Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Silva.
Sarah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My family is from Portugal and I am the first child to be born in the United States. My parents endured a ton to provide better opportunities for their children. I’ve always been told to get an education and to work hard for things you want in life. That’s exactly what I did. I went on to get a BA in Psychology, an MA in Clinical Psychology, and now I’m obtaining my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. I have worked very hard to get to where I am at today, but the income at a community mental health agency wasn’t enough! My private counseling practice, Accepting, LLC, started in February 2017 after I couldn’t refuse an offer for my very own therapy office space located in the Loop. Since then I have begun to brand Accepting as a private counseling practice that offers individual, couples, and group counseling to individuals in the Chicagoland area. As of October 2, 2017, I will be working full-time at building Accepting into a place where clients feel accepted by their counselor so they can begin to accept themselves and make changes necessary to lead more fulfilling lives.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to building a business from the ground up is simple, that is if you develop a plan of tasks to accomplish, meet those goals, and get new clients! I have read a lot about opening a private counseling practice, have listened to dozens of podcasts (Practice of the Practice is my favorite), and have support from my boyfriend, family, and friends. I have also remained committed to building Accepting no matter what comes my way. However, I have certainly been met with struggles that made me question my ability to thrive in private practice. There was a day a few months back where I had ordered a beautiful desk with a large hutch and bookshelves to place in the office; it weighed 100lbs!! I lugged the box up 20 stairs, into my office, and began to build it. I only had three days to build it since I would be seeing clients the next week. That day I realized it was not happening. The pieces weren’t fitting together as instructed and the desk wouldn’t stand upright. I left that day and came back to it the next day and stayed in the office trying to figure it out. I didn’t ask for help, as I knew this was my battle to tackle. I spent 8 to 10 hours trying to build this desk. I was so frustrated about this stupid desk that I was questioning whether I was meant to have my own counseling practice. I got a text from my boyfriend saying “Gotta get it done bro. Business.” That helped me move forward to try for the 10th time at making this desk work. I then got creative and realized that the desk was not going to work out as instructed but I could still make use of the bookshelves as stand-alone items in the office. What’s helpful for me in battling challenges as a business owner is to be persistent in making things happen and to never let anything or anyone stop you.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Accepting story. Tell us more about the business.
Accepting, LLC is a private pay counseling practice located in the Loop area of Chicago, IL. Accepting provides individuals with a safe space to begin to discuss developing ways to accept themselves, daily stressors, and life changes. Accepting currently has three clinicians, whom each have their own specialty.
Specialties include anxiety (social anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic attacks, OCD), stress management, relationship issues, depression, adjusting to life stressors, trauma, addictions, women of color, and identities of LGBT women of color. Individual, couples, and group counseling is offered. Clinical supervision towards the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) licensure is offered. Accepting offers stress management workshops and self-confidence workshops for businesses and individuals. We are proud of the fact that we can offer individuals their first counseling session within 24 hours of calling to schedule an appointment!!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Over the next five to ten years, Accepting will expand to at least five locations, 15 counselors, and will offer online counseling, e-courses, workshops, and more. The vision for Accepting, LLC is large and will continue to develop in the years to come.
Pricing:
- Intake Assessment: $200
- Individual Counseling: $150
- Couples Counseling: $150 (50 min) or $200 (90 min)
- Group Counseling: $40 (90 min)
- Clinical Supervision: $65
- Workshops: $100 (120 min)
Contact Info:
- Address: 107 W Van Buren St.,
Suite 205 - Website: www.acceptingtherapy.com
- Phone: 3123730782
- Email: Ssilva@acceptingtherapy.com
- Instagram: @acceptingtherapy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/acceptingtherapy
- Twitter: @acceptingtherap
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