CWH245 - The Burnt Out Practice Owner: How Transparent Should Owners be With Their Employees? With Rowan Tree Counseling Team
“We are aware, in large part, when our best is not the best and is not doing well, but we need to hear what that is, and we need to hear it with just a little bit of grace and a little bit of compassion.” - Andie Baumgartner
I totally started this podcast on a whim––but not without a keen understanding of the pain points that group practice owners routinely complain about. I’ve since realized that vital voices are missing from the conversation: group practice employees.
No one can effectively operate (or liberate!) from a silo. So, I extended an invitation via the BOPO Chicago Facebook group. Lucky for us, Andie Baumgartner, MA, LCPC, and Nadia Parfenova, MA, LCPC, owner and senior therapist, respectively, of Rowan Tree Counseling, answered that call.
This convo is juicy, y’all! We explore themes of responsibility, transparency, and intentionality from both sides of the group practice relationship. Our detour into the thorny subject of hierarchies and the urgency that often accompanies their abolishment is one that I didn’t anticipate yet totally appreciate. Nadia compares that push-pull to familial friction. “No matter who we are––clients, employees, family, friends––we're all people and require the same kind of primal needs. Sometimes that can be kind of like the parent-child connection attachment relationship.” Whew, that!
Spoiler alert: We don’t have all the answers by the end of this episode. But simply having the grace to tolerate discomfort in discourse builds compassion and resilience. Andie agrees. “Your practice owner is probably not intending to abuse you. They probably are doing their best. Even if their best is failing you right now, they might still be doing their best, and they might be fully aware that their best isn't good enough.”
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.
GUEST CONTACT AND BIO
Andie Baumgartner, MA, LCPC (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and has been working in the mental health field since 2008. She completed graduate training and received a Masters Degree from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Andie began her career working in residential and community mental health settings, gaining experience working with individuals seeking relief from anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. She’s also worked extensively with clients recovering from traumatic experiences. She specializes in working with individuals seeking a greater sense of balance, who want to live a more values-aligned life, and those struggling with non-monogamous and other alternative relationships. Andie is anti-racist, Queer-allied, sex-positive, polyamory-affirming, and kink-knowledgable.
Nadia Parfenova, MA, LCPC (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor and completed graduate training in Clinical Psychology at Roosevelt University in 2019. She has experience working with teens and adults experiencing severe anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders in partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient settings. Nadia has also worked with individuals with autism spectrum disorder and those healing from traumatic experiences. Her approach to therapy is integrative as she pulls from both more directive approaches (CBT, DBT) and client-centered guidance and support to treat anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, trauma, relationship concerns, and self-esteem issues. Nadia is also well-versed in ERP and has found it particularly successful in supporting individuals struggling with OCD. She is a native Russian speaker and can provide therapy in Russian and English.
Celebrate our Anne-iversary and Win!
We are celebrating Anne Remy’s one-year anniversary as co-host of the show. Join us by leaving a review for Conversations With a Wounded Healer on Apple Podcasts. Tell us how and why you appreciate Anne’s contributions to the show and you will be entered to win a drawing for a 1-on-1 session with Sarah or Anne. Sarah is offering the choice between business coaching or Reiki. Anne is offering the choice between yoga or travel consulting.
Here’s How:
1. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/woundedhealer
2. Click the link for Apple Podcasts and follow the instructions.
3. Take a screenshot of your review.
4. Email the screenshot to sarah@headhearbiztherapy.com between March 6 - April 24, 2024.
5. We will do a drawing and email the winners the week of April 24, as well as announce on social media May 1, 2024.
Groups for Wounded Healers
We’re currently running one cohort of the Burnt Out Practice Owner support group and Authentic Leaders group. Please join the waitlists to be updated about future groups: Burnt Out Practice Owner Support Group Waitlist and Authentic Leaders Group - Fall 2024 Waitlist
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