We had the good fortune of connecting with Emin Gharibian, Psy.D. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emin, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my business was the next step after finishing my doctorate in psychology and getting licensed as a psychologist. My passions in graduate school were in the fields of neuropsychology and forensic psychology. Given my background and training, I started my business to be able to practice and work in these two areas. The work I do is mostly forensic in nature, meaning that I primarily conduct evaluations for legal cases and testify in court as an expert witness.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started my practice with the goal of helping people. My practice areas (forensics and neuropsychology) are niche areas within psychology. I had a passion for these fields of study and I knew that there is a high demand for these services and not enough providers that provide them.

Like starting any new business, there was a lot to do in the beginning. I had to find office space, purchase supplies, and develop a marketing and business plan. I started planning for all this before I was licensed so I was able to hit the ground running as soon as I could practice independently. It was challenging and exhausting at first but as more time passed, it became more manageable. I’m three years into my practice and things are running fairly smoothly.

Since my work is very niche and specialized, my referrals started off through advertising and marketing but then started to pick up and become more word of mouth as I built more connections in the industry. I’m now on the expert witness panels for the L.A. County adult and juvenile court systems and over 90-95% of my work is legal in nature.

The main takeaway from all this is that if you have a well-thought-out plan and take small but actionable steps along the way, and work towards those goals consistently, you’ll eventually be able to accomplish your goals.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be here if it was not for the help from my parents and wife that supported me in my long journey through college and graduate school. I also had a lot of great mentors and supervisors along the way through my various training sites. They helped me learn the skills I now possess that allow me to succeed in my career.

Website: https://verdugopsych.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

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