Megan Delp is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Pennsylvania at Bloom & Thrive, specialising in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (Emotion-based skills) and trauma therapy.
Thank you for interviewing with us today, can you introduce yourself to us?
Absolutely, it’s my pleasure! My name is Megan Delp, and I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working virtually in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Texas! Besides being a therapist, I love to be out in nature, exploring our new city of Austin, TX with my husband, and trying all the different restaurants I can. I’ve also recently gotten back into taking ballet classes at BalletAustin!
Can you take us through your journey to where you are now?
My first experience with therapy was in 2nd grade – I had pretty intense separation anxiety and my elementary school guidance counselor helped me through it with so much compassion that she inspired me to be able to do the same for others! I’ve always wanted to have a job helping others, and being a therapist felt like a good path to follow. I shadowed a psychologist for a summer and was enthralled with the work she did with her clients, helping them feel heard and understood.
Since starting, have you made any changes to the Bloom & Thrive business model?
No – the business model I started with is the one that’s still going a year later! I am hoping to bring on additional therapists soon, which will be a great addition to the business.
Have you ever had a mentor? If so how has this benefitted you either personally or professionally?
Yes, absolutely! Throughout my internship and subsequent hours towards licensure, I have worked under the supervision of Judy Reid who is also a licensed marriage and family therapist! She has been in the field for a very long time and has so much wisdom for new therapists. Judy has helped me find balance between work and personal life, guided me through tough client cases, and supported me when I would get burnt out emotionally from my work. She has always encouraged me to try new techniques and was supportive when I decided to strike out on my own. I know I wouldn’t be the therapist I am today without her guidance.
What outlets do use for marketing for Bloom & Thrive?
There are quite a few awesome marketing websites for therapists, including PsychologyToday and TherapyDen, and I have enjoyed creating my own website as well – http://www.bloomandthrive.me
I also love to network with other providers, both for referral purposes and peer-to-peer consultation. This line of work can be heavy at times and it can be so healing to talk to other professionals who understand.
Which methods are you using to build your own support network?
For my support network, it is absolutely imperative that I have other therapists and counsellors in my life that can provide empathetic collaboration and understanding. BumbleBFF has been a great tool for meeting new friends in the Austin area and I always recommend it to people who have difficulty finding new friends! I also am going to Ballet Austin for classes, and have found a great community there.
What is the best piece of business advice you have received to date?
At some point in my career, someone told me to make the administrative part of the business as automated and streamlined as possible. The work I do all day is client-facing, and so I have very little energy left over at the end of the day for administrative work. I have since created systems that do most business tasks for me, letting me focus my energy on being the best therapist I can be.
How do you create an evenly balanced work and personal life?
I have always been a great relaxer. Since starting my business, however, I have been so excited to see it grow and make sure I am covering all my bases that I’ve found it difficult to “turn off” at the end of the day, especially as I work from home. I’ve made the personal boundary that work ends at 7, no matter what. I also schedule friend activities, workouts, and date nights with my husband a few weeks in advance so that I always have something to look forward to in my personal life!
Name a seminal point in your career so far?
I was officially licensed in July of 2021, and it had felt like such a long process to get there. It was so exciting to finally say I had achieved that milestone and be able to work independently. I quickly moved to open my own practice and hit the ground running as a fully-licensed therapist!
What gives you ultimate career satisfaction?
I feel the best when I see my clients finding the best path forward for them, and then getting to the point where they don’t need to come to therapy anymore. It’s always bittersweet, getting to walk along side people through dark moments in their lives, then see them “graduate” and live the life they’ve created for themselves! The therapeutic relationship is very unique and highly rewarding!
Are there any leading entrepreneurs or SME leaders that you admire and if so, why?
During the internship process, I also had an internship with a therapist named Tiffany Spilove! At the time of my internship, it was just Tiffany, three interns, and one or two other licensed therapists in the practice. Flash forward 6 years and she has a thriving and consistently growing therapy practice – currently at 23 clinicians seeing clients! She taught me so much about the business of running a therapy practice and was a huge inspiration for my own dream of starting a therapy practice.
How do you define your own success?
I define my success by how I feel at the end of a day seeing clients. I know when I’ve been in a place to do good work with my clients versus days I’ve struggled to engage. I feel the most successful at the end of a long day of helping clients find answers to long-held questions, learn new skills to create the life they want, and being that compassionate listener for those feel unheard.
Finally, What can we expect from you this year?
In 2022, I am hoping to continue to grow my practice. I have a new therapist onboard in Texas – Sophia Dominguez, PhD LPC, who I’m excited to have as part of the team! I’m also hoping to find a Pennsylvania-based therapist (where I lived and interned before moving to Texas), and really start building a group of competent, fabulous therapists who want to do some good in the world.
Website: https://www.bloomandthrive.me
