Sleep, Chronic Pain, and Overcontrol: How Jessica Found Her Niche in Private Practice
If you’re a therapist who has ever daydreamed about the joys (and jitters) of private practice, juggling worries about business stuff with the lure of autonomy, this is your origin story too. Maybe you’re still at an agency, shoulder-deep in paperwork, or maybe you’re a couple of years out, building your referral tree branch by hopeful branch. Either way, Jessica’s journey from hospital clinician to thriving solo private practitioner in Texas is one you need to hear, and, beautifully, it’s packed with wisdom, missteps, and growth (with zero sugarcoating).
Ready to see what happens when a business-averse social worker makes the leap? Get your favorite mug and let’s dig in.
Lesson 1: “I Had No Interest in Doing Private Practice”… Until I Was Ready
Let’s bust a myth right here and now: Nobody pops out of grad school a perfect entrepreneur. Jessica’s honesty is as refreshing as it is relatable. “For so much of my career, I would have said I had no interest in doing private practice and I had no interest in running a business. It’s really hilarious that I’ve ended up doing both of those things.”
Fourteen years into a career at a hospital, with a shiny LCSW bestowed on her way back in 2009, Jessica never intended to practice solo, until life and learning nudged her forward.
Takeaway: Your path to private practice doesn’t have to be straight or obvious. Burnout, stir-craziness, or specialized interests might be the nudge you didn’t see coming.
Tip: Let yourself not know for a while. Feel ready when YOU'RE ready, no sooner.
Lesson 2: Find Your Thing (Niche is Not a Dirty Word)
If the niche police stress you out, relax. But Jessica’s testimony may tempt you to finally get specific. She became a specialist almost by accident, when her hospital brought in training for cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for PTSD. “I just did that for a couple of years at the hospital. And I really found that I loved being a specialist. I don’t think I enjoyed being a generalist.”
When Jessica left for private practice, it was with a suite of highly sought-after skills: sleep issues (mainly CBT-I), chronic pain, PTSD, OCD, and radically open DBT (RO-DBT). If you’re wondering, yes, her caseload filled up with people who needed what she offered.
And because we all need TV metaphors: “Most therapists are over controlled. Not all of us are maladaptively over controlled. But I always use Angela from The Office as an example. If people are asking me, like, what’s the difference between DBT and RO DBT, I use The Office and I’m like, okay, Kelly Kapoor needs DBT. Angela would go to RO DBT.”
Takeaway: Specializing doesn’t shrink your universe, it attracts the clients who need you most.
Tip: Pay attention to what lights you up as well as what’s in demand. Not sure? Start with trainings you’re genuinely interested in, and see what sticks.
Lesson 3: Mentors Matter (And So Does Your First Step)
How do you take the plunge? Sometimes, it’s as simple as a phone call. Jessica’s friend, already successful in private practice, made her an offer: join as a 1099 contractor, with a supportive (not stifling) group culture. “She was available for support if I needed her, but I had total control over what I did. And then once I kind of got a little taste of it, I was like, oh, okay. I actually really like this.”
Three years of group practice let Jessica build confidence, autonomy, and clinical clarity. Then came her next leap: “I really wanted my own brand…I liked writing. So blogging was never…like, I could do. It’s like, oh, y’all need to blog. Like, for me, that was never a barrier. It was like, oh, cool. I like writing, and I’ve got just tons of ideas in my head.”
Takeaway: Your first step doesn’t have to be all on your own. Find mentors, colleagues, or group practices that let you grow.
Tip: Take your time in group practice if you need to. Build skills, gather courage, then step into the adventure when you’re itching for your own name on the door.
Lesson 4: Embrace the Freedom and the Income Will Follow
Jessica’s big realization after ‘seeing Paris’ (yes, she references that old wartime tune): “My income has just…I am making more than double what I made at the hospital, which is just mind-blowing.”
The kicker? That money comes with increased freedom to innovate, serve, and stretch. “Like, I had all these, like, ideas and things. Like, I’m always wanting to, like, try new things and experiment with stuff. And then the hospital was very much like, this is your role, this is your job. This is what you do. And you try to innovate. And they’re like, no, that’s not the budget.”
