Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hailey Ingram, Clinical Director of tend psychotherapy, located in Hamilton, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

tend psychotherapy is a virtual psychotherapy practice offering compassionate and intentional therapy to folks across Ontario, Canada. We value inclusion and accessibility to mental health support and are committed to consistently and sustainably offering more affordable therapy options for all clients.

tend is made up of a team of warm and thoughtful therapists who are committed to working with clients from a person-centered, feminist, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed lens. We work with clients from all walks of life struggling to cope with their own unique set of challenges. We support clients feeling burnt out and ready for a change and anyone looking to learn more about themselves and find new ways of coping.

We specialize in working with:

  • queer folks navigating relationship dynamics with family members
  • folks navigating a recent ADHD diagnosis or struggling to cope with ADHD symptoms
  • BIPOC folks looking to explore their relationship with their cultural identity
  • anyone actively trying to dismantle capitalism, 'hustle culture,' and the patriarchy
  • recovering people pleasers and perfectionists
  • anyone struggling with burnout and compassionate fatigue who knows it's time they take care of themselves but don't know where to start

Tell us about yourself

My name is Hailey (she/her), and I am both a Registered Psychotherapist and the Clinical Director of tend psychotherapy. I split my time between seeing clients online for individual therapy, supporting and guiding therapists-in-training through tend's affordable therapy program, and consulting –offering my experience and knowledge to peers in the private practice sector, supporting them in creating and sustainably managing a private practice aligned with their values.

Why do I do it...

  • Because we live in a world obsessed with hustle culture, productivity, and output, and feeling as if we need to earn our worth...
  • Because we live in a world that prioritizes caretaking and people-pleasing at the cost of our own well-being...
  • Because we live in a world that is constantly telling us, we're not enough...
  • Because it's due time, we slow down and carve out time for ourselves...
  • Because I care so deeply about supporting folks in getting honest about what they value and what they need, starting to set boundaries, and continuing their commitment to learning what it looks like to tend to their own needs and care.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Leaning into the need to be flexible and continuing to reimagine the facets of my business –in a way that respects and honours my needs as they shape and shift through different seasons of life.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Practicing what I preach! More specifically –upholding the boundaries I set for myself in trying to honour my values and needs and take up space in taking care of myself.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Check-in with your values and thoughtfully + intentionally reflect on what you want your relationship to work + your business to look like and build it from this foundation.
  2. Read Marlee Grace's book How to Not Always Be Working.
  3. Find a therapist!
  4. Schedule daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal breaks. Take time to rest. Make time for leisure, even in the busiest of seasons. Your body, mind, and people will thank you for it.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://tendpsychotherapy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hailey-ingram-aa5036139/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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