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From burnout to balance: How Headway helped one provider reclaim her practice

With administrative support, this provider was relieved from insurance uncertainty and rediscovered the joy in her work.

June 12, 2025

6 min read

Porsche Terry, LCSW, remembered the day it all overwhelmed her:

“I was working seven jobs and still couldn’t catch up.”

She’d been in private practice for years, contracting independently with major insurance plans. At first, she thought she could manage it all herself: therapy, billing and payment collection, credentialing, and compliance. Her passion for making therapy equitable and affordable is what drove her to get paneled with insurance companies, and she was committed to increasing access to care for those who need it. But, over time the weight became impossible.

“I’m not an accountant, bill collector, or a claims adjuster,” she said. “I was trying to collect payment for services I already performed—while still performing services.”

Porsche’s frustration wasn’t just about late checks and red tape. It was about taking on two jobs at once: therapist and administrator, without support or an end in sight. She had entered the field to help people, but the system was burning her out. 

The hidden cost of going it alone

Porsche cared deeply for her clients, but the system made it harder and harder to show up for them. Instead of focusing on care, she was buried in paperwork, insurance portals, and unanswered phone calls — and was constantly worried about whether or not she’d be paid.

“I would spend way more time doing admin work,” she said, because “each patient comes with their own set of requirements, progress notes, and billing issues.”

Even small changes created big disruptions. When one insurer changed their claim submission address, she said, “claims were waiting for 150 days, and I couldn’t find time to call them.”

Her story is personal — but one many can relate to. Countless providers find themselves in the same tug-of-war between time and money, care, and survival.

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The system was not built for therapists

This level of administrative work is not always realistic for independent clinicians without a full billing team to fill the gaps. Like many providers, Porsche found herself stuck in a process that felt more like an obstacle than a support.

Just getting paneled was time-consuming and expensive. Trainings were unpaid. Understanding client benefits was her responsibility. And when things went wrong, she was often the one penalized — financially and emotionally.

“It felt like I was being treated like a fraud,” she said. "I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to do. But I haven’t received payment yet.”

A turning point

After years of managing insurance on her own, Porsche was burned out. She was spending more time on admin than therapy — and still struggling to get paid.

“It interfered with my passion to do therapy,” she said. “Trying to work with insurance impacted my physical, mental, and financial health.”

That changed when she joined Headway at the end of 2023.

Headway helps mental health providers accept insurance without taking on all the paperwork. We interact directly with insurance companies — handling claims, verifying benefits, collecting payment, and ensuring providers get paid reliably — so that clinicians can focus on care.

“Previously, I had patients who gave me their secondary insurance, instead of primary,” she said. “Their insurance denied sessions—and I was out hundreds of dollars.”

Now, Porsche gets paid on a consistent, bi-weekly schedule for every session she completes.

“I can align my bills to paydays,” she said. “I finally get to focus on my clients again.”

A partner in her corner

With Headway, providers get the autonomy of their own private practice with the community, tools, and resources available to a larger team. To Porsche, Headway isn't just a practice management platform or billing service — it's a true partner that advocates for her, negotiates on her behalf, and understands what providers are up against.

“It feels good to be seen.” 

With Headway, she no longer needs to have difficult financial conversations during therapy sessions or worry about failed credit cards, late checks, or chasing client payments. Headway solves that by checking eligibility, verifying payment methods and ensuring providers are paid biweekly, no matter what. 

Her message to other providers

For therapists and psychiatric providers who are feeling the weight of it all — burnout, financial uncertainty, administrative stress — Porsche has one message:

“You’re not alone.” 

She knows it’s hard to endlessly give and still struggle to make ends meet: “My fuel isn’t benevolence — my kids need to eat.” 

She entered the field to help people, not get lost in admin work and chasing payments. And with Headway, she finally feels like she can do the work she was meant to do.

“Headway has renewed my love for therapy.” 

Practice in-network with confidence

Simplify insurance and save time on your entire workflow — from compliance and billing to credentialing and admin.

Talk to a practice consultant

This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.

© 2026 Therapymatch, Inc. dba Headway. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

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