We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniela Paolone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniela, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process in starting up my own private practice Westlake Village Counseling was that I wanted to really hone in on specific populations I felt I could best support in the therapy space. So deciding on going the private practice route was intentional. Especially as a therapist with chronic pain and illness, I knew back then that I had limits to my energy levels and energy reserves. I knew at that time that being able to focus my energy in helping those with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, chronic illness, caregiver support and medical trauma aligned with where I felt I would be the most helpful and effective as a clinician. Also by running my own private practice, it allowed me to better take care of my own health care needs.

This was the same thought process I went through when launching a group practice with my friend and business partner Lital Diament LMFT in April of this year. As co-founders of Envision Wellness Counseling we wanted to broaden our reach in supporting women’s mental health, perinatal support and those with chronic pain and illness throughout California via telehealth. Increasing access to care for those impacted by these experiences is the foundation of why we started our group practice. We also have personal lived experiences in these areas of speciality which makes doing this work so meaningful and fulfilling.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What drove me at the start in setting up my private practice Westlake Village Counseling was navigating my own health and pain challenges while in graduate school.  As a graduate student I was so eager to find and work with a therapist who specialized in chronic pain and illness and unfortunately I was never able to find a therapist through my many search attempts.

At that time I was desperately looking to work with a therapist who understood from their own personal experiences just how difficult and challenging living with chronic pain and illness can be.  Not being able to work with a therapist at that time with that speciality was incredibly frustrating for me.  This really was the turning point in me deciding that specializing in chronic pain and illness in my own private practice was a must.

What sets me apart from others I would say is how clear and consistent I have been since I launched my private practice in 2015 in who I support in my therapy practice and why.  Being clear, consistent and transparent in explaining why I work with those navigating chronic pain and illness, health anxiety, medical trauma and caregiver’s needing support really resonated with a lot of my therapist friends and colleagues.

This led to me being invited as a guest on several therapist podcasts.  With these podcast interviews, I focused on promoting awareness and education on ways to really support those with chronic pain and illness. Specifically I talked about ways therapists can be effective in working with these populations.  During this time I was also to be asked to be a contributor on the website The Mighty which is well known as an advocacy site for those with chronic pain and illness. I would say I am most proud of being asked to speak at several universities and also at the Rare Disease Patient Advocacy Summit where my presentation on supporting loved ones with chronic pain and illness was live streamed worldwide.

The path in getting to where I am today has not been easy.  There has always been some level of self doubt and questioning myself if what I am doing makes sense or is the right fit for me with the various chronic pain and illness factors I have had to and continue to deal with.  In the early years of my private practice it was hard for me to leave my house due to ongoing health challenges.  So I did my best to think outside the box and get creative.  I decided to lean into marketing myself and my practice to other therapists using social media.  This was from 2015 to 2017 mostly and back then, the norm in promoting your therapy practice generally meant doing it all in person.  So for the time this was a bit ahead of the curve.

Colleagues also told me often at that time that they never heard of a chronic pain and illness therapist.  This really intrigued them and they wanted to learn more.  Also in these online therapist groups they kept saying they had never heard of a therapist marketing themself in that way before. So through social media, I quickly became known in these online therapist forums as the chronic illness and chronic pain therapist. Looking back, it is really interesting how my health challenges and limitations in leaving my home led to me moving my marketing and networking online.  The fact that it worked and took off in such a clear and effective way really surprised me.

For me, adding in the group practice in addition to my private practice really aligned with why I have been a therapist all these years. Finding your why like author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek says, I think is the true anchor that has guided me all this time. By staying the course in continuing to go back to my why, it has really shaped how I want to show up with clients and with colleagues all while staying true to myself.

At the core I want to be seen as a therapist and chronic pain and illness survivor who started small with my business due to some health limitations, but found ways around and through the obstacles to honor and stick with my why. Staying with my why in order to help more people receive support and advocate for themselves is what keeps me going.  Helping others get to a place of experiencing more rewarding and fulfilling lives, with the conditions and circumstances they face, is what I want to be known for.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would say some of the most fun places to go and visit would be going out in nature and enjoying some amazing hikes in the Santa Monica mountains. I would add in some wine tasting too because there are so many beautiful wineries from Paso Robles, Santa Inez Valley to Malibu. Going to Venice beach and experiencing Third Street Promenade, the original Farmers Market next to the Grove in Los Angeles would also make the list. We would also visit the historic Santa Monica Pier, drive along the coast and dine at Malibu Farm, Moonshadows or Dukes.

Going to some of the museums would also be fun and interesting. The Getty in Los Angeles, The Getty Villa in Malibu and the Norton Simon Museum would be on the list. Depending on how much more time we have, I would take my friend to San Diego to experience Old Town, the authentic Mexican cuisine and then go to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Gosh it is hard to pick one person to highlight, but the one that comes to mind right now is my colleague and mentor Ellyn Goldstein LMFT. She has been instrumental in helping me navigate my journey from when I was an associate and she was my supervisor, to the transition of becoming licensed and launching my private practice.

I have learned and continue to learn so much from her. The significance in how she has positively influenced me and impacted how I support my clients is undeniable. With her strong and reassuring presence in my life, I have been able to really expand my clinical skills and connection to my work.  This in turn has helped me continue to grow in how I can show up with clients and colleagues in a way that has built and fostered a sense of community.

Website: www.envisionwellnesscounseling.com

Instagram: @envisionwellnessinc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpaolone/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChronicPainAlly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083116279705

Other: Westlake Village Counseling Website www.onlinecaliforniacounseling.com Facebook Business Page https://www.facebook.com/Daniela.Paolone.Counseling Westlake Village Counseling Instagram https://www.instagram.com/daniela_paolone_counseling/ https://www.therapyden.com/therapist/daniela-paolone-westlake-village-ca https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/daniela-l-paolone-westlake-village-ca/451747

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