Why Participate?

Our professional journey as mental health professionals is one marked by the support and guidance of others as they navigate through the natural ups and downs of life. The weight that comes with being a mental health professional is often an after-thought (even within the field), and many professionals find themselves navigating the challenges of this work alone. By participating in this program, you may find the opportunity to support other professionals AND be supported, listen AND be listened to, and find validation for all of the “stuff” that the field brings up—because the people you’re connected with just “get it.”

Who is This Program For?

This program matches independently licensed mental health practitioners with early-career therapists.

• Ideal mentors are therapists or other licensed mental health professionals who currently have their own private practice or experience in running a private practice, and who have experience navigating the challenging aspects of working in the mental health field. Mentors come willingly to offer their advice and guidance on navigating the field, which might include how to deal with difficult situations, what to do if the work environment is not conducive to your values, how to self-advocate in the workplace, and more.

• Ideal mentees are folks in grad school through the first two years of post-grad practice, particularly those who are interested in starting a private practice or following a non-traditional career path that centers their well-being as the clinician. Mentees want to learn all they can to make their mental health career successful and healthy from the start.

More About Mentors

We are seeking mentors who are compassionate, patient, and eager to share their wisdom. We know you have lots to offer our mentees and are hoping that you would be able to not only offer guidance but support through the transition to private practice and/or finding a path suitable for your mentee.

Just as you have gone through all the ups and downs of working in this field and seeking your own path, so too are our mentees going through the thick of it, and we are seeking folks who have the time, space, and energy to support new clinicians as they move into their new career.

Our hope is that you might share all those tips, suggestions, and resources that you discovered as you made your way through your early career. That is, we hope you might share anything and everything you wish you had learned as an early-career therapist, and to be the mentor you needed (or maybe even the mentor you had!) when first starting out. In this process, we hope you may also gain support, new and different perspectives, sharpening of your leadership skills, and even growth of your network as you build a relationship with your mentee.

We would especially love to welcome you in if you have a particular area of specialty in your practice, or a particular experience in the field that you think would be beneficial for a mentee to hear about and learn from. Experiences include starting a private practice (particularly self-pay only), navigating traumatic or challenging workplace situations, engaging in advocacy work, managing self-doubt and imposter syndrome, or having a marginalized identity within the mental health field.

More about Mentees

We are looking for mentees who are willing to listen and learn. As a mentee you have the great opportunity to learn the ropes from those who have come before you and who “get it.”

Being a mentee gives you access to a supportive guide, with resources and advice that can help you conserve your time, money, and emotional energy as you move into your career.

Whether you’re looking to start a private practice and want specific support with that, or whether you’re looking for a guide to help you navigate the ups and downs of these first few years, our goal is to match you with a mentor who can help you learn how to self-advocate in the field and navigate the systems that surround you. This might include different perspectives and support as you encounter “all the stuff they didn’t teach us in school,” learning about workplace environments and how to set boundaries that are healthy for you, and ideally, a mutually beneficial relationship with your mentor—a relationship to nourish and grow as you grow into your new role.

Program Specifics

• This program officially runs 6 months in length, from February 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023. Though the program is only six months, we encourage you to continue your relationship after the program ends if both parties find it beneficial. 

• Applications for both mentors and mentees will open on November 1, 2022 and will close November 15, 2022. Links for applications will be available on November 1 and will be shared here, on the Instagram pages for @antiworktherapist and @informercoaching, and for subscribers of the Antiwork Love Letters Substack.

• The program is completely free for everyone. We believe that fair pay for clinicians in this field is vital to its longevity, and we also believe that there are spaces and places to engage in advocacy and mentorship work where cost shouldn't be a concern.

Contact

If you have questions or want more information, please contact us at mentorship@informercoaching.com

Download the printable FAQ pdf here: FAQs