Christen Mullane, Ph.D..
1. What's your practice focus and what kind of clients knock on your door ?
I love working with high achievers who are dealing with medical stress and trauma. I have experience with high performance athletes (triathlon runners, special forces military), with physicians, researchers, and CEOs, who are suddenly confronted with changes to their bodies due to medical conditions e.g. autoimmune disorders, cancer, or physical injury. I also work with caregivers and frontline medical workers who are helping others through these diagnoses.
2. Tell us about yourself.
I have worked in medical settings throughout my career. Health psychology - the study of connections between body and mind - has always fascinated me. But what really motivates me each day is the miracle of change. People show up in their sessions and work hard - they face incredibly difficult challenges and chip away at them until their lives look completely different. It takes tenacity and resilience. I get to bear witness to the beauty of the human spirit every day.
3. Tell us the story of a patient who you are most proud of helping.
Each of my patients has truly left a mark. One that comes to mind, however, is a young woman diagnosed with several autoimmune illnesses, who became completely cut off from the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. She did not leave the house; her main source of social support was her mother. Gradually, we confronted layers of medical trauma, including the sudden loss of a parent when she was 12. Now, she is growing a garden, getting out to see friends, and exploring romantic relationships.
4. What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a practitioner in private practice?
For me, the hardest part was choosing to start. I loved working in healthcare systems as part of interdisciplinary teams. I grieved some of that in starting my practice, even when I was excited to step into the world of entrepreneurship, and I knew that I needed the flexibility of private practice in order to be the kind of mom and healthcare provider I wanted to be. It was a real shift in my identity, and I needed to honor the emotions that came with that.
5. What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a private practice today?\
The top 3 tips I'd give.
- First - you likely know more than you think you do. If you have been through graduate school, you know how to listen, and you know how to learn. These are key skills. Let yourself be a learner, and get out there and listen to people who have already done this.
- Second - you have internal wisdom regarding the kind of growth you want to do, and identity you want to explore. Follow what makes you curious, and make that your niche.
- Third - Give yourself permission for joy.