Episode 141: From Homeless, Single Mom to Successful in Private Practice

Summary

---

Private Practice Startup Podcast – Episode 141

Title: From Homeless, Single Mom to Successful in Private Practice
Date: June 22, 2019
Host(s): Dr. Kate Campbell (A) & Katie Lemieux (B)
Guest: Faith Carlson (C)

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the inspiring journey of Faith Carlson—from experiencing homelessness as a single mother to thriving in her private therapy practice specializing in eating disorders. Faith candidly shares her hardships, the tenacity that sustained her, the mindset shifts that propelled her forward, and her eventual success in private practice. The hosts, Kate and Katie, guide a conversation that highlights persistence, vulnerability, and the generational impact of resilience.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Faith’s Journey: From Homelessness to Hope

• Background & Setback:
  • After 9/11, Faith lost her job in finance, became a single mother of two, and eventually found herself homeless after relocating from Arizona to South Dakota with only $50.
    • “[When relocating,] I landed my feet on solid ground here in South Dakota and started off, like I said, with $50 in my pocket and two kids with the hope of changing and growing. And it's been a journey ever since.” (03:20)
• Family Support:
  • Move to South Dakota was motivated by proximity to her parents, helping juggle work, school, and motherhood.

Mindset, Resilience & Eliminating Failure

• No Room for Failure:
  • “You got to eliminate the thought of failure. That can't be an option. That can't be even a conversation.” – Faith (05:30)
• Lessons From Starting at the Bottom:
  • Faith reframed every experience—even failure—as a learning opportunity.
    • “There's a lesson in every—even if it's a failure, there's a lesson in what you can learn from it, what you can grow from.” (05:53)
• Sacrifice and Family Lessons:
  • Sacrificed time with her daughters for school/work, but taught them resilience and perseverance.
    • “Your dreams and your destination and your destiny isn't limited by your circumstances.” (08:14)

The Power of Mindset and Flow

• Early Interest in Psychology:
  • At age 12, Faith bought her first psychology book and became obsessed with understanding mindset.
• On Following Intuition:
  • “When you're on the right track, that resistance is going to get reduced and you're going to actually get propelled forward.” (10:00)

Entering & Building Private Practice

• The Leap:
  • Discovered the podcast, which she credits as an “instruction manual” for private practice—noted the lack of such training in clinical graduate programs.
    • “We're not trained on how to go into private practice in school. ... Your podcast really created this instruction manual.” (10:51)
• Embracing the Niche:
  • Faith chose to work with eating disorders, South Dakota’s most challenging and under-resourced mental health need.
    • “We don't have any specialists here in South Dakota ... I wanted to be a support for them.” (12:52)
• On Calling:
  • Felt called not only to therapy but specifically to serve those with eating disorders despite the profession’s fear of the field.

Growth, Generational Impact & Giving Back

• Family Ripple Effect:
  • Both her daughters have adopted a growth mindset and resilience. One (12) spoke at a college about dyslexia; the other (16) has artwork displayed at Carnegie Hall.
• Creating Balance:
  • Private practice allows her more quality time with her children and a balanced family life.
    • “To be able to be home at dinner time with my kids is something that I hear my kids saying, just, thank you. I love you, mom more.” (26:54)
• Hit the Reset Button:
  • Family mantra: after hardship or tough days, “hit the reset button.” (25:58)

On Facing Resistance, Fear, and Responsibility

• Facing Resistance as a Guide:
  • “If I'm facing resistance that tells me I'm on the right track. That just tells me I'm going in the right direction.” (22:14)
• Responsibility to Shine, Not Play Small:
  • Discussed how therapists have a responsibility not only to themselves but to clients who need their unique talents.
    • “If you're really clear on who it is you want to serve and why you want to serve them, there's people who need you. Play small.” (21:56)

Humility, Authenticity, and Looking Ahead

• Humility as a Foundation:
  • “If we lose our humility, I think that at that point we're no longer serving people.” (24:15)
• Potential Book/Memoir:
  • Faith wrote a memoir at 18 and considers telling her fuller story. Her journey has been marked by radical transformation.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Failure and Mindset:
  “Eliminate the thought of failure ... I don't even entertain it.” – Faith (05:30/05:53)
• On Overcoming Circumstances:
  “Your dreams and your destination and your destiny isn't limited by your circumstances.” – Faith (08:14)
• On Serving the Underserved:
  “Why is everybody afraid of eating disorders? ... Isn't that a reason to support this leg of mental health?” – Faith (13:47)
• On Parenting and Growth:
  “The bigger that I grow, the bigger that they're gonna grow.” – Faith (25:06)
• On Resistance and Progress:
  “If I'm facing resistance, that tells me I'm on the right track. That just tells me I'm going in the right direction.” – Faith (22:14)
• On Humility:
  “Humility is in essence, it’s a foundation of what we can actually acquire and be able to grow into.” – Faith (24:15)

