Dream Practice Academy is designed for licensed mental health prescribers who are ready to build or grow a private practice with clarity, clinical depth, and business confidence.

You do not need to be a psychiatrist to join. We welcome:

• Psychiatrists (including PGY-4 residents within 3 months of graduation)

• PMHNPs and psychiatric PAs with at least 1 year of post-graduate psychiatry experience

• Family medicine or internal medicine physicians with a strong interest in mental health

• FNPs or PAs with 3+ years of experience treating psychiatric conditions

If you're committed to delivering excellent care, growing your impact, and creating a career on your own terms — you’re in the right place.

Your enrollment includes 12 months of coaching and support, including live group calls, personalized feedback, community access, and all program tools. We structure the experience this way so you have dedicated time to make real progress — with consistent guidance, accountability, and strategic partnership along the way.

No experience required — and no prior interest needed.

You do not need to have any background in integrative psychiatry to join Dream Practice Academy. In fact, many members start with little or no exposure — and what they quickly discover is that the common-sense, patient-centered integrative practices we teach align beautifully with the kind of high-touch, values-driven care they already want to provide.

Inside the program, you'll learn:

• Fundamentals of integrative psychiatry — including how to use nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle interventions in a grounded, evidence-informed way

• Specific protocols you can start applying with patients right away

• Advanced clinical tools for those who want to go deeper (see Module 9 above for a full breakdown)

• Live case discussions and clinical Q&A during our bi-weekly calls

And even if you’ve already done training (like the IPI fellowship), many members still join to learn how to actually apply protocols with clarity, confidence, and clinical nuance.

This is about making integrative psychiatry practical, impactful, and approachable — no matter your starting point.

That’s absolutely welcome — and often a smart strategic choice.

While Dream Practice Academy originally focused on cash-pay practices (based on Elana’s own experience), we’ve since worked with hundreds of clinicians across a variety of models — and we’ve learned that insurance can make sense in many situations, especially if:

• You’re earlier in your career and want to build clinical confidence

• You’re in a market where insurance is in high demand

• You want to grow quickly and transition to cash-pay over time

We support both cash-pay and insurance-based models — and you’ll get personalized guidance on which insurances to accept, how to navigate credentialing, and how to build a business that works for your goals (with or without insurance in the long term).

This is about creating a practice that reflects your values — and we’ll help you make strategic decisions every step of the way.

Yes! Dream Practice Academy is a professional development and business expense. We recommend confirming with your accountant, but most clients write it off.

One note: you can write off DPA against your private practice income OR 1099 income from a side job. Meaning that even if you don't generate private practice revenue in the tax year you join, you can still deduct it as an expense as long as you earned 1099 income that year. 

However you CAN'T write off DPA against W2 income.

Yes — and in fact, this is exactly what we recommend.

Starting your practice while still working your W2 or 1099 job is often the smartest, most sustainable path forward. It reduces financial stress, which means you can make strategic, long-term decisions for your business — instead of being driven by fear, urgency, or cash flow pressure.

Inside Dream Practice Academy, we give you specific guidance on how to combine your job with your practice, including:

• Structuring a part-time launch that fits your schedule

• Managing boundaries and patient load

• Knowing when you’re financially ready to cut back or leave

You’ll also learn how to run the numbers so you can make confident, informed decisions about when and how to transition — without putting yourself (or your practice) at risk.