Rivkah Lapidus
1. What's your practice focus and who are your typical patients?
I have a long career of working with individuals, couples and groups. These last few years I have been most enriched by harm reduction work with people who are considering changing the way they use substances. I conduct interpersonal, on-line groups that are surprisingly intimate for ZOOM, where people can talk about this topic without feeling stigma.
2. Tell us about yourself.
I've been in the mental health field for decades, from inpatient psychiatry to community mental health. I am also an artist and writer. I happened into work with substance users by chance when I found a position as a clinician in a methadone clinic. I became very aware of the social stigma and trauma that afflicted this group, and I felt that I had found my clinical "home." I enjoy people finding options and not having to claim "addict" as their primary identity.
3. Tell us the story of a patient who you are most proud of helping.
Pride is a funny concept. I feel more humbled than proud. I have seen depressed people find meaning and purpose, and I am privileged to be a witness to that. Some people use the relationship with me as a vehicle to explore themselves. It's so much about the relationship. Having the right therapist for you can be magic; having someone who doesn't click with you can be awful.
4. What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a practitioner in private practice?
Of course it is the lack of having someone working alongside you in a program. But the advantages of working according with one's values is worth it. Over the years I have learned to protect my own boundaries by not over scheduling, etc. During the pandemic I would say the hardest thing is the side-effect of isolation and the changes in our lives since COVID.
5. What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a private practice today?\
Please consider working outside of the insurance model. That means you have to get used to marketing, which is abhorrent to some people, but it just means putting yourself out there.. Make sure you have a theoretical stance, so you are not just applying techniques. Make sure you are appropriately trained and supervised.