---

Timeline of Important Segments

• 01:53 – Faith introduces her journey, starting over in South Dakota after homelessness.
• 04:03 – Going back to college as a single mom, first in her family to go to college.
• 05:30 – Removing failure as an option; reframing setbacks as lessons.
• 07:11 – Discussing why she moved to South Dakota and family support.
• 08:08 – Sacrifice for the family and instilling resilience in her daughters.
• 10:37 – How Faith decided to pursue private practice; the role of the podcast.
• 12:52 – Faith’s niche: eating disorders, filling a major community gap.
• 13:47 – Faith describes why she tackled the “hardest” cases.
• 18:01 – Opening up about the addiction struggles that prompted her move.
• 21:56 – Discussion about the importance of not playing small and showing up authentically.
• 22:14 – Faith discusses how resistance is often a sign of meaningful growth.
• 24:40 – Shout-out to her daughters and how her journey impacts them.
• 26:54 – Achieving work/life balance, quality time with family in private practice.
• 29:15 – Faith summarizing key message: resilience and tapping into internal resources.
• 30:04 – Mention of guest resource: gratitude worksheet for listeners.

---

Listener Resource

• Faith’s Gratitude Worksheet:
  “Five ways you can integrate gratitude into your daily life” — practical and client-useful, available via podcast link. (30:04)

---

Takeaways

• Resilience is Innate:
  Faith encourages listeners to recognize that resilience is within everyone; it's a mindset and practice that reframes hardship.
• Private Practice as Empowerment:
  Building a private practice empowered Faith to create family balance, serve her community, and set a powerful example for her children.
• Embrace Resistance & Authenticity:
  Facing resistance may be a signal you are on the right path. Authentic sharing and stepping out boldly benefit not only you but all those you serve.

---

For More:

Visit PrivatePracticeStartup.com for resources, free trainings, and Faith's gratitude worksheet.

---

This episode is a testament to resilience, the power of mindset shifts, and the ripple effect that one person’s determination and authenticity can have on a whole family and community.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Private Practice Startup, where we inspire you from startup to mastery. We chat with entrepreneurs, experts in the mental health and business arenas, and successful private practitioners to give you the tools needed to make your dream practice a reality. Visit theprivatepracticestartup.com for awesome resources, free trainings, and so much more. Here are your hosts, Dr. Kate Campbell and Katie Lemieux.

[B]

Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Private Practice Startup podcast. We are excited you are here. I am really excited about today's show because today's show is really more about inspiration and inspiring you guys, wherever you are in your private practice journey to keep on going. But before I introduce our guest and the show and the topic, we hope that you guys joined us last week for Dr. Julie Merriam. And this was another really specific podcast topic that you guys have been asking about, and we in fact got asked about it yesterday. So the podcast topic was called Counseling with the Cows. For those of you who are building private practices in rural areas, you have a lot of questions for us and you really ask us, especially when it comes to marketing niching an ideal client, you know, do I? Can I do that in a rural area? The answer is 100% yes.

[C]

And you're going to have to listen.

[B]

To the podcast to learn more about that. So if you're new here, we want to say thank you. We're rolling out the red carpet. You are our VIP and we have a special gift for you. That is our A to Z cheat sheet, the essentials for building and growing your dream private practice. And that includes several emails of practice building ninja tips, tricks and hacks. So go ahead and grab [e-mail] head over to the resources tab and there you will see the A to Z cheat sheet. So our special guest today is one of our raving fans, and we are a raving fan of her. And it's a pleasure to have her here on the podcast today. And that is Faith Carlson. Hey, Faith.

[C]

Hello. Hello. I'm excited to be with you ladies today.

[B]

We are super excited because you're going to be talking about going from homeless to private practice. So I just can't wait. I know you and I have emailed back and forth. You and Kate have messaged back and forth, and we're just really inspired by your story and really can't wait to jump on in. So why don't we just do that?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Tell us your journey.

