At Tailwinds Psychology, we believe that truly high-quality mental healthcare starts with supporting the professionals who provide it. Too often in our industry, clinicians are asked to manage billing, track down unpaid balances, or even sign restrictive contracts, all of which undermine both their well-being and the care clients receive.
That’s why we’ve built a different model. One that places people over profit, and well-supported clinicians over unhealthy incentives.
You’ve earned your training and expertise. At Tailwinds, your compensation reflects that and grows with your impact:
Some practices tie compensation to what the firm collects, not what you do. That means clinicians spend hours wrestling with paperwork, insurance reimbursement, and unpaid fees, taking valuable time away from client care.
At Tailwinds, you’re paid for doing the clinical work. Not for chasing bills. Not for filling out endless insurance forms. Our approach is simple: improve someone’s life; get paid for doing it.
Putting power into the hands of clinicians means recognizing that one-size-fits-all compensation models no longer work in today’s private practice environment. While most practices insist on an either/or approach by offering only performance-based (i.e., percentage-split, hourly-rate) or salary models, Tailwinds’ both/and compensation philosophy is designed to align with your professional vision:
Regardless of where you are in your career, you’ll enjoy an industry-leading contract that respects the value you bring to your community and clients. Even better: Tailwinds clinicians can opt to change their compensation plan every year, so you’re never locked into an arrangement that no longer fits you.
Full-time clinicians receive:
We invest in your professional growth and personal well-being so you can bring your best self to every client.
We take our responsibility to developing clinicians seriously. At Tailwinds, all of our pre-licensed clinicians are full-time W-2 employees, not 1099 contractors. Why? Because requiring unlicensed professionals to shoulder the burden of private practice — without supervision, benefits, or job security — is not just unethical, it’s illegal.
We’re proud to provide our pre-licensed clinicians with:
Whether you’re completing postdoc hours or working toward your full license as an LCSW, LCPC, or LMFT, you’ll be a valued member of our team from day one, not an underpaid revenue source.
We know paperwork doesn’t help someone heal. That’s why we provide:
Your job? Help others. We’ll handle the rest.
We believe clinicians should control their careers, and clients should control their care. Contracts that force departing clinicians to practice beyond a certain “radius” restrict access to mental wellness for local clients who wish to continue to work with their therapist, many of whom belong to protected client populations such as veterans and first responders. When it comes to mental healthcare, non-compete clauses aren’t just unethical; they’re illegal and unenforceable under Illinois law.
Tailwinds prides itself on the value it creates for clients and isn’t afraid of healthy competition. That’s why we don’t include non-compete clauses in any of our contracts.
Contracts that prohibit clinicians from taking their clients with them when they leave a practice violate clients’ rights to choose their own providers. Although we hope any clinician who joins us will be a long-term member of our team, we will never try to stop our practitioners from taking their clients with them if they transition out of Tailwinds. That’s their right, supported by Illinois law.
We believe in empowering clinicians and clients to choose freely. As a sign of good faith, we even offer a client-transition bonus to new clinicians who bring their clients with them when they join us.
Tired of practice owners scrutinizing your progress notes? Fed up with testing directors who criticize your assessment reports because you didn’t ask their favorite question or include their preferred measure?
Tailwinds respects and affirms the ability of fully-licensed clinicians to administer high-quality services according to their training and style. We understand that every clinician brings a unique professional background to the table, and we trust our clinical team members to adhere to the highest standards of mental healthcare. That’s why we include a professional autonomy clause in each of our contracts in which we legally commit to NEVER micromanage our clinicians’ approach to treatment, evaluation, client communication, or clinical documentation.
You spent years cultivating your clinical approach. Your style is valid. You deserve better than headaches and distractions.
At Tailwinds Psychology, we are committed to supporting the long-term growth and fulfillment of our clinical team. We provide clear pathways for professional development through mentorship, consultation, and opportunities to deepen expertise in emerging areas of practice. Clinicians receive bonuses for pursuing advanced training and specialization, with support for continuing education and licensure advancement. As the practice grows, we also create opportunities for leadership and program development aligned with each clinician’s strengths and interests.
When considering your next professional step, it’s important to see how different opportunities compare. At Tailwinds Psychology, we’ve built our practice with clinicians in mind, offering stability, support, and clear pathways to career advancement. The table below highlights how our model stacks up against online therapy startups and typical private practices.
$300,000-$365,000
$120,000-$170,000
$120,000-$150,000
$100,000-$115,000
$103,000-$123,000
$73,000-$105,000
$78,000-$93,000
$65,000-$78,000
Base Salary: $55,000
Base Salary: $45,000
If you’re a clinician who wants to spend your time doing what you trained to do — without unnecessary admin, unethical billing practices, or contractual scare tactics — Tailwinds is the home you’ve been looking for.
We’re always looking for the next all-star therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist for our world-leading team. Apply to join us today and let’s rewrite the mental healthcare playbook.
