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

Whitney, 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 was unsure if I ever wanted to run my own practice. I have 2 young children and I know that it would entail a lot. I decided to go for it as I wanted to help people my way and not have to worry about following procedures that I did not always agree with. I also meet clients in their homes or other spaces that they choose (coffee shops, parks etc…) because this is where they seemed most comfortable and it was easier for them to open up. Not a lot of practices were on board with that philosophy. This is really what compelled me to create my own practice where I meet people where they are at literally. I enjoy being able to run my practice to really help people and not have to jump through hoops when it comes to certain things. That said, I wish I had taken more business courses in school to help prepare me for the business issues. I also wish that I had found a mentor and latched onto them while going through this process. Owning your own mental health practice and being the sole therapist can be a lonely place. There are not many people to bounce ideas off of. I am not a part of many groups and have people I can reach out to for certain things. I wish I had known about those groups early on. The most difficult part about owning my own practice is the unknown territory of the legal side, such as setting up PLLC, payroll etc…There are so many components there that interfere with me getting to do what I love, which is help people, so I would definitely encourage to hire someone with this expertise to take care of all of this for you.

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

I have always had a fascination with psychology since I took the class in high school. I seemed to have always been curious, constantly wondering why people do what they do. This led me to get a degree in psychology. My parents got divorced when I was a young child, and I really wanted to help other kids navigate through hard life situations as well as emotionally live healthy. This is what compelled me to get a masters in counseling with a focus on children and teens. I now have 2 children of my own, one of which has special needs. This really opened up more study for me. I have been able to study counseling kids with special needs and help parents through those hard diagnosis. I have studied parenting styles, parented my children and really have fine tuned what works and doesnt work. I provide parent coaching when working with children because it is not just about the issue the child has, rather it is a matter of how the whole family system can work together to bring healing. Something else that sets me a part is the fact that I travel to see the majority of my clients. I meet them in their homes or other places that they feel comfortable. This really allows the child to be comfortable with the therapy process. I also consider myself a biblical counselor, where I bring prayer and biblical principles into the healing environment. I pride myself on connecting clients and their families with appropriate resources and even other referrals so that they get the best help because I am not afraid to admit that I cannot help everyone.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Setting boundaries. Boundaries are a huge part of living a well balanced life in my opinion. As a business owner I can run myself into the ground if I allow it. Furthermore, working in my field there is a lot of burn out. In order to control that burn out there must be self care, part of self care is setting boundaries. This is something I wish I knew early on. Setting boundaries looks like this: having a set number of how many people I want to help each week and sticking to that number. Not going above that. It is being aware of when I need to implement more boundaries and knowing that I cannot help everyone. I have to protect and care for my emotional health if I want to help my clients with theirs. I am of no use to my clients or my family when I am burnt out and stressed. When I am not burnt out I am also more creative which not only helps with clients, but also in implementing other ways to grow as an entrepreneur so that I can help more people without over working myself. Things such as working on parenting materials and writing a book. I will forever be grateful for boundaries and the awareness that people may not respect them, however it is necessary in order for me to succeed and therefore for my clients to succeed

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I manage a business networking group with some others in my community. We meet weekly and network with one another as well as grow as entrepreneurs. People do business with and/or share your business with people that they know, like and trust. Making this group a priority weekly and meeting with other professionals outside of the group has helped with my growth. I also have been blessed to live in a community that has helped share my business through out. Most of my clients are due to word of mouth. That said, I think providing an excellent service and being unique in my field has allowed my clientele to trust me so that they share my information with others. My goal is to help people get the help they need and I am fully aware that that will not always mean becoming my client. It brings me great satisfaction to get people connected to services where they fit best, and I am totally okay with that not being me because at the end of the day it isn’t about me, it is about people getting the best help for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.puregracecounseling.com
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/puregracecounseling
• Other: whitney@puregracecounseling.com