[C]

It has been a journey. It's been an amazing journey. As I exited high school and began my journey into adulting. It was a journey of, I think we all experience that push out of the edge of getting into a career, getting into direction of where we're going to be going with our lives. In my career direction, I started in the finance industry, and unfortunately, after 9 11, the finance companies obviously crashed quite a bit. And losing that opportunity to have a career direction in that, it really dissipated. And at the time, I was a single mother of one child, and then I ended up having my second daughter. And, you know, being a single parent with two daughters, it was extremely challenging because you not only realize you have to take care of yourself, you have two little children you have to take care of, and you realize the weight that that really carries on you and the pressures that come with that. After relocating from Arizona up here to South Dakota, I did become homeless while we were making that transition. We left Arizona with. I had $50 in my pocket and NAU hall and all of our things packed in it. And we drove three days straight here. And it was, I think, a shock because when you leave a situation where you are, you're set, you're comfortable, you know, I think that comfortability, you know, what tomorrow's bringing, it gets turned upside down when you. When you have to relocate. And so I landed my feet on solid ground here in South Dakota and started off, like I said, With $50 in my pocket and two kids with the hope of changing and growing. And it's been a journey ever since. It's been a growth ever since that inspires.

[B]

What year did you move from Arizona?

[C]

I moved up here in 2006 is when I moved up here to South Dakota. I was here about a year, and then I realized that I wanted to start college. And that was my first step because I was working at a restaurant making tips. And, you know, as a single momma, you can't be making tips and stuff. So I was living with my sister, and, you know, I just. I had this pull, and I'll keep using the word flow because I just. You have this pull that you're called for something greater. And I knew that the direction I was going wasn't the direction that I was created to go. And once I decided to make that first class, the Introduction to College class, I remember that. And I remember coming back and half the class was missing, and I'm like, wait a minute. That must have been the cue that if you're not ready for college, this isn't the space to be in. And as a single parent working at that Time, two jobs. I just kept showing up to class and showing up to class and one class to the next. And I got my degree in psychology and then went on for my master's as a single parent, working full time and going to class year round just to be able to get where I know I was called to be.

[B]

Wow, that's amazing. That's really some persistence, commitment and dedication for sure.

[A]

Major determination.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. It takes a lot. I think when you've lost everything, you have nothing left to lose but to gain, you know, so there's nothing left to risk. When you started at the bottom and.

[A]

Especially with your two young daughters to provide for, I mean, that's. That's enough to put some major fire under your ass for sure.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. And you can't fail. I mean, you don't have. You get into that mindset, and I think this is a mindset that we bring into private practice is you got to eliminate the thought of failure. That can't be an option. That can't be even a conversation, because it's. When you get into that mindset of not failing, then you end up excelling and persistent in it.

[B]

I love that you say that. Eliminate the thought of failure.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. I don't even entertain it. I don't like to even entertain the thought of failure because even in reframing that, there's a lesson in every. Even if it's a failure, there's a lesson in what you can learn from it, what you can grow from. I think when you start at the bottom and have nothing, you start to take every lesson and truly try to grow from it, learn from it, and everything's a lot more. And I hate to. It's kind of overused, authentic, but everything's meaningful. You find meaning in every experience. And so in those hard times, you know, when you had 10 cents in my bank account and it's like, okay, or you know, you got to go get dinner and you can afford two kids meals and I got to hold off. It's resilience and it's. And that's something that just keeps the drive going.

[A]

So much resilience. And I love to hear your mindset and just being so focused on. There is no failure. There's only learning from the times that you fall down and getting back up and being so resilient. And there's that saying in business, and I guess it could stand for any context. Fail fast and fail forward. Because you're right, there really is no ultimate failure. The only failure is like giving up and quitting and not doing it.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

[A]

Katie, what were you gonna say? I'm just curious.

[B]

So what made you move from warm Arizona to South Dakota?

[C]

Well, I'm having family support up here. My parents are up here, so they were very supportive. You know, the little ones couldn't really hang out. And I'd be honest, you know, leaving to go to college, you know, after work, after working eight hours and taking my kids from daycare to my parents and going home, you know, it would be nine, ten o' clock at night, you know, negative 20 degrees. Taking the kids sleeping from grandma's home and at times doing papers in my office and my kids falling asleep at my feet just because they, you know, they want to spend time and. But they're seeing the growth and the resilience and learning that you just don't give up. There's just. That's just. Like I said, it's not an option. You just keep pushing forward.

