Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Griffing
Hi Melissa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I knew I wanted to work with kids in some way since I was a teenager! Originally, I went to school to be a teacher and got a job as a 5th grade teacher right out of college. I taught for four years total, but after one year I knew this was not my forever career. I loved working with the kids and getting to know them but I was not enjoying teaching the subjects. I found I was much more interested in their emotional wellbeing than I was their grades. So, after one year of teaching, I went back to school to get my Master’s in Counseling. And the rest of history! I completed the program, did my internships, and started my dream practice in 2021.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No. I would not say it was a smooth road. I had my first baby in March of 2017 and graduated with my Master’s in December of 2017. Our family is also military, so we experienced a deployment in 2018 and then we had our second and third baby in 2019 and 2021, followed by another deployment in 2021-2022. I feel really proud of my self that I have been able to juggle being a mom, and sometimes a solo-mom, with my career and dreams. I have had a tremendous amount of support and leaned into my community through it all. I wouldn’t have done it any other way but it has taken a lot of perseverance and sometimes down right stubbornness to get where we are today!
As you know, we’re big fans of WellNest Counseling. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
WellNest Counseling is a small private practice that specialized in mental health therapy for kids, teens, and parents. We provide different therapies like play therapy, activity therapy, talk therapy, sand tray, family therapy, and EMDR to help clients reach their goals. We are known to work with the entire family as much as possible. This can look like parent support along side your child’s therapy, talk therapy for parents, or having the whole family in session at once. We also specialize in working with emerging adults and in perinatal therapy. We like to say our aim is to bring wellness to your nest, whatever your nest looks like!
I think I am most proud of my team. I have an incredible team, all specializing in slightly different niches with in the family system. Our core values at Wellnest are family, dedication, honesty, respect, and simplicity and we all truly live by those values. Because we all love coming to work and working together and because our work environment is so nurturing, we are able to offer clients really top notch services. I am also most proud of the fact that our clients don’t feel like a number here. They feel like they are truly seen and that the therapists takes individual time with them. So, while we are growing, we will continue to give that personal therapeutic service that we all believe is necessary for good therapy to happen.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Most people hear the phrase “risk-taker” and think of someone sky diving or going all-in on a business. I don’t think taking a risk needs to be big and loud. Taking a risk can simply mean you started up a conversation with the person sitting next to you at the coffee shop. For example, at WellNest we work with a lot of kids who have anxiety and sometimes their anxiety is portrayed as the “good kid”. The one that never breaks the rules or steps out of line. When we work with kids who exhibit a lot of anxiety and they start taking healthy risks like speaking up or saying, “no!” that’s when I know we are making progress. I think thats the difference between being a “risk taker” and healthy risks. I think taking a risk is really being exactly who you are and letting the world see it. Wellnest is a reflection of me. It’s the ultimate vulnerability.
Pricing:
- Intake session: $150-$175
- Individual sessions: $135-$150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wellnestcounseling.com/
- Instagram: @wellnestcounseling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellnestcounseling
- Other: tiktok – @wellnest_counseling
Image Credits
photo cred: Capri Gaston Photography
instagram: @caprigastonphotography
