From Burnout to a $100K Private Practice to Private Practice Coach: How I Built a Sustainable Career & Now Help Therapists Do the Same

As a therapist of 12 years, group practice owner and private practice coach, I know that the path to becoming a therapist is often painted as rewarding and fulfilling. But what many therapists aren’t prepared for is the financial instability, unpaid internships, and systemic roadblocks that make building a sustainable career incredibly difficult.

For years, I struggled to make ends meet as a therapist, working multiple jobs, navigating bureaucratic licensing hurdles, and questioning if I had made the right career choice. But after pushing through burnout and financial hardship, I built a six-figure private practice—and now, as a private practice coach, I help other therapists do the same.

If you’re a therapist feeling stuck in low-paying agency work, overwhelmed by business decisions, or unsure if private practice is even possible for you, this is my story—and proof that you can build a profitable and sustainable therapy practice.

Rather watch the video interview of my story? You can find that HERE.

The Harsh Reality of Becoming a Therapist

I entered the therapy field for the same reason most of us do: I wanted to help people. I completed my Master’s in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2012, eager to start my career.

What I didn’t expect?

That despite my education, I couldn’t get a paid job as a therapist.

At the time, California required 2,500 post-graduate hours before full licensure, but because I wasn’t fully licensed, I couldn’t bill insurance—making new therapists unattractive to employers.

I went through multiple rounds of interviews, thinking I had finally landed a job, only to get to the final step and be told: “Oh, this position isn’t paid.”

I was devastated. I had bills to pay. Student loans to pay. I needed a job, not another “opportunity to gain experience.”

At one point, a treatment center outright refused to meet with me after looking at my resume. “She doesn’t have enough experience,” they told my acquaintance who worked there.

I was desperate. I called the director personally, thinking if I could just talk to him, maybe he’d give me a shot. But as soon as I got on the phone, he cut me off:

“This is a tough population. You don’t have enough experience to work here.”

“Look,” I responded, “I am a new grad, trying to get experience but no one will hire me because I don’t have enough experience. What am I supposed to do?!”

“Go work at a group home.” Click.

That was it. That was his advice. Work at a group home.

So I did.

The Year That Almost Broke Me

I eventually found a job at a residential facility for at-risk teen girls, which actually paid (barely—at $12/hour).

It was brutal.

I was still working a full-time job at a medical office, so I worked at the group home at night and on weekends. I barely slept. I barely made enough to cover rent.

The work itself? Heart-wrenching.

I was spit on. Had chairs thrown at me. Had to call the police multiple times. One girl broke a giant glass window during a meltdown. Another screamed in my face. I often spent Saturday nights in the ER with girls who had self-harmed. Then days later I’d pick them up from the psychiatric hospital, bandaged and numb on antipsychotics. I felt completely out of my depth, trying to support these teens while navigating a system that felt completely broken. I still think about them to this day...

I still remember driving home crying many nights, feeling defeated and questioning everything about what it means to actually support those who are in the most need.

By 2015, I couldn’t do it anymore. I quit.

Not just the job—the field. I told myself:

“I can’t afford to be a therapist. I can’t go to bed at night knowing that I’m working in a system that keeps people stuck in it.”

So I packed up and moved to Idaho, fully intending to start over in a new career. “I’ll just get some boring corporate job and start working my way up the ladder,” I thought. “At least then I could afford to pay back my loans and have some sort of life outside of my job. Maybe even help people in a different way…”

A Second Chance in Therapy

Ironically, moving to Idaho brought me back to therapy.

I met someone in a local counseling program who encouraged me to try to get licensed there. I was skeptical, but I figured I had nothing to lose.

Except, of course, Idaho’s licensing board denied my application.

Why? Because there’s no reciprocity between states.

Instead, they told me I’d have to go back to school and take 18 more credits—which meant another $8,500 in tuition.

I was furious. Defeated. But I wasn’t ready to walk away completely.

The only reason I stuck with it was because I found a salaried position at a community mental health agency that saw my potential. They couldn’t believe someone with my experience couldn’t get licensed, so they offered me a management and supervisory position while I finished my credits.

That job kept me afloat. And in 2018, after years of struggle, I finally opened my own private practice.

Building a $100K Private Practice—Without Burnout

The moment I stepped into private practice, everything changed.

I set my own fees.
I worked when I wanted.
I actually made enough money to live.

Within the first year, I doubled my old salary.

And in my third year of business, I hit six figures.

But more importantly, I finally had balance.

Gone were the days of working two jobs, crying on my drive home, and barely making rent. My private practice allowed me to be home with my family, enjoy my work, and actually thrive in my career as a therapist. In fact, even after years of practicing, I finally felt like I had stepped into my true confidence as a therapist when I started my private practice.

Why I Became a Private Practice Coach

After years of struggle, I realized something:

I wasn’t the problem.
The system was the problem.

Therapists are routinely underpaid, overworked, and discouraged from pursuing private practice.

We’re told:
❌ “You can’t make money as a therapist.”
❌ “Private practice isn’t realistic.”
❌ “You have to put in your time before you deserve to be paid well.”

Sorry, but that’s a huge load of bullsh*t.

I started coaching therapists because I believe:

Therapists deserve to be paid well.
Private practice is possible for anyone.
You don’t need to struggle or sacrifice anymore to succeed.
Taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, & financially will make you a BETTER therapist.

How I Help Therapists Build Sustainable Private Practices

I now run two programs for therapists looking to leave low-paying jobs and build thriving private practices:

1. The Aligned Practice Blueprint: The Strategy to Build a $100K Practice

Step-by-step guide to launching your private practice and aim toward $100k in that very first year.
Covers business setup, marketing, fees, & systems for sustainability.
Perfect for therapists with no business experience, who are low on time and funds, and just need to get the damn thing going quickly!

You can learn more about the Aligned Practice Blueprint HERE.

2. The Private Practice Lab: Marketing + A Supportive Community to Reach Your BIGGEST Practice Goals

Learn how to attract private-pay clients
Master marketing without relying on insurance panels
Set up your practice to get referrals on autopilot
Create a foundation that allows you to easily scale in the future
Get support from a community of like-minded and ambitious therapists

You can learn more about the Private Practice Lab HERE.

If you’re ready to build a profitable and sustainable private practice, I’d love to help.

Final Thoughts: You Can Do This (Even If You’re Scared)

Starting a private practice can feel terrifying.

But confidence doesn’t come first—action does. You have to do it scared.

If you’re a therapist feeling stuck, I want you to know:
You don’t have to struggle to succeed.
You deserve financial stability.
You CAN build a thriving private practice.

Let’s build your dream practice—without burnout.

📲 Let’s Connect:
Follow me on Instagram: @aligntherapyshop
Check out my Aligned Practice Blueprint course & the Private Practice Lab Membership.