I hired a coach to help me reprioritize and coach me through making changes in my practice that put me back in charge. In my email to Katie I told her I felt like I was strapped to a rocket with my business and I wanted off! I think I was just feeling so totally exhausted and cynical. I started dreading my phone dinging because I knew it would be a client. I found myself inwardly rolling my eyes at my client’s pain. And I was short tempered at home – it was impacting my marriage. I missed my friends who I was never seeing. And I think I realized that even though I upgraded in terms of income when I left my agency job, I continued to work 50 hours a week. And that lifestyle of working so many hours was a big part of the problem. It’s just not healthy in our field to work like that. Some of the changes we made were to my rate, my cancellation policies, my intake and on boarding process, how I collected fees and how I handle admin tasks. It wasn’t easy. I had to do mindset work and make changes that, at first, felt really scary. It helped me to have someone who held me accountable but also reassured me in my anxiety. I don’t want to be an infomercial for Katie but after our work together I took 2 international vacations, saw my revenue increase 10% over the year and reduced my overall number of sessions.
My name is Katie Vernoy and I’m a licensed therapist, coach, consultant, and speaker. I’ve navigated the same ups and downs that you have. I’ve run my own businesses, designed innovative programs, built and managed large, thriving teams, and stepped into leadership as a State Board member for my professional organization. I know how isolating it can feel as a leader and an entrepreneur. I know how hard it can be to weather seasonal fluctuations or changes in your market. I know that self-doubt or burnout can stop you in your tracks. And I also know how amazing it is to be able to pursue your life’s mission and be your own boss.


Who I Work With
Being a business owner is hard. Especially when you’re obsessed with making the world a better place.
You know who you are. You’ve had success and know you should be grateful. But you’re exhausted and unfulfilled.
Your bigger dreams keep calling to you and pulling you away from peaceful complacency.
Your passion for life and the world keep flaring up and spurring you on toward this mission that won’t rest easy in your heart.
You are a visionary and a leader. Maybe those words don’t sit quite right for you… yet… but I’m not going to let you continue to deny it. You have a bigger purpose that you need to grow into. In order to do that, you have to fully embrace your own personal brand of leadership. Step into it and evolve – so you can make a bigger impact.
My Story
From an early age, I felt compelled to move into leadership whenever there was an opportunity. I was also called to help others, meaning I was an ambitious helper. That’s not an easy path. I’m sure you relate. Helpers are supposed to be humble and give out of the goodness of their hearts. I felt all of those things, but I also wanted to excel. I was willing to step up and manage others. I was willing to claim my successes and shout out loud when my teams won awards. I put my voice out there when others were not able to speak. I threw myself into the fray, time and again, because my passion and vision were bigger than I could contain.
There was success in that willingness to do things differently. My first management position was for a struggling mental health program that was getting ready to close its doors. I worked with my new team and we created innovative clinical programs that won awards. We were able to engage our clients and increase attendance (and clinician productivity), billing more than had ever been billed before. We became super-efficient, adding administrative team members and putting systems in place that streamlined a complex bureaucratic process. I loved managing this team, leading them to success and increased work satisfaction while preserving services in a community that really needed them.
As I continued my journey in management, I learned how differently each team must be run. I became well-versed on the hiring process, learning the unique challenges of managing helping professionals. I trained countless service providers, supervisors, and managers, providing mentorship and guidance at every career stage. I moved into the role of director, managing a large team and a multimillion dollar budget.
And then I burned out.
I knew I needed something different, but found that I would get tired just reading the job descriptions in employment ads. I was still called to help and lead others, but I needed to figure out what that meant.
I began working for myself and have now crafted a career that I truly love. I consult with professionals who are called to help others, providing strategy, accountability, and practical support for them to succeed. I maintain a private practice, providing therapy to those who have complex pasts and know they are capable of so much more. I speak on Embracing Leadership and overcoming Sacrificial Helping Syndrome (that pesky tendency many of us have – to give more than we have). I have a podcast, The Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide, and have co-founded a movement to reimagine therapy, providing workshops and conferences for therapists. I am a Board Member at Large for the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, which gives me a platform to support and advocate for California MFTs. I have found a way to step into my own leadership and I love supporting others to do the same.