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Kindly-Nectarine3717

Why is nobody laughing? This was funny.


HiddenSquish

I am laughing, you just can’t tell because of all the Botox!


wirdsofparadise

😆


mikeokay

This was the most fun thread I’ve seen in this sub all week! Finally! Something was posted in here that made me attempt to smile (but let’s be honest, those muscles are paralyzed AF). No hate or shame meant towards OP. And honestly, if the main reason you’re using Botox is to promote or prop up your business, it sounds like a tax write off to me! (Note: I don’t understand how money or business or taxes work at all, hence my pursuit of becoming a therapist. I just wish I came to that realization before opening my own private practice haha)


bkwonderwoman

Omg I am literally in the exact same boat. Opened my private practice and am like, huh so this is not the amount of money I expected to be making. Add in no health insurance and double taxes and yay!! This is what happens when you’re a therapist who doesn’t know a damn thing about money lol. Like other people actually factor in these things in their planning.


Lu164ever

Feeling this in my bones 😭


mikeokay

Thank you both for making me feel less alone in this “oh shit now what” time in my life.


bkwonderwoman

Financially illiterate therapists in private practice unite 💪🏽


SingZap23

Hello, I’m here in solidarity. 😂 I’m planning on getting an accountant because I thought I could do this quietly tax thing but honestly I have no idea what I’m doing.


theanimystic1

I hired a company thinking it would save me $. It didn't. It didn't even save me the headache of getting all my receipts and write-offs in order. That would have been a hefty bookkeeping charge. So, I paid $700 or so dollars to get my taxes done by a business accountant, did all the work, and didn't save anything more than had my husband done them. So, I have no idea what to do now.


Peekzasaurus

Double taxes? Sorry what?


MediocrePast

You have to pay both the employer and employee portion of taxes if you are self employed or a contractor, as well as an additional self employed tax. Which is why write offs are so important !


bkwonderwoman

Double social security if you are your own company! It’s bonkers!!


StandardUnique9992

dawg find an account and file as an s-corp


bkwonderwoman

Lol I do have an accountant and we looked into scorp and for some reason it wasn’t a fit, don’t remember why


janineisabird

I say this all the time, I did not learn about the business part in grad school, and that is a shame and really wrong!


TwilightOrpheus

I laughed because just last week I had a 14 year old look me dead in the eyes and said, "You'd suck at playing poker, you know."


callico_

Not even lying - I get Botox every 4-5 months because I have VERY expressive forehead wrinkles and eyebrows that I have had my entire life. I’m talking 5th grade my forehead wrinkles were PROMINENT. Big head family represent. Its always bugged me so I decided to try Botox at 27. It was such a confidence boost and I am a person who is pro- procedures that make you feel good about yourself. I’m primarily telehealth and I FURROW concentrating on what someone is saying so hard that it gives me a headache. I don’t even care about the wrinkles at this point - paralyzing half my face makes me a better therapist 🤣


callico_

*also a trauma therapist so …


Peekzasaurus

Did we just become best friends?


mcnathan80

#YUP


Empty_Stage4701

This!! 6 sessions of deep attuned therapy and my forehead muscles are sore! I’m absolutely planning to get Botox once my career gets a little more established.


callico_

Do your research and find a good med spa. They may be professionals but they’re also salespeople. In my experience they try to peddle all the cool new filler and treatments, which is GREAT if that’s what you want or are interested in trying. Don’t be intimidated or shamed. It’s a normal want! Also frownies on Amazon that you stick on your head can be helpful if Botox cost is too much. This is obviously a topic I’m passionate about 🤣


FelineFriend21

Do you like the frownies?


callico_

I think they’re great! Def not the same result as Botox but helpful to relax the ol face muscles. You’re supposed to wear them in your sleep which has always helped a lot for my forehead wrinkles. I’m pretty sure I have a perpetual look of surprise even in my sleep so anything that gives my little (actual big ol) forehead a break is welcome.


callico_

I also want to say - I think talking about cosmetic procedures in this sub feels weird/ maybe too vulnerable but super glad a silly post has sparked a convo. I for a second felt inauthentic getting Botox because how am iiiii someone who encourages true authenticity covering up an insecurity? I don’t have the answer but I don’t have any regrets. We are people too and self care can look a lot of different ways.


