Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Fox.
Hi Rachel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I look back on the long road to opening Fox Family Counseling, I realize that the roots reach all the way back to my childhood. My aunt and uncle, who lived just a few miles down the road from my family, often opened their home to my siblings and me during my teen years. I remember trips to Six Flags, movie nights at their house, sleepovers, swimming together in the summers, and many more fun times. Above all, though, they were committed to investing in us as individuals. They challenged us to grow, had tough conversations with us, helped us process what was going on in our young lives, and were shoulders to cry on. Watching my aunt in particular, who was a counselor specializing in adolescents, I thought, I want to be like her when I grow up. That was the first small inkling of wanting to become a therapist.
Then, during my junior year of high school, ASL burst into my world. In my art class, I sat next to a Deaf student and watched her interpreter day after day. It was fascinating and new. I started sitting with the Deaf students at lunch, learning their language, and slowly being welcomed into their world. Before long, I was spending time with them outside of school—at birthday parties, family gatherings, and hangouts. What struck me most was the gap between what parents would tell me—“Everything’s fine, we communicate just fine”—and what their children would share with me in sign language: “I don’t feel connected to my parents. They don’t sign with me. My friends understand me better than my family does.” That disconnect hit me deeply, unsettling me. It didn’t feel right. It was then I knew I wanted to go into family therapy, to help bridge those divides.
I pursued that passion through my education—first at Stephen F. Austin State University, where I majored in Child and Family Development and minored in Deaf Education; then at Texas Woman’s University, where I earned my master’s in Family Therapy. Nearly every project I could choose, I found a way to tie back to the Deaf community. Throughout my college years and beyond, I was also working as a sign language interpreter—first at Stephen F. Austin, then at Denton ISD, finally at Plano ISD and Collin College. American Sign Language wasn’t just about learning a cool language; I was seeing inside a beautiful culture, witnessing its struggles and admiring its resilience.
Now in my late 20’s with my MS in Family Therapy, I was eager to dive in and start using my new license. But the timing couldn’t have been harder. Pre-COVID, the counseling market in the DFW area was saturated. I sent out application after application, only to hit closed doors again and again. At the same time, I was still working for Plano ISD as a sign language interpreter, and I remember feeling like I was running in circles—I had this hard-earned license, the education behind it, the passion to begin—but no place to land.
One of the hardest realities for associate-level licensees is that many practices aren’t willing to take you on. Associates can’t accept insurance, we require thousands of supervised hours, and most practices only consider you if you’re nearing the end of that process. I was just at the beginning. So, instead of waiting, I decided to take a leap. Along with two of my classmates from Texas Woman’s University, I opened a private practice in the summer of 2016.
It worked—for a little while. But because it was all private pay, it was difficult to sustain. Even at $60 a session, counseling is still a significant financial commitment, and in a struggling economy, it just wasn’t enough to keep a full-time practice going. By 2017, I could see the practice was floundering, even though I kept it going.
My life began to show signs that I had been running on empty for far too long. Light-headed spells, a creeping anxiety in crowds, frequent illness that forced me to take more time off work than I should have needed—these were just the beginning. And then, the bottom fell out. Days before I was scheduled to take my sister to Disney World, my world collapsed. I was constantly nauseated, chronically exhausted, and I was unable to eat much. My world felt gray, and even the simplest tasks, like getting out of bed or going to the bathroom, required recovery naps. Tears were constant, and I realized I had entered full-blown burnout.
I found myself at the doctor’s office nearly a dozen times that month, desperate to understand what was happening. For the first time, I took FMLA leave, stepping away from Plano ISD for an entire month, and had to reduce to part-time for the remainder of the year. It had all become too much—the multiple internships, attending classes, working at Plano ISD, hours of commuting every week, days meticulously scheduled down to the minute for years on end. The stress manifested physically too: I experienced hair loss, exhaustion, unintended weight loss, mysterious GI symptoms and depression with anxiety. I’d reached the stark realization that I had burned the candle at both ends for far too long. My health demanded a pause, and I had no choice but to temporarily put the private practice on hold.
Even returning to part-time interpreting and the practice, anxiety lingered. I remember one session vividly—the anxiety so overwhelming that I had to excuse myself in the middle of the session, step into the bathroom, and nearly collapsed to the cold tile floor. I felt like I was going to throw up and pass out. I remember asking myself, Am I even able to do this? I ended up canceling the session early and comping the client. That period of my life was incredibly dark, and yet, God’s provision was present in ways I didn’t always recognize at the time. Friends offered generous support, and somehow, I was able to continue part-time for the rest of that academic year with interpreting. Then, in July of 2018, as I was still regaining footing, I faced another challenge: appendicitis that required surgery during a season of financial strain. Through it all, God sustained me and enabled me to continue moving forward. I continued to regain more and more strength each day. My vitality was coming back so much faster with my appendix gone. Counseling, my sweet roommates, and my friends and family were all helping me to recover emotionally and make the climb out of anxiety and depression.
