Professional Coaching and Consulting
Coaching for Therapists, Counselors and Other Small Business Owners
“Mari helped me start my Sex Addiction and Partner’s practice with her guidance, mentorship, coaching, materials, referrals and unending support. Mari genuinely believes in the best with people and operates in the world with humility, confidence, and kindness - she thrives in helping others. With Mari, what you see is what you get - and what you get is a committed clinician who knows how to quickly hone in on her client’s process. As a coach/mentor, you get a devoted professional that will help you tap into your best self and execute your goals. I cannot say enough about Mari; she is memorable, professional, and in tune with her gifts - truly a one of a kind lady and coach.”
A Little About My Professional Experience and How I Can Help You…
Helping my colleagues and coaching clients achieve their practice goals and professional visions by providing focused support, specific tools and working from an individual hands-on approach while honing in on your creativity and supporting your vision is what I do best as a business coach.
Whether you want to create multiple income streams, increase clients, build a fee for service, insurance free practice, specialize in a niche, update or add compelling content to your website, create a group practice and hire employees, get organized and on track, or write a book, e-book, or develop a product - these are the areas that I specialize in. I love working side-by-by side with my clients, getting tasks checked off, and celebrating as your practice and projects flourish! You can read what other colleagues have to say about my support here if you would like to do so.
Selecting and building a relationship with a business coach is an important decision. As such, I think it is wise to do your homework so that you can make an informed choice in choosing a coach who is a good fit for you, someone who will team up with you in order to support your vision. A coach should have both extensive knowledge and experience in the areas they specialize in.
Additionally, having an authentic connection with my clients is a must for me. If it doesn't feel like a good fit, I prefer to refer so that you are connected with just the right business coach for your practice needs. Here is the experience I bring to the table with my coaching and consulting clients and colleagues:
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, the founder and Executive Director of Growth Counseling Services, a successful fee for service/no insurance counseling center in Glendora, California with an average client wait list of 6-8 weeks. I am a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and CSAT Supervisor, a Certified Partners Trauma Therapist and Supervisor, a Certified Mindfulness Based Therapist and Supervisor, and a Certified Telehealth Therapist. I am also a Gottman trained couples therapist, and I am an EMDR trained therapist. Additionally, I am a faculty member and an ethics board member with The International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals, and a senior faculty member with The Mindfulness Academy of Addiction and Trauma Training.
My passion as a coach is supporting colleagues build their professional dreams. As such, I am a trusted business coach to therapists and healing professionals all around the world including: Australia, Cairo, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa. I have over 30 years of pre-clinical and clinical business experience and have held executive positions in Corporate America. My consulting and coaching spots are consistently booked between 2-8 weeks in advance.
Additionally, I am grateful for my other roles as a best selling author, a popular national speaker and presenter, and I have written several successful e-products. I am often asked to interview, teach, speak and present on the topic of how to create multiple income streams.
Nope, I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth or a fairy God Mother....
I spent my early years in foster care, dealt with many abuses and poverty, and was out on my own at 16 years old. With hard work, early therapy and healing, resiliency and determination, prayer, the occasional kindness of others, and good old fashioned elbow grease - I put myself through college with zero student loans or financial help, I created my first profitable business by 21 years of age, and I purchased my first home when I was 28. I created a fashion product at 30 which took the media by storm, and started my second very successful design business at 31 which I owned and operated at a profit for many years.
Then at 40 years old, I returned to graduate school for my masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I wrote my thesis at 43, founded my counseling center, Growth Counseling Services, wrote a best selling book at 47, and then wrote my second and third books in my early 50s. GCS is a fee for service, no insurance private practice and consistently has an average 6-8 week wait list for counseling sessions.
At 51 I was certified through the prestigious International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals as a CSAT and CPTT supervisor who provides consulting for therapists all over the world including clients in Australia, Cairo, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa. I have over 30 years of pre-clinical business experience and have held executive positions in Corporate America. And...the journey only continues!
I share all of this with you not to toot my own horn, rather I offer this professional timeline as a point of transparency - I believe that in order to be a successful coach, you must walk your talk, and it is important that a business coach has actually owned and operated profitable businesses, has developed several successful and diverse income streams, as well as having life experience to bring to the work.
It is not easy owning a business, and we cannot do it all by ourselves - every single person, myself included, needs support, coaching and mentorship at certain seasons of professional growth. Please be encouraged knowing that you and I will team up so that you can get focused. Let's start getting those ideas out of your head, and begin moving forward on the tasks you have had on your professional "to do" list checked off so that you can do the work you love, support the clients you care about, create more balance between your professional and personal life, and make a great living working smarter versus harder! If you want to hear more about my journey from foster kid to successful business owner, you can listen to an inspirational interview here.
My sincere belief is that each of us can achieve our visions, while helping our clients reach theirs - what a great model this can be for the people we love to work with!
Kind words from Consulting and Coaching Clients
“I wholeheartedly recommend the services of Mari A. Lee, MA, LMFT, CSAT! I have witnessed her work as a colleague and attended a training she provided which demonstrated her outstanding clinical work over multiple years. My conclusion? If she weren’t already a colleague and I lived in her area, I’d want to see Mari for therapy! She demonstrates an integration of high skill level, deep empathy for her clients, passion for her work, and contribution to our field as an author and educator. Truly, she is one of the best therapists I’ve known and I would refer to her constantly if she were local.”
“Mari is a very knowledgeable therapist and consultant for SA and partner’s work. She is professional, warm, focused, caring, and understanding of others feelings. I found her to be very helpful as a guide and coach.”
“Mari is an extraordinarily bright, insightful and thorough clinician. I have valued her consulting wisdom with SA and partners, and truly appreciate Mari’s support, and her ability to encourage and conceptualize with great depth, knowledge and compassion.”
How I Can Support You
Colleagues often share that they are frustrated in their efforts in building a private practice or create other income streams. I hear stories of disappointment, self doubt, and burn out as they struggle along. My goal is to work with you step-by-step to help you learn and execute the building blocks for a thriving business you love. As I often share with clients, it takes a team of support in certain seasons of life!
I know how hard we work in our counseling roles - for every hour we spend in helping clients, there is a whole back story of research, CEU's, clinical notes, client check in's, office management, paperwork, accounting, treatment planning, crisis management, practice management, and of course...keeping the rent paid and the lights on.
Running a successful private practice is more than the hour spent in a therapy session. Having a thriving business requires a support system and encouragement combined with solid practical tools. My philosophy that I live by as a clinician is that each therapist can have a practice that is prosperous and exciting, and make a living at the work you love to do, while still having a personal life.
Let's start getting your goals checked off so you can move forward. I'd love to can support you and
you are welcome to contact me for a first appointment. I've answered Frequently Asked Questions here to support you.
IMPORTANT NOTE: IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CLEAR ETHICAL BOUNDARIES, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT MARI DOES NOT WORK WITH CURRENT OR FORMER THERAPY CLIENTS OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, NOR DOES SHE WORK WITH CURRENT OR FORMER GROWTH COUNSELING SERVICES THERAPY CLIENTS OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING THIS PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARY. I WILL BE HAPPY TO REFER YOU OUT IN THIS CASE.