“I also feel like a lot of what’s coming down the pike is designed to separate us. And that part of the way we can resist is by connecting with each other.” – Amy Zajakowski Uhll
Good people create great group practices. Eventually. I tacked that adverb on the end not to undermine anyone’s ability to craft cultures of transparency and inclusivity, but to acknowledge that the whole shebang requires constant work. Amy Zajakowski Uhll, LCPC, founder and director of Chicago Center for Integration and Healing (CCIH), is an excellent example of an accomplished leader and eternal learner, the latter contributing so much heart to the former.
Amy and I discuss her 30-year career evolution from nervous newbie to seasoned practice owner. We also explore her strategies for cultivating harmony and opportunity at CCIH, as well as her commitment to community building and healing.
“I was scared my first three years of being a therapist, and I was glad of every cancellation,” admits Amy. “I worked in community mental health, then not-for-profit. So, I was in private practice, but always working within a group setting,” she says. Working for and with others helped Amy build confidence and feed her eternal curiosity. Starting her own practice, however, offered more freedom to experiment and a chance to foster the development of other therapists. “I was interested in integrating traditional and body-centered therapies, so I thought, let’s give this a shot.”
CCIH opened its doors in 2011. Today, its services include individual psychotherapy, integrated practices (IP) groups, and extensive professional training for therapists who work with trauma and C-PTSD. “To be trauma-informed, we think that the work needs to be done in community,” Amy observes. CCIH’s year-long fellowship program meets monthly to reinforce that goal. “You might think of it as training programs, and they are. But another really big part of it is connection. I feel like it can be lonely to be in an individual practice.”
Lately, I’ve noticed many early-career therapists eschewing group practices to go it alone, and I wonder, what’s the rush? Much of the trend seems to be fueled by the (often unrealized) promise of a bigger paycheck at the cost of enhanced expertise and connection.
But CCIH provides cause for optimism. “We’re in a human endeavor. There’s a value to the work and to ourselves personally about being together,” Amy insists.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Advanced Clinical Training Program – CCIH
NeuroAffective Relational Model – NARM
GUEST CONTACT & BIO
Chicago Center for Integration and Healing
Facebook
Amy Zajakowski Uhll, LCPC, is the founder and director of the Chicago Center for Integration and Healing. For more than 30 years, Amy has been committed to exploring the harm caused by traumatic experiences. She helps individuals discover their own unique journey toward healing and supports other therapists in their work with trauma.
Join the Group Practice (R)evolution! GPR is a new platform and podcast series offering insights from owners, employees, and experts, and resources to support this wildly ambitious vision for the future. For a limited time, podcast listeners can get a full year of membership for only $19.99 by using the discount code PODCAST.
Visit: https://tinyurl.com/GPRPodcast and click on “have a coupon” and enter PODCAST to enjoy all the perks of Group Practice (R)evolution for a year!
Get Support! Earn CEs!
- Care in Chaos: https://tinyurl.com/CareInChaosRec
- Bridging Heart and Practice: https://tinyurl.com/TheSarahsOnlineSupe
SUPPORT THE SHOW
Conversations With a Wounded Healer Merch
Join our Patreon for gifts & perks
Shop our Bookshop.org store and support local booksellers
Share a rating & review on Apple Podcasts
***
Let’s be friends! You can find me in the following places…
Comment