Anissa York, PsyD.
1. What's your practice focus and what kind of clients knock on your door ?
I really enjoy working with Gen Z and Millennials, and have a ton of experience working with those in college/grad/law/medical school and early career professionals. I have a modern take on therapy, where my clients experience a relationally-based approach that incorporates attachment style, somatic-based work, and mindfulness practice. I infuse trauma-informed principals into my approach so those I work with feel safe and taken care of every step of the way.
2. Tell us about yourself.
Since college, I knew I wanted to be a private practice owner. So during the pandemic, I needed to focus my energy and attention on something that was productive and brought me a sense of joy and fulfillment. I opened the doors of my virtual practice in September 2020 and became full-time in November 2023. It has been the most exciting and meaningful part of my career to offer therapy services to the broader community and be able to meet their needs in a flexible and accessible way!
3. Tell us the story of a patient who you are most proud of helping.
There's so many beautiful stories of change, healing, and recovery I've been able to witness. A major theme I have seen has been restructuring relationships with self and others. This has included depth work around awareness of patterns that aren't helpful, processing/recovering from traumatic impacts and how they play out in relationships presently. I've seen a number of people do the hard work of saying no to situations that are depleting, while building their self-esteem and confidence.
4. What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a practitioner in private practice?
The business side of things!! I really enjoy meeting with clients- that doesn't feel like work to me because it's so fulfilling. All the business-related things (bookkeeping/taxes, marketing, etc) are the part of it that can feel overwhelming at times. There's just such a large learning curve when you don't have a business background. Thankfully, there's a lot of great resources out there, so I set a mini goal daily of learning/focus to help ground myself and make it feel approachable.
5. What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a private practice today?\
These would be my pieces of advice:
- Having your own practice is completely attainable! Just believe in yourself and bet on yourself- that's the foundation to it all.
- Make an outline of what your business (professional) and personal goals and values are. For example, where do you want to see clients? What is an ideal schedule for you? Insurance vs private pay? Rates? Dreams for life outside of work? Work-life balance- what does that look like ideally for you?
- Build you community! Network, peers, mentors, etc. This is key!