Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Shaw
Hi Angel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I never set out to become a business owner. In fact, if you had told me years ago that I would one day run my own counseling and consulting practice, I might have laughed at the idea. Back then, my focus was on teaching—I worked with children, guiding their academic and emotional growth, inspired by the resilience and creativity they brought into the classroom each day. Yet in time, that very experience planted a seed: I realized I wanted to help people beyond the classroom walls, to support them through life’s most difficult transitions.
After becoming a licensed professional counselor, I began to see new possibilities. Running my own practice offered the freedom to shape the kind of healing environment I had always envisioned—one where clients could feel safe, understood, and valued. It gave me the chance to extend my impact beyond a single school system and touch the lives of couples, individuals, and families across the state.
Making the leap into business ownership, however, did not come without challenges. There was so much I didn’t know about building a practice: how to market my services, how to find my niche, and how to attract clients who would truly benefit from what I had to offer. That’s when I sought out a mentor, someone who could guide me through the unfamiliar territory of entrepreneurship. With the help of many mentors and colleagues, I’ve learned how to better navigate everything and most importantly, I learned how to trust myself as both a clinician and a business owner.
Through this process, I’ve also had to face some of the most emotionally trying periods of my personal life: going through divorce. It felt like an unraveling of so many dreams I’d once held dear. Grief, confusion, and fear crept in as I wondered how I would rebuild my life from the pieces left behind. Yet, despite the heartache, I found strength. I relied on the same resilience and self-compassion I encourage my clients to cultivate. Slowly but surely, I regained my footing and discovered a renewed sense of purpose. I came to understand that my own healing journey would inform my work as a therapist, giving me deeper empathy and richer insight into the struggles my clients face.
Throughout it all, I continued working my full-time job while steadily building my practice on the side. There were late nights, tough decisions, and moments of self-doubt. But each new client, each meaningful conversation, reminded me that this path was worth pursuing. I witnessed clients transform their communication habits, reconnect with their partners, and rebuild their lives after heartbreak. I saw the impact that compassionate counseling and tailored coaching could have, especially for those dealing with complex issues like trauma, intimacy struggles, or the grief that follows the end of a relationship. I’ve been able to shares some of my experiences and provide hope in a book that I’ve recently published addressing this very topic.
Today, I am proud to say that I’ve established Hearts of Light Counseling & Consulting as a nurturing, virtual practice serving the DFW area and beyond. Here, I help people navigate their relationships, heal from emotional wounds, and discover their own capacity for growth. My team and I support individuals and couples through therapy and coaching, while also providing supervision for new professionals in the counseling field.
My story is one of growth, learning, and rediscovery. From my early days as a teacher to my work today as a therapist, speaker, coach, and mentor, and now author, I have learned that the challenges life throws our way can become stepping stones toward something greater. The journey has shaped me into a practitioner who understands hardship firsthand and appreciates just how transformative therapy and supportive guidance can be. For anyone walking their own path of healing, I hope my story stands as a testament to the power of perseverance, connection, and hope.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely NOT! One of the earliest hurdles was the steep learning curve of building my own practice. I had the clinical training, but I wasn’t fully prepared for the entrepreneurial aspects—marketing, finding my niche, and figuring out how to consistently attract clients. Even with the help of a mentor, it took time, patience, and a willingness to adapt before I started feeling more confident in navigating the business side of my work.
Another major struggle was juggling multiple roles at once. In the early stages, I balanced working full-time while putting in long hours to nurture my budding practice. That meant late nights, early mornings, and persistent doubt. Was I growing quickly enough? Was I making the right decisions? The pressure to succeed often weighed heavily, and it required a significant amount of self-compassion and boundary-setting to keep myself from burnout.
On a more personal level, going through a divorce presented its own set of emotional challenges. While I was building a safe, healing environment for clients, I was simultaneously navigating profound loss, vulnerability, and upheaval in my own life. The pain of that experience wasn’t just about the end of a relationship—it was about reimagining my future, rebuilding my sense of stability, and learning to trust myself again. Turning inward for healing while maintaining a supportive, professional presence for clients tested my resilience like never before.
Finally, as my practice began to grow, there came the challenge of defining who I wanted to serve and how I could meet their unique needs. It was about more than filling my calendar; it was about truly connecting with my clients’ struggles—particularly individuals and couples dealing with communication breakdowns, intimacy issues, or the aftermath of a divorce. Specializing in these areas required continuous professional development, self-reflection, and a willingness to evolve my approach.
All of these struggles—professional, logistical, and deeply personal—served as catalysts for growth. They taught me that empathy and self-awareness are just as crucial as clinical expertise, that perseverance is key to overcoming professional hurdles, and that my own healing journey would ultimately enrich the support I offer my clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My practice specializes in helping individuals and couples navigate some of life’s most challenging relational issues—whether that’s improving communication, addressing intimacy struggles, or working through the emotional aftermath of divorce and breakups. I also provide clinical supervision to LPC-Associates, supporting emerging professionals as they sharpen their skills and find their footing in the field.
What I’m known for is creating an environment of deep empathy, understanding, and hope. One aspect I’m most proud of is the level of trust and transformation that my clients experience. Seeing individuals move from a place of pain and confusion to a space of clarity, empowerment, and hope has been incredibly rewarding. Each success story reinforces my belief in the power of therapy and coaching to truly reshape lives.
What sets me apart is the unique blend of professional expertise, personal experience, and compassionate presence I bring to each client relationship. Having walked through my own healing journey, I understand that real, sustainable growth is not just about learning new skills—it’s about feeling safe, validated, and supported along the way. By combining evidence-based techniques, a warm and nonjudgmental atmosphere, and a willingness to tailor the process to each client’s individual needs, I strive to create a partnership that not only addresses immediate concerns but fosters long-term resilience and well-being.
Ultimately, my goal is to help individuals and couples move forward with renewed confidence, stronger connections, and a clearer sense of who they are and where they want to go.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success isn’t just about hitting certain financial milestones or reaching a specific number of clients—it’s about witnessing genuine, meaningful transformation in the lives of the people I serve. When I see a client move from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to reclaiming their confidence, improving their communication, and experiencing healthier, more fulfilling relationships, that’s when I know I’ve made a difference. Success is also reflected in the strength of the trust clients place in me, the depth of the healing work we do together, and the resilience they build that carries them forward long after our sessions end.
It’s about fostering an environment where clients feel truly seen and understood. It’s watching people rediscover their capacity for growth, embrace vulnerability as a strength, and come to understand themselves with more kindness and clarity. Ultimately, I define success as making a lasting, positive impact—supporting others as they navigate the twists and turns of life, helping them step into new seasons with confidence, and witnessing them tap into the power they’ve had within all along.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heartsoflightcc.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/heartsoflightcc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartsoflightcc
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@angel_txlpcs
Image Credits
Aereal Goodson