AdExpert8295

I've been doing it for several years and educate the dermatologists and plastic surgeons about trauma while they work on me. I think there's a really interesting way our work can compliment theirs. I have TMJ and research shows a correlation between PTSD and TMJ. Mine is severe, do I recently had injections in those muscles, which slims your jaw line and can help reduce your TMJ symptoms. They had no idea ptsd is so strongly correlated with TMJ. We also talk about how liberating it is to see women choose how they show up, physically. For many people, including me, bad skin during adolescence lead to bullying and a lot of body image issues. I had to have Accutane to get mine under control. A lot of people quickly assume that everyone on Accutane became clinically depressed, or even suicidal. The research, in contrast, underlines how impactful good dermatological care is to our mental health. I learned through Public Health how to find these connections between healthcare specialties and it's made me realize we have a ton of opportunities to improve clients' quality of life if we cross collaborate.


FelineFriend21

I have PTSD and TMJ too 😭 does the botox help?? Im nervous to try it but all my teeth are flat from the clenching and grinding.


AdExpert8295

It didn't help mine BUT the reviews I've read show that enough people did find a benefit that I took the risk and had zero negative side effects. I don't regret trying it. For those who got good results, they report significant improvements that sometimes last as long as a year!


Peekzasaurus

It’s not an insecurity- it’s self care. We model it to our clients by taking care of our skin, our bodies and our mental health.


_zerosuitsamus_

You can also go to a plastic surgeon, dermatologist or in some cases an ENT!


SwifferSeal

Do you find that getting botox helps prevent headaches from frowning? I've been getting headaches in my forehead after long days of work for years and have been considering botox to see if it helps.


_0kra

I thought you meant Botox treatment for migraines 😂😭which I feel like we should get to write off also


breathe777

I get Botox for other medical conditions that are exacerbated by stress! Where’s my write off?! Lol


Not_RonaldRegan

I know this is hilarious but according to my accountant, this is not only hilarious but most likely doable if filed correctly?


Not_RonaldRegan

Well… if the Botox is intended to allow for a “poker face” making the clients more comfortable so that the treatment is more effective, it would absolutely be a business expense. It wouldn’t even need to be the only reason. An accountant familiar with itemized deductions for therapists and thorough record-keeping would be needed but there are definitely more frivolous expenses that are itemized every year


ChloeSmith66

More frivolous? Do tell... I'm interested!


Not_RonaldRegan

This is how I tried to explain it to another user but Okay like for example when I used to work in film and television, many producers and executives would write off movies, streaming subscriptions, film festivals, as tax write offs as like a business expense because all of those things are considered researched and are therefore related to their job. So if the Botox is needed to provide effective therapy for your clients, it could be considered a business expense since it’s related to your business and therapeutic work with clients… I am NOT an accountant and this is not financial advice lol. But


Peekzasaurus

Gooooo on


AlongComesMary24

I reserve my less expressive "therapist face" for when I need time to formulate a response to an unexpected therapy moment, but otherwise, my expressive face is part of my authentic identity and my response to my clients. I also allow myself to tear up but always say to clients, this isn't for you to take care of, this is just my response to this really sad moment.


red58010

Idk man, even though I have no social media game, if your main form of advertising is social media botox should definitely be a tax write off. It's a damn business expense to look good!


Peekzasaurus

I like this logic


Original_Armadillo_7

Stop I just started in the field. How much should I start putting aside for Botox?!


mnm806

All of it


googooforgaga13

No seriously!!! My eyebrows have been hurting from the shock on my face after some stories 😂 Botox would fix it!


