The Therapy Suite PLLC

Today’s guest on my YouTube Channel The Keys to Therapy is Abby Smith. Abby has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program for School Psychology. She is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and was a mental health technician at a military mental health clinic for 4 years.

In this episode, Abby shares her journey to joining the Air Force and her experience as both a service member and provider within the military. She discusses the pros and cons to working in military mental health and provides tips for therapists considering a career in this niche, as both officers and civilians. a and grief in a therapy setting, as well as creative and somatic modalities to treating clients.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/YgT6KnQWc3U

Yesterday was the 10 year anniversary of getting my LCSW!!! It’s crazy how quickly time has gone by, so I took some time out to reflect.

The 2nd pic: me in 2014 at a community mental health job, getting my hours, barely making ends meet financially while working 40+ hours a week seeing any and every client, newly engaged, and spending SO much time thinking about what my future would be like, just hoping it would be better🤞🏻

The 1st pic is from earlier this year: owning my own private pay practice, on vacation in California, married with two dogs, much more confident in my work, working 20 hours a week, more financially stable than ever, healthier and happier overall, and continuing to grow personally and professionally 😎

I saw a quote recently that said “Past you would look at this version of you and think you’re an icon”. That really holds true!!! Although nothing is perfect, I have worked really hard to be in this space and am grateful for it everyday.

Let’s see what the next 10 years brings!!! 🤩

Today’s guest of my YouTube Channel The Keys to Therapy is Desiree Vargas, LMFT. Desiree is the CEO and founder of Mind Body Soul Living, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a seasoned entrepreneur and mindset life coach, Desiree helps individuals and businesses thrive through tailored coaching and mentorship. As a Marriage & Family Therapist, she specializes in utilizing non-traditional modalities to support clients working through grief and trauma. Passionate about serving BIPOC communities, caretakers, those experiencing life transitions, and the neurodivergent, Desiree is dedicated to fostering healing and empowerment.

In this episode, Desiree discusses her non-linear journey to becoming a therapist. She shares how her own personal experiences led her to focus on trauma and grief therapy. Desiree also talks about the traditional ways of working with trauma and grief in a therapy setting, as well as creative and somatic modalities to treating clients.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/TFxEFEc9FaA

What an amazing weekend in Wilmington, NC!!🤩 I spent the weekend there with my fellow cofounders of .wellness.collective to host a speed networking and wellness event.

Special thanks to everyone who attended and our sponsors and for sharing their space with us 🩵 Shoutout to my new bff Bentley for bringing amazing energy to the event 🐾

Jenna, Laura, and I explored downtown, ate all the food, shopped, and watched the Olympics. We visited a few One Tree Hill spots, including Tric and got tons of fun photos there.

It was a great weekend! I’m so glad to be a part of .wellness.collective. It’s exciting to see the community grow into new cities and I’m looking forward to what’s coming next! Follow that page to stay up to date on future events, like our retreat this October in Charlotte, our next Wilmington event in November, and more 💫

Starting a private practice is exciting! It’s a chance for you to build the type of place you've always wanted to work. But most grad school programs don’t cover the business side of being a therapist.

In this week’s episode, I discuss the financial aspects of running a private practice. I discuss what systems I have in place to pay myself and how I structure my accounts so I have enough to pay for expenses, taxes, and have a business savings.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

Video link
https://youtu.be/hnhtTE5a_y8

*Link in bio

Starting a private practice is a big step in a therapist’s career! There’s a lot of resources out there to help you on that journey, but it can also get confusing trying to figure out where to start.

In this week’s episode, I narrow down the steps to starting a private practice to my top 5 recommendations! If you’re considering opening your own business, I recommend starting here to build out the foundation of your practice before getting too into the weeds of all the other details.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/ddjcqOOHByM

Working at a group private practice can be a great experience for a therapist. You can see how that setting works for you without having to deal with the business side of things, like marketing and billing. However, there are many reasons why it may not be the best for you long term and you may decide to move on.

