We recently connected with Tracy Adams and have shared our conversation below.

Tracy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I started my practice after a season of immense burnout. I had been at a group practice where I was required to see too many clients in order to earn a decent living. This put me on the fast track to burnout resulting in me quitting my current job so that I could take care for my mental and physical health. I took some time to really try to figure out what I wanted to do next and to be completely honest, that meant I questioned if I even wanted to pursue a career in mental health at all. After months of healing and soul searching, I took the biggest risk I’ve ever taken in my life and decided to open up my own practice. Within just a few months I was nearly full and operating a therapy practice all on my own. The rewards of this decision have far outweighed the fear connected to this risk and I am filled with gratitude that I was able to take this risk at all.

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

When I was in college, I was one of those students who had difficulty nailing down a major. I started off believing I’d be the next host on Good Morning America, majoring in broadcast journalism but then quickly switched to elementary education believing that that would be where I could help people. However, after one long semester of student teaching I realized that that was not where I was meant to be. I took a couple of sociology courses and was instantly drawn to the field of social work, resulting in nearly a decade career of helping others. I am so proud of my social work degree and career and deeply value the experiences that the many jobs I held provided to me. Social work allowed for me to meet a vast array of people in all different types of settings and for that I will always be grateful. Switching to providing therapy though has been the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. I not only get the privilege of hearing client’s personal stories, I also get to watch them desperately want to heal and grow. I have been lucky to have a handful of female clients who have particularly helped me to hone in on my niche of challenging perfectionism and people pleasing so that a fuller and more authentic life may be lived.

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

I truly believe that showing various parts of myself to my clients in simple ways, such as laughing at myself when I mix up my wording or when I’ve made the mistake of having a Lacroix pre-session and have audible burbs, has allowed for my clients to feel safe and to build trust with me. Now, this comes with time, and I do my best to meet my clients where they are at, to be professional with appropriate boundaries and ethics, while also making sure that the human parts of me are able to be seen and felt by them. I believe that a strong therapeutic relationship, where honesty and authenticity is prioritized, is key to growing my clientele, because it is them who share my info with their friends and people they interact with. Being the best therapist I can be to the clients have now, helping them to experience healing in efficient and effective ways, is the best marketing trick I have and so far!

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

The most helpful thing you can do as a therapist, 100%, is to make sure to have your own therapist. With all of the rewards of this profession, it is important to remember that we are not invisible. I know that I am a much better therapist to my clients when I m taking care of myself, processing the challenges in my own life and engaging in self work and healing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tracyadamslcsw.com
• Instagram: tracyadamslcsw
• Facebook: Tracy Adams LCSW PLLC

Image Credits
Norman & Blake