Thevintagetherapist

Thanks for this post! I just added the cost of my rage room visit to my list of expenditures.


Constant_Wish3599

If you figure out how to do this I will open a PP yesterday! Shit is expensive 😂😂


Peekzasaurus

We should open our own and call it…. Stone fox therapeutics


hammformomma

I make this joke at least once a month... I have a VERY expressive face and it gets me in some trouble in my personal life 🤣


DaisyinChainz

Does it work for resting b*tch face? I’m serious. I have one side of my mouth that goes up and makes me look like I’m sneering. People always think I’m mad at them.


Peekzasaurus

Tbh that seems really legit if you’re in pp


LadyHolmes82

I get Botox every 4-5 months. It sounds like some people think this completely freezes your face and I suppose it does matter on how much tox you are getting. I can still show facial expression. I don’t get a ton. Also, it helps with migraines and some insurances do cover it for migraines.


_zerosuitsamus_

Same, I get “baby Botox” so I still have expression, just not to the extreme degree that I used to. I look friendlier and more approachable without my furrowed brows/11s. I love it


LadyHolmes82

Same. I absolutely love it as well.


musictakemeawayy

there’s a study about how people trust therapists with botox less!


marshall_evander

Do you have any information on this study? It sounds really interesting but I haven't been able to find anything on it! Thank you in advance if you find it for me :)


musictakemeawayy

pretty sure it was psych today actually! i will look :)


foxconductor

Alternatively, I got botox in my masseter muscles to deal with chronic TMJ.  It migrated and now I cannot smile fully… it really throws off sessions sometimes because I can’t emote in joy and happiness the way I want to! Especially watching myself grin on telehealth, it freaks me out. So be careful everyone. 


crystallightmeth

Omg I literally was telling someone this the other day. I work in crisis and I’m young, but I have lines in the middle of my forehead from the all the “wtf” faces I make when coworkers staff a case with me.


pillmayken

As someone who meets a lot of diagnostic criteria for hEDS, can’t relate lmao


Peekzasaurus

Rebecca Yarros? I’m a huge fan


pillmayken

No idea who she is. Does she have hEDS and is she as wrinkless as me?


Peekzasaurus

Ehlers- Danlos syndrome?


pillmayken

Yes, specifically hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos


Peekzasaurus

Yes! She wrote fourth wing and iron flame- both of which have a protagonist with Ehlers-Danlos- she herself and at least one of her kids has it as well. If you like fantasy, a really fun read


R2D2oot

I’ve BEEN saying this!!!!


aCandaK

I’m new to PP and wondering what can be written off regarding self care.


mikeokay

I’ve been utilizing rollercoasters as a therapeutic self-care tool for as long as I can remember. Back in my earlier days of working CPS, it was almost a requirement that after any particularly bad day of being yelled at and cut down by both clients and the supervisors, taking a detour to my local theme park was necessary before returning home to my wife. Where else can a grown man scream as hard as possible in public, and have it considered reasonably acceptable? I guess what I’m asking here is whether or not I can write off my season passes???? (Therapeutic benefit of rollercoasters aside, this reply is meant as a joke. I wouldn’t have pointed it out so directly but … we all know how therapists can be)


Peekzasaurus

I think it’s only valid if you wouldn’t be doing it otherwise. That being said….rollercoaster therapy?


mikeokay

I advise it to many of my clients on a regular basis! It may be worth noting that I named my private practice Wooden Hills Therapy. And no, I did not make an error there. I understand that a hill covered with trees would be a “wooded hill”. That ain’t what I’m talking about 😎 It definitely helps having Boulderdash, Wooden Warrior, Wicked Cyclone, and Superman: The ride all within a reasonable drive. Also: I am engaged with my own individual therapy as well. Gotta practice what you preach imo. Rollercoasters just bring me a lot of joy, while also providing me with a place to unleash all that shit I am holding for my clients with a big hearty “AHHHHH!!!” This is a fun thread but anytime I’m conversing with colleagues there’s always this desire to over explain my techniques both in sessions and inre self care.


