Success Story: Jenessa
Jenessa uses body-oriented relational psychotherapy to guide women in San Diego, CA in transitioning towards more calm, clarity and confidence. She specializes in anxiety, relationship concerns, and trauma.
Your Experience with Bootcamp in one sentence: Bootcamp has become the stable scaffolding of information and community that has supported me to start to build my practice with intention and integrity from the ground up.
How were you feeling before you signed up for bootcamp?: I was overwhelmed with trying to build a practice based on the various pieces of information I had gathered from many sources, trying to integrate them in to a cohesive effective plan, while being a mom of two young girls. I know I'm smart and can figure things out, but it often felt like it was just too hard, with too many moving parts. I couldn't carve out the time I needed to really work on my business, and I was sure I was missing things I didn't even know I needed to know.
What did your private practice look like before bootcamp started?: I had just opened it and was sending my wish out to the universe to get some clients.
How do you feel after Business School Bootcamp for Therapists?: The first round was exciting, intimidating, validating and grounding. IT. IS. SO. MUCH. VALUABLE. INFORMATION. IN. ONE. PLACE. I couldn't even begin to acclimate and assimilate it all. But I felt reassured that the information was there when I would be ready to look for it. I had a hard time integrating the work into real life after the two weeks in the Spring, but kept trying, and made a Ta-Da list for myself right before the fall Bootcamp session; I was pleasantly surprised to see I had actually done some meaningful work on my business even though in the midst it felt like a very tiny drop in a very large ocean. This fall session has been very helpful and I have gotten more clear and aligned about the direction of my website and marketing. I can see myself taking years to really get into all the meat of the material, but I am slowly taking to heart the "Progress not perfection" maxim. I love the accountability group of therapist moms I gathered together and deeply value their support and humor along the way.
How have your private practice and life changed after bootcamp (processes, clinically, work-life balance, financially)?: My processes are more clear, I have direction for the areas I still need to develop, the clients I have are fantastic and I've decided to raise my fee to meet my income goal. One of the hardest parts for me about growing my business has been how to do it as a mom of young kids. I'm still trying to figure it out (and I know it's a moving target), but it has helped substantially to have the resources of BSB on which to rely. And I'm proud of my girls seeing their mom make something beautiful out of her worklife.
What would you say to someone else who is on the fence about joining Business School Bootcamp for Therapists?: Having the scaffolding of BSB has allowed me to build my practice with a solid foundation, knowing I have thoughtful support and expert guidance. It has definitely made a difference in having the confidence to dream bigger and work though the hard stuff. Having the wealth of knowledge all in one place as a resource is a huge bonus. I did all the free trainings before signing up and the value in that material gave me a really good idea of what I would get by joining. Though I'm just in my first year, I have the sense that this investment will be deeply impactful in the long run for my business.
What do you wish you had known about private practice before you started?: I actually felt like I had a pretty good sense of the good, the bad, and the ugly before starting. I think I didn't anticipate how much it would bring up my own stuff about being good enough, but it's been a great place to grow.