[B]

Can you talk more on that faith? So here you are, a single mom, working two jobs, going to school, and I'm sure some of that mom guilt of, like, I'm not spending enough time with my kids and they just want to be around you. Like, how did you deal with that and you continuing to pursue your dream and the flow, like, what lessons have you been able to teach them about that?

[C]

You know, I've, from the beginning, recognized that this is a sacrifice. It really was a sacrifice for the better being of our family unit. You know, going to school to educate myself. My parents didn't graduate from. My mom dropped out of high school. I'm one of six kids, so the first one to graduate from college. There was no expectation growing up that we would go to college. We were excited if they got through high school, you know, so I set the expectation with my kids that no matter how hard you try, you're gonna make it. That your dreams and your destination and your destiny isn't limited by your circumstances. And so while we had a hard time, you know, and my kids. And there would be guilty nights where I'd be, you know, gosh, you know, I wish I could be with them more, but I widened that view and I looked at it more in the sense of this is more for our family, and they got to see that you live out your best lessons. I'm that best example for them. And so they've been able to overcome challenging situations with the move. And one of my daughters is dyslexic, but she's picked up she's 12, and she's picked up these traits. She's picked up these resilience traits of no matter how hard. And I tell her, the world's not built for dyslexic kids, but you are so unique and special and creative. And so these things have just been implemented in our life through everything we do.

[B]

Where did you get your mindset from? That's amazing.

[C]

I think. I think it's just something that. But from. I have to be honest. I mean, from the time I was 12, I think I learned that I wanted to be a therapist. I learned that I wanted to know why people think the way they think in that mindset. And that was always a question. I remember just waking up and thinking, why do people think the way they think? And I bought my first Alfred adler book at 12, and I had no idea what I was reading.

[A]

I know.

[C]

I'm like, this is a pretty picture, you know, no idea what I was reading. But everything that I was reading, it kept going back to reframing and kind of thinking and. And mindset and how negative thoughts can totally shift your trajectory of growth and change your perception of direction and the importance of feeding that flow, that direction, the unction. I'm so intuitive in the sense that when you're on the right track, that resistance is going to get reduced and you're going to actually get propelled forward. And it's only because I've had to fight day after week after month after year to get where we are. I'm just thankful. And gratitude and humility is always a part of every experience I have.

[A]

Tell us a little bit about your private practice journey.

[C]

That was a scary one. I stumbled across your guys's podcast. I was like, thank you, Jesus. I had that come to Jesus moment, you know, I was like, okay. I was gonna go. I'm like, dtk.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

I was like, do they sell a book for, like, dummies for, you know, private practice? But the funny part was, and I hear it all the time in the podcast here, is that we're not trained on how to go into private practice in school. We're not trained on that at all. And so I didn't even know that that was a direction I was going to be going into until I knew that I was outgrowing. I was outgrowing the space that I was in. I was outgrowing the pace. And it just became a passion. And when it becomes a passion, it just fit right in with the flow of going in the direction that I know that I'M called to do and being able to niche and being able to have the instruction. I mean, your guys podcast really created this instruction manual. Getting out of college, your step one, your step two, your step three. And that's exactly what I needed to hear and you know, deeply appreciative because I think and I hear it from my classmates. You get out of college and you're so used to feedback constantly from grades and courses. And you know, there was, there was a mourning process, a loss of that, you know, college experience and kind of going into like a depressive state for about three months after graduating because it just wasn't, it wasn't moving. It wasn't moving. I was getting frustrated and discouraged and then, and then just implementing the things that you guys have talked about niching, staying focused and that lined right up with, with the flow of the direction that I was called to do. And it's just been excelling since.

[B]

That's amazing.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, like, you're so inspiring to us and you're like, but you're inspiring like on the other side, you're like, but you guys are inspiring to me. This cool, like reciprocal process.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And it's just, it's so great to hear. You know, like, we know what we talk about works. And it's not just like, oh, Kate and Katie say it works, it's because it works. Is what this is what you do in marketing. And it's interesting, I'm reading this book right now called Barking up the Wrong Tree and it really talks about how business is very counter intuitive and the things that you think about business are actually in fact the opposite. So I know for me, it took a long time to embrace the niche. Okay. With that because all those fears that come up and stuff like that. So just out of curiosity, what is your niche?

