Nicole Williams, LMFT (she/her) came to Lyra with over a decade of experience as a private practice therapist. She was drawn to Lyra by the support and culture, but most importantly she found that our mission aligns with her personal values.
If you’re curious why an independent private practice therapist like Nicole finds full-time remote work with Lyra rewarding, listen to her story.
Hi Nicole! We just learned about your favorite things, so now let’s find out how you got started with Lyra. What was it that made you give a career in virtual mental health care a chance?
Lyra feels like a company that has been built around the work I do. It’s a fantastic opportunity for therapists like me to let the experts manage the business part so I can sit with the client and do that work. I also feel a great level of autonomy. We work from an evidence-based orientation at Lyra that allows me to incorporate a variety of effective approaches so I can meet clients where they are and move them to where they want to be.
How do you find that balance in personal and professional life while being a therapist at Lyra?
I pride myself on prioritizing self-care. It’s the only way I know how to get through this career successfully. I have worked for other companies that said the right thing, but didn’t follow it up with support. And that is not Lyra. Lyra does practice what it preaches in terms of self-care and support for therapists.
I feel incredibly supported to prioritize self-care and make sure I’m doing the best I can to be as optimal as possible for my clients. I also feel specifically supported by my supervisor, who understands who I am and what I’m going through and is always there to cheer me on when I need to take good care of myself.
My peer community has been another source of great support. We hold each other up and remind each other when we need to make ourselves a priority. In contrast to private practice, where you determine what you need, this company helps me make sure I’m putting myself first in order to show up and do the best job I can.
Any final thoughts you’d like to share with fellow therapists?
I’m an independent person. I was a private practice therapist for 12 or 13 years. I would say that prior to coming to Lyra, I wasn’t completely sure there’d be a fit for me at a company—not with this independent streak. And I’m so happy to say that it suits me to be here. I love the work I do at Lyra. I love my clients, I love my colleagues. It’s an easy place to work, and I anticipate a long career here.
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About the author
Nicole Williams, LMFT
Full-time Lyra Therapist
Nicole Williams, LMFT, is a therapist at Lyra Health and a certified professional life coach. She has been in practice for more than 14 years. Nicole practices a person-centered, relationship-based, collaborative approach and seeks to maintain a practice that is sensitive to diversity, oppression, and cultural humility. She feels the distinct privilege of supporting those who aspire to transform certain aspects of their lives.
Nicole’s professional experience has added to her comfort working with others in varied circumstances, including those managing transitions in their lives, those who work as first responders, returning military veterans transitioning back to civilian life, trauma survivors, and those who have experienced adversity in a multitude of ways. Her experience as a clinical supervisor has allowed her to provide mentorship and guidance to new therapists as they navigate the end of their formal education and transition into clinical practice.
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