Blog Post - Starting Something New: Therapy, Private Practice, & the Power for Fresh Beginnings
By: Dr. Mihelic
Starting something new can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. Whether you’re starting therapy for the first time, exploring a new season in your life, or navigating how to start a private practice as a therapist, new beginnings ask us to pause, reflect, and move forward with intention—even when the road ahead feels uncertain.
As a Las Vegas psychologist and the founder of The Thought Loft, I’m currently in the midst of my own fresh start. After over a decade in private practice, I made the decision to build something new—something that reflects the depth, creativity, and connection I value in both life and work. This blog is for anyone starting from scratch: new therapists, seasoned clinicians taking a leap, or clients considering their first therapy session. Here's what I’ve learned so far.
1. Check In With Yourself
Whether you’re considering starting therapy or launching a business, the first step is to check in with where you’re at. Are you feeling exhausted, excited, stuck, hopeful? Honest self-reflection is the foundation of meaningful change. In therapy, we often begin by asking clients to slow down and connect with their emotional experience - what are you feeling emotionally and in your body? What thoughts, images, or fantasies run through your mind? The same applies to therapists launching their own practices—start with a self-audit before you start writing your therapy business startup checklist.
2. Re-Align With Your Values and Dreams
Clarity is power. I asked myself: What kind of space do I want to create? Who do I want it to be for? As a therapist in Las Vegas accepting new clients, I wanted to build a practice that values inclusivity, relational depth, and creative expression. Anyone who has worked with me knows that these are my professional values that guide my actions.
Whether you’re dreaming of offering psychological assessment in Las Vegas, starting group therapy, or redefining your life goals, let your values lead. When you're aligned with your vision, the next steps become less about hustle and more about direction.
"Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” -Carl Jung
3. Dare to Say the Hard Things and Face the Unknown
There’s grief in growth. Leaving the familiar behind—whether it’s a relationship, a career chapter, or an old way of coping—can stir up loss, even when the next step is right. But there’s also beauty in being brave enough to face uncertainty. Courage doesn’t mean being fearless; it means moving anyway, even with shaky hands.
Clients beginning therapy often fear what they'll uncover. Therapists starting private practices often fear failure. We all fear something. But there’s healing in telling the truth—especially to ourselves.
4. Learn a New Skill (Hello, ChatGPT)
Starting something new means diving into unfamiliar territory. For me, that meant learning how to start a private practice alone, 13 years after I created my first successful group practice. This time, Chat GPT made some of the beginning tasks (e.g., choosing a name, building a website, navigating business structures) much easier. You don’t have to master everything overnight. Just stay open. Let curiosity be your guide. Play.
5. Bring the Old Wisdom and Merge It With New Creative Energy
Starting fresh doesn’t mean abandoning the past—it means integrating what you’ve learned with what you now feel called to create. I carry forward wisdom from the past decade of running a business, clinical work, teaching, and supervision. But I’m also experimenting, creating, and dreaming in new ways. Therapy is often a process of integrating past and present to move into the future with intention. So is building something new.
To Everyone Starting Something New
Whether you’re considering therapy for the first time or contemplating a major life or career shift, I want you to know: it’s okay to feel unsure. It’s okay to grieve the old while reaching for something new. Starting something new requires resilience, hope, and a willingness to let go of what no longer fits. It also asks us to believe in what could be—even when we don’t have all the answers.
As I build The Thought Loft, I’m committed to sharing the behind-the-scenes journey—the quiet reflections, the brave leaps, and the lessons tucked between fear and joy. Closing the door on a former chapter hasn’t been easy, but I trust that the right people, the right energy, and the right purpose will rise with me into this new space—where ideas can breathe, dreams can take shape, and new thoughts can begin to loft.
A Note to Therapists: If I Can Start a Practice, So Can You
I didn’t grow up around business owners. I come from a family where owning a business wasn’t the norm, and the idea of entrepreneurship once felt out of reach. But here I am—building my second business,The Thought Loft, from the ground up. If you’re a therapist wondering how to start your own private practice, I want you to know: you are capable, even if it feels big right now.
Here are a few concrete steps I’ve taken to get started (yes, this is your mini therapy business startup checklist):
Applied for a business license (Tip: Decide whether you want an LLC, S-Corp, etc. —and find a great accountant!)
Picked a name (This was the fun part. I love curious pondering, books, and creating a space for reflection—thus, The Thought Loft was born)
Opened a business email address (Preferably one that matches your website domain—oops; I highly recommend Google Suite)
Opened a business bank account (Took me 10 minutes. Some banks offer great deals and perks for new businesses - including $800 after your first deposit!)
Applied for a Group NPI number (Essential if you’re going to bill insurance. If you have not applied for an individual NPI yet, do that too!)
Created a website using Squarespace—simple, clean, and functional.
Most importantly, I got support. First, from the people who are closest to me, cheering on my courage and dream. I also highly recommend consulting with accountants who specialize in mental health businesses. Shout out to Biz Accountants in Henderson, NV and GreenOak Accounting for helping me contemplate innovated ways of doing things.
Follow along for more reflections, tools, and resources—for therapists building something bold, and for clients beginning something brave.
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
—from The Summer Day (Mary Oliver)
