Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Stanizai.
Sara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Starting my own practice was actually a new year’s resolution for me, but it was also ten years in the making.
At the time, I was working as a director of mental health programs. I supported my teams as well as I could, but something was missing. I had been working in community mental health for years, but I was a licensed therapist and eventually, I didn’t get to see any clients at all! So I started a private practice that would allow me to do my favorite kind of work.
Starting slowly meant I could learn along the way.
I learned that I shouldn’t agree to take on every person who calls looking for therapy. So many people get in front of the wrong therapist and have horror stories about it. I didn’t want to do that.
I learned that who I thought were my competitors are actually my biggest support. That thing about “not taking on everyone” means I was referring people to my trusted colleagues rather than just trying to “make it work.” (I believe good referrals show respect to clients and to our profession’s reputation.)
To this day, we still connect people to other therapists, even if it’s not at Prospect Therapy. It’s hard to get a therapist to call you back, or to just do a google search and hope for the best. Right now, 88% of people who call us get matched to a therapist, whether it’s within our practice or not.
Prospect Therapy has since grown to a team of 6 (soon to be 7!). We focus on queer + trans mental health, and mental health for first-generation Americans, immigrants/children of immigrants, and bicultural communities. We have grown enough that each therapist has their own specialties – relationships and couples therapy, perfectionism and anxiety, eating disorders from at HAES framework, trauma recovery, and more. But the connecting thread is that we support historically marginalized communities who do better when they have a therapist who gets it.
I’m proud that all of our therapists have not only excellent clinical skills and training, but all of us bring lived experience to our work. That means we are part of the communities that we serve and we share these identities with our clients.
Now we serve hundreds of people throughout California who are seeking queer-identified therapists who bring cultural humility to our work.
I recently conducted an anonymous survey of our community (which I think every business owner should do). The responses we got definitely confirmed what I hoped: That our community trusts us, respect us, and recommends us any chance they get.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest struggle has been sticking to our guns.
There is a scarcity mindset that tells you to water down what you do – serve everyone just so you can stay afloat. Some people think specializing is harmful to your business. But we know what we do best, and we make sure those are the people who find us.
There is also a message that serving the queer community or the immigrant community will mean you are working for free. This devalues not only the work we do, but it literally devalues our clients and communities. We do reserve reduced rate spots and ensure that people who need our services (who can’t just go into any clinic and hope someone understands them) are able to access them.
Historically “women’s work” like therapy has been undervalued and expected to be provided for free. But people need therapists who are taking care of themselves so that they can take care of you.
I maintain alignment with my values and remember the reason I started this practice in the first place. We don’t water down what we do. We take pride in the services we offer and make sure we exceed our clients’ expectations.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Like I mentioned, Prospect Therapy is an LGBTQ+ affirming therapy practice that focuses on queer and trans mental health and mental health for first-generation Americans, immigrants/children of immigrants, and bicultural communities.
I am proud that our team represents the communities we serve. That we are great therapists, who happen to share identities with the people we serve.
I am grateful that I can take care of our employees and therapists so that they can take care of our clients. I’m proud of all the benefits we offer to our team and that people are invested in our mission.
I’m really proud any time one of my employees is asked to provide consultation to another therapist, or gives a training to a corporation about work-life balance, or provides a workshop on anti-racism for mental health professionals.
We care deeply about the work we do, and we live it every day.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was the weird ethnic kid who tried really hard to hide anything about me that was “different.” I think that’s why my business is centered on this idea of treating the outsiders like insiders. Parts of our identity are so often treated as an afterthought. At Prospect Therapy, we built this place for you.
I was painfully goth in junior high. Super tall, super quiet, and had been traumatized from such an early age that I literally hid in corners. I wanted to fit in at the cool kids’ table, but I was my own worst enemy. I had my own feelings of anxiety and depression, but I thought these were normal. These were not talked about in an immigrant household. My Afghan family was very loving, but they struggled with how “American” the kids were getting. I didn’t know where I fit in.
Eventually, I slowly started to find my own community, who wouldn’t let me hide. They celebrated the things about me that I thought were weird. I got into my own therapy. I came out to people in my life as bisexual. I had some difficult conversations with my loved ones. And eventually, I became the kind of therapist I needed as a young person. Now I like to think of myself as the kind of boss I wish I had, and I can support other therapists in their journey as well.
Pricing:
- Consultations: Free
- Individual therapy (50 minutes): $150-$180
- Relationship therapy (75 minutes): $200-$220
Contact Info:
- Address: 4510 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 540, Long Beach, CA 90804
- Website: www.prospecttherapy.com
- Phone: 562-704-4736
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @prospecttherapy
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/prospecttherapy
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