Heather Koelker, LCPC-C, NCC, CADC.
1. What's your practice focus and what kind of clients knock on your door ?
My focus is on anxiety & depression, issues with ADHD, working with LGBTQ2A+ community, and I also do grief work. I work with clients from ages 5-65 with a preferred age group between 12-35. I really like working with teens and young adults.HMS Career Coaching helps adults at any stage in their career who want to be more intentional in their career planning. People who knock on our door often say they fell into the jobs they had and want to choose something better next.
2. Tell us about yourself.
I have a non-traditional start. I actually taught high school English for 14 years before transitioning into counseling. When teaching, one of my biggest strengths was creating relationships with all of my students and my mom always told me I would make a good counselor. After my mom passed away and I sought out grief counseling, I decided to go back to school. I have been working as a counselor for 2 years now and love it.
3. Tell us the story of a patient who you are most proud of helping.
During my internship, I began working with a young man struggling with depression. COVID had forced him to take a break from college and move back in with his parents. When I finished my internship, I never felt good about terminating with him. I gave him referrals, which he never contacted. After I became licensed, he reached out to me again and we stared working together. He is now in an apartment, back in school, and engaged. The progress he has made is amazing!
4. What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a practitioner in private practice?
I didn't really feel prepared to own my practice when I graduated college. One of the hardest things for me has been managing a business without really know how to. I've had to learn a lot on my own and fortunately I have a great supervisor.
5. What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a private practice today?\
The top three tips I would give anyone looking to start, run, and grow their private practice is to:
- Hire a supervisor to help teach you the ins and outs of running a business. There's a lot more to it than you think.
- Promote yourself! Create social media pages for your business, get on Psychology Today, and make brochures you can leave in medical offices.
- Don't forget about self-care. Starting a private practice is time consuming and can be stressful. Making sure you are taking care of you too!