Several months later, something unexpected happened. I applied for and accepted a part-time position as a contract therapist with a Children’s Advocacy Center, which became a turning point for me. Surrounded by strong supervision, a supportive team, and constant opportunities to learn, I began to grow in ways that shaped me deeply as a therapist. That’s where I gained extensive experience in trauma treatment, particularly with minors, as well as in family therapy. But then I reached a point where I had to close the private practice. It had been in the red for too long, and that was really, really difficult to take. It felt like the end of a dream. I had this passion to be in private practice, and it hadn’t happened. I was embarrassed about it and felt like a failure because the business had failed.
Even in that valley, God was weaving a different path forward. I transitioned to a full-time position at another Children’s Advocacy Center. It was so nice to finally be able to work one job, not have to cobble multiple part-time jobs together to equal a sustainable income. The work was heavy, but it rewarding— it was an honor to walk alongside so many clients and their families and witness their strength and courageousness in the face of incredible suffering. While there, I finally achieved my full licensure, a huge relief and milestone that meant the world to me. Additionally, I wrote and illustrated a book, “More Flashlights” because I felt that there was a gap in the market for books targeted towards teens about recognizing and preventing sexual abuse. That was a tremendous effort over the course of 9 months, which is actually quite short for a book. However, to be able to share that info with clients in such a concise and concentrated manner was invaluable. Transitioning from my work there, I shifted into agency work in McKinney for several years, where I deepened my work with couples and adult individuals. I got married, moved to Garland, and eventually felt God nudging me to take the leap once again into private practice. That’s when Fox Family Counseling was born.
Today, my work carries the threads of that journey. I specialize in trauma, abuse, codependency, burnout, and couples’ issues—including those shaped by narcissistic dynamics. I also have a strong focus in serving Deaf and hard-of-hearing clients. That has looked like supporting Deaf individuals navigating what mental health looks like for them; walking with couples adjusting to late deafness; and family therapy for families with both hearing and Deaf members, working to improve communication and relationships.
Looking back, I can clearly see God’s hand guiding every step of this journey. From my aunt planting the first desire to serve others, to the way the art class seating chart placed me next to a Deaf student, to the interpreting positions that opened doors I hadn’t imagined, to the financial provision during burnout, to the Children’s Advocacy Center roles and the training I received there—God has been at work the whole time. Every challenge, every season of growth, and every client I have the honor of walking alongside has been a continuation of that guidance. My journey has been shaped by family, faith, opportunity, and resilience, and through it all, I see that none of it was by accident—God has been with me every step of the way.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Fox Family Counseling is a private counseling practice rooted in faith, family, and cross-cultural understanding. Our work is guided by compassion, experience, and a commitment to walking alongside clients in some of life’s most challenging seasons.
We provide counseling services for individuals, couples, and families. I specialize in trauma, abuse recovery, codependency, and couples navigating complex relational dynamics—including those affected by narcissistic tendencies. I also have a strong focus on serving Deaf and hard-of-hearing clients, including families, individuals, and couples adjusting to hearing loss or language differences.
What distinguishes Fox Family Counseling is the integration of faith, cultural awareness, and deep relational understanding. I combine professional expertise in family therapy and trauma treatment with years of experience in Deaf culture and American Sign Language. This allows me to offer services that are both clinically sound and culturally sensitive, meeting the unique needs of clients who are often underserved.
I’m most proud of building a practice that feels like an extension of family—a safe, nurturing, and inclusive space where hearing and Deaf clients alike can feel seen and supported. Fox Family Counseling represents perseverance, faith, and the belief that every person can find healing and connection, no matter their background or struggles.
Fox Family Counseling isn’t just a counseling practice—it’s a partnership in growth and healing. We offer individualized support, grounded in trauma-informed care and family systems therapy, while also integrating Christian principles for clients who desire a faith-based approach. Whether you’re a Deaf individual seeking a counselor who understands your culture, a couple navigating relational challenges, or a family working to bridge communication gaps, our goal is to provide compassionate guidance and practical tools to help you flourish.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck honestly didn’t have anything to do with my path. God has been with me, guiding my way the whole way. Where I have struggled, like the burnout or otherwise, have been when I haven’t been taking care of myself and trying to “pull it all together” in my own strength for too long. I’ve learned that we need others and we need God. I have been so struck recently by my own limits and my need for dependence on God, who is the highest power and who loves us. A lot of people think of God as a distant being, but He is in fact very near to each one of us and wants to know each one of us on a personal level. He cares about each one of our struggles, anxieties, and wounds from the past. And He is strong enough to handle them all.
Pricing:
- $140/ session
- Most major insurances accepted
- Sliding fee scale available
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.foxfamilycounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelfox.lmft/
