Year of Yes: Therapist Edition
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard of the concept “year of yes”. It is an interesting concept written about by Shonda Rhimes where she challenged herself to say yes to every opportunity that came her way for an entire year. It has spawned a movement of people doing exactly that. You may even have clients who have challenged themselves to do this.
Why Say Yes?
It can be difficult to step outside of our comfort zones. When we challenge ourselves to say yes to things that are a little scary, or maybe even exciting, we try new things. We open ourselves up to growth, personally and even professionally.
Trying new things can be anxiety provoking. This is likely something you’ve discussed with clients and are fully aware of. What you may not be aware of is how it impacts you and your practice.
Why is Saying Yes Scary?
Trying new things can be overwhelming. Psychology Today outlines four ways that anxiety can make you reluctant to try new things;
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Fear of Failure: No one wants to fail! This is a natural and understandable fear. This can be especially true when it comes to your career. The last thing you want to do is fail as a therapist, this can lead you to avoiding new things and staying in your lane, even if it’s to your detriment.
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Fearing the Unknown: We are predisposed to avoid the unknown for safety, however, trying new things to expand your practice isn’t generally life threatening.
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Negative Experiences in the Past: If you have tried new things in the past and they didn’t pan out it’s only natural you would be apprehensive about trying something new again.
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Fear of Leaving Your Comfort Zone: While you may not like where you are at, you know it. Not much can grow in our comfort zone but it can be comfortable, especially if you are anxious about what something new may bring.
Saying yes to new things can be scary and beautiful. Finding ways to say yes to new opportunities can help you to grow in your practice and find better professional satisfaction.
Saying Yes as a Therapist
There are likely many things you have thought about trying when it comes to your therapy practice. Maybe you want to learn a new approach, expand your clientele, try out private practice. All of this can be very exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.
Saying yes to everything that comes your way may not be healthy, and that is not what this concept is encouraging. Saying yes within reason is a far better aim. Start challenging yourself to try new things and expand your practice. Take that new course, join that networking group, explore independent practice. You deserve to have the career you have always dreamed of.
Do You Want to Say Yes to Private Practice?
Starting a private practice is a goal of many therapists and rightfully so. You deserve to have more control over your practice, schedule and income. Having a private practice can offer this and more, however, there can be a lot of daunting overhead.
Many of us therapists shy away from private practice because of these daunting tasks. Things like credentialing, marketing, billing, keeping up with regulations etc. These tasks can be overwhelming and take you away from what you truly love, clinical work.
Carolina Counseling Services takes care of all of these daunting tasks and more so you can focus on being a therapist. You can have your own private practice while having the support of a reputable company that has been in the business of providing exceptional mental health care since 1994. Say yes to independent contracting and having your own private practice.
If you are licensed in North Carolina and interested in learning more about CCS, send your cover letter and resume to applicants@carolinacounselingservices.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!