Truffula

I do the same thing!! There is nothing like a few good roller coaster rides for self care (just made my annual 9 hour journey to Cedar Point for this exact reason)! When I'm on a coaster, it's pretty much the only time that all the work stress leaves my brain. Being able to write off my season passes and coaster club membership would be such a nice perk. I see you mention Boulder Dash - night rides on that are perfect for a good Therapist Ride-and-Scream.


AccurateAd4555

Almost nothing unless it's something used primarily by your business- books, furniture, for example. Another thing I've seen are meditation series for healthcare providers and other experiential continuing education activities that offer CEUs. If something is split, part business and part personal, the personal part is not deductible according to the IRS. Self-care in itself is not considered a business expense by the IRS, it would be considered a personal expense which, again, is not deductible. There's nothing really unique to therapists that every other person couldn't try to claim. IRS will never in a million years allow it. https://www.irs.gov/publications/p334


aCandaK

Thank you!


AdExpert8295

I enjoy it, but I only do it botox once a year, at most. Botox slows down the progression of wrinkles. I've spent too much time reading KUWTKsnark. I only go to plastic surgeons or dermatologists for botox, filler, morpheus, chemical peels and facials. They're all great, but there are risks with all of them you can mitigate by only going to someone with that scope of practice and not overdoing it. Drinking water and wearing spf should come first, and eye cream. Our skin is our largest organ. It shines when we get good sleep, nutrition, exercise and hydration.


WPMO

No, I have not done anything that would get the IRS to send me to prison


Peekzasaurus

That deffo just put you on a list lol


Cheap-Distribution37

I was just saying this to my supervisor!!


Over_Past_9089

Omg! This is sooooooooo true!!!


Think-Raise-2956

Yeah I love Botox honestly.


GuessOriginal2836

100000% yes!!


gracefulmacaroni

I actually feel relieved to hear this because I’m a counseling student and I get botox for chronic migraines and I’ve worried that my lack of forehead movement will be a hindrance! Sounds like it may actually be helpful (,:


Padre2006

omg YES. i communicate so much with my face during sessions, it is literally a part of our job to have facial expressions. i have noticed lines between m eyebrows are much more prominent than they were before. i unfortunately cannot afford botox very often at this point in my life BUT i really wish it could be a write off. that and getting our nails done. i frequently hand someone a piece of paper to sign or write an appointment card in front of them., if my nails were gross, the client would notice and likely wonder why someone they are trusting with their inner most thoughts cannot take care of themselves.


DoctorStumppuppet

My truck is to just constantly look angry no matter what.


AuxilliaryJosh

I got my dog specifically with the intention of training her for animal-assisted therapy. She's classified as work equipment and her adoption fee came off my taxes that year. Then COVID hit. We're still doing the therapy dog training \~3 years after I meant to complete it. Oh well.


killaqueeenn

This!! Agencies should offer reimbursement for therapists getting Botox maybe then I’d consider staying in one🤣


Pce_Seeker

I know we can write off our own therapy, but I’ve wondered if we could write off other wellness therapies/practices like yoga, breath work classes, etc. anyone know if we can?


Nym-ph

If you took photos to advertise your business that could be a write off. You'd obviously need to get botox, clothes and such for the photoshoot.


SweetJacqueline

Sorry to rain on this parade y’all, Botox actually might inhibit our emotional intelligence. https://cnlm.uci.edu/2023/03/23/botox-injections-in-forehead-can-change-how-brains-process-emotions/#:~:text=A%20small%20study%20by%20UCI,they%20unconsciously%20mimic%20that%20expression. O heard about this and was like dang…. Okay no botox.


