Let me introduce myself – I am the owner and therapist for Mindful Solutions Counseling LLC. I started my private practice because I wanted to provide therapy on my own terms, not the strictly structured therapy styles with rules and requirements set forth by agencies or the insurance companies, yuck! I found my clients desired more personalized and integrative approaches when coming to see me so I wanted to provide a space that is as unique as them during their hour sessions whether that was online, in an office setting, or even at the park or a cafe. As well as incorporating different tools and techniques best suited for each client. I like to maintain a level of casual; therapy does not need to be intimidating, and it DEFINITELY does not need to support the stereotypical lay down on the leather sofa and talk the whole hour while the therapist nods and frequently says, “mmmhmm,” or “tell me more.” Unless that is what you want, in which case BRB as I go purchase a leather sofa. In my experience, people who have not been to therapy have formulated some worst-case scenarios about what happens in a session. I am here to tell you therapy can be encouraging and fun!
So why did I go into the mental health field and become a licensed professional counselor? The truth is I began my undergraduate college years in the Mass Communications department at Loyola University in New Orleans with a focus on journalism and at one point Public Relations (where did that come from?!). I think my desire at one point was to become the next Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City or Kate Hudson in the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. I imagined spending my days writing about relationships, dating, or articles such as “30 Bucket List Adventures Before Turning 30.” After a couple of semesters and probably one or two existential crises I realized journalism wasn’t for me. I enjoy writing to an extent, but not for a full-time job.
Like many college students, I turned to Psychology classes because, why not? It seemed interesting, kind of fun, and not difficult to get an A if you need to increase your GPA. The more classes I took, the more interested I became in learning how to understand the way we think and feel, why we behave in certain patterns, and the idea of can people really change? Although I really enjoyed this process for undergrad I realized to have any successful career in this field I would have to obtain a Master’s Degree. After taking a year off to wait tables and get into the “adulting life” of paying rent and bills, le sigh, I began my 3-year graduate program to becoming a licensed professional counselor. Three years of schooling, 1 year of internship, and two years of post-graduate provisional work later HERE I AM! I have to say my level of learning and experience during graduate school was eye-opening. I believe on some level we go into the psychology field to learn about our own wounds or past traumas whether we are aware of that intention or not. The program opened me up to the walls I put up, my insecurities, and negative feedback loops I was not aware existed. Most importantly, the program gave me the space to practice vulnerability. My classmates and I were all in this “grad school ship” together, bobbing on the waters of uncertainty and facing our fears whether we wanted to or not.
That was the short version of my journey to Mindful Solutions Counseling, but I hope it provided a glimpse into my experience. If you have any questions about therapy, what a typical session looks like, or my area of focus, feel free to reach out for a consultation phone call or send me an email.