Moving States as a Therapist? Amity Shares Her Private Practice Startup Blueprint
Thinking about starting (or rebooting) your very own private counseling practice? Maybe you’re fresh out of grad school, itching for independence, or maybe - let’s be honest, you’re burned out from the grueling world of agency or government work. You might be dreaming of no commute, more control of your time, or finally offering therapy in those slippers you love.
If so, pull up a cozy chair and meet Amity, LCSW: a therapist who’s gone from deep burnout in a civil commitment facility to crafting a practice (and life!) grounded in balance, authenticity, and peace.
Amity’s journey is chock-full of wisdom, trial-and-error, and vulnerable honesty about what it really takes to build a practice that works for YOU.
Ready? Let’s unpack her story and all the juicy strategies and mindset lessons you can steal for your own private practice adventure.
From Burnout to Bold Moves: Why Amity Chose Private Practice
We begin in the halls of a civil commitment facility in Wisconsin, where Amity spent an astonishing 13 years as a treatment provider. The work was meaningful, but the clash between “government and treatment expectations really started to affect me in a way that I just couldn't navigate it to the degree that I needed to or wanted to anymore.”
Sound familiar? So many therapists know the tug-of-war between heart and bureaucracy.
What nudged Amity forward? The post-COVID possibilities of remote, flexible work were powerful. “Everything that was set up to do private practice out of your home and be very flexible about options, that really intrigued me. And I leaned into that.”
Takeaway: If the system is working against you, and your nervous system is screaming for freedom, you’re allowed to design something new.
Tip: Let your values and well-being call the shots. The dream of owning a practice isn’t just about working for yourself; it’s about working with yourself.
Lesson 1: Change Is a Family Affair
Some people leap from their agency jobs directly into private practice, while others straddle both worlds for a while. Amity’s leap involved her whole family. “In order for me to make the leap, it meant my husband needed to do something different... in order for us to have the financial safety that both of us felt comfortable with, it meant he was going to have to do something different, which was a huge task for me.”
Once the family puzzle pieces were lined up, her husband found a role that fit their needs. Amity was able to make a clean break: “I had to do a clean break from one before starting the other.”
Takeaway: Starting your own practice is rarely a solo act. It’s okay, wise even, to coordinate with your loved ones and make space for everyone’s needs.
Tip: If you can, create a plan and a timeline for your leap. And don’t be afraid to ask for help from those around you. Sometimes it really does take a village.
Lesson 2: When You Move, Everything Changes (Including You)
As if restarting your career isn’t enough, Amity also moved from Wisconsin to Florida: “I had none of that [community or connections]. And at the time, I really didn't think much of it. I'm an introvert in general, and so like, making the connection piece wasn't as big of a motivator or goal for me, starting out as it may have, should have been, but it wasn't.”
Her pragmatic starting points? “I got onto BetterHelp just to get easy money, quick money in while starting a Psychology Today profile. And then that was my main source. And I quickly built up to a full caseload within a few months.”
Takeaway: You don’t have to have instant local connections or polished referral sources to start. You can build as you go (or as your energy allows).
Tip: Use platforms like BetterHelp judiciously as stopgaps, not destinations. And give yourself permission to build up your caseload and community brick by brick.
Lesson 3: Beware the Burnout Boomerang
For Amity, success came fast… and so did another round of burnout.
“...I got burned out because I was. In my previous life, I was doing groups. I did a lot of groups, working primarily only with adult men. And so I was maybe doing four. Four hours of therapy in a day right to now going to seven. No. Even at that time, I was doing eight sessions in a day, back to back.”
That’s 32 clients per week, friends. We all know how this ends: “Okay, well, that's not sustainable in any stretch of the imagination...”
Takeaway: More sessions and more clients DON’T equal more satisfaction or sustainability. Your nervous system doesn’t magically become supercharged just because your schedule does.
Tip: Learn your true session limit (Amity’s was “maybe five sessions max in a day”) and stick to it, even when client demand is high. Burnout is not a necessary rite of passage.
Lesson 4: Trial, Error, and the Joy of Rebalancing
So much of building your ideal practice is trial and error. “...It has been a trial and error process since then to find the right balance. Yeah. I'm still kind of playing around with that.”
