About Me

Mental health professionals struggling to build thriving private practices - or those experiencing burnout from the business side of clinical work - often lack the practical tools and guidance needed to create both professional success and personal fulfillment. Howard Baumgarten has spent over 25 years mastering the intersection of clinical excellence and business acumen, becoming one of Colorado's leading experts in helping therapists build sustainable, profitable practices without sacrificing their passion for helping others.

As Founder and Director of Atomic Behavioral Care and author of Private Practice Essentials: Business Tools for Mental Health Professionals (2017), Baumgarten represents a unique blend of seasoned clinician and successful entrepreneur. His pioneering work at the University of Colorado, where he developed one of the first private practice business courses in a CACREP-approved graduate program, demonstrates his commitment to preparing therapists for real-world business challenges. As a practice builder who helped create one of Colorado's largest private practice group mental health practices, he brings proven strategies that have been tested in competitive markets.

Baumgarten's expertise spans individual, couples, and family therapy, business consulting for mental health professionals, private practice development, resilience training, and compassion fatigue prevention. His approach recognises that clinical skills alone aren't enough - practitioners need business literacy, self-care strategies, and systems thinking to create practices that serve both their clients and their own well-being. He specialises in helping clinicians who feel overwhelmed by the business aspects of practice, those experiencing burnout, or practitioners ready to scale their impact through group practices or consultation services.

What sets his training apart is integration of compassion-based principles with practical business strategies. Baumgarten doesn't just teach marketing tactics - he shows practitioners how to build practices aligned with their values while maintaining healthy boundaries and preventing burnout. His research on compassion fatigue leading to "Integrative Resilience Theory" development reflects his commitment to evidence-based approaches to professional sustainability.

For your practice, expect to gain specific tools for practice management, strategies for preventing compassion fatigue, and frameworks for building resilient professional systems. His approach particularly benefits clinicians transitioning to private practice, those struggling with business aspects of their work, or practitioners wanting to expand their impact through training or consultation.

Quick Win: Baumgarten's "compassion-based business model" helps clinicians align their marketing and service delivery with their core therapeutic values - often increasing both client satisfaction and practitioner fulfillment simultaneously.

Qualifications

• MA, Psychology and Counselor Education, University of Colorado, 1997
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Colorado
• Over 25 years clinical experience
• Private practice since 2000
• Member, American Counseling Association (since May 1995)

Authored Publications

• Private Practice Essentials: Business Tools for Mental Health Professionals (2017)
• Research on compassion fatigue and resilience leading to "Integrative Resilience Theory" development

Teaching & Leadership

• Founder & Director, Atomic Behavioral Care, LLC, Denver, CO, 2022–present
• Founder, Smart Practice Central, 2013–present
• Licensed Professional Counselor, Private Practice, Lakewood, CO, 2001–present
• Adjunct Professor, University of Colorado (developed one of first private practice business courses in CACREP-approved program)
• Practice Builder & Manager, one of Colorado's largest private practice group mental health practices

Clinical Background

• Neurobehavioral Counselor & Family Services Coordinator (early career)
• Traumatic brain injury patient and family therapy
• 25+ years experience in individual, couples, and family therapy
• Diverse client populations including adolescents and adults

Speaking & Training

• International lecturer on mental health, business, and wellness since 2008
• Healthcare training conferences and workshops
• Podcast guest: The Juniper Center ("Resilience in the Face of Adversity")

Business Consulting

• Small business consultant specialising in healthcare practices
• Owner of two successful small businesses
• Healthcare Training Leader expert
• Compliance and wellness training specialist
• Specialised in mental health and specialty practices

Ready to build a thriving practice that serves both your clients and your own well-being? Discover how Howard Baumgarten's compassion-based business strategies can help you create professional success without sacrificing the values that drew you to this calling.