38: Taking the Leap: Vanessa Brugge’s Journey into Private Practice

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Narrator

Hello and welcome to Cherie Lindberg's Elevated Life Academy. Stories of hope and healing. Through raw and heartfelt conversations, we uncover the powerful tools and strategies these individuals use to not only heal themselves, but also inspired those around them. Join us on this incredible journey as we discover the human spirit's remarkable capacity to heal, find hope in the darkest of moments, and ultimately live an elevated life.

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Cherie Lindberg

Hello everyone. This is Cherie Lindberg, and this is another episode of The Elevated Life Academy stories of Hope and healing. And I am your host. And today we are still working with our Women Entrepreneurs series, and we have a wonderful guest. Vanessa and I will have her introduce herself, and she's going to talk about her journey to making the leap to private practice.

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Cherie Lindberg

So thank you so much, Vanessa, for joining us today.

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Vanessa Brugge

Thank you for having me. I appreciate the opportunity to talk a little bit about my journey. So my name is Vanessa Brugge I'm a licensed clinical social worker. I'm a board certified behavior analysts and a certified yoga therapist, and I'm currently in private practice in Florida. So my journey into clinical social work as a psychotherapist began way, way, way back in undergrad.

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Vanessa Brugge

I always knew that I wanted to do therapy. You know, growing up, you see, you know, you watch movies about therapists and sessions and you get this idea that's so glamorous. You get to sit on the couch, you know, and just talk to people all day so that that's what I thought I wanted to do. And so I did that.

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Vanessa Brugge

I went got my bachelor's in psych and then went on to get my master's in social work. And, you know, when I graduated, that was 27 years ago when I got my master's. So I've been in the field for quite some time. It was an eye opener because, you know, for like most MSW, when they graduate, they usually start with agency work and so I did not go that route.

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Vanessa Brugge

I went a private contractor route. And so I did in-home clinical services. I was also already a big data analyst. So I was doing a lot of behavioral consultations. And then a couple of years later, I had an amazing opportunity from a previous boss to enter into a large behavioral health organization and, you know, dabble into more management role.

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Vanessa Brugge

And so I did that, and I stayed in that organization for 20 years doing a variety of different roles, all in leadership, management. So nothing clinical at all. The only clinical thing I did was supervision. And that carried me through, you know, watching my kids grow up. When I had my second daughter, I was able to negotiate a part time position doing my full time role.

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Vanessa Brugge

And so I had so much flexibility, which was so important to me. And, you know, I was able to chaperon and field trips. I was able to volunteer the class, and I had so much autonomy in that, that position. So I, you know, I didn't want any or need anything more. And then the pandemic hit and things started to change.

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Vanessa Brugge

to go in private practice in: 2021

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Cherie Lindberg

Wow. Oh, so 20 years with an agency. Lots of flexibility. And for you, the pandemic is what got you to start thinking, okay, I want to do something different here. How did you take that leap of faith?

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Vanessa Brugge

You know, I was so burnt out at the agency and, you know, I knew I was burnt out because I really started to not care about the work I was doing. And, you know, and that really was a big shift for me because I was very passionate about what I was doing. And when I realized I didn't really care anymore, I was putting less effort.

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Vanessa Brugge

I realized I needed to step away. And so I what I did, how I transitioned, was because I was working part time at an agency. I had so much flexibility, so I started to experiment in private practice. I was so fortunate to find another clinician in private practice who was looking for some help. And so I joined up with her and, you know, started to see a couple clients a week realize I actually really like this.

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Cherie Lindberg

Yeah.

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Vanessa Brugge

And then I made the decision. I turned in my notice, and then I joined up with her for the first couple months just to get my bearings. And she was so helpful. She kind of like, mentored me into how to run a private practice, you know, the the electronic health record system to use, you know, how you collect, do insurance, all that kind of stuff.

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Vanessa Brugge

So I was with her for a couple months. So I got my, you know, bearings. And then I decided to go on my own.

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Cherie Lindberg

Wow. Wonderful. So it sounds like you kind of dip your toe in, figured out, oh, I kind of like this. And then you had a mentor that kind of, you know, gave you the vision of, you know, what it's like. And then you're like, all right, now I'm going to go.

