Dr. Charmain F. Jackman’s The Black Therapist’s Guide to Private Practice and Entrepreneurship is a powerful, step-by-step resource created for Black therapists who aspire to launch, build, and sustain a private practice or business ownership in the behavioral health space. This book speaks to the lived experiences of therapists navigating systems that were not built with this population in mind.
Across thirteen chapters, Dr. Jackman walks readers from the initial vision of private practice to retirement planning and legacy-building. She balances personal narratives, practical guidance, and psychological insight. By sharing her path from graduate school to entrepreneurship, including the internal doubts and external barriers she faced, Dr. Jackman makes the content feel grounded and authentic. She also highlights that many graduate students have the dream of private practice, but after graduation, find themselves juggling the demands of a full-time career, family, and everyday life responsibilities that push entrepreneurial dreams aside.
Dr. Jackman addresses an important point in graduate education. Program curricula often focus on licensure and accreditation standards, leaving students unprepared for business ownership. Therefore, they create a gap in essential areas such as financial literacy, marketing, branding, and other business fundamentals. At the end of each chapter, Dr. Jackman concludes with actionable strategies, mindset work, reflection exercises, and meditative prompts, providing readers space to process internalized beliefs, build confidence, and develop a plan for personal and professional growth.
The book challenges myths surrounding entrepreneurship in the mental health field—particularly those affecting communities of color. Systemic barriers have historically excluded people of color from business ownership. Dr. Jackman urges readers to challenge limiting beliefs around money, self-worth, and success, and advocates for a much-needed mindset shift. She challenges the belief that helping professionals should not be concerned with making money and encourages readers to explore and redefine their beliefs around wealth, worth, and success. She reframes entrepreneurship not only as acceptable but essential for long-term sustainability and impact.
What sets this book apart is how it centers the challenges that Black therapists face, while also expanding to include therapists who have been exploited, oppressed, and othered. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color) encounter such challenges when stepping into entrepreneurship. It is also a valuable resource for allies and those in positions of power seeking to support therapists of color.
In conclusion, The Black Therapist’s Guide to Private Practice and Entrepreneurship is a powerful read for social work students, educators, and practitioners alike. The book aligns with our core values, such as cultural competence, empowerment, and social justice. It fills a critical gap by offering culturally responsive, business-oriented guidance with clarity, compassion, and purpose. Black therapists in private practice can positively affect underserved communities. This book serves as a blueprint for creating a career that reflects the therapist's values, identity, and long-term vision, and challenges our profession to expand the way we think about entrepreneurship.
Reviewed by LaToia Carter, DSW, LMSW, a licensed social worker with more than 20 years of experience across diverse populations, including school settings, hospice and medical care, juvenile justice, homelessness, and community mental health care. Dr. Carter is passionate about mental health equity, culturally responsive service delivery, and bridging the gap between social work education and practice. Her work centers on fostering inclusive, anti-oppressive frameworks and mentoring future social workers through education and field instruction.