We were lucky to catch up with Patrice Kane recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Patrice, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

I could write about this for ages but I will focus on my graduate school experience. There’s a massive difference between cultivating knowledge and how to put into action. Our educational system needs to focus on how to thrive in a digital age. I believe every student but should learn how to create websites, proficient digital marketing capabilities, and networking skills. I focused so much on developing my clinical skills but once I graduated I quickly realized how much I didn’t know about creating my private practice. We should be teaching tangible business skills accompanied by our unique passion. We need more foundational training in what metrics create personal and professional success. We need students to feel as if they know what unique qualities will differentiate them from the next candidate. Students should be leaving feeling empowered and knowledgable on how to take the first steps towards their career goals.

Patrice, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Patrice Kane and I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist. I received my masters in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2017. After completing my graduate program, I completed 3,000 clinical hours. Those years were long and grueling but necessary for me to decipher what type of clients I see myself working with in the future. I passed my licensure exam in December of 2019. Once Covid hit, I realized that the mental health industry will radically change with the adaption of telehealth. In May of 2020, I opened up my private practice. My approach to therapy is to always be a human first and a therapist second. I pride myself on being authentic, transparent and being able to provide a safe environment for my clients free of judgement. I have worked primarily with depression, sexual trauma, anxiety and major life transitions. I work with both individuals and couples. In my couples work I provide assistance regarding communication issues, intimacy, parenting and divorce. In my perspective, the client-therapist relationship is paramount for effective change. I believes full-heartedly that with the encouragement and support of the right clinician, any individual can live a healthier and more fulfilling life. I provide both telehealth sessions and in person-sessions.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for me is word of mouth referrals. It’s always been a welcomed compliment when client’s refer you to a friend or coworker who they think I will work well with. I’ve put in a lot of effort into in-person networking with fellow clinicians in my area in hopes of creating plentiful professional relationships. I refer prospective clients to them and they do the same. Another large source of referrals is a Facebook group for local mental health clinicians whom are constantly asking for specific referrals.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I went to undergraduate for broadcast journalism. I took many psychology courses in college but my father discouraged me in majoring in it. I had numerous news internships and was thinking my life in journalism would flourish after graduation. I quickly realized that was not the case. I didn’t have the passion or the drive for it but continued to hear an archaic voice in my head dictating what successful careers looked like. After a few years of hating what I do everyday, I decided to follow a lifelong passion of mine and apply to graduate school. I had lot of external doubt coming my way that I was making a radical career pivot. People asked if I even knew what it entailed to be a therapist? I reflected on all the ways therapy had already saved me from the pits of depression. I knew deep down all the trauma I had endured made me empathic and compassionate towards others. I went onto to get the best GPA of my life and thrived in school for the first time. I had finally found like-minded people and knew this is what I wanted to do the rest of my life. I’m so proud of myself for making the leap and leaving the corporate world behind me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://patricekanelmft.com/
• Instagram: empowered_therapy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrice-kane-9a136660/