Dr. Chandra Ashton: Working In a Canadian Not-For-Profit and Enjoying It! | Ep 106
Episode description
Have you worked in a not-for-profit organization before? Do you tend to steer clear from not-for-profit counselling positions due to common bad stories from what it could be like?
So many therapists go into therapy because they feel a need and a desire to support and serve their communities. However, it can become tough, expensive, and challenging - but this is not the case across the board! If you're lucky, you can find Canadian not-for-profit practices that are aligned with your values, and you can see clients and do work that feels fulfilling to you.
In this podcast episode, I chat with Dr. Ashton about her experience running her own solo private practice while working full-time for a not-for-profit practice.
MEET CHANDRA
Dr. Ashton has worked as a therapist and parent coach in private practice and not-for-profit settings, and through contracted service for various agencies. She values creating a culturally safe and self-empowering practice. She has found her greatest joy when adapting mainstream interventions in creative ways to best walk alongside marginalized and underserved populations.
Learn more about Dr. Ashton and connect with her on her website or via her email address
In this episode:
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Be intentional about working as a therapist
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Working in a not-for-profit practice
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Handling work without burning out
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Pros and cons of being a not-for-profit therapist
Be intentional about working as a therapist
For Dr. Ashton, her journey into Canadian private practice has been deeply informed by her desire to be aware of her position, ancestry, the land that she occupies, and how she wants to serve and assist her community.
Working in a not-for-profit practice
Dr. Ashton had gone through an 11-year journey in working through agencies and other private practices before being hired as a full-time therapist at Terra Centre in Edmonton.
When Dr. Ashton first started working through an agency in private practice, she started in a not-for-profit.
However, once she started doing her P.h.D and had children, she knew that she needed to start looking out for her family by finding work that was more reliable.
Handling work without burning out
Working as a therapist can be incredibly taxing as it is rewarding, and you need to have strong boundaries in place with yourself and others so that you don't lose yourself in the lives of others, or bring work home with you.
However, if you like what you do and you enjoy the work - besides the few very tough days here and there - it is easier not to burn out.
Pros and cons of being a not-for-profit therapist
For Dr. Ashton, working in her private practice means building a working relationship with her clients where she knows that they are receiving what they need and she is able to structure her job in the way that she wants to do it.
Sometimes when you work for another practice, you may have to:
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Limit how many sessions you can have with a client
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Stick to the modality that they want you to use so you cannot always change or adapt your therapeutic approach
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Deal with burnout from having to work a job that you haven't structured yourself
Having that autonomy over your work is invaluable.
Even though Dr. Ashton has a small pay cut for her work in the not-for-profit practice, she feels that she gains so much because the work that she is doing feels important, sustainable, and appreciated by her clients and community.
Connect with me:
Resources mentioned and useful links:
Ep 105: Ashley Schofield-McEachern: Transitioning from Nursing into Therapy | EP 105
Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice
Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice
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Learn more about Dr. Ashton and connect with her on her website or via her email address
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