And that balance? It’s both practical and emotional: “I can mentally and I can mentally shift very well from person to person to person. Emotionally I cannot shift from person to person to person to the extent that I was doing before.”
Now, Amity intentionally pairs clinical work with administration (which she loves, by the way): “I love numbers. I love the budgeting administration side of practice. And so I’m like, you know what? Why don't I offer that as a service to providers who may need it or want it...”
Takeaway: Your balance might look different from someone else’s - mix up your day, lean into non-clinical tasks, or outsource when needed. It’s YOUR practice.
Tip: When you try something and it falls flat, don’t panic! “I still have made mistakes. I still have taken leaps or steps that I'm like, ooh, that didn't work out so well. Yet at the same time, I don't feel a panic about that. Like, I did when I was responding from, like, I need to shift. Here's an option. Let me try it. I feel like I now have more of the groundwork or the foundation laid out that taking those leaps doesn't feel as scary anymore.”
Lesson 5: Define Your Own Version of Success
Ask a roomful of therapists what “success” means, and you’ll get every answer in the book. For Amity, it’s all about peace and alignment:
“One of my clients mentioned we were doing a values assessment this week and one of our client, like she highlighted, highlighted my main values value is peace and all of my other values are in service to peace... Whenever I think of it, I just feel a lot like a. Like a sigh, like a. Okay, here we are.”
Amity gets up without an alarm clock. She works with clients she truly enjoys. Her niche has shifted from adult men to moms, especially those raising kids with food allergies (mirroring her own journey). “It's absolutely a way for me to again, be present to other people's experiences and help them navigate those things that it's hard for others to really understand at times.”
Takeaway: You get to pick what feels fulfilling - ease, stability, meaningful work, flexibility, whatever floats your therapist boat.
Tip: Regularly check your practice. Do your daily routines and client list reflect your core values? If not, adjust!
Lesson 6: Business Foundations First (Not Last!)
Here’s the truth so many therapists avoid: Your private practice is a business. And the more solid your business foundation, the less anxiety (and chaos) you’ll feel.
“If you have any advice to give to someone who's starting, what would you want to share with them?” Kelly asks.
Amity’s answer is gold: “Focus on the business first. Having a solid business foundation is huge because that has eased my anxiety tenfold... Similar to like how I feel about my budgeting stuff. I can look at the numbers, I know I'm okay type thing. Similar... to the business foundation piece. If I can see all these pieces in place and that I know that they're monitoring things on an objective level... It frees up my mental and emotional energy to focus on the, the stuff that makes me, how it makes me feel better. Because I know I, I know I'm safe, right.”
Takeaway: Don’t treat your business basics like an afterthought or a necessary evil. They are the skeleton that lets the rest of your practice dance.
Tip: If you don’t know what you don’t know (about contracts, scheduling, finances, marketing, or referrals), get help. There are programs, experts, spreadsheets, and templates out there. Use them!
Lesson 7: Embrace Data AND Feelings
You know this as a clinician, so why forget it as a business owner? Amity’s practice works because she leans into both.
“I absolutely am a person who responds from emotion. And so to help balance. I need data to balance that out.”
You need both the numbers (how many clients, how much profit, how many hours) and the felt sense (how peaceful, how sustainable, how connected you feel).
Takeaway: “I love data paired with feeling.” Make decisions with both in mind, not one or the other.
Where Amity’s Headed (and Where You Might Be, Too!)
With a big move on the horizon (from Florida to Iowa!), Amity’s planning ahead. Laying the groundwork for community, outreach, and a telehealth-based model that can be just as effective anywhere. She also plans to return to education and maybe even pursue a doctorate.
Life changes. Family status changes. The business adapts. As it should.
Lessons for Aspiring Practice Owners: Amity’s Advice
If there’s one theme to Amity’s journey, it’s this: Find your own balance, and don’t be afraid to recalibrate. Repeat, as needed, forever.
What will you remember from her story?
Build a business foundation first!
Your practice should serve your values and well-being.
Burnout is not the price of success.
Mix clinical and non-clinical work for sustainability.
Your version of “success” is uniquely yours.
Don’t go it alone - get training, support, and accountability when you need it.
Resources Discussed
Tell us: What lesson from Amity’s journey will you carry forward? Drop a comment, share with a friend, or just take that first brave step!
