Today we’d like to introduce you to Siobhan Flowers.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Siobhan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Before becoming a licensed therapist, I started out in the field of education as a 7th grade English teacher for several years before making the transition to high school counselor. I was a high school counselor for several years and served as a lead high school counselor before I made the decision to pursue private practice.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There were definitely some struggles along the way. My dad passed away somewhat unexpectedly in 2013, which I believed sparked my desire to fulfill my long dream of having my own private practice and pursuing my other goals. I had always talked with my parents about one day going back to school for a Ph.D. and when my father passed, I realized that life was to short and that I needed to take immediate action towards my goals. The decision to leave a full-time job with benefits that paid very well in an environment that I was comfortable in was not easy, but I also knew that I would never accomplish my dream if I never took that leap of faith. So in the summer of 2014, I left my position as lead high school counselor and began my Ph.D. program. In the meantime, I was able to obtain a part-time counseling position at a local college campus (with a 60% decrease in income than my previous position), but this part-time position allowed me to have a flexible schedule so that I could attend my doctoral classes and also have the time and creative space to take the steps to start up my private practice.
Two years later in the summer of 2016, after I had finished the majority of doctoral coursework, I decided to take another leap of faith and transition from my part-time college counseling position, to full time private practice – achieving my ultimate goal! I successfully made the transition and have never looked back. I can’t help but to think that my dad has been admiring my progress this whole time and he continues to inspire me to keep moving forward.
Please tell us about Balanced Vision.
I am a licensed professional counselor and national certified counselor where I provide individual and group counseling to adults and older adolescents on a variety of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, grief/loss, or relationship issues.
What sets my company apart from others is my focus on improving the lives of marginalized populations in underserved communities. I am a believer that quality mental health care should be accessible by all who need extra support. I am an advocate for providing better access to preventative mental health care services, especially in the K-12 public school setting. Part of my effort to increase access to quality services is by also offering virtual counseling to any resident within the state of Texas.
As part of my private practice, I specialize in working with entrepreneurs, educators, helping professionals, and college students who struggle with anxiety and depressed mood from feeling overwhelmed and burnt out due to high stress.
I have partnered with area school districts, both locally and regionally, to coordinate a series of workshops, trainings and related services to help educators focus on their self-care to become the best possible version of themselves for their students. I also conduct speaking engagements on a variety of topics to local community organizations and associations.
As a lifelong learner, I also enjoy attending and presenting at regional and state counseling conferences, staying up to date on the latest counseling trends and best practices, in additional to trying new restaurants, reading, and international travel.
I am proud that in such a short time (a little over a year), my company has helped nearly 100 clients on their wellness journey and provided over 600 hours of direct counseling services to members of our local community. As a result, I am looking to expand my company in the near future by opening up a second location and hiring other counselors to expand our reach even further.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Although I trust that everything happened in perfect timing, I would not have been so afraid to take the leap of faith sooner to pursue my dream. Fear is something that I believe holds a lot of people back in going after what they truly desire and if I had to do anything differently, I would have trusted the process more completely in knowing that there are people out there who are in need of what I have to offer and always believing in myself that my dreams are valid and deserve my attention! Ultimately, I have no other regrets about my journey thus far as I have learned and continue to grow from the obstacles and challenges that have been placed before me!
Pricing:
- Individual Counseling (self-pay rate = $120 per session)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Balanced-Vision.com
- Phone: 817-752-4808
- Email: SFlowers@Balanced-Vision.com
- Instagram: @BalancedVision
- Facebook: www.Faceboook.com/BalancedVision
- Twitter: @BalancedVision
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EducatorSelfCare/
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