How to Design the Career You Want as a Therapist with Dr. Emily Anhalt

Heard Business School

Designing a career on your own terms isn’t easy, especially if it doesn’t exist out there yet. But Dr. Emily Anhalt found a way to do just that.

Dr. Emily, clinical psychologist, author, and co-founder of Coa, talks with Michael Fulwiler about building a career that works for you. From her early days in private practice to launching a mental health startup, Emily shares how she reframed mental health as emotional fitness and found ways to apply therapy skills far beyond the usual clinic.

She opens up about the risks of self-disclosure, the tension between coaching and therapy, and how therapists can carve out paths that match their strengths, even in industries like tech.

In the conversation, they discuss:

• How to build a business around your interests and clinical training
• What emotional fitness looks like in therapy and beyond
• How self-awareness and boundaries shape long-term sustainability in this work

Connect with the guest:

• Dr. Emily on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dremilyanhalt/
• Dr. Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dremilyanhalt/
• Visit her website: https://www.dremilyanhalt.com/
• Order Flex Your Feelings by Dr. Emily on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Flex-Your-Feelings-Develop-Emotional/dp/0593717619

Connect with Michael and Heard:

• Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfulwiler/
• Newsletter: https://www.joinheard.com/newsletter
• Book a free consult: joinheard.com/consult

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Welcome to Heard Business School
(01:00) Meet Emily Anhalt

(02:16) Building an Audience on Social Media

(03:18) Consistency and Generosity on Social Media

(04:49) Journey from Grad School to Private Practice

(06:30) Working with Silicon Valley Founders and Executives

(07:19) Introducing Emotional Fitness as a Proactive Approach

(09:28) Framing Emotional Fitness as Preventative Care

(11:41) The Power of Therapist Self-Disclosure as a Patient

(13:00) Navigating Self-Disclosure

(16:48)Therapy, Coaching, and Meeting Clients Where They Are

(20:20) Starting a Speaking and Workshop Career

(21:53) Transitioning to Charging for Speaking Engagements

(32:11) Designing the Career You Want

(35:20) Co-founding Coa: A "Gym for Mental Health"

(48:57) Using the Book Flex Your Feelings and Empowering Therapists

This episode is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, business, or tax advice. Each person should consult their own attorney, business advisor, or tax advisor with respect to matters referenced in this episode.