Have you ever had a therapy experience so powerful that it clarified exactly how you want to help others? Has a specific modality inspired your niche in private practice? That's exactly what happened to Grace Kim, whose experience shaped her path as a Canadian private practice therapist.
Once she experienced EMDR therapy, Grace changed her career path, and the journey that she's taken has been nothing short of exciting and fulfilling.
MEET GRACE
Grace Kim, MSW, RSW, is the founder of REM Therapy Services, a small and growing group practice based in Markham, ON. The practice specializes in EMDR therapy, supporting high-achieving yet heavy-hearted individuals, as well as those who feel stuck in the past. REM Therapy Services offers EMDR intensives for clients seeking faster relief in therapy, along with clinical consultations for trauma therapists learning the EMDR modality. With a vision to grow as expert providers and educators of EMDR, REM Therapy Services is committed to serving both the local community and beyond.
Learn more about Grace on her practice website, Psychology Today, and Instagram profiles.
In this episode:
How Grace became a therapist
Taking off the golden handcuffs
Going from client to therapist
Building up a solo private practice
Grace's advice to listeners
How Grace became a therapist
As Grace explains, her journey to becoming a therapist and running a group private practice in Canada today has been a winding road.
While she started grad school with a certain plan in mind, by her graduation, the plan had changed. At first, after graduation, she worked in child welfare, community mental health, and in some hospitals.
Taking off the golden handcuffs
Grace joined this group private practice in 2018, six years after she graduated. It was a scary transition for her at first, going from a secure, salary job to a billable hours-based income.
At that time, however, Grace was newly married and living in a home with her partner where they enjoyed dual income streams, so the risk of going into a financial red zone, so to speak, was low.
Going from client to therapist
In 2018 and early 2019, EMDR therapy entered into Grace's professional picture, which changed her path and steered her more towards the idea of opening up her own Canadian private practice after she had a strong personal experience with it.
After Grace first experienced EMDR therapy, it sparked her interest in offering it as a modality herself as a therapist for other clients.
She started practicing it, saw great results, and got strong, positive feedback: all of which encouraged her to nurture her own small side private practice while still working for the other, larger group practice.
Building up a solo private practice
Grace's milestone and goal to quit working in the other group practice and go full-time on her own was when she had 10 clients per week.
That was what she was working towards, and once she hit that goal - and she did - she made the jump.
Now, Grace has recently hired her first associate and is developing her solo practice into a group practice!
Grace's advice to listeners
Networking is your friend! You can be a wonderful, highly skilled clinician, but you need to get your name and your practice's name out there.
Connect with other brilliant therapists to plug into the referral and sharing network. The more we support each other, the more clients get seen, the more good work gets done, and the more we all change our communities for the better.
Connect with me:
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Alexina Picard: Starting a Private Practice After Graduation | EP 178
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Learn more about Grace on her practice website, Psychology Today, and Instagram profiles
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