Inspiring Conversations with Lynda Cash of Plan B… Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynda Cash.

Hi Lynda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey toward becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist began when I was a little girl growing up in Detroit, Michigan, during the late 1960s. I came from a family of 13, including seven girls and four boys, and I was the ninth of 11 children.

Growing up in Detroit during the late 1960s and 1970s was not always easy. Crime and hardship were at an all-time high for many city residents. Although I may not have fully understood everything happening around me, I witnessed its effects.

As a child, I was often labeled “too sensitive” or called a “crybaby.” Little did I know that I was an empath. My unconditional love for people and empathetic nature could make those challenging times especially difficult. However, those same qualities also created my desire to help others.

My first job was delivering newspapers for The Detroit News. I was one of the first girls in my community to deliver papers. While working my route, one of my neighbors, who was the local Avon representative, asked if I would deliver her Avon orders and collect new orders in exchange for a 10% profit. By the age of 10, I was delivering both newspapers and Avon products. Little did I know that these early experiences were preparing me to become an entrepreneur.

As a teenager, I developed an interest in music and learned to play the piano and lead guitar. During my ninth-grade year, I took a music class where I continued developing my guitar skills. Some of my classmates were members of a neighborhood band called Fire Fantasy, and they invited me to join. I wrote songs, sang backup vocals, and played lead guitar. We performed locally at talent shows and community events.

During my late teens and early adulthood, I also became interested in journalism. At one point, I believed I would pursue a career as a television news journalist or broadcaster. Although neither music nor journalism ultimately became my career path, I was featured in a Detroit Free Press article titled “Who’s Who Coming Up in the Community.”

I was also selected as a student speaker for the Cody High School Class of 1982 graduation ceremony. The title of my speech was, “Do You Know Where You’re Going and How You’re Going to Get There?” Looking back, that question has remained relevant throughout every stage of my journey.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like most meaningful journeys, mine has not always been smooth.

Fortunately, while delivering newspapers and Avon products as a child, I was never robbed or attacked. My neighbors were excited to have a paper girl because most of them had never seen or heard of one before. They looked out for me and treated me very well.

In my early 20s, my first husband and I started a business providing residential care services for adults with intellectual disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64. We eventually expanded the business to multiple residential care homes. After 13 years of service, the business was acquired.

Operating residential care facilities came with several challenges, particularly staffing issues. Depending on the needs of the clients and the season, employee turnover could be high. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance while raising two young boys was also difficult. As a self-employed business owner, I experienced burnout and the isolation that can sometimes come with entrepreneurship.

After leaving the residential care business, I explored several other entrepreneurial ventures. I worked as a tax preparer for H&R Block and became involved with companies such as Amway, Mary Kay, and Park Lane Jewelry.

During the mid-2000s, I earned my Life and Health Insurance License while completing my internship as a marriage and family therapist. I hoped to merge the two careers, but differences in how the services were provided, along with time constraints, made that difficult.

Each experience taught me something valuable about business, service, resilience, and the importance of remaining open to new directions

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Plan B… Therapy?
In my mid-40s, I decided to pursue a career in counseling and earned my master’s degree with an emphasis in Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy. I opened my private practice as a licensed marriage and family therapist in 2014.

Just two months after launching the business, I was hospitalized for 27 days due to a recurring injury. My recovery took nearly a year, creating another major challenge as a new business owner. Fortunately, I was able to continue operating the practice while receiving ongoing in-home care.

My two sons helped me establish the practice. I initially operated from two locations. The first was in Rancho Cucamonga, California, where I shared office space with a family member who worked in real estate. The second location was in San Bernardino, where I shared an office with a former colleague.

As my clientele rapidly increased, I expanded the practice and opened a family counseling center in downtown San Bernardino in 2015. Because of the high demand for mental health services in San Bernardino, I eventually decided to close the Rancho Cucamonga location and focus on serving one of California’s most underserved populations.

My oldest son worked as the office manager, while my youngest son served part-time as the financial manager while attending college.

I practiced in San Bernardino for six years before the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to transition entirely to telehealth services. In 2020, I relocated from San Bernardino to North Hollywood to be closer to my sons and assist them with their new business venture in the entertainment industry. Because my practice had already transitioned from in-person counseling to telehealth, I was able to make the move while continuing to serve my clients.

However, building new professional relationships and obtaining contracts during the pandemic was challenging. Many social service agencies were operating remotely, making it difficult to reach the appropriate staff members and obtain the information needed to finalize contracts.

I am also an author. In 2024, I wrote my first book, *Re-Introduce Yourself: 3 Deal Breakers*. The book offers insight into how unhealthy introductions to relationships can affect their development and how healthy introductions can create a stronger foundation. It also provides strategies to help individuals detach from unhealthy relationship patterns and develop healthier characteristics that support more fulfilling relationships.

Although the book is primarily written for couples, it can also be a helpful resource for teenagers entering the dating world who may not have experienced healthy relationship modeling while growing up. It can benefit separated couples considering reconciliation, couples whose relationships have become stagnant, and widows or divorcees who want to let go of unhealthy relationship patterns before entering a new relationship.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of the most important lessons I have learned is to make myself a priority in my own life. It took me longer to learn that lesson than I would have liked, but I can honestly say the journey has been worthwhile.

I am grateful to work in a field that brings me so much fulfillment. It is a privilege to help individuals improve their mental health, strengthen their relationships, and create healthier, more rewarding daily experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lyndakcash.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lkcash22/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LKMrealtherapy/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynda-k-cash-lmft-77882179/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lkcash22