from the people around you, and today are struggling to find lasting peace, purpose, and contentment, then Natalie might be the right therapist for you. Many of Natalie’s clients were mistreated or neglected in childhood, have lost years to substance use, or have been abused in domestic violence relationships. Natalie is ready to see, hear, and hold space for you just as you are – while guiding you toward healing the root causes of your present day challenges.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

I would choose my path again and again. I love being a social worker – with strong professional values and a unending emphasis on improving the lives of other people. It is so aligned with who I am.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Recently, my group joined forces with another small group practice. The former owner of that practice has become my business partner. She and I met at an ethics training about two years prior. We connected over walking similar paths and becausem sources of support to navigate the tributions.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wfcollective.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildflower.collective.omaha/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildflowercollectiveomaha
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wildflower-collective-omaha
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/wildflowercollectiveomaha/

Image Credits

These were all purchased from IStock