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

Suzanne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.

I started building my practice as an associate in 2008, and never stopped building from there. I went from community mental health centers to substance use treatment centers to interning in a private practice to working in someone else’s group practice before finally starting my own. I don’t think there was a specific set of steps I took; in fact, a lot of it was intuitive. I believe that before going out on your own, you need to consider whether you have enough clients and continued referral sources to sustain and grow your practice income. You also need to clarify your goals: do you want to practice in a group or alone? What will be your specialty? The biggest mistake I see therapists make is that they become a jack of all trades and a master of none. Pick a niche and get as good at it as possible. When people think of this niche, your name should be the first that comes to mind. Knowing what I know now, if I could do one thing differently, I would have hired more smartly once I decided to expand to a group practice. My Clinical Director and I are trauma-bonded from all the bad hires we made! However, each was a learning experience, and we learned from those mistakes, now having a solid, collaborative team.

Suzanne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Dr. Suzanne Wallach, and I am a therapist who specializes in Borderline Personality Disorder. I work primarily with higher-profile clients who require home or set visits, or a therapist who can provide a high level of discretion and privacy. I own two practices, Suzanne Wallach & Associates Psychotherapy and SoCal DBT, with a team of seven therapists. We deliver many modalities of therapy, including DBT, CBT, ACT, psychodynamic, EMDR, prolonged exposure, and IFS. Because there are so many of us, we also have differing specialties from Borderline Personality Disorder to eating disorders, substance abuse, PTSD, and complex trauma; the list goes on.
I got into the mental health industry through my own experience in therapy in my 20s. My goal has always been to own a group practice and build and maintain a strong brand. I think what sets my practice apart from others in the Los Angeles area is the level of training that every one of our therapists has, and continues to get while they work for us. We pride ourselves on being highly specialized, providing the highest quality of care, and catering to clients who need services that a regular practice may not offer, such as home visits, separate entrances and exits for privacy, and a level of discretion unmatched, even though we are already bound by confidentiality.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In 2024, I had to pivot in all three when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to go through four surgeries and chemo in the space of eight months. I worked the entire time. I had to, for once in my life, slow down and take a good look at where I was needed, what was essential to keep the business running, and what I needed to delegate or let go of completely. It was my most challenging year as a business owner. The silver lining was that I gained a lot of clarity on what I want from the practice moving forward and ideas on how to get there. I also realized that letting people help me isn’t as complicated as I thought, and that sometimes we all have to surrender to the circumstances, especially when our health is at stake.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I built my reputation as a therapist by connecting with clients and referral sources. I didn’t just go for lunches and coffees with people; I formed friendships with doctors, treatment center owners, and other therapists. I don’t think you can take someone to lunch once and then expect them to refer you to others. It’s a relationship that needs to be tended to, and people need to know you to send you clients. I have seen many therapists market themselves extensively and still not get one referral because they think a single meeting is enough. In 15 years, I have never stopped marketing at least once a week, and most of it is repeat marketing, to maintain relationships and make sure people don’t forget about us. I also think that success speaks for itself. If your clients are going back to their psychiatrists and saying they love you, the doctors will keep sending you clients, because you are doing a good job.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.socaldbt.com
• Instagram: dbtspecialistsla
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
• Other: https://www.suzannewallach.com

Image Credits

All Images Credited to Annie Vovan Photography