#201: Shelley Christ: Finding Hope & Healing Through Ketamine Therapy

OVERVIEW:

Jason A. Duprat, Entrepreneur, Healthcare Practitioner, and Host of the Healthcare Entrepreneur Academy podcast talks with Shelley Christ, DNP, PMHNP, and Co-Owner of Hope for Healing. Shelley discusses her journey as a business owner and the steps she took to open her practice. She also offers advice for people who want to start their own practice.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• Shelley is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and 30 years of experience as an RN.
• Hope for Healing opened in January 2021 in Avon, Connecticut. Once she completed the Ketamine Academy course, it took Shelley three months to open the practice. The course taught Shelley about scope of practice, state laws, malpractice insurance, as well as staffing and supply requirements.  
• Shelley had owned a home health business so she was already familiar with policies and procedures, hiring people, and managing employees. 
• Her goal for Hope for Healing is to create a spa-like atmosphere with a warm, welcoming environment and to ensure a high level of customer service. This includes someone always being available to answer the phone so patients can schedule appointments with no waiting. Comfort touches include massage and anti-gravity chairs, drinks, snacks, and blankets.    
• Shelley talks about different models for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
• She shares her own experiences with treatment-resistant depression which eventually led her to try ketamine therapy.
• Her advice to people who want to start their own practice: If you can’t go without the income from your work, go slow.
• Invest in a good marketing agency that understands what you’re trying to get across. 
• When it comes to staffing, Shelley knew a lot of people already. She hired new staff through word-of-mouth and placed ads on LinkedIn and Indeed. 
• Services are private pay. She does provide patients with a superbill that they can submit to their insurance companies. 
• Shelley is passionate about her vision and the people she cares for. Her business focus is to attract, love, and nurture people. 

3 KEY POINTS:

1. Shelley’s previous experiences as a business owner, coupled with what she has learned from the Ketamine Academy course, have helped her launch and run her own practice.
2. Hope for Healing follows a holistic approach, combining low-dose ketamine infusions, medication management, and a short-term CBT program.
3. After her own positive experience with ketamine, Shelley feels her purpose is to help as many people as she can—people who suffer from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.

TWEETABLE QUOTES:

“When we make changes in the way we’re thinking... we feel better and we do better.” - Shelley Christ

“With ketamine - within two weeks and by my sixth treatment - I was back to myself.” - Shelley Christ

“If you want to make it work, you’re going to make it work.” - Shelley Christ

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