When Dr. Amanda Ori started college at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, she was convinced she’d become a Spanish teacher. But when she began working as a crisis line volunteer in her sophomore year of college, everything changed.
“Once a month I would answer calls, and that's when I really started thinking that this would be something of interest to me,” she shared. “I think the experience was very formative. Every call was completely different, and I enjoyed helping others, as well as being challenged in that way.”
She followed this newfound passion wholeheartedly and went on to participate in the U of I Counseling Center Paraprofessional Program before attending graduate school. Her curiosity guided her through her schooling as she explored the different career paths her education could lead her towards.
“I tend to operate in a way where if I’m interested in something, I’m going to figure out how to do it,” she explained. “And so I think the idea of private practice became more real for me once I was actually in grad school and had to start thinking about what to do with this degree once I finished.”
Dr. Ori joined a group practice when she got out of her post-doc. Despite meeting some wonderful clinicians along the way, many of whom she is still close with, she struggled with other aspects of the practice’s management.
“I decided I was going to do my own thing. I rented a space one day a week and started my practice.” she explained. “I was motivated by my former supervisor stating he didn’t believe clinicians could be good practice owners, that we didn’t have the skillset. That, in my heart, was a big deal.”
She said that while managing a practice requires a different skill set than being a clinician does, this actually excited her even more.
“I realized that a lot of the things you have to do to create a business are just unknown, but not always difficult,” she described. “There were so many things that I didn’t know how to do. I had to do a lot of research. I talked to so many people, who selflessly gave me their time.”
A major aspect of her work is helping clinicians who join her practice to start their own practices. One of the main reasons she started this program is because of the encouragement she has received and the strength of her network, along with having had the experience of being in an unsupportive work environment.
“The providers and I go from start to finish as much as we can by building their business from the ground up. The clients that they see as part of my practice are then a part of their caseload when they start their own,” she offered. “We get them paneled with insurance, help them navigate building a website, look at marketing and how to network, and help them decide what kind of practice they want to have.”
It’s evident that Dr. Ori loves her work. She shared that she really values being able to witness the growth of her clients, but that seeing clients realize their own growth is one of her favorite parts of her job. “I love when clients see progress in themselves. It's so rewarding and fantastic. They've seen where they've come from and where they are now. It really is such an amazing feeling. The goal is for you to not have to be here one day because you're doing well. If they’re at that point, they’re doing well. I love to see that.”
She also really enjoys getting to meet many different kinds of people through her work, whether they are her clients or her coworkers. “There are so many amazing providers I get to call colleagues and friends,” she smiled. “It’s possible to feel alone in private practice sometimes. I feel so fortunate that I never do; I’m surrounded by so many wonderful people.”
But even more than this, the absolute best part of her journey has been watching the providers from her practice flourish in their own practices and build them successfully.
“When my dad retired, we threw a party for him, and all these people from his life showed up. It got me thinking about what I want my own legacy to be,” she reminisced. “If I can help a number of clinicians start their own business, then that’s success. It’s just been so amazing to see this diverse group of clinicians move from not knowing what to do to feeling truly confident.”
Outside of running her practice, Dr. Ori loves gardening, traveling, and spending time with her husband and her large family. She’s been working on rebuilding a 130-year-old house, now adding final special details to the backyard. To people considering pursuing a future in the realm of psychology, she recommends finding balance and doing things that bring you joy outside of work.
“I volunteer at a nursing home in Lincoln Park, and that’s been really rewarding. I’m also the Membership Chair at the Illinois Psychological Association. What I've found is just that in life, in general, having many things going on is energizing.”
She also recommends taking a beat and doing some research, exploring the different avenues one can go down in the mental health field.
“It’s hard to know what you want. You're going to change so much.” she explained. “With psychology there are a multitude of things you can do. Talk to other professionals if you can. If you know someone who's a psychologist or counselor, ask them about their day to day life. Ask about the pitfalls, the upsides, the things they don’t like, the things they love. You can ask me,’’ she laughed. “I’m so glad to help now.”
