Beth Charbonneau, MSW.
1. What's your practice focus and what kind of clients knock on your door ?
Clients who are looking to suffer less and enjoy life more, and who are interested in how that can be accomplished through working with both the body and mind are usually the folks that show up in my practice. My training and background in hypnotherapy, and embodied approaches such as Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy & JourneyDance allow me to offer a holistic approach to psychotherapy that addresses the whole person of the client.
2. Tell us about yourself.
Like many healing practitioners, my initial interests in the field came from my own experiences of seeing how profound these practices were for growth & healing. As a young person, I was often the friend that others would talk with about their concerns and I was always trying to figure out how to learn more in order to help and support them. It made the professional leap into psychotherapy a natural step and I continue to be fascinated by ongoing learning on how to best support my clients.
3. Tell us the story of a patient who you are most proud of helping.
My very first clinical internship during graduate school was at a rape crisis center that offered free counseling to folks that experienced sexual assault or child sexual abuse. I was new to the field & it was a great honor to get to work with my clients there. At the end of my placement there I received a thank-you card from a client that, through our work, finally truly believed that the abuse they experienced was not their fault and that they deserved a good and happy life for themself.
4. What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a practitioner in private practice?
Being a solo practitioner in private practice can be isolating at times. When I worked in a residential setting I had colleagues to consult and interact with every day. Now I need to make a deliberate effort to seek out and stay in touch with colleagues for mutual support, interaction and professional growth.
5. What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a private practice today?\
The top three tips I would give someone are.
- Seek out education and mentorship on the business side of private practice--they don't teach you this in grad school!
- Collaboration and cooperation with other mental health and allied healing providers is so helpful.
- Remember to continuously work on filling your own cup. This is wonderful, meaningful work but we need to replenish and restore ourselves in order to keep showing up well for the clients we serve.