Meet Kristy Malone, MS, LMFT | Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and Co-Founder of West Coast Therapy Collective

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristy Malone, MS, LMFT and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristy, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
I think this is a really important question for everyone to ask themselves. The way I define professional success for myself has evolved and become much clearer for me over the past 15 years. I can distill it down to five main points:

1. Work that has meaning and feels impactful. There are times I leave the office at the end of a day feeling better than when I entered the office because the work I did filled my cup. As a therapist I have to compartmentalize any personal issues I may be dealing with during my work day. I have found that sometimes my perspective on these issues changes, or the feelings around them become lighter after connecting meaningfully with clients and making a positive impact. While there are still tough work days, I truly believe being a therapist is my calling and I feel so lucky to do what I love.

2. Control over how and when I work. This means being able to choose my hours, how many days per week I work, and when/how much time to take off. In recent years I’ve been able to spend a few weeks in Europe, take a full month off to recover from serious illness, and take mental health days as needed. Additionally, screening and choosing my clients versus having them assigned to me allows me to work with the populations I’m best equipped to treat, and ensures that it’s the right fit for both myself and for them.

3. Rarely experiencing the “Sunday scaries.” When I do experience this feeling, I recognize it as my cue to take some time off, and/or to evaluate the source of my stress and make changes.

4. A comfortable & healthy work environment. I go to work looking forward to interacting with colleagues who share my same core values. We support each other through monthly consultation meetings, and we also support each other through life’s difficulties and celebrations. We also keep our office clean and have designed it with a calming, pleasant aesthetic. Because work is a place where we all spend so much time, this has had a significant impact on my mental health and overall sense of wellbeing.

5. An income that meets my financial goals. While I truly love the work that I do, I work in order to make a living. Improving my financial literacy and relationship with money has significantly helped me. I recently held a book club with a group of fellow women in private practice so we could all learn together and talk openly about finances. As women and helpers it can be difficult for us to think about earning money without feeling guilty somehow, and talking about money has been historically taboo. I’m finally at a point where I set income and savings goals, invest with confidence, and have healthy boundaries with my session rates and cancellation fees. It wasn’t until I educated myself and changed my negative core beliefs around money that I started hitting my financial goals.

To be able to say that I meet all five criteria for professional success is something I’m extremely proud of, and it has only been in the past four or so years that I can say yes to all points. There were many long years I spent in jobs where I met criteria for none of these. Other years there were only some. I’ve been able to get where I am from a combination of privilege, risk-taking, hard work, sacrifice, learning from my mistakes, and self-trust. I hope to hold onto my professional success for many years to come, but in the meantime I’m reminding myself to be grateful for every day, because a past version of myself thought I might be dreaming too big.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am a licensed psychotherapist and co-founder of West Coast Therapy Collective, located in the beautiful coastal community of Encinitas. What I am most excited about and proud of is my decision to create rather than search for my dream job. This endeavor wasn’t easy, and the hardest part was getting into the headspace of doing versus dreaming. I had worked in different settings including a naval base, an intensive outpatient treatment center, and a group therapy practice prior to becoming a business owner. I always dreamed of having my own practice, but the longer you work in high demand settings with a lot of structure, it becomes difficult to allow yourself to think outside the box and focus on what you want.

I was in a state of extreme burnout when it came out that my employer was engaging in illegal and unethical business practices. My colleagues and I all found ourselves looking for new jobs, and that was when I realized just how hard I been working for other people only to help build their wealth and reputation. I knew I should be investing all I had to give into myself. The timing wasn’t ideal and I certainly didn’t feel “ready”, but I decided my next move would be a job of my own creation.

During a fateful lunch with my colleague/mentor and now co-founder Sue Shrinkle-Emmons, I proposed that we open our own practice and make it something unique. Something that had all the elements we wanted in our type of work without the typical downsides. We both knew we wanted to work in an environment where everyone practiced legally, ethically, and believed in providing the very best care to clients. One where we supported each other in every possible way, and where everyone kept their earnings rather than a traditional group practice where therapists keep only a percentage of what they earn. Thus, the idea for a “collective” was born.

With borrowed money and a lot of faith in our ability to succeed, we signed a lease on a run down office suite and transformed it into a fully renovated, beautifully decorated suite of 5 offices where 8 therapists currently practice. We meet monthly for consultation meetings, refer clients and collaborate on cases, attend trainings together, celebrate birthdays and acknowledge losses, and hold other events to connect with and support each other.

A big lesson from this journey is that you don’t have to have it all figured out, or be in the exact right place in life to build your dream. It was messy, it was rushed, and the timing isn’t at all what I would have picked but I am so glad I made the decision to relentlessly pursue my dream despite all obstacles and self-doubt. Another lesson is to be willing to pivot and accept what I like to call “redirections” when life throws you curveballs. The opposite of success isn’t failure; it’s giving up.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Eat (north county): Birdseye kitchen for some Thai takeout, Seaside Market for a California burrito, Herb & Sea for a nice sit down dinner, The Roxy for casual dining and live music, Healthy Creations for lunch, Claire’s on Cedros for brunch, Choice Juicery for smoothies, and Jojo’s Creamery for ice cream

Drink (I’m more of a coffee/tea drinker than cocktails): Lofty Coffee for a to-go coffee, Gordy’s for the best Chai lattes, Morning Lavender for a tasty and aesthetically pleasing tea time

Visit (some season dependent): Torrey Pines hiking, the Self-Realization Gardens, a whale watching tour, a San Diego harbor cruise and/or jet skiing, viewing the seals in La Jolla, the SD Botanical Garden, Balboa Park, biking on Coronado Island followed by dinner at the Hotel Del, taking the train to a Padres game, attending an outdoor concert, exploring Swami’s beach tide pools, a yoga class on the beach, and kayaking or snorkeling La Jolla Cove

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It truly took a village to get where I am, so there are multiple shout outs. First, my very own first therapist Paige Speiser, who impacted me so deeply it cemented my decision to become a therapist myself. Second, my mentor turned friend and business partner Sue Shrinkle-Emmons, with whom I co-founded West Coast Therapy Collective. Additional shout outs go to Dr. LaNae Valentine and Dr. Art Avery, who provided critical and selfless mentorship during some of my most challenging times. I promised to pay it forward, and I am at every opportunity.

Website: https://www.kristymalone.com

Instagram: @kristymalonemft

Image Credits
Jill Baker photography (group photo only)