In this week’s episode, I discuss what some of the reasons are that people decide to quit a group private practice. I share tips on how to give your notice and how to provide the most ethical and legal transition of care process to clients and your boss.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/wCzDTW401Qc

Such an amazing weekend with .wellness.collective

We spent time on Friday getting lunch and grocery shopping for the event. Saturday, we headed to Lake Norman to do some research for our Money and Magic retreat in October✨ We checked out and had lunch at We had a great time!! We’re currently sold out of private rooms, but there’s a few shared rooms available, along with day passes for locals!🤩 Check out the brochure on the collective’s page!

Saturday evening, we held a vision board workshop for wellness business owners. We had the BEST group!! 🥰 Everyone was amazing! So kind, talented, and collaborative. Check the tags on my post and give them a follow!!

It’s been amazing to plan events with .wellness.collective ! We’ve got amazing things coming this year and next, so stay tuned!

As a private pay therapist, I want to make sure my therapy services are still financially accessible to clients. I made the decision to provide superbills to clients so they can be reimbursed a percentage of their session fee.

In this week’s episode, I discuss what superbills are and what needs to be included in them. I also share how I approach this conversation with clients and what information I provide them to ensure they understand what their out of network benefits are.

Watch it now and subscribe!

https://youtu.be/AxoAWCE8sNQ

After taking insurance in every work setting I had ever been in, I wanted to take a different approach when building my practice. During my planning process, I decided to go private pay and not accept insurance in my business.

In this week’s episode, I discuss what factors led to me taking the private pay approach to private practice. I share how I discuss this information with clients and how my approach differs from insurance based practices.

Watch it now and subscribe above!

Video link
https://youtu.be/9Xbs3wZzdYM

The Keys to Therapy - YouTube I teach therapists what they didn't learn in grad school. You went through years of school to be a therapist. Countless papers, group projects, and presentat...

Today’s guest is Laura Rippeon, LCSW. Laura is an empowering solo entrepreneur, business coach, and therapist. Laura is the CEO of Calm Waters Counseling, owner of Aspire Coaching & Consulting, and a co-founder of Carolina Wellness Entrepreneur Collective. Laura is an online ACT therapist for stressed-out and overwhelmed professional women in North Carolina and Maryland.

In today’s episode, Laura discusses why she became a therapist. She shares what attracted her to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and how she uses it with clients. Laura also identifies why it is important to use ACT techniques when planning for and working in your business.

Subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/tU58VY1yNWk

Understanding insurance and CPT codes can be difficult. This is a topic wasn’t covered at all in my grad school program and it was something I had to learn on the job, without much clarity.

In this week’s episode, I discuss what it’s like to work at a facility/agency/hospital/practice that takes insurance. I cover the pros and cons of billing insurance and what each CPT code means.

Download my CPT Code cheat sheet for further support: https://thetherapysuitepllc.myflodesk.com/b0n47a79rv

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/_6spdnzsZM4

Networking is an essential part of being a therapist. Therapists are not supposed to be able to treat any and every type of client. It’s important to build up your referral list and also get your own name out there.

In this week’s episode, I discuss why networking is important and share tips on how you can networking authentically with other therapists.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/bJYYSaIcvgk

The best self care weekend I’ve had in awhile!! 🧘🏻‍♀️

Friday was Pilates class and lunch with my friend Eve from It was my 40th Pilates class!!🥳

Saturday was puppy yoga with puppies from multiple rescues including It was a DREAM🥰 I love supporting great causes and it wad such a fun time! 🐶

I won a giveaway from a few months ago and was finally able to use my massage and sauna credit from it!💆🏻‍♀️ SO amazing! I felt so relaxed after and I highly recommend checking them out if you’re in Charlotte 🌟

I stayed up really late to watch perform at Coachella on YouTube. It was worth it!! 🎶🎤

Sunday, I took the dogs to get pup cups! It was a risk since Oliver gets car sick, but he made it through the drive thankfully. They deserved some self care too!

I’d love to know what your favorite self care activities are! It’s so important that we all take time outs to recharge 🔋

For the conclusion of my series about working in different settings, I discuss what it's like to work in a solo private practice.

