On August 1, 2025, A Healing Place turned 8 years old. As the founder and a therapist who has been with this practice every step of the way, I find myself in a reflective mood – both as a business owner and a mental health professional. It’s astonishing to think it’s been eight years since we opened our doors in Appleton and then relocated to Neenah (and later added Kenosha) with the mission of providing complete counseling care. In honor of this milestone, I want to share 8 lessons I’ve learned in 8 years of running a therapy practice. Some are about healing, some about business, and all have shaped what A Healing Place is today.
1. Healing is Not Linear (and That’s Okay).
This is something we gently remind our clients, and these past years have reinforced it for me. Progress often comes in waves – two steps forward, one step back. I’ve seen clients soar, then stumble, then get back up. I’ve seen our practice itself face challenges (hello, 2020 pandemic) that felt like steps backward, only to adapt and find a new way forward (telehealth, anyone?). The lesson: progress is still progress, even if it zigzags. What matters is the overall trajectory towards growth and wellness.
2. The Importance of Team and Trust.
When I first started, it was just me and a vision. Now we have a wonderful team of therapists and support staff. I’ve learned that hiring people who share your values is crucial. Our team believes in compassion, continual learning, and community – the core values of A Healing Place. Trusting them with clients, trusting them with ideas, even trusting them enough to delegate (my fellow Type-A folks will get how hard that can be!) has allowed our services to flourish. I’m constantly amazed by my colleagues – their insights and dedication teach me new things every day.
3. Self-Care Isn’t Selfish – Even for Therapists.
You’d think therapists have self-care down pat. After all, we preach it daily. But I’ll admit, in the early years of running the practice, I was not great at work-life balance. Late nights, few weekends off, juggling clients and admin… it led to burnout rumblings. It hit me that if I burn out, I can’t help anyone. So I made changes: setting firmer work hours, consulting with a practice manager for admin tasks, taking my own advice to journal and go to therapy when needed. Now I model self-care for my team too – we encourage taking time off and we cover for each other. The lesson? You can’t pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself is part of ethical care for others.
4. Community Connection Amplifies Impact.
One of my favorite parts of these years has been connecting with the community – schools, healthcare providers, local organizations. In year 3, we started giving mental health talks at libraries and doing Q&A sessions. In year 5, we partnered with a local charity for a mental wellness fair. These connections not only brought us clients (people got to know us as trusted faces), but they also allowed us to spread awareness on a larger scale. Therapy shouldn’t exist in a vacuum; it’s part of the community web. When we all collaborate – educators, doctors, counselors, community leaders – the support net for individuals becomes much stronger.
5. Adaptability is Key.
If you told me in 2015 that one day we’d be doing therapy sessions over video calls, I’d have been skeptical. Our cozy offices and face-to-face connection were so core to our identity. Enter the COVID-19 pandemic: we had to adapt overnight to teletherapy. It was a crash course in flexibility and tech learning. But guess what? It worked. We found new ways to create warmth through a screen. And now, offering both in-person and virtual sessions has made us more accessible. The broader lesson is that change is inevitable, and sometimes it brings unexpected positives. Now, whenever we encounter a new hurdle (like a staff member moving away – hey, we can telehealth contract now!), we try to approach it with curiosity rather than fear.
6. Every Client is a Teacher.
I might have the degrees and licenses, but I firmly believe every client I’ve met has taught me something. From a teenager teaching me a new perspective on social media stress, to a veteran showing me the true meaning of resilience, to a child in play therapy reminding me of the power of creativity – these human beings who allow us into their lives enrich my understanding of humanity. This keeps me humble. It’s a lesson that fuels my passion: there’s always more to learn, and often our clients hold the wisdom of their own lives; we’re just helping uncover it.
7. Celebrate Small Wins (for clients and for the business).
In therapy, we rejoice in “small” wins: a client with depression getting out of bed and taking a shower may not sound huge, but it can be monumental progress. We clap (sometimes literally) for a client who had a panic attack but still went to that grocery store again – that’s courage. I realized I need to apply the same celebratory spirit to the practice. Early on, I was always looking to the next goal – fill the caseload, expand services, etc. – without pausing to appreciate achievements. Now I make it a point: we celebrate when a therapist gets fully booked, or when we get positive feedback from a client, or when it’s a staff anniversary (as you might have seen on our social media!). These moments of recognition boost morale and remind us why we do what we do.
8. Our Core Mission is Our Anchor.
Through all the growth and changes, one thing has stayed constant: our mission of facilitating healing in a safe, inclusive, and empathetic space. When faced with tough decisions, I always come back to, “Does this serve our mission? Does this benefit our clients’ well-being?” For example, at one point I considered a lucrative contract that would’ve required our therapists to shorten session times to 30 minutes. It looked good on paper, but it didn’t align with our belief in giving people ample time to be heard. We turned it down. Having that clarity of purpose has been like a North Star. It’s one of my biggest lessons – that knowing why you do what you do will guide you through the how.
Gratitude: As I reflect on these lessons, I feel overwhelming gratitude. To the clients – thank you for trusting us with your stories and growth. You are the reason A Healing Place exists. To my team – thank you for sharing this vision and bringing your heart to work every day. To the community – thank you for embracing us, recommending us, and partnering with us to promote mental wellness. To my family and friends – thanks for cheering me on during the late nights and being there when I needed an ear. And yes, I even thank the challenges, because they taught us to be stronger and better.
Looking Ahead: What will the next 8 years bring? If it’s anything like the first 8, there will be more lessons (and probably a few surprises). We aim to continue expanding access – maybe more group programs, maybe another location if there’s a need, definitely continued learning in new therapeutic techniques. But at the heart of it, we’ll keep doing what we set out to do in 2017: provide a healing place (literally and figuratively) for those seeking help.
If you’ve made it to the end of this reflective journey – thank you for reading. Whether you’re a fellow entrepreneur, a client, or just someone curious, I hope these insights resonate. Running a practice has been one of the hardest and most rewarding things I’ve done. As a therapist, I often encourage clients to reflect on their journeys and celebrate progress – it felt good to take some of that medicine myself with this anniversary.
Here’s to growth, lessons (learned and upcoming), and to healing – for us as a practice and for every individual who walks through our door.
Cheers to 8 years, and excited for all that’s next. 🥂
Blog written by:
Lisa Anderson
Owner of A Healing Place