[C]

I actually specialize in eating disorders. And the interesting thing is, I think finding out this information that you have been able to teach right after college, that challenge wasn't there for me because I'm like, I don't even know what I'm doing. You know what I mean? You graduate, you're like, I got this piece of paper where I'm gonna go, you know, and you just think that you're off and it's like, wait, I'm gonna be making Burger King money at the agency. So I was like, this isn't gonna work. And so, you know, my passion has been working in the hardest mental health diagnosis that has the highest death rate in South Dakota. We don't have any Institutions that are inpatient, they have to go to Minnesota or Iowa. We don't have any specialists here in South Dakota. So I knew instantly that this was going to be the hardest group to work with, but that we don't have those resources and these people exist. And so I wanted to be a support for them.

[B]

And when you talk about being called, did you feel called to the field or called to work with people with eating disorders?

[C]

You know what? I think it gets bigger than that, and it's scary. I think when you start to look at worth and what you're doing is if you got the big picture of what you're called to do, I think we would probably all just like, freak out and just stop right there. So I knew this is baby step one, going to college, baby step two, like, oh, my gosh, I graduated. That was cool, right? And then the next step was like, okay, I'm doing therapy. I need to be a therapist. Like, I'm a therapist. I've learned it. And I always had this thought of, well, anybody can do therapy. No, not everybody can. We're uniquely created to do this. And so then it was like, okay, I'm going to picked the hardest thing when I opened up that DSM book and every therapist teacher was like, why are you talking about this? Nobody touches this. And I'm like, why is everybody afraid of eating disorders? And then the burnout rate, the relapse, the death rate. I mean, I was like, well, isn't that a reason to go into that further then? Isn't that a reason to support this leg of mental health?

[A]

I love how you just face adversity head on. You crave it. It's like, okay, the harder the situation, the more adversity give it to me.

[C]

I'm so happ. Yeah. And I think, you know, that the whole experience is from the hardships. I mean, like I said, when you lose everything, you get to this point where you recognize that you're. You're going to. You don't. You've been at the bottom, you've been at the worst. So, you know, having a bad day at work is like, gosh, that's the best thing. I've got a job, you know, I've got income, I've got a home, you know, and so to recognize the ability in having people believe in what I can do, having a support group, I never want to get to a point where my gifts and talents aren't being used to maximum potential. And I'm only doing a disservice to our community to the greater good. When I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing because of either being too comfortable, being afraid, any of those worry thoughts, any of that negativity. I always think of people when I hear stories and I hear where they're maybe stuck. I always think that this person's a sleeping giant. I mean, they have the potential and the ability to do so much and it's just like what can tap that person awake? What can make them do what they're authentically created to do? And I know it's just cultivated in all of us naturally, it's just pursuing it.

[B]

I have to say, I put the authenticity cowbell and I'm missing the authentic word. So I just have to ring it.

[C]

Yay. Yes.

[B]

I'm just so enthralled with our conversation, I'm just not paying attention. And speaking of not paying attention, we do need to take a break for our sponsor, so let's go ahead and do that.

[A]

There are so many ways to keep your practice organized, but TherapyNotes is by far the best. Their easy to use, secure platform lets you not only do billing, scheduling and progress notes, but also create a client portal to share documents and request signatures. Plus they offer amazing unlimited phone support. So when you have a question, they're there so you can get help fast. Get started with TherapyNotes today, trusted by over 60,000 professionals. Go to therapynotes.com and enter promo code PPS as in Private Practice Startup and you'll get two months for free. Also, you can listen to episode 54 where we interviewed Brad Pleiner and took an in depth view into their ehr. Are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed and frustrated not knowing where to start or how to grow and scale your private practice? You've spent years in school and a.

[B]

Ton of money getting your degree, but.

[A]

You weren't taught the necessary branding, marketing and entrepreneurial skills needed to be successful in private practice.

[C]

We get it.

[B]

We've been there. We're Kate and Katie from the Private Practice Startup. We've spent a crazy amount of money and over a decade learning and perfecting a proven marketing strategy that works. Let us teach you the step by step proven system to help you fill your practice with the clients you love and live the life you've always dreamed of. Visit private practicestartup.com look for the e Course tab to learn more and see the amazing results our coaches have been achieving. I'm just really enjoying our conversation babe.

[A]

This is just really cool.

[B]

Would you mind sharing? Would that be okay? I Know what happened in Arizona? Like you say, you lost everything you moved to. So what happened?

