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🔮 Episode Highlights
In this (let’s be honest) challenging moment for mental health professionals, I sat down with Jennifer Froemel of Innovative Counseling Partners to talk about how she’s leading her practice through all the chaos. With 12 years of group practice ownership under her belt and seven locations across Chicago, Jennifer shares what’s kept her going through the ups and downs. From dealing with staff expectations to handling venture capital disruption, we get real about the current struggles facing practice owners.
💬 What You’ll Learn
In this candid conversation, we dive into:
- How Jennifer has maintained a thriving multicultural practice during turbulent times (hint: a weekly “support humanity and culture” group since COVID)
- The shifting expectations from staff and what’s behind the “never enough” phenomenon
- How venture capital is disrupting our field and what might happen when they realize behavioral health isn’t as profitable as they hoped
- Why transparency about finances and business realities helps create mutual understanding
- The power of “stay interviews” and asking employees what makes them stick around
- What happens when clinicians test the boundaries (including a wild COVID safety story)
- Jennifer’s predictions for the future of in-person vs. remote therapy
- Why investing in HR and proper insurance is worth every penny
🌟 Quotable Moments
“I wanted a win – win – win. I wanted the clinicians to feel like this is a safe and comfortable place to work. I wanted the clients to feel that mental health services are spa-like, in a way. And I wanted, from a business perspective, to be able to just be flowy and easy.” – Jennifer
“What I’ve come to over the last three years is the recognition that I can never do enough for people, specifically clinicians in our industry, and no matter how much I give, they always want more without recognizing that there isn’t a lot more that I can do.” – Jennifer
“I don’t think that in the long run, the venture capitalist movement is going to stay the way that it is… I think at some point they’re all going to just shake their head and go ‘whatever, behavioral health can just have itself.'” – Jennifer
🔍 Digging Deeper
I loved our honest conversation about the increased demands from employees and the reality that practice owners are often caught between insurance limitations and rising expectations. Jennifer’s transparency with her team about finances and business realities is something more of us could probably benefit from!
One of my favorite takeaways was Jennifer’s “stay interview” process, where she regularly asks team members why they stay and what could be better. Even when the answers sometimes include unrealistic requests, opening those communication channels creates a culture where people feel heard.
🦄 The Magic Touch
Jennifer’s approach to self-care is impressive – acupuncture every five weeks, working out seven days a week, and eating healthy home-cooked meals five nights a week. She’s built a serious support system both for herself and her practice. As she put it, “I’ve been told multiple times that I am an alien or a witch” – and honestly, I’m here for that witch energy!
Also magical? Her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion work despite some colleagues questioning the investment. Jennifer’s multicultural focus and willingness to confront racism when she sees it (like the story about the client who stopped seeing her Latino clinician) shows leadership with integrity.
🔮 Future Visions
We shared a moment of honest reflection about the challenges of modern living – from the pace of life to the decline in quality of life since COVID. Jennifer and I both see the tension between what employees need and what practice owners can realistically provide. The reality check about insurance reimbursements barely moving in decades ($23 increase since 1999?!) is something all of us in this field need to talk about more openly.
📱 Connect with Jennifer
Jennifer Fromel is a bilingual mental health clinician with over 30 years of experience across various clinical and supervisory settings, specializing in trauma, evidence-based interventions, and integrative therapy approaches. She is actively involved in professional networks, serving as a leader in counseling organizations, advisory boards, and community collaborations while advocating for accessible mental health care for diverse populations. Recognized for her expertise and contributions, Jennifer has been featured as a psychological expert on media platforms, regularly presents on Latino community treatment approaches, and has received awards for her clinical excellence and human rights advocacy.
- Practice: Innovative Counseling Partners (7 locations across Chicago!)
- Podcast: The Fear of Change Podcast (recently relaunched!)
- Services: Therapy services, intense intern program, pro bono services to underserved communities
Consulting: Jennifer also offers consulting for group practices!
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