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Vanessa Brugge

Yep, I took a leap of faith and just quit my job.

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Cherie Lindberg

And yeah, yeah. So what have been some challenges because it's a learning curve. So what what are some things, you know, as you were learning you're like, oh, I didn't realize this is you know.

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Vanessa Brugge

Well number one, right. You got to sell yourself. Right. If you are a private practice clinician, you how do you get clients? I'm not a salesperson. I don't like to put myself in the spotlight. I don't like to, you know, talk about me personally. So it was a little bit challenging to do that. So I know that's been still to this day.

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Vanessa Brugge

My challenge is how do you market yourself? You know, and also with a little bit of social anxiety that doesn't help, you know, like how people say, you got to go to network, you know, to speak to, you know, other providers, put your name out there. That's not a me thing. So, you know, my mentor was really, you know, instrumental in helping me like, create my profile for Psychology Today, helping me kind of figure out what my niche was.

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Vanessa Brugge

And that was so helpful. And for some reason, Psychology Today has been very, you know, it's been a helpful tool for me. And so that's how I've been getting my clients. So the marketing piece is, I think to this day has been the biggest challenge. But everything else I think you just pick up along the way and you just learn how to, you know, manage your finances is I mean, you know, how to, you know, do the your books essentially because I don't have a bookkeeper.

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Vanessa Brugge

So everything I do is on my own and everything else has been pretty smooth sailing.

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Cherie Lindberg

No. That's wonderful. I do take insurance or you're mostly private pay.

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Vanessa Brugge

I do. I take both insurance and obviously using a third party company to credential. So Bill has had a lifesaver too. Yeah, yeah. The rates are not as great. But you know, for me it's worth it. It's worth all that you know not having to do insurance.

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Cherie Lindberg

Yeah I that's that is why I was wondering if that was a struggle because you'll see a lot of therapists trying to do all of that on their own. And I hear a hammer, basically. I hired somebody to do that. And it was worth it to you.

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Vanessa Brugge

Absolutely. I hear that, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. It's worth it. I mean, obviously, you know, taking insurance, you're, you know, you're not making as much, but also at the same time, you know, I want therapy to be accessible to people. And a lot of people can't, you know, access therapy without going through the insurance. So that's, you know, my, my value system is I want people who need it to be able to have it.

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Cherie Lindberg

Yeah. Yeah, I hear that. What it has inspired you, you know, because you were saying I was kind of burnt out and so forth. Like, as you have taken on this new private practice, what was like regenerating your vitality or your passions or what was inspiring to you in this process.

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Vanessa Brugge

The opportunity to learn modalities and to explore them on my own, like I, I have so much freedom now and autonomy to decide what approaches I want to take. And you know, before my agency we were very limited, you know, into what modalities we could use. And so, you know, being in private practice, you have the freedom to explore, to integrate, to develop your own, you know, approach.

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Vanessa Brugge

And for me, that's been very inspiring is to be able to integrate yoga, integrate, you know, evidence based practice. And, you know, as a brain spotting, you know, a clinician, I love bright spotting. So, you know, that's been also very inspiring and rejuvenating.

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Cherie Lindberg

So talk to me a little bit about do you interweave yoga with some of your your practices as well?

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Vanessa Brugge

I do depends on the clients who come to see me. For some they are looking for more somatic, more yoga based approaches. I'm not one of those clinicians that does yoga poses and session, but how I integrate the yoga is, you know, through the philosophy, because I think yoga philosophy has so much value. I teach my clients, you know, meditation, mindfulness, we do mindfulness exercises and fashion.

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Vanessa Brugge

I also teach different breathwork practices that they can take. But again, not everybody's, you know, buying into that. So for those who don't buy into I integrate it. But you know silently and how I conceptualize what's going on and that's how I bring my yoga into my practice.

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Cherie Lindberg

And I'm here for any stories. This is a podcast about stories of of hope and healing, whether it is your own journey or whether it is a client without any identifying information, anything coming to mind.