[C]

Well, my fiance actually relocated to Arizona, and he actually got into addiction, meth addiction and alcohol. And recognizing that I can't raise kids in that environment, in that space, it wasn't a safe space, and it wasn't a space of growth. You know, you could lose your kids. I mean, any day. Instead of where I'm at now, I could have been in prison. And so recognizing that walking away from that has changed completely. The space that I'm in now and the growth that's happened, it's from one spectrum to the other.

[A]

Totally.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

That's a lot. I mean, and you had multiple losses, right? The loss of a relationship and moving and what you knew there.

[A]

All at one time and not having so many unknowns, so much risk, but you were so determined and looking at the bigger picture and just so motivated. I mean, your story is incredibly inspirational. I think I've gotten goosebumps, like, 25 times as we talk here.

[C]

Yeah. And I think, too, you know, the loss of what I experienced has only been magnified in replenishment. For every step of success. I guess what the world would say to success for every loss. I've been doubly blessed, you know, graduating, you know, being able to be the first child to graduate doing all those things. It's just, you know, the loss is one small fraction of it where I feel like I've gained so much more through life experiences. Mm.

[B]

It's funny when you talk about, like, that persistent commitment and really eliminating failure. You know, sometimes people will ask me, like, a similar question, and I always have this visual of this light switch that just doesn't have, like, a down button. It just, like, stays up. Like, there's just no option. Like, there's just no option. I don't know how not to go now when it comes to exercise. Oh, yeah.

[C]

25.

[B]

Oh, I didn't exercise today. That's okay.

[C]

Exercise about four to five times a.

[B]

Week, because that is my commitment.

[C]

But, yeah, no, absolutely. I think it becomes. You know, and it's hard for me to find that this isn't. When I see that people don't have this perception that you can do things as successes, even in failures. I think it's authentic. It's like, it's in our DNA. It's just whether you choose to activate it, it's whether you choose to acknowledge it, we're all created with that ability. I mean, there's nothing unique or special about me. That's created this opportunity, and I think people can choose to look at that, but I think that's very scary for people because there's a responsibility of walking out there, calling their flow that they just aren't maybe ready to pick up and serve out.

[B]

Yeah. It's funny, as we, you know, launched the E course yesterday, the story of the emperor's new clothes kept coming to mind. Right.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

What's really interesting and authentically sharing, right. Like, here we are, We've worked on this e course for 10 months, and we know it's great. We believe it's great. But then there's that fear, right, of, like, what if no one else thinks it's great? And then you showcase it to the world. And I felt like the emperor's new clothes, like, walk through naked, not knowing.

[C]

So.

[B]

Yeah. So when we really get clear on who we are, what we're called to do, or who we're called to serve, and we step out on that limb, it feels like we're naked sometimes.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah, it feels that way.

[B]

What you talked about is playing small is worse. And Kate and I talk about that as well on our paperwork webinar. We often talk about, you know, you think about not going into private practice is about you and your fears. Well, that's playing small. And it's actually not like you're robbing people of the ability to be served by you and your special tal. And I really got that. And I mean, I've done so much different professional work. And I always remember, like, the days that I didn't want to go to the workshop or the group or whatever I'm supposed to be in. I'm irritable and I'm cranky. I want to go to bed and just put the covers over my head and not go. And I showed up anyway. And it was in those times that either I got the most value. I said something in the group or whatever that later someone said, oh, my God, I'm so glad you said that. And it's like, well, if I wasn't here, then I couldn't have delivered that message.

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

So I love that you share that because, you know, yeah, we are going to struggle with all those fears and everything, and it's going to happen. And at the same time, you know, if you're really clear on who it is you want to serve and why you want to serve them, like, there's people who need you. Play small.

[C]

Oh, absolutely. And I. And that's one of my mottos, is if I'm facing Resistance that tells me I'm on the right track. That just tells me I'm going in the right direction. Because to face resistance just means that there's going to be a breakthrough. And once that breakthrough happens, you're on another plane, you're on another level. And I never want to limit myself on those levels. I don't know what five years looks like from now. I just know that when you start at ground zero and you have the potential for growing, it's just. I don't want to limit my levels of growth. You know, it's not so small.

[B]

Can you write like a quote book? Like quotes by Kiriously?

[C]

I know. I just. It's crazy because it's just. It just. Again, it's a personality, but it's just something that, you know, it's a gift that I never want to keep to myself. I think it's very selfish to not share one story or one's ability to encourage one another, because I think that's really what we are. Relational. Everything's relational.

