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How one PMHNP took back control of her practice with Headway

Billing and credentialing were once persistent headaches for Dr. Grace Ashu-Ngang, but with Headway, those headaches became long forgotten. “All that overwhelm and burnout is out the window,” she says.

January 16, 2026

5 min read

It’s a conundrum that mental health providers know all too well: Even the strongest desire to build a private practice can, over time, be eroded by stress, burnout, and the demands of constant behind-the-scenes work. Those obstacles are enough to make some clinicians totally give up on the idea of running their own businesses.

Such was the case for Dr. Grace Ashu-Ngang, a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner based in Maryland. Dr. Ashu-Ngang opened her own private practice in 2021 but had to step away about a year later, after the administrative burden became too much to handle. 

Fast-forward to today, however, and Dr. Ashu-Ngang is back in private practice and doing better than ever. What changed? Headway helped her take back her time — and her dreams. Here’s how.

The challenge

When Dr. Ashu-Ngang first went into private practice, billing and credentialing were persistent headaches. Even with the help of private billers, she struggled constantly with issues including claim denials, clawbacks, and payments that came in up to a year late — if at all. “The checks were never coming,” she says.

Dr. Ashu-Ngang needed to keep jobs in two external mental health clinics because her private practice income was so unpredictable, which meant her workload was incredibly taxing. Eventually, in 2022, she made the difficult decision to step away from private practice and focus on her clinic jobs.

The turning point

In the fall of 2024, Dr. Ashu-Ngang decided to try private practice again — this time, as part of the Headway network. From the very beginning, she says, the experience was “night and day” different from her first attempt. 

Headway’s onboarding and credentialing process was fast and seamless, allowing Dr. Ashu-Ngang to quickly begin seeing patients and building her client roster. Typically, it can take more than 90 days to get cleared with payers, so having Headway’s quick credentialing process helps psychiatric nurse practitioners like Dr. Ashu-Ngang increase their patient caseload more easily.  Once she did, she knew she could rely on Headway features like billing support, scheduling assistance, and guaranteed bi-weekly payments. 

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The results

Today, Dr. Ashu-Ngang runs a thriving private practice and sees around 30 clients per week, offering both talk therapy and medication management services. She no longer needs to work at her external clinic jobs and is even thinking about expanding into group practice so she can help more people. All told, Dr. Ashu-Ngang estimates she’s spending 80% less time on administrative work now that she’s a Headway provider.

Just as important, her work-life balance has improved dramatically. She has more time to spend with her family, feels less stressed, and was even able to take a much-deserved vacation recently. “All that overwhelm and burnout is out the window,” she says.

See how Headway can support your private practice dreams

To learn more about how Headway became Dr. Ashu-Ngang’s private practice partner — and how Headway can help you build a thriving practice of your own — take a look at our case study. 

As home to the nation’s largest group of in-network mental health care providers, we know exactly what it takes to run a therapy or psychiatry practice that accepts insurance. It’s our mission to give you all the tools you need, from fast and free credentialing services to a robust EHR, always free of charge.

Get started with Headway today

Join a network of thousands of mental health providers who have already chosen Headway to streamline their practice and expand their network — at no cost to you.

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This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.

© 2026 Therapymatch, Inc. dba Headway. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

Running a practice