Private practice, by contrast, let her experiment (“I could do whatever I wanted. I could try this thing or that thing. I could try this new population. I could try a group. I could try things.”), build her own schedule, and grow her (very specific) reputation.
Takeaway: Scaling up income and impact in private practice is possible and common for therapists who find their people and play to their strengths.
Tip: Celebrate your wins, but watch out for lifestyle creep: “I was like, I’m gonna go buy a new car and I’m gonna go buy all this stuff. I go bum balling now. And I was like, okay, Jessica, slow down.” Financial discipline is part of the new life, too!
Lesson 5: Marketing is Just Connection (Not Sales Sleaze)
Does anyone else’s definition of marketing stop at ‘drop off brochures and hope’? Jessica’s did! “I always thought of marketing as just like going to doctors’ offices and handing out brochures. Like that was marketing because I thought it was like drug reps at the hospital.”
Surprise: marketing is blog writing, networking with other therapists, quarterly plans, clear website messaging, and relationship building … all things therapists are naturally good at. The proof? When people hear Jessica’s name, they know what she does.
Kelly, the host, sums it up: “One of the things I’ve noticed, though, about your marketing is your messaging is very clear. Like, when someone says your name, Jessica, I know what you do.”
Takeaway: Learn to love marketing by making it authentic and client-focused. Clear, specific messaging wins the day.
Tip: Start with a blog or a super-clear About page. Make it obvious to everyone who your dream clients are!
Lesson 6: Untangling the Money Myths (A Social Worker’s Confession)
Jessica is up front about her struggle with money stories (“I had a really unhealthy relationship with money. I mean, I would have been like, oh, you can only pay $5. Okay, that’s fine. Free for everybody. Like, I would have been a terrible business person.”). Raised to think money was evil, she carried debt, hid it from her partner, and then hit a reckoning: “That was sort of like my rock bottom… I gave him my credit cards. I was like, here’s my credit cards. Take them, hide them. Don’t let me touch them. And I went two years with no credit cards at all and like, tracking my spending on an Excel sheet. And that was so helpful.”
Then came education and intentionality. “I started learning more about finance… I took [the Money Scripts quiz], and it said that I was a money avoider. Lots of therapists are money avoiders… And so that just started to shift.” Over time, with effort (and therapy and spreadsheets!), she built a new, no-shame relationship to earning, saving, and spending.
Takeaway: Therapists are not immune to money shame, fear, or avoidance. But these scripts can be rewritten, with time, transparency, and the right mindset.
Tip: If you’re struggling with money, you’re not alone. Seek resources, books, quizzes, community, or even therapy, to start untangling those old narratives.
Lesson 7: Everything is Learnable (Yes, Even Marketing and Money!)
If you take away just one message from Jessica’s story, let it be this: “Everything’s learnable. That’s what I’m going to say. Everything is learnable… You don’t come out of the womb knowing how to run a business. You learn it. You don’t come out of the womb knowing how to market. You learn. It’s learnable. Like everything is a skill that can be learned, not some innate thing that you either have or you don’t. Like, everything’s learnable. Everything can get better with practice.”
Takeaway: Your private practice toolbox is never complete, but any skill you need (from money management to blogging) can be picked up with intention.
Tip: Give yourself permission to be a student again. (And remind yourself: therapists are amazing learners!)
Final Thoughts: Your Practice, Your Way
Jessica’s story is about unlearning what doesn’t serve, getting nerdy about learning what does, and staying open to the next phase (or niche). “You can, if you want to, but it’s all doable. Everything’s learnable. Everything can get better with practice.”
Your journey, like Jessica’s, will be winding, a path where you get to pick and choose what feels exciting, sustainable, and successful.
If you want to dive deeper, check out Jessica’s specialties, or refer over your next Angela-from-The-Office client struggling with sleep, pain, or over-control, connect with her here.
Here’s to building a practice that’s unapologetically, creatively, and sustainably yours.
Resources Mentioned
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What lesson from this episode will you carry forward? Drop a comment, share with a friend, or just take that first brave step!
