Monstrously big companies like Amazon tragically ate up small business everywhere. I won’t be surprised if Amazon makes a therapy platform and takes up that healing space too. Book stores, computer shops, and other small businesses were devastated when corporate America decimated their businesses. For some, they’re still finding small ways to try and survive. I know Dr. Dowtin and I support small book stores via our BookShop or small businesses like CLC try their best to stay afloat by offering sales and reducing their overhead to last as long as possible. These are rare gems that try their best to stay afloat amongst the huge BetterHelp’s of America.
I’ve worked in a corporate version of health care and see the difference in efforts of how I’m able to attend to each case when I work in my own small business instead of serving the enormous corporation. I no longer feel like I’m serving hamburgers to the masses in a version of watered down, and frankly dangerous therapy. I now am able to deeply attend to folks in and between sessions through things like concentrated therapy consultation groups, additional trainings, and just coming into sessions with enough rest to hear what people need from our time together.
I’m not scared that Better Help will take my business and if they’re able to help someone then that’s great. I’m not even trying to shame you from your Amazon subscription. I just wanted to highlight the dedicated, mindful work places like BookShop, CLC, and numerous other small businesses are doing. Some of my favorite small therapy businesses are owned by my dear friends such as Dr. Chona Green at The Green Garden where very passionate, dedicated work is being done. When I try and think of that being watered down I’m saddened. I’m not worried that big business will crush us. I’m terrified that unethical care will be done for corporate money making rather than making mental health care more accessible, but still ethical and high quality. There are so many things we can do to contribute to making things more accessible and still preserving quality. I know I’ll shop small business today and I hope I can keep thinking of ways to contribute to a solution rather than a bandaid overall.
Soft Heart Psychology 