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Vanessa Brugge

So I got a couple things I, I this is a brain spotting story. You know, brain spotting has really changed my practice in the way that how healing it can be for clients. So I do have a client. I'm still seeing them, but they came to me in a very depressed state, suicidal at some points, high anxiety, severe depression, and, you know, childhood trauma.

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Vanessa Brugge

And within a few brain spotting sessions, depression was gone. Anxiety was alleviated. And it was just, you know, amazing. And you know, I get chills just to hear it. You know, when I think about what they said, it's like, I, I've never known what it feels like to not be depressed. You know, that's such a gift to be able to give somebody that freedom from depression, from anxiety.

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Vanessa Brugge

So yeah, responding has really changed my practice.

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Cherie Lindberg

That is amazing. And of course I'm biased. I love to hear the brain spouting stories for sure. How have you balanced family life and your your private practice?

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Vanessa Brugge

Because I started private practice and you know I've, you know during the and to us out of the pandemic. So my kids are older so the other health so that that makes it a lot easier because I don't have young children. But also I think in private practice, you know, as my all clinician and the sole clinician, I'm the owner, I get to decide on my schedule.

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Vanessa Brugge

It's like, you know, again, I have full autonomy to decide when I work, who I work with. You know, it's been pretty I don't want to say easy, but it's not been too much of a struggle being in private practice. Also, I think it's important to point out that, you know, I I've got the privilege that I'm not you know, my income is not supporting our family.

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Vanessa Brugge

So I again, I have that privilege of being able to have more flexibility and have more time. So I think that's, you know, that's important to note to.

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Cherie Lindberg

Yeah. Yeah. Great. What are some of your, you know, self-care practices and being a business owner that's helpful to you?

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Vanessa Brugge

Yoga is my my go to and you know, my own mindfulness daily practice. You know, it's I think that's important practicing gratitude every day and self brain spotting I mean that's that's been very helpful, especially when, you know, things get a little bit challenging. I mean, there have been moments, you know, personal things in life that come up and but knowing how and having the, you know, access to be able to self spot, I think has been so helpful as well.

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Cherie Lindberg

Yeah, I really like that practice too. I use that on a daily basis. What is what are some things that you do that you really feel like you're in your best self thoughts or practices that where you can really feel like, oh, this really feels good in that you're you're in your best self.

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Vanessa Brugge

I hear you that comes for me. Want to access that part where I feel like I my best self is when I'm alone and really have nothing going on and when I can, you know, bring myself to a very mindful state. You know, I think I, I don't know what the shift was for me, but I've just really it's just going to sound so cheesy, you know, when I'm driving and it's just me, I don't usually listen to music when I drive and you know, and it's a beautiful day and you're driving along your favorite road.

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Vanessa Brugge

That's when I feel so much joy and so much content and and just feel like life couldn't get any better. I don't know how I got to that point. I can't really say. But, you know, it's usually when I'm alone, when I'm quiet, when there's not much going on, then I can just really tune in and remember what's good in life.

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Cherie Lindberg

Well, I and I hear that, I mean, there are people that do that around people, and then there are folks that really do that when they experience solitude. That's what I'm hearing you say is like, solitude for you really helps you go inside and really feel mindful and embodied, and then you connect with your best self for a lot of people because, you know, I'm, I train and everything.

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Cherie Lindberg

They think, oh, you've got to be an extrovert. I'm like, well, actually I'm not. I'm an introvert. I really like my solitude. I can go out and do that. But then at the end of a day of a training, like, I need to go in and just be with myself, and that really helps me replenish. And it sounds like you kind of have a similar.

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Vanessa Brugge

Yeah, absolutely. I'm definitely not an extrovert. Yeah.

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Cherie Lindberg

So in terms of, you know, is there anything that I haven't asked you about your business or about your journey that would be, you know, really inspiring or helpful for our listeners to know?

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Vanessa Brugge

So I'm back in school, I'm getting my doctorate. I'm almost done. This is the last semester when I started undergrad that was always the plan to go all the way and get a doctorate degree. But this was back in the 90s, so there weren't a lot of options as far as doctorate degree. And if you wanted to get a PhD or a side, you had to go out of state.

