We recently connected with Krysteena Wilson and have shared our conversation below.
Krysteena, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
First of all – I didn’t start my business feeling confident, it was something that grew AFTER taking action. I started my private practice because I felt stuck, burned out, and completely disillusioned with the systems that were supposed to support me. I had already spent years hustling in California, working multiple jobs just to survive, and wondering if I had made a huge mistake by choosing this field. Eventually, I hit a breaking point. I packed up, moved to Idaho, and told myself I’d give therapy one last shot before walking away for good.
At that point, I had zero self-esteem tied to my professional identity. I thought the problem was me. That I just wasn’t cut out for this. But the truth was, I had been trying to thrive in a system that was never designed for me to succeed. Once I stepped out of that system and started making decisions from my own values and needs, things shifted. Slowly, I began to trust myself.
Launching my private practice in 2019 was the first major confidence-building moment. I had no fancy strategy, no website at first, and definitely no business degree. I just knew I wanted freedom, flexibility, and a way to serve my clients without burning out. Every time I took action, from setting my first fee, to showing up on Instagram, to filing my business paperwork, I felt scared – But I did it anyway. And over time, each small win started stacking on top of the last.
Confidence came from doing things before I felt ready. From watching the card swipe at the end of a session and realizing, “wow, someone just paid me for my knowledge and care”! From seeing my clients grow who worked with me for therapy. From hiring my first contractor. From starting my online consulting business for therapists – Align Therapy Shop – to pivoting and creating new offers, even while navigating big personal seasons like grief and IVF, which I’m currently undergoing right now. Confidence comes from doing things scared. I still, of course, have days where doubt creeps in but I now know how to roll with it. Confidence comes from knowing who I am and why I do what I do because that’s more important than anything.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
These days, I split my time between running my group therapy practice in Boise, Idaho where we focus on couples and relationships and supporting modern therapists through my second business, Align Therapy Shop. My main focus right now is growing the Private Practice Lab – a monthly marketing membership and community for therapists who want to fill their private-pay caseloads while working fewer hours and staying aligned with their lifestyle goals.
The therapists I work with inside the Lab are some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. They’re not just trying to build a business, they’re trying to create sustainable careers that feel like them. They care deeply, they want more freedom, and they’re ready to shift out of the burnout that is so common in this field and into something more grounded, authentic, and profitable. It’s an absolute honor to be in their corner and help them get there. Plus – It’s fun! I truly love what I do everyday in all my roles.
What makes the Lab special is that it’s a living, breathing community. There are 2 group coaching calls every month with new strategy sessions and hot-seat coaching, I do website and other marketing audits, and I walk people through the exact marketing tools I’ve used to build and scale two successful businesses. It’s really for therapists at any stage of their private practice journey as well. Whether someone’s brand new to private practice or been in it for years but are now ready to attract better-fit clients without relying on insurance panels, the Lab gives them the structure and support they need to grow.
Outside of the membership, I’m also working behind the scenes on a new offer for 2026 that I’m very excited about. It’s a hybrid business accelerator for therapists who are ready to scale their practice, create digital products, or step into coaching or content creation themselves. I’ve learned that so many of us are multi-passionate and just need a clear path to expand beyond the therapy room without abandoning our values. That’s what’s next for me… helping more therapists expand their impact and income without stretching themselves too thin.
At the end of the day, my brand is about freedom and alignment. Not just financial freedom, but emotional, creative, and energetic freedom. I believe we all deserve to build businesses that support our lives, not the other way around. Burnout is way too common in this field and it results in more and more therapists leaving this field altogether. I’m here to change that and show therapists that they can build life-giving businesses they are proud of.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, there are three things that truly shaped my journey:
1. Learning to trust myself.
This one didn’t come naturally. Like a lot of therapists, I entered the field deeply empathic, self-aware, and great at caring for others… but constantly second-guessing myself. I had to “fake it till I made it” – literally. I would repeat affirmations around my “future self” and who I wanted to be every day, as if it were true today. Over time, I learned that whatever stuck spot I was in, I could figure it out and confidence and greater self-trust built from that. Every time I did something scared (launching my practice, raising my fees, posting on social media for the first time), I gained proof that I could do hard things. That self-trust became the foundation for everything.
A tip for anyone early in their journey: Start with small acts of courage. Say yes before you feel “ready.” The confidence will catch up, I promise.
2. Business + marketing knowledge.
It still blows my mind that most therapists graduate with a master’s degree and zero idea how to actually “do” therapy, much less run a business. I used to think something was wrong with me because I was barely paying my bills and kept finding jobs that were a recipe for burnout. It turns out I just needed to take matters into my own hands with my own business. Once I started learning about marketing, messaging, systems, and boundaries, I realized that we, as therapists, actually already have a lot of the skills needed for business and marketing. We just have to learn how to translate it to a different side of our work. Therapists make great business owners because we are great at relationships. I wish more therapists knew that! If you’re just starting out: Invest in learning business skills early! Get support. Take a course. Join a membership (like the Lab!). No one learns on their own – we all need a good mentor or guide to show us the way to get to where we want to go.
3. Nervous system regulation and boundaries. I cannot stress this enough: you cannot grow a sustainable practice while running on anxiety and people-pleasing (which is common for many therapists surprisingly!). When I started prioritizing nervous system support, emotional regulation, and boundaries around my time and energy, my business started to feel easier. I stopped saying yes to the wrong clients, stopped taking on other tasks that drained me, and gave myself permission to rest. That’s when things started flowing. I honestly think private practice is the easiest business to start and run. We really just need our brain to make the business keep going! My advice with this one: Learn how your body responds to stress, and build a practice that works with your nervous system, not against it. Take rest seriously. Set boundaries before you think you “need” them. This is what keeps you in the game long-term.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m always open to collaborating, especially with folks who share a similar mission: making mental health more sustainable, accessible, and human. I’m big on empowerment – especially for helping professions, budding entrepeneurs, and business-owning moms.
I’d love to partner with therapists, coaches, entrepeneurs, and creators who are values-driven, relational, and unafraid to do things differently. Whether you have a podcast, a community of helpers and healers, an upcoming event, or you’re building something that aligns with the work I do, I’d be happy to chat further! I especially love opportunities to speak, guest-teach, or co-create content that supports early-career therapists or private practice owners.
The best way to connect is through Instagram @aligntherapyshop or by emailing me directly at [email protected]. I’m always happy to explore how we can support each other and create something meaningful for our communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aligntherapyshop.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aligntherapyshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treecitywellnessidaho
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krysteenawilson/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tree-city-wellness-boise?osq=tree+city+wellness
Image Credits
Rachel Wolf Photography
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