Therapy for Women, by Women - Her Time Therapy

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Meagan Clark, owner of Her Time Therapy, LLC, located in Denver, CO, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Her Time Therapy, LLC is a group counseling practice specializing in women's mental health. We provide convenient online therapy services that improve women's mental health and empower them to improve their lives, relationships, and personal well-being. Women experience a unique set of biological, environmental, economic, and social challenges that have a significant impact on their mental and physical health. Her Time Therapy is a practice that acknowledges this and caters to women's unique mental health needs. Our clients are women who have a lot going on - chronic stress, relationship issues, anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. We partner with women who feel overwhelmed and beaten down but who are stronger and more resilient than they feel. Many of our clients struggle mentally and emotionally due to traumatic events that they have survived, like the loss of a loved one, a cancer diagnosis, intimate partner violence, or sexual assault. Others turn to Her Time Therapy because they are struggling under the weight of everyday stressors and the pressure to do it all (and do it all well).

Women constantly juggle big dreams and big responsibilities - college, career, relationships, parenting, unpaid caregiving duties, and more. We do this all while existing in a patriarchal society that creates obstacles and pressures women to look, act, and behave in such a way that is pleasing and accommodating to the male gaze. It is impossible and damaging to meet all of these standards and expectations, and this results in women feeling overwhelmed, inadequate, and too exhausted to engage in self-care or advocacy. Her Time Therapy creates a space for women to get support from other women where they can heal, become reacquainted with their strengths, and learn the skills needed to make the lasting changes required to build their ideal life.

Tell us about yourself

Before starting Her Time Therapy, I was an English teacher. This was a role I felt great passion for - I loved to read, write, research, and teach others to foster that love of the written language as well. I was on a trajectory to enroll in a Ph.D. program with the goal of becoming an English professor when my mom was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer. I became her caregiver and was by her side for three years as she fought the disease with everything she had. I often had to grade papers in a hospital room or chemo clinic, but I never missed an appointment or an opportunity to be there for her through that fight. It was the experience I went through as a cancer caregiver, and later the grieving process endured as a result of losing the person I was closest to in the world, that motivated me to change careers and focus on mental health. My practice offers women therapy that is Convenient, Holistic, Restorative, Inclusive, and Specialized because that is what my mom and I could have used throughout our experience but never had access to. These values also serve as a tribute to her, as they spell out my mom's first name: Chris. Becoming a licensed professional counselor and business owner is my way of making meaning out of loss, honoring my mom, and living the example she set for me.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

There are so many ways to answer this question, and the answer changes almost daily. As a therapist, I always feel the most accomplishment when a client opens up to me and trusts me with the most vulnerable parts of themselves. I truly feel it is an honor to hear people's stories and partner with them as they face the most painful parts of their lives. As a business owner, I feel accomplished each time the practice grows as a new clinician joins us or I get an email from someone wanting to work at Her Time Therapy because they find our mission of supporting women's health to be unique, important, or inspiring. It has also been amazing to see such a talented, supportive, and aligned group of female-identifying therapists come together at Her Time to support our clients as well as each other. As a team, we truly practice what we preach and are a team of women supporting women.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Time! There is simply never enough of it. There are so many things I want to accomplish, but there are only so many hours in the day to meet the needs of clients, clinicians, the business, and myself.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Open a business with a mission you genuinely care about. Starting and running a business has so many moving parts, challenges, and things to learn on the fly. Profit is not a strong enough motivator alone to sustain you through the late nights and learning curves. Your business mission needs to be your personal mission in this world.
2. Set strong boundaries for yourself from the start, especially regarding the hours you will work. It is far too easy to work around the clock, which isn't good for you, your relationships, or the business. Work should sustain and enrich your life, not become it.
3. Find a niche that provides room for growth and creativity. One of the best parts about starting and running a business is that it is your creation to build and mold however you desire. It is great to start with a simple concept first; just make sure that simple concept can expand and allow you to be creative with what service or product you offer next.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.hertimetherapy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hertimetherapy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hertime_therapy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hertime_therapy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/her-time-therapy-llc/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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