255 - The Burnt Out Practice Owner: How Can You Repair a Rift When You Feel Like You’ve Let Your Employees Down? With Jenna Alfaro
“Sometimes you struggle in life. Sometimes we're not the best versions of ourselves for our clients, and we have to be okay with that.” - Jenna Alfaro
Welcome to the reckoning––mine, not yours. Although, if you’re a practice owner, some of the revelations in this episode might strike close to the bone. I encourage you to let the discomfort reverberate before moving into action for the sake of your sanity and your staff. The same goes for practice employees. Let the feelings marinate, especially if you’re a newbie therapist navigating early career challenges.
I made dozens (hundreds?) of mistakes as a practice owner, and while I can’t take any of them back, this series is a way of paying my accountability forward. Jenna Alfaro, LCSW, CADC, is here to hold me to that promise. She’s a former employee of mine and, while our professional association didn’t end Bravo-Reunion-Special bad, its demise does confirm my blindspots (onboarding, task delegation). It also illustrates where Jenna might have claimed more agency.
“We all have to do our own work to know what we bring to the table and also [our] areas of weakness,” observes Jenna. “How do you get that with your practice owner [and] how does your practice owner get that from you?” Therein lies the eternal tension within the employer-employee relationship. How can we ease the burden on either side without losing the plot and purpose of being a practice? Conversations like these are an excellent place to begin.
If you have a burning question or a topic that you'd like to hear discussed on this series, email me at sarah@headheartbiztherapy.com or send me a DM on Instagram @headheartbiztherapy.
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Jenna Alfaro, LCSW, CADC, specializes in trauma, substance abuse, and psychotic disorders. Jenna is passionate about shifting the pulse of mental health care to a holistic model of wellness.
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Burnt Out Practice Owner Support Group
Hey Practice Owners!
Do you feel exhausted, over-extended, and under-appreciated?
Does the thought of returning to solo practice cross your mind from time to time (or more often)?
If so, you’re not alone.
Running a group practice is a challenging and often thankless job. And it can be hard for others to relate if they aren’t business owners too.
Add your name to the waitlist here to be part of the next BOPO support group cohort: https://www.headheartbiztherapy.com/burntout
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