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Vanessa Brugge

There were not a lot of programs where I was that offered those, you know, those programs. And so I made a decision to go for MSW because with the MSW, I could become licensed as a clinician, which would be no different than the clinical psychologist, in essence, of what I wanted to do, which is therapy. And so I did that.

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Vanessa Brugge

But at the back of my mind, I was that itch to keep going to get that doctorate degree. But then life happens. You know, I get married, I got, you know, children had my career. You know, the timing just wasn't right. And so when my kids got out of school, I decided, what other chance do I have while I'm still young?

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Vanessa Brugge

So you just go get it done. And now there's so many options for doctoral degrees online, you know, in person hybrid programs now. So I went with an online program. I decided to get my DSW because, yeah, I met MSW and I really loved the social justice aspect of social work. And so that's what I did. And it's been amazing to be able to fulfill your dreams, you know?

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Cherie Lindberg

Yes, yes, I just finished mine a year ago. So I completely understand and it's wonderful to hear. I remember when I started mine, I don't know if you've heard any of this where actually women were like, you're in your 50s, aren't you? Thinking of retirement? And I'm like, what? Like, what are you thinking about? Like, that's really young.

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Cherie Lindberg

There's no reason why I can't, you know, do this, that you ever have anyone ask you those questions?

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Vanessa Brugge

Yeah, I see lots. Yeah. You know, I mean, yeah, I'm also in my 50s, you know, and it's almost like you should be planning for retirement. Like you want to study. What do you want to work, you know, and of course, as a DSW, you know, really being a licensed clinician, I'm not going to make anymore. You say there's no benefit to my business is purely personal.

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Vanessa Brugge

Fulfillment is purely for my own growth and learning. And that's why I'm doing this. And I hope I inspire my daughters to to pursue their dream in spite of, you know, what other people may think exactly.

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Cherie Lindberg

No, I am totally in an agreement with you. So do you. What are what are some of your future plans? What are you? Do you have future aspirations and reach your goals for yourself?

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Vanessa Brugge

You know, with my doctorate degree, I really actually like research. For that reason. I really like research. I like the writing, so I don't know if that's a way to pursue that, but that's that's like if I could create my dream job, it would be to research and write papers. But I don't know if that's something, you know, realistic or not.

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Vanessa Brugge

So, you know, to continue doing private practice at some point, I would like to be able to, you know, not take insurance. It's, you know, change my practice a little bit to more yoga based with brain spotting and less mental health therapy, you know, so that I can have the freedom to work outside the country if I wanted to, because, you know, my husband's from Sweden.

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Vanessa Brugge

We talked about moving back, you know, with him. So I would like to be able to still practice, but, you know, not under the licensed clinician umbrella.

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Cherie Lindberg

Well, wonderful. Well, you know, I just want to thank you so much for coming on and sharing your inspiring journey and loved hearing about your love for learning, just for the love of learning. And I'm hoping that that will inspire others that are that are listening like it's never too late to learn new things. Thank you so much for coming on here on Elevator Life and and sharing your story.

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Cherie Lindberg

We appreciate it.

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Vanessa Brugge

Thank you so much for having me, Sheri.

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Cherie Lindberg

You're welcome. I hope everyone enjoyed our discussion with Vanessa, where she talked about working in an agency for 20 years and then because of Covid, made the decision to take the leap of faith and go into private practice, and then to listen to her values about continuing to learn. And now she's in the process of getting her doctorate, and she was in a different situation.

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Cherie Lindberg

Her children had left home and she decided she needed a change. And so in this Women Entrepreneur series, you're meeting women that are in all different stages of life and how they're all navigating, shifting out of maybe agency work or a group practice and going into their own private practice and listening to the challenges and the inspirations that have gotten them there.

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Cherie Lindberg

So if you found this helpful, we always ask that you will share this podcast with somebody near and dear to you because you never know how this might inspire somebody else until we meet again. Thank you so much.

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Narrator

Thank you for joining us on another uplifting journey on Cherie Lindberg's Elevated Life Academy. Stories of Hope and healing. If you found resonance or connection with what you've heard today, we encourage you to share this episode and consider becoming a subscriber. Please spread the word so others can live an elevated life.