After years of working at different types of jobs, I finally felt ready mentally, practically, and financially to be able to start my own practice. I started my practice in April 2022 and have never been happier with my work. Between the schedule I set for myself, the ease of being private pay, and the ability to select my ideal clients, solo private practice is absolutely the best job I have had yet.

If you’re interested at all in what it’s like to be a therapist in solo private practice, check out this episode!

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/XyDISXsk2XA

Such a busy weekend!!🤩 I spent a lot of time outside with my dogs. Max has been irritated with the grass, so I got him his own lounge bed from and he LOVES it!

Jenna from .her.way came to visit this weekend! We went to Camp North end on Saturday. We had breakfast first and then went to the empanada festival. It was great!! I grew up in Miami so it was awesome to have some food that reminded me of home🌴

After the festival, we headed to to set up for Jenna’s Soul Society pop up event. It was amazing! A healing sound bath, followed by a women’s circle, which I co-facilitated. Everyone who attended was awesome 💫

Sunday, we went to the first of the season! I got some goodies for my dogs and I. Then grocery shopping and meal prepped for the week ahead. ✅

I hope you’re enjoying this warmer spring weather!! ☀️If you’re local to Charlotte and want to attend an upcoming sound event, follow .her.way to stay up to date!

⭐️We have a networking event later this month on the 27th for .wellness.collective and a community sound bath for making friends on May 25th. Both links are in my bio!

In the next episode of this series about working at different settings, I discuss what it's like to work in a group private practice.

Using my personal experience and knowledge, I share all the details, from the pay splits, hours, day to day activities, and the cons of working in a group private practice. If you’re interested at all in what it’s like to be a therapist in the private sector, check out this episode!

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/wrKq3nc-0ZQ

I'll be a part of multiple fun events that are happening in the next few months!! There's something for everyone!

*April 6th: Join Connect Her Way for a sound bath with reiki. Then I'll be co-leading a circle after to talk about intentions and reflections from the event.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soul-society-popup-soul-sound-circle-tickets-860433649207?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR1EvNJ7j_7C28wxSEMHQdjwSCH56B-eOU2XYl2Zit6gsyYJ0WJ9RIh5v-I

*April 27th: Join Carolina Wellness Entrepreneur Collective for a fun networking event! There will be speed networking with other local wellness businesses and providers, followed by a sound bath to relax for the evening.

https://carolinawellnessentrepreneurco.myflodesk.com/charlottewellnessnetworking?fbclid=IwAR1zJYY6ju4Rj8q_zgccmXhi8Qtx5iEXln462jgyrV2CwJf0mZq4PuQWq8Y

*May 25th: Wanting to make more friends and connections? Attend Manifest Your BFF! Led by , this Soul Society Pop Up Event will be a fun night! Choose an oracle card, enjoy a reiki infused sound bath, and engage in discussion for a women's circle I'll be co-facilitating.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soul-society-popup-manifest-your-new-bff-tickets-860474762177?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR29WTFgzTRknaisK9uEejG6zOZvS8MjxE9bI3JAUgVurc0VturllYjlqB0

I'd love to meet some of you in real life!! Sign up for any of the events to make great connections and engage in amazing relaxation activities.

In the next episode of The Keys to Therapy, I continue my series about working in different settings. I discuss what it's like to work in military mental health. I spent 4 years working on base in the mental health department of a military medical clinic and have a wide range of experience in that setting.

Using my personal experience and knowledge, I share all the details, from the pay, hours, day to day activities and the cons of working in military mental health. This one is a longer episode because there was just SO much to share! This setting is so different than any other I have worked in, in both positive and negative ways.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/DIeB69TbQQ8

In the next episode of this series about working at different settings, I discuss what it's like to work in community mental health. This setting has a negative reputation overall, but there are a lot of pros of working in this type of facility.

Using my personal experience and knowledge, I share all the details, from the pay, hours, day to day activities and the cons of working in community mental health.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/opf-Z-erGcI

There are so many places that therapists can work! Sometimes the amount of options can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re early on in your career.

