Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Osmer.
Hi Sarah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I knew I wanted to be a therapist since I was about 10. I’ve always loved to chat, and after entering into therapy myself around 10 years old, I knew that this was what I was called to do. Fast forward many years, and I started my solo private practice after leaving a group practice I had participated in for about 2.5 years. Reflecting on that choice, I didn’t think nearly as much about leaping as I probably should have, but I’ve always been a person who has learned things through trial and error. I wanted to grow beyond a solo practice once COVID shut everything down. My social circle of therapists/friends, and officemates was no longer a part of my daily life, and I was craving a collaborative and supportive environment at work. I spent several months completing training to become a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, a designation that allows provisionally licensed therapists to practice under my license. I was amazed to learn how much I loved supervision, mentorship, and counselor education. Expanding into a group practice fell into my lap. I enjoy collaborating with other therapists, and therapists naturally gravitate toward my practice. Currently, I supervise 6 Associates and one graduate student therapist and have 8 full-time therapists at the group practice.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s a well-known fact that they don’t teach business in grad school to become a therapist. As I mentioned, I’m someone who learns in a trial-by-fire type of way. I don’t fear failure because it is an opportunity to correct course, get back up, and try again. One of the most difficult struggles I’ve faced is my relationship with money. Collectively, our society discusses the value of mental health support, but so often, the burden is placed on the individual therapist’s shoulders to make mental health more financially accessible. We are typically expected to work harder, for longer hours, for lower wages, and this has been messaging that I’ve worked to unpack for myself.
Additionally, the logistics of how to run a business take work for me. Treating my business like a business rather than like the relationships with employees has often been a challenge. I love the interpersonal parts of running a business. The financials? Not so much. I’m currently at a place where I’m able to go back to the drawing board with lessons that I’ve learned over the last several years and create an upgraded business plan that better serves the business, including myself, my employees, and our clients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
As a therapist, I specialize in working with adults with attachment trauma, specifically with anxious attachment and relationship anxiety. I use both top-down (how our thoughts influence the way we feel) and bottom-up (how our feelings influence our thoughts) approaches to help my clients truly feel into a more secure and stable sense of self, which allows them to show up more securely in all their relationships. As a therapist supervisor, I enjoy working with developing clinicians who want to “think outside the therapy box” and utilize approaches to healing that expand our understanding of therapy. I’m most proud of the team that I’ve built. I am an only child, but I have always been drawn to teams and collectives of like-minded groups of people. I played volleyball very competitively into college, and although I was rarely the most talented player on those teams, I naturally found my way into leadership positions. I like to think I inspire the people around me to reach beyond what is safe and expand into their best selves as therapists, teammates, clients, or humans.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
My team at Carlisle Collective is constantly growing; if you think you may be a good fit for our team, I’m always interested in hearing more about you. If you need therapy services, I’d love to connect with you more to find out how we can best support your healing journey.
Pricing:
- $75 an hour – graduate student therapist
- $100-130 – provisionally licensed therapist
- $140+ – fully licensed therapist
- $175+ – senior level therapist
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carlislecollective.co
- Instagram: @sarahosmertherapy, @carlisle.collective
- TikTok: @sarahosmertherapy