[B]

Totally true.

[A]

Oh, I love that. Have you considered writing a book someday, sharing your story?

[C]

You know, I did. I wrote. You guys make me laugh. When I was 18, I wrote a memoir. Of course, at 18, when you're 18, it's like, what can you write a memoir about, right? But when you're 18, it's like, gosh, you're like 50, right? You know, because you're an adult. So I wrote. I did write a memoir when I was 18 called my life, My Story. And it was just growing up in the hardships that I'd grown up in, and I started there. But, you know, it's amazing because if I was to write another one now, it would be a complete. You would think that those are two totally different lives, and yet they're. They're intertwined in a way that's so intimate and so connected in every fiber of every part of it. And so it'll probably be there maybe in one of those next levels, you know, that opportunity.

[A]

Yeah, You've got an amazing story, and we're just so honored that you would take the time to really share that and just be so vulnerable and so real and so raw and share so many aspects of that, because I'm sure our listeners are really enjoying this and being inspired so much by it, just like we are.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. It's a gift. It's a gift to share, you know, And I'm always humbled. That's a huge key. That's a cornerstone. Humility is Huge. No matter. I think at what space we're in, if we lose our humility, I think that at that point we're no longer serving people. You know, it's, it's humility is in essence, it's a foundation of what, what we can actually acquire and be able to grow into.

[A]

So true.

[B]

You know, and I'm sure that your, your daughters are going to listen to the podcast. So do you want to give them a shout out?

[C]

Oh, totally, totally. Yeah. Yeah. Say hi, Jada and Emma. Jada is my 16 year old. She actually just has a photography. She's an AP photography and one of her photos is going up in Carnegie hall in May. Yeah, I know. Yeah. And the crazy part is again, as a single mom, I mean, it was a borrowed camera, we don't have the, you know, the equipment. And she just has this natural ability to express through emotions and words in picture and. Yeah, so it's just, it's, it's, it surpasses me. You realize that when you begin to grow, when you begin to grow and maximize your potential, your kids are stepping in your shoes and they're gonna outgrow you. And so the bigger that I grow, the bigger that they're gonna grow. And my 12 year old just went and spoke at a college on dyslexia to teach the teachers that you can't tell all the sixth graders that everything's easy because it's not, you know, and so it's just being able to have my kids, you know, just want to just do it in their own creative, unique way. The same thing that is a part of my daily life, it's like breathing for me.

[B]

That's amazing. What a proud mama.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Proud in humility. Well, yeah.

[B]

And I mean, like you said, you've created this and you've kind of bred them in this, this mindset and then to kind of watch what you have inspired them to do, it's just gotta.

[C]

Be like, oh, yeah. And the amazing part is with any hardship that we have, we hit the reset button. That's a common word in my house. Let's hit the reset button. We're here to support each other. You know, we don't go to the next day upset. You know, it's what do we need to do to get everybody back on the same page? And we support each other so much in a way that it's inspiring for all of us. I mean, it's a family unit that's just truly built on surviving, you know, in every hardship and situation.

[B]

So Cool, man. Your clients are just, like, blessed to have you, I'm telling you.

[A]

Yeah. And I'm just curious because in the first part of your story, as you were in school, you're working two jobs, you're building all of this, and you were so stretched so thin. Now that you're in private practice and you're established, how has that impacted your life in terms of quality time with your girls and your family? And are you able to experience more work, life balance now?

[C]

Oh, that's amazing. I'm glad that you mentioned that because that's a very curious question. It is a complete different lifestyle. You know, to be able to be home at dinner time with my kids is something that I hear my kids saying, just, thank you. I love you, mom more. You know, just to be able to sit with that and be able to hear that and, you know, have them come down with, you know, their burnt toast and butter and a cookie, you know, for dinner, just to surprise me. It just. Those moments, you know, there's nothing that can purchase those moments. So being able to go on this path has really allowed me just to be. To be able to be with them, you know, and that's something that I wouldn't, like I said, change any of it to get to that space.

[A]

So beautiful. It is.

[B]

I don't think I've ever either wanted to cry as much. Many chills on one podcast.

[C]

And I'm always up here in South Dakota.

[B]

Which I have gone to South Dakota, actually. See Mount Rushmore and everything.

[C]

Yeah, right. Yeah. That's how I always have to tell people. I'm like, we're in South Dakota. We do have cars.

