Today we’d like to introduce you to Allie Kidd.
Hi Allie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started my career as a social worker in NYC, working with adolescents in secure facilities. The teens I worked with had endured various forms of trauma and I desperately wanted a way to do more effectively treat them. In 2017 I moved to Ohio and began my life as a midwestern wife, mom, and therapist. I continued to work with incarcerated folks, people battling addiction, and clients who wanted to heal the pain they had suffered for so long. After having worked with varying populations since 2010, I decided to get trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy which has been the most valuable experience in my professional career.
Starting Allie Kidd Counseling has been the wake-up call I needed as a millennial mom. I found myself wondering how to keep up and often felt I was drowning in a sea of responsibilities. Through EMDR therapy and being validated by other moms who called bullshit on the idea of “having it all,” I have found my stride in parenting, work, and most importantly my sense of self.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was a bumpy road at first! Starting a business is challenging for anyone, with lots of unknowns and time spent without fully knowing it would pay off later. I have had many moments of self-doubt (therapists have those too!) and an equal amount of celebratory moments. In the spirit of transparency, starting my business was tough because for years I was an employee of private, for-profit agencies that sent me the message “you are replaceable”.
I think as a female entrepreneur specifically, it was difficult to network and market myself without feeling that I was “overselling” myself. There were moments while initially building my website, I felt frustrated and incapable. I didn’t let those moments stop me. Instead, I took breaks. I cried. I was distracted by Netflix. And then I went right back to the computer and worked some more! It was a lesson in tenacity and I am very grateful for the women before me who have done the same.
We’ve been impressed with Allie Kidd 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?
I am an independently licensed social worker (LISW-S) who provides individual therapy for the perfectionist, millennial moms. I am EMDR Therapy trained and primarily use EMDR as my framework and modality with clients.
My business started officially in June 2022 and I have slowly moved from being a part-time private practice owner to a full-time practice owner with expanded hours/days and even an in-person location. I offer telehealth therapy for folks residing in Ohio (and New York) and have office space in Warren, OH. I typically see clients Tuesday-Saturday, 8a-4p.
I often work with moms who feel burned out and overwhelmed by the number of daily tasks that pile up which leaves them wondering if they were made for motherhood. Parenting is hard, period. No matter what you see on Instagram or TikTok, real-life parenting isn’t *only* pumpkin patches and beach vacays. It’s wiping butts and runny noses, it’s time management, it’s planning ahead, it’s going with the flow, it’s chauffeuring, it’s feeling guilty for not doing a holiday craft as your neighbor did, it’s wondering how much sleep you’ll get tonight if you fall asleep right now. If the idea of “having it all” seems impossible to you, it’s because it is.
I love being able to explore this idea with clients, especially digging into what experiences in their lives gave them the message that they had to be perfect and had to make sure every detail was taken care of. It is my honor to walk with moms on their journey to finding out that they can be themselves and be a mom at the same time.
What do you think about happiness?
Spending time with my daughter and my husband makes me the happiest! Starting my own business has allowed me to be in control of my schedule and time so that I can maximize watching my daughter grow and learn.
I also love helping people which is why I’m in the business I’m in. It has taken lots of time, energy, money, and frankly tears to get to the place I am today to be able to assist folks in finding their authentic selves again and I truly love it.
Pricing:
- Individual Sessions (60 minutes) $150-200
- Some insurance is also accepted!
Contact Info:
- Website: alliekidd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliekiddcounseling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086435707335
Image Credits
Robert Kidd
