Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily.
Hi Emily, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Well I started working in the field of mental health in 2005, yikes I’m aging myself here! I did community mental health/case management for several years. I honestly was all over the place-mostly in peoples homes, but I was everywhere-schools, community settings, jails (juvenile and adult), you name it, I was probably providing mental health services there. In 2010 I got married, and had plans to start a family and eventually not work outside the home. In 2011, that all changed for me. I received my first cancer diagnosis, and my life turned upside down. I was only 28 years old at the time, and had been barely married a year. With that diagnosis came surgeries, infertility, and ultimately ended with me not being able to have children. This was a pivotal point in my life, and that is when I decided to go to grad school for social work. After finishing grad school, I began working as a therapist, again in the community, and added even more places to my list of areas I provided services-at one point I was doing therapy in nursing homes during Covid, in full blown PPE. 2 years later, after obtaining my independent credential, i moved into a group practice office setting, and absolutely loved in. It was there, that I decided I wanted to start my own practice, and go completely out on my own. So in 2022, Mindful Health Counseling was born. I started to thrive and get clients on my own, and built my niche around anxiety disorders. However, in 2023, I was diagnosed with cancer for a second time. This time, the tumor was bigger, scarier, and inoperable. I had to pause my practice, tell all my clients, and take a medical leave. I was devastated and worried I would not be able to come back from this. The next few months I had to undergo grueling chem0/radiation treatments, and navigate the trauma of that. I was able to return to work in 2024, and I was blessed to have so many clients wait for my return. I decided to use my experiences with cancer, infertility, and trauma to help others, and grow my practice to include online programs and workshops for anxiety and trauma. So here I am!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth-absolutely not. Doing community mental health work is incredibly rewarding, but also causes a lot of burn out and compassion fatigue. I am beyond grateful for those experiences though. They helped make me a well rounded clinician, and build a level of empathy, connection, and trust with people, and that has been invaluable to me as a person and as a clinician. Once I had my masters and independent license, I knew I wanted to go out on my own, but didnt know where to start. Trying to start your own business is so difficulty, building a client base, and learning how to logistically run a business was so challenging. I finally got my footing with that, and then BAM, cancer again. And it was even scarier the second time around. I had an amazing husband who never left my side, and fought with me every step of the way. Like I didnt think I would ever be able to come back from that. There was just no way I thought my body and my mind would ever heal enough to get me to the place that I was before. And I did it. I came back, and it was hard, and intense, and a roller coaster, and I am proud to say I worked really hard to get to where I am today.
We’ve been impressed with Mindful Health Counseling, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Well, my business is a private practice and I provide therapy services to adult adults. I specialize in treating anxiety disorders and that is really my focus. I also help my clients work through a lot of past trauma, which I believe can often lead to anxiety disorders. I think one of the things that sets me apart is my focus on helping my clients understand themselves, and where some of their behaviors or thoughts come from. It is truly my belief that we really start to heal-once we understand ourselves and stop shaming and judging ourselves for just being who we are! I pride myself on being a realistic therapist too, my goal is to help my clients manage their anxiety so it doesn’t interfere with their lives, not tell them theyre never going to be anxious again! Thats not real life, and it’s not a realistic expectation.
I am so proud of my clients honestly! I am so proud of the trust and the connection I am able to build with people, to be able to see clients heal, see themselves differently, and gain self-worth, and confidence is what keeps me doing the work I do! I’m also proud of the programs I have been able to develop over the past 18 months, and would love for people to know about them. My Stop the Spiral online anxiety program is really designed to help people understand where their anxiety comes from, figure out their triggers and manage their anxiety. I have also been able to create a little holiday anxiety guide, which I love! It’s just some of the ways that I like to be able to give back to those struggling with anxiety, even if they’re not my clients.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Ooooo good question. I would have to say the holidays with my sisters. I am the middle of three girls, and we are all super close. As kids we would be so into the holidays! We would all decorate the house, wrap gifts with our mom, bake with our grandmothers-those times with them were so special. Also, before we would be allowed to open gifts on Christmas morning we had to sing Christmas songs that our mother requested…I laugh thinking about it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mindfulhlth.com
- Instagram: mindfulhealth.counseling
- Facebook: Mindful Health Counseling
- Other: https://emily-s-site-c7a6.thinkific.com/products/courses/new-course (Stop the Spiral)
https://emily-s-site-c7a6.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/calmholidays (Holiday Anxiety Guide)
