Don’t Let TikTok Fool You – Being a Therapist is Hard Work: An interview with Sandra Kushnir, LMFT and Anita Avedian, LMFT

Curt and Katie interview Sandra Kushner and Anita Avedian about how the therapy business works now. We talk about how the profession and those who are entering it has changed over the years. We look at what new therapists can expect when they join a group practice, pushing back against some of the broadly held misconceptions of what it is like to be a therapist today.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode, we talk about what new therapists can expect when entering the field

We invited Anita Avedian and Sandra Kushnir to come talk about their latest endeavor: a course called Degree to Practice.

What are the misconceptions new therapists have about what it looks like to work as a therapist?

·      There is a difference between desired caseload and the capacity to earn money and hours toward licensure

·      Expectations don’t seem to be realistic and seem to be impacted by conversations about burnout

·      These expectations are being set by grad school, social media, coaching programs

·      There doesn’t seem to be an understanding about what it takes to build a practice and what group practice owners are doing to create these workplaces

·      Therapists will need to learn how to work with clients that they are not comfortable with

·      Developing expertise is essential for attracting clients – be the best at what you do

·      Part of developing expertise is learning how to address higher risk with all clients

What can therapists expect when they join a group private practice?

·      The best group practice owners will have transparency and clarity around expectations

·      Often there will be a minimum caseload (Sandra and Anita both require a minimum of 20 clients per week)

·      There is an overhead for each therapist, so therapists will not earn the full amount they are charging

·      Insurance or sliding fee practices will need to pay therapists less than private pay practices due to the income available

·      In many private practices, it will take some time to build a caseload, which means that it will take time to gain consistent income

·      Some group practices will teach you how to run your own practice, some will just provide a space for doing clinical work

·      Looking at practical limits as “task conflict” rather than “relational conflict” – for example, pay is a factor of the business’ needs and capacity, not a personal evaluation of someone’s worth

Stay in Touch with Curt, Katie, and the whole Therapy Reimagined #TherapyMovement:

Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/therapyreimagined

Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/