Derek Russell, LPC, MA.

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Alex Shink

July 24, 2023

1. What's your practice focus and what kind of clients knock on your door ?

Mindstate Wellness Center is a whole-health mental wellness and cognitive enhancement center. We specialize in traditional psychotherapy, neurotherapy (or brain-training), and health coaching. Some of our clients come to us with mental health concerns while others are looking for peak performance neurotherapy and coaching. The key diagnoses that we see are anxiety, depression, ADHD, and insomnia. A few backgrounds of our peak performers are athletes, musicians, and corporate executives.

2. Tell us about yourself.

Witnessing a significant increase in deaths due to prescription medication abuse during my undergrad years, I wanted to create a device that could train the brain to help people with pain and stress management. A quick google search told me that the technology already existed! From then, I always wanted to create a practice to serve the many people who may have felt unheard by professionals and were given a pill without an attempt to discover the cause or find alternative treatment options.

3. Tell us the story of a patient who you are most proud of helping.

I can't think of just one patient i'm most proud of helping, but I am very proud of the trauma work I have done, especially using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Using EMDR, I have helped patients to heal and cope with traumatic memories which allows them to live their lives to the fullest, which is very rewarding for me.

4. What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a practitioner in private practice?

I would say marketing/advertising (especially in the beginning) is one of the hardest things in private practice.

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 would give anyone looking to start, run and grow a private practice today are:

Patience is crucial. At times, it will feel like the fruit is not showing at the same rate in which you are investing your time and money.
Stay organized with your administrative and clinical tasks and documentation.
Lastly, money is not your first priority. Run your practice in such a way that you are looking to serve, support, and assist others toward their goals. Everything else will fall into place.