From a Small Office in Park Slope to a Multi-State Group Practice: My 10-Year Private Practice Journey

Natalie Wisdom
Jun 15
3 min read

In May 2016, I took a leap of faith and opened my first private practice in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Like many clinicians, I started small. I rented a modest office space inside one of the beautiful brownstone buildings on Fifth Avenue in Park Slope. At the time, I was still working a full-time job, so my days consisted of working my career during business hours and then rushing to my office in the evenings and on weekends to see clients.

I loved every minute of it.

There was something incredibly rewarding about building something that belonged to me. However, as many clinicians know, maintaining a private practice in New York City comes with significant overhead expenses. While I continued operating the practice, I eventually scaled back and focused primarily on my full-time career.

Then, in 2021, everything changed.

During a conversation with my own therapist, she asked me a simple but powerful question:

"Why don't you reopen your private practice?"

The world had shifted. Telehealth was becoming the new normal, and for the first time, I could build a practice without the limitations of a physical office.

That conversation planted a seed.

Over the next six months, I developed a plan. I studied the telehealth landscape, learned new systems, and prepared myself to relaunch. By July 2021, my private practice was officially back up and running—this time as a fully virtual practice.

It was one of the best decisions I ever made.

The practice began to grow steadily, and I quickly realized that what I was building had the potential to become something much bigger than a solo practice.

After about a year of growth, I started researching group practice ownership. I spent countless hours learning about leadership, hiring, compliance, systems, and scaling. Then, in October 2022, I officially launched my first group practice.

By December of that year, I had hired my first two clinicians.

From there, growth accelerated.

As the New York practice expanded, I began to wonder if I could replicate the same model elsewhere. In September 2023, I opened a second telehealth group practice in Connecticut and applied many of the same systems and strategies that had proven successful in New York.

Fast forward to 2026, and I am humbled by what this journey has become.

Today, our practices support approximately 20 clinicians across multiple states. We provide opportunities for graduate interns throughout the academic year, employ administrative and marketing support staff, and continue expanding access to quality mental health services through telehealth.

What started as one clinician renting a small office in Park Slope has evolved into something far greater than I could have imagined.

Along the way, I have continued investing in my own professional growth. I have become:

A Certified Life Coach
An Immigration Evaluation Specialist
A Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator
EMDR Trained
A provider of specialized mental health evaluations
A clinician currently pursuing certification in Sex Therapy

I am also licensed across multiple states, allowing me to expand access to care and continue growing the reach of our practices.

Perhaps one of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been helping other clinicians build their dreams as well. Over the years, I have supported numerous professionals in launching their own solo and group private practices, helping them navigate the same challenges and opportunities I encountered along the way.

As I reflect on the last decade, I am grateful for every lesson, every challenge, every mistake, every mentor, every client, and every opportunity that helped shape this journey.

What I've learned is that growth rarely happens overnight. Success is often built through consistent effort, strategic planning, resilience, and a willingness to adapt when circumstances change.

If my therapist hadn't challenged me to revisit my private practice dream in 2021, I honestly don't know where I would be today.

Ten years ago, I was renting a small office in Park Slope.

Today, I lead thriving telehealth group practices, mentor clinicians, support future professionals, and continue expanding my vision.

And the most exciting part?

I believe we're just getting started.

Here's to the next 10 years.

#HealingJourney #EmotionalWellness #Boundaries #SelfWorth #MentalHealthMatters #NatalieWisdomWellness