In part 2 of my series about working on different settings, I share what it’s like to work in a psych unit of a hospital. Using my personal experience and knowledge, I share what it is like to work in a residential facility.I discuss everything, from the pay, hours, day to day activities and the cons of the job.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/Jz6Y9eCFwo8

There are so many places that therapists can work! Sometimes the amount of options can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re early on in your career.

In this episode, I kick off a series about working on different settings. Using my personal experience and knowledge, I share what it is like to work in a residential facility. From the pay, hours, day to day activities and the cons, I cover everything you’d want to know about working in a residential setting.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/VD349qbz434

Although the majority of therapists go into this field to help others, we also have to get paid for our work. When looking for a job, it can be confusing to navigate which type of salary is best for you. Many jobs offer a set salary, either yearly or hourly, and others offer a fee split.

In this episode, I discuss what each of those pay structures look like. I share the pros and cons of each and identify the questions you need to ask when applying to jobs in order to calculate your salary.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/Noza5k7wXaQ

When applying to jobs, you consider a lot of factors: the pay, benefits, hours, location, etc. However, one important consider to make that isn’t discussed enough is your employment classification as a W2 employee or 1099 contractor.

In this episode, I discuss what each of those classifications means for you as the worker. I share the pros and cons of both, as well as reasons why you need to understand the differences in order to protect yourself.

Watch it now and subscribe below!

https://youtu.be/PBIIgVRN_kU

Becoming a therapist can be fulfilling, exciting, and nerve-wracking. Once you graduate from grad school, there is so much to learn and do. Most new therapists enter the field with big hopes and dreams for their career. While you can start working towards those right away, you have to make sure you can meet your basic needs first. Unfortunately, many jobs for associate therapists have a low salary and depending on your expenses, it may not be enough to live comfortably.

In this episode, I discuss how frustrating the pay scale for new therapists can be. I also share some tips for different types of flexible jobs new therapists can do to supplement their income.

Watch it now and subscribe!

https://youtu.be/s1X53N05vGg

Time is essential for therapists. We structure our days around client appointments and base our weeks around session times. It is an art to stick with your session time and wrap everything up within that clinical hour. It takes some time and skill to be a pro at it. However, many therapists struggle to end sessions on time.

In this episode, I discuss the reasons why sticking with your time boundaries is important to the client and the therapist. I identify scenarios that therapists struggle with and share tips on how to end your sessions on time effectively.

Watch it now and subscribe!

https://youtu.be/gsmKxGMGy6Y

Self-disclosure for therapists can be tricky. Certain topics are very clearly off the table ethically, but others can be less clear-cut. Sometimes clients need to know your views on certain subjects to determine whether or not you’re a good fit for them. Although it can be uncomfortable for therapists and clients, certain conversations have to be had for clients to feel safe in the therapy space.

In this episode, I discuss how self-disclosure can be used in the therapy room. I share reasons why conversations about religion are sometimes necessary and provide tips on how to direct those discussions.

Watch it now and subscribe!

https://youtu.be/uN18jRU6HtE

This first weekend of the new year was slow by design! After all the holidays and a really busy week seeing clients, I wanted the time to recharge 🔋

I went to for class. I got for a treat. I spent a lot of time reading, watching shows, sleeping in, cleaning/organizing, and relaxing with my dogs 🐾 I also watched a great movie called Coda in AppleTv.

There is a push to really focus on goals and hit the new year running. But sometimes the goal can be to slow down and relax more often. I continue to work on finding a healthy balance in my life and this weekend was exactly what I needed 😊

As therapists, we need to make sure we’re practicing what we preach by taking care of ourselves.

I hope you all had a great weekend as well!! 💫

*Also, my dog Oliver has epic side eye 😜

Therapists go into this field to help others. However, we aren’t a good fit for each client we encounter. It can be tough to recognize this, and even more difficult to tell clients that we aren’t the best match for them.

In this episode, I discuss how to determine whether or not a client is the right fit for you. I also share tips on how to talk to clients about referring them out and what steps you can take to ease that transition.

Watch it now and subscribe!

https://youtu.be/2NsPXDAw6Yw