[B]

People ask, yeah, we had to travel through Wyoming. I don't. I think we might have. Let's see, we flew into Denver, and I think we're headed to South Dakota and missed an exit. So we went. I don't remember exactly what happened, but when we were in Wyoming, literally like, you, if you see a gas station, you better gas up.

[C]

Oh, yeah. The next time you see a gas.

[B]

Station, there is no one on the road except the passenger. And then there's all the barrels of hay just hanging nothing.

[C]

And gas stations close at like 5 o'. Clock. They don't take the card, you know, they only take cash. And I'm just like. I went like 15 minutes out of our city, Sioux Falls, and I'm like, where's Starbucks? And I'm like, on my Google map, I'm like, is there Starbucks around here? As I'm looking through cornfields and cows. I'm like, so, yeah, we're in the biggest city, which is 270,000 people in Sioux Falls, and that's the biggest city. And then the rest of it is way less.

[B]

Is that where amex is?

[C]

American Express? Citibank. Citibank's here. Yep. Citibank's up here. Yep. Yeah. And we're a couple hours from Minneapolis, so not too far from Minneapolis or way down in the corner.

[A]

Well, Faith, we've absolutely loved having you on today, and this episode has been so special. What do you want our listeners to take away?

[C]

The biggest takeaway, I would say, is, you know, resilience is something that you don't have to purchase, you don't have to go and find, you know, outside. Externally, it's naturally built within yourself and in this journey of private practice, to tap into that as most often and frequently as you can. It's going to reframe every hard situation. It's going to reframe every disappointment. It's going to reframe every struggle that you have in having resilience. It moves the boundaries beyond the field. And I think that that's the hugest thing to remind yourself of is just having that resilience. Even when you don't feel it, you act it, you put it on, and then you start to become it. That's awesome.

[B]

And another great quote you just said. I love that. Boundaries.

[C]

That's awesome.

[B]

So, Faith, we know that you have a giveaway for our audience.

[C]

And what is that? Yes, I have. Which is totally about gratitude. You know, it's the five ways that you can integrate gratitude into your daily life. I think that, you know, being an authentic therapist, gratitude is something that should be used every. Every day. And this is a great worksheet you can print. Clients can use it as well. But it's something that really taps into that wealth, that resource within everybody of gratitude, whether it's the air we get to breathe, the next breath, you really start to appreciate what you have. And that's something that I have right up on a link that I think we're going to be putting up that you can print off and use. And it just reframes. It just straightens out that frame and focus. That's awesome.

[B]

So, Faith, thank you so much. I mean, I really just love this podcast. I know that Kate did, too. And, you know, the reason that you're on the podcast is you reached out to us, and we just started a conversation. And so for those of you listening, wondering, like, hey, I got something to share or I want to be on the podcast. Like we would love to invite you to reach out to us. We want to know about you because each of you has awesome and amazing stories and you are rocking it in private practice in many different ways and you have some awesome, authentic natural talents that you want to share. So please definitely reach out to us. And speaking of that, let's talk about our Startup Nation Superhero shout out.

[A]

Yes, here is the shout out for this week. It is from Mate Chulcha. I hope I'm pronouncing that right. And they say it's a definitely clear and straightforward podcast full of information. If you're just starting your private practice, it's extremely helpful. So thank you Mate Chilcha and anybody.

[B]

Who wants to be a part of.

[A]

Our superhero shout out. If you guys are finding value in this podcast, definitely let us know. Subscribe Rate Review if you want to leave us a review on itunes or Google my business or Facebook anywhere. We really appreciate the love and we really want to create content that's going to be best supporting your needs. So let us know what you're needing, what you're wanting. If there's a topic that you haven't heard of yet, definitely let us know.

[B]

And as always, Startup Nation, thanks so much for allowing us to inspire you from Startup to mastery. I would tell you who's next week's guest is, but that's going to be a surprise and a mystery because we haven't scheduled it yet because we've been so face down in the E course. We're just coming up for some breath.

[A]

Well, we're actually going to be going to California next week for the not so Typical Psychotherapist conference. I'm sure as we leave that conference we'll have 10 more podcast guests and all aligned in the spot.

[B]

Exactly. So we'll see you later at the Startup Nation. Have an awesome and inspired day. We'll see you next time.

[A]

Thanks for joining us on the Private practice startup. Visit theprivatepracticestartup.com for awesome resources, free trainings, attorney approved private practice paperwork, and so much more.

[C]

SA.