Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Rueda.
Hi Megan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to becoming a therapist/business owner began back in college at Baylor University. I entered freshman year as psychology, pre-med major, thinking I’d go to med school for psychiatry. When I couldn’t easily pass my chemistry class, I realized that medicine probably wasn’t the best decision for my life… or the best decision for the well-being of others (ha). I switched my major to marketing and it’s that snapshot of my life that foreshadowed my future as a licensed therapist and business owner. My story continues in Nashville, TN where I lived for four years after college graduation. I moved to Nashville for a job at a record label, thinking that the music industry would be my area of profession for my entire life. I was wrong.
Two years into my job at the label, I became discontent working behind a computer screen. I needed more human interaction throughout my day, and I remembered my love for mental health and knew that counseling would provide me with a purpose beyond myself. I attended a small university there in Nashville, where I studied Marriage and Family Therapy and graduated with my master’s degree. I moved back to Texas after graduation to be closer to family and worked at a group practice for over a year before COVID-19 hit. Given my background in business, I knew in my gut that I’d eventually start my own practice, never did I imagine, though, that it would happen this year. But it did, and it happened almost entirely out of necessity. COVID-19 left me unemployed for five months between March and August, and I became desperate enough to start my own venture. I needed a job, and I knew I’d have to make my own moves for that to happen. My practice, Shiloh Counseling, opened in August of this year (2020), and I’ve been slowly growing my practice since then.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In counseling, we often talk to clients about Imposter Syndrome, which is a pervasive fear that we will be “found out” by other people as being an imposter or a fake. It’s an identity issue based in feelings of worthlessness or this idea that we are not “enough.” For me personally, this has been my biggest roadblock in building my business. Everything from determining my hourly counseling rates to having clients ghost me… all of it affects my imposter syndrome, and I’ve had to do my own inner healing to overcome these insecurities.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Shiloh Counseling?
Shiloh Counseling is a faith-based, Christian counseling practice for teens, Gen Z and Millennials of all different skin colors and backgrounds. It’s for individuals and for couples at any stage… the premarital couples, the newlyweds, and the parents with young kids who need extra tools for navigating family life. Shiloh Counseling is for those who are high-functioning but who have mental health issues and/or relationship issues they’d like to overcome. Led by Megan Rueda, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate, Shiloh Counseling is a place of peace for anyone seeking to grow personally, as well as interpersonally with friends, family and significant others. If you are a teenager or a millennial who is experiencing any of the following issues, Shiloh Counseling is for you.
Anxiety – Depression – Relationship issues or relationship maintenance – Career counseling – Pre-marital counseling – identity/self-esteem issues – Attatchement issues – Infertility – Grief – Family-of-Origin issues As a millennial myself, I understand the challenges presented to Millenials, and even to Gen Z. I can identify with them on a relational level that other, more seasoned therapists might not be able to access. As a Christian with a master’s degree concentrated in spiritual formation, I’m able to marry the clinical side of counseling with biblical principles and offer guidance from that standpoint. As a brand, I offer visually-appealing content across platforms from my website to my Instagram. This has been important to me from the beginning. Not only are millennials and younger generations more attracted to visually pleasing brands, but from my own experience looking for counselors in the area, finding a beautiful website (or branding of any kind) was a strenuous task. I wanted to offer that to the community, no matter how small or trivial it may seem.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
The two *Nsync concerts my parents took my sister and me to at American Airlines Center! I was more of a Lance Bass girl, but my sister was a hardcore Justin Timberlake fan. We had posters all over our wall in the bedroom we shared growing up, so these two concerts were EVERYTHING to us!
Pricing:
- Individual counseling sessions – $100
Contact Info:
- Address: 6750 Hillcrest Plz Dr, Unit 224 Dallas, TX 75230
- Email: megan@shilohcounseling.com
- Website: www.shilohcounseling.com
- Instagram: @shiloh_counseling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megankrueda
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/shiloh-counseling-dallas-2
Image Credits
Photos by Ruby Olivia Photography
