Sophia Vale Galano

I would say that I really went outside my comfort zone. When I was building my private practice, I did a lot of old-school networking, cold calling, and reaching out to people. I just put myself out there, even if people said that things were done more online now or more behind the scenes - I went and made contact with people face-to-face. It's about having things be more relational versus just asking for referrals - taking the time to get to know the person, learning about them, establishing the connection, and keeping the connection.

I also wasn't afraid to try something new. I know people say "Don't be afraid to take risks", but when I had the idea to write my book, "Calming Teenage Anxiety: A Parent's Guide to Helping Your Teenager Cope with Worry" I was like, "Let me just do it and see what happens!" I thought to myself, "Even if it's just one page a day or one page a week, eventually it will become a whole book." So, I tried to break things down into small chunks to make it more approachable.

What has really helped me is to keep learning, to stay fresh, and to really tap into creative and intellectual stimulation. I like to explore lots of different options. For me, it's important that I'm not stuck doing the exact same thing every day - that it's okay to pick and choose and keep things interesting. That's really resonated with me throughout my career.

Definitely go old school and network, and put yourself out there. I've been on the other side where I worked as a high school counselor, and when therapists would reach out to me as a counselor, I would say, "Okay, this is a person who's really committed, who wants to put themselves out there." It would stand out to me and I would refer them clients as I knew they were serious and committed. Feeling comfortable with the networking face-to-face really does make a big difference. I would also say to think big. If you want to build a private practice just as a therapist, that's wonderful, but you can also do more. You can see clients and you can write, you can see clients and you can teach, you can see clients and supervise - there are many different avenues to explore. I find it fun to think creatively and consider different options.

A big challenge is being my own boss and running my own business. It's amazing in so many different ways - I love that I get to call the shots and decide my own schedule, and I can make time to do different things for myself. If I want to see clients up until 3 p.m. but then I want to work on my book from 3 to 5 p.m., I can do it. But some of the challenges are knowing that I'm running the show in terms of scheduling, paperwork, billing. If I want to go on vacation, I don't have someone covering for me and am always on call. So, the pros and cons of running your own business can have its stresses for sure, though the rewards are greater than the stresses.

In terms of opportunities, I love how we can put ourself out there in the public sphere to educate on a more macro level. When you work one-on-one with people, obviously there's so much healing that goes into that, and that's beautiful and wonderful. But for me personally, I wanted to reach a bigger audience in conjunction with working one-on-one. Which is why I started putting myself out there in terms of writing more, public speaking and teaching my professional continuing education course. My goal was for someone to pick up my book and feel confident applying the tools and practical skills I write about. In terms of public speaking, I love knowing that there are people who want to learn about ways to help their anxious teens, and are eager to help. Perhaps they don't have time to read a whole book, or resonate more by listening to podcasts or watching the news. Overall, there so many opportunities and ways to help deliver an important message. It can go above and beyond just being in the therapy office one-on-one with a client.

Staying authentic and doing what feels right. I listen and tap into my intuition - more so, I lean into intuition and spirituality when it comes to all parts of my life. It's also important for me to be involved with causes that are meaningful to me on a personal level. I am a vegan and animal advocate, and I find a lot of joy and fulfillment from giving back. The service work and the volunteering I do to help animals is really essential to my life.

In addition to my service work and connection to my spirituality, intellectual and creative stimulation is an absolute must. I have many hobbies; gardening, reading, drawing, painting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, jewelry making, learning a new language, playing the piano...Just to name a few! I try to do a hobby for myself, even if it's small, every day. With this being said, my favorite hobby of all is raising my amazing daughter, Violet. If I could inspire anyone in my life, I hope it is her!