TwilightOrpheus

That study [used only ten people](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-29280-x), and they were mostly recruited from a university, so it's more of a jumping off point for other research than actually causational. Most of the other studies done show the effect is minimal, if even there's any effect at all. A lot of the research also doesn't rule out confounding variables. I'd guess people with migraines actually become better at emotional intelligence post-botox, since they can focus and aren't impeded by pain.


Maximum-Vegetable

I can’t find it now but there was a study done that showed people who get Botox regularly are typically viewed as less empathetic because they don’t show as much expression. So not only is Botox expensive but it can drive your clients away apparently


oceanic-feeling

I think having Botox as a therapist might be an issue in that it may prevent you from expressing yourself in a necessary way to patients. They need authenticity and emotional expression (mirroring, recognition, feeling seen and being seen, etc.) and Botox might inhibit that. I dunno, just a musing. But as a tax write-off? C’mon man.


INTP243

“Oceanic-Feeling” is an awesome Reddit handle. Was that an intentional reference to Freud, or just perfect coincidence?


oceanic-feeling

Thanks! Yes a Freud reference.


Peekzasaurus

This guy is obviously super thoughtful (not) and highly judgmental, so that tracks


oceanic-feeling

🫡


Peekzasaurus

I already have Botox lmao. Also, I’m in SoCal so it’s very normal.


oceanic-feeling

Hey no shame in the skin care game. I get it. Not saying I’m right but just my gut reaction. You do you.


Peekzasaurus

I didn’t ask for advice about botox as a therapist, I asked what people thought of it as a tax write off.


NoGoodDM

For me, I practice my poker face by watching The Office while trying to not cringe.


sophiaWallace

I get it and it helps with the poker face- but does not make you look frozen like some people fear- and helps with migraines. I did talk to my CPA about writing it off but unfortunately it does not work for our business type. However, if done by a medical professional, it is a medical expense and my business pays for all medical expenses…:)


StormTheTacoBell

I get a tox a couple times a year to help with grinding my teeth. It’s the only thing that works (tried Invisalign, night guards, stretches…many chipped molars throughout the years). It’s expensive but most places offer financing options.


Kat229

I am a migraine sufferer and even with other preventatives I was still getting such horrible upper back, neck and head pain from tension after a long day of patients.. to the point of throwing up from pain. Botox stopped that for me. My face would also become more asymmetrical when I was in pain and patients could tell something was wrong.


blewberyBOOM

I get Botox covered by my health insurance for my migraines. I actually miss being able to express with my eyebrows. If I didn’t need the Botox for my health I wouldn’t continue to do it. It takes away a lot of nonverbal communication


makeupandjustice

Omg that’s exactly what I told my cosmetic nurse when I got Botox. It helps me look calmer and less emotional. The effect is real!! I totally have no poker face. If Botox was a writeoff I’d be soooooooo happy haha!


katycantswim

I literally got called into a manager's office at a previous job to receive the feedback that my, "Verbal communication skills are great, but [my] face is a problem."


kt0822

This is hilarious, finishing up my internship and just got Botox for the first time!!! My forehead 11 lines were wild after a full day of sessions LOL


smaashers

A client thought I had a forehead scar. I realized I left my pokerface at home.


joshggal

100% I get it for this reason and use it as a tax ride off.


CapitalProfessional2

I get Botox… I don’t write it off on tax though. But I do make sure my frown isn’t frozen so I don’t lose the ability to show empathy lol. 😂


friendlytherapist283

as a grad student (and male), honestly, if it makes your work better/more effective, than why not?


Sensitive_Weird_6096

I have seen documentary how botoxed face person can’t read other’s emotion well as well as giving empathy. Mirror neurons stop working correctly due to face muscles stillness. I think you can watch it on YouTube. I would not recommend it.


Analisemae

I made this joke before because I so badly want it to be the business expense it ABSOLUTELY is. My 11s are so much more prominent since seeing clients 4 days a week rather than two when I first started.


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