Psychotherapy is getting “Uber-ized” by the tech industry. As online mental health platforms like BetterHelp try to turn this highly skilled profession into gig work, some therapists worry that the competition may depress wages and put pressure on their independent relationships with clients. 

But Yeshiva Davis, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), is one step ahead. As the founder of a growing group practice, K&S Therapeutic Services, she is augmenting her business with contract supervision and employment of early-career therapists.

In California, therapists earn their licenses with graduate training and about 3,000 hours of supervised work experience. A more experienced therapist in private practice is allowed to mentor up to six trainees and meets each one weekly. 

But not all therapists are interested in supervising. And in government agencies and non-profits that provide therapy, there is no limit on the number of trainees one therapist can supervise. Supervisors may lack the time and energy to mentor so many trainees on top of their other job duties. Davis, though, has discovered that she actually likes to train and teach. Even more than doing therapy itself. She says, “My biggest achievement is happy therapists.” BetterHelp can’t compete with that.

Before she transitioned to her current line of work, Davis earned an MBA and worked in the corporate world. Now her knowledge and experience of customer relationship management, marketing, and communications are simultaneously informing her therapy practice and her business strategy. Davis has engaged with folks on radio shows, online workshops, and Facebook Live. She has even been a contributing therapist on Entertainment Tonight, the OWN Network’s TV show #LoveGoals, and VH1’s Couples Therapy. She also stays connected with her professional network through leadership and service.

Solutions

As she has grown her business over the past few years, Davis has taken advantage of the wealth of resources available at the Pacific Coast Regional Small Business Development Center (SBDC), including one-on-one advising, workshops, and access to capital.

One way Davis has benefited from working with the SBDC is through grant funding. For instance, K&S Therapeutic Services won an Economic Recovery Grant with SBDC assistance. Davis notes that “I would not have known about the grant or been ready to apply and qualify for it without the SBDC.” Davis has leveraged grants to pursue her passion for teaching, too. She obtained funding from HealthNet to facilitate community-based trainings in Inglewood, CA. 

In 2023, Davis won a grant from SELF (Sister Entrepreneurs Loan Fund), a program for Black women business owners. The cohort participated in six workshops to ensure they could maximize the capital they received toward growing their businesses. 

Davis feels that the accounting and bookkeeping component of the SELF training was most helpful to her. She describes herself as a visionary with strengths in marketing and communication. But she knows that staying on top of her finances is important. Now she sits down to look at her numbers every two weeks. She feels confident that she can identify how profitable her business has been and develop concrete financial goals.

Results

Davis self-funded K&S when she started the group practice in 2015, but as the practice continued to grow, SBDC advisor Frank Stokes recommended that she get a line of credit. With his help, Davis’s application to Cathay Bank was approved. Davis also negotiated with the insurance companies that cover therapeutic services. She raised her rates and cut ties with the companies who wouldn’t pay her team fairly.

It was also through the SBDC that Davis learned that her business might be a good fit for government contracting opportunities. She hopes to contract with government agencies like the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) and Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). She has gotten K&S certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) through the Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council. 

Davis feels confident reaching out to PCR SBDC Director Colette Moore when she needs advice. In Davis’s words: “Entrepreneurship is lonely. It’s knowing that I have someone to call if I’m questioning something, feeling anxious, or need a sounding board.” Truly, the highlight of Davis’s experience with the Pacific Coast Regional SBDC has been the support and community she’s found.