Dr. Kim Chronister on Being a Social Media Famous Therapist

Want to know how to talk to your crush, identify relationship red flags or know when someone is lying? Mental health therapist, entrepreneur, influencer. Dr. Kim Chronister is spreading her advice all over Instagram and TikTok, and she might be the epitome of a Female Disruptor. A clinical psychologist, Dr. Kim is also a social media star. All of her business endeavors are focused on helping others. She shares free information with her 170.000 TikTok and Instagram followers, providing value to her audience. Her Beverly Hills practice treats people dealing with anxiety, mood disorders, substance abuse, and life transitions. She also does couples therapy and has recently taken up life coaching for those going through breakups. Keep on reading to learn more about Kim, the psychologist taking the internet by storm!

The Path to Entrepreneurship

Like many other Female Disruptors, Kim did not always know she wanted to be an entrepreneur. A business major, she used to work in the entertainment industry. She even interned at Madonna’s movie company!  But one day, a lightbulb went off in her head. Kim realized that she wanted to both help people and be her own boss. She knew there were plenty of careers that offered that. But becoming a psychologist was the best path for her.

We all know the entrepreneurial journey doesn’t come without its share of troubles. When Kim was studying for her licensure, she was committed to publishing online books. As a result, she went through a grueling and financially-strained for four months. Despite the financial risk and the tough times she had to go through, Dr. Chronister says that the sacrifice paid off. For her, the best thing about becoming an entrepreneur has been the feeling of empowerment. She is also thankful for the constant variety brought by owning a business. The freedom that comes with being her own boss has allowed her to write books, give advice on TV and radio, and write articles.

Being an entrepreneur has provided Kim the opportunity to be creative. She can also shift areas of focus when it comes to the types of clients she can treat. Dr. Chronister says, “I’m always mentally stimulated because entrepreneurship gives me the drive to continue researching, learning, networking, and being creative with collaborations.”

Content That Helps Others

When we asked Dr. Chronister how she brings goodness to the world, her first reaction was, “This question is everything.” As a psychologist, Kim is constantly driven by the desire to help others. She explains that “Value-adding is a big part of the way I live my life.” Kim creates content to add value to people’s lives, not to ask something of someone. For instance, in terms of social media strategy, she reveals that doing so organically attracts people into your eyes. Another way Kim helps others is by going to inner-cities that have large numbers of disenfranchised populations. There, she provides them with free information on how to access mental health and substance abuse resources.

Kim says she admires and respects her peers a lot. According to her, most therapists are in it for the right reasons and genuinely care. However, what differentiates her from the competition is that she uses what she learned as a business major and in sport psychology research. Kim is ignited by the idea of motivating people to go after their dreams. She says, “As we know, meaning and purpose are some of the fundamental ingredients for contentment.”

Giving Back: Advice from Dr. Chronister

Many women want to start their own business but have no idea where to start. Here are Dr. Chronister’s three pieces of advice for women wanting to start a business.

- Expect people to doubt you, but do it anyway.

- Find at least one person who has done something similar. Take them to lunch or offer value to them so you can learn.

- Challenge your perfectionism. Those who are the most successful typically understand that the first attempts will not be perfect and start anyways.

Being your own boss comes with its set of challenges. However, each failure and obstacle brings lessons. Those are Kim’s Five Leadership Lessons She Learned From Her Experience.

1. Lead Don’t Boss

Kim used to be the director of a rehab center. There, she worked closely with her staff and got to understand their needs. Early on, she realized she needed to earn their respect. Therefore, she worked hard and showed them what mattered: the clients and their care.

2. Listen

Kim says that, frequently, the people who are working directly with clients and customers know the most about increasing profit. “They are our eyes and ears.”

3. Love What You Do or Pivot

People are very attuned and can pick up if you are passionate about what you are doing – or not.

4. Avoid burnout with self-care

Kim says that we need to feel good about ourselves, but that takes work. For instance, she schedules massages, workouts, time with friends to avoid burnout. According to her, that makes her a better model for her clients and employees.

5. Reinforce

“Reinforcing people in a genuine way is critical,” says Dr. Chronister. “What gets rewarded gets repeated.”

Adapting to 2020

As she does every year, Kim wrote out her goals at the start of 2020. Then, every quarter, she looks at them to reassess and refocus. However, this year, she also listened to people who consume her content. By doing that, she realized that there was a very high demand for her new book, Breakup Recovery: Get Your Ex Back or Get Over Them for Good. The book is the base for her TikTok and Youtube videos. They are life coaching services to help as many people as possible in these difficult times.

Every business has had to adapt to the unique events of 2020. For Kim, the pandemic has led almost all of her therapy clients to move to phone and video sessions. Working from home has been challenging for many of us. To stay productive, Dr. Chronister advises focusing on the results you want for the week instead of the activities. She says that listening to nature sounds in the background helps increase productivity. On a personal level, Kim has also been working on her energy every day. As a result, people feel good around her, everywhere she goes.

Keeping in Touch with Dr. Kim Chronister

Follow Dr. Kim Chronister on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter at @DrKimChronister. There, you can find all sorts of psychology and life coaching advice, especially on the topic of relationships. Her latest book, Breakup Recovery: Get Your Ex Back or Get Over Them for Good, is available online. Female Disruptors are all about positivity. For Kim, belief in the good there is in the world is a lifestyle. Above all, no matter how hard things get, she reminds herself of her favorite quote, “Everything always works out.”