Today we’d like to introduce you to Tucker Bankston.
Hi Tucker, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Well, I grew up in a Christian family in West Memphis, AR. I was active in my church (attending 2-3 times a week), where I quickly learned the value of community. I went to a small Christian school that was started by my church, where most of my teachers also attended. I graduated in 2009 from high school with a whopping 19 people in my graduating class. My claim to fame (at least at that school) was being recognized as the student who attended that school the most days (started in the nursery at 5 weeks and graduated at 18 years old). I was active in a few different sports, loved to hang out with friends, and fish.
I started at Harding University in the fall of 2009 with an initial pursuit in mathematics which quickly changed to a Youth and Family Ministry degree after one semester. In my junior year, I decided to switch majors to a more generalized ministry degree and added a Kinesiology degree. I somehow managed to graduate in 4 years. My senior year, I started dating my now wife.
After graduation, I got a job at a residential treatment center, Capstone Treatment Center. I was a weekend staff member and loved watching young men with rough stories come into treatment and leave with new perspectives and a changed direction. This inspired me to join the Professional Counseling program at Harding University in the Spring of 2017. After 2 1/2 years, I graduated with a Master of Science in Clinical mental health counseling. My wife also gained her master’s degree in Reading at the same time. After completing our degrees, she lovingly agreed to move to Texas to let me pursue my passion of playing professional Ultimate frisbee for the local Dallas team. We had our first child in January of 2018 while I was working my first job at Changes Outpatient Clinic in Frisco, TX. I lead the faith-based group at Changes to help students with any level of faith to work through depression and anxiety while also having a space to discuss their faith and the struggles that can come with a belief system. This was my first full-time counseling job where I attained my intern license and then completed my full license.
After 3 years at Changes in Frisco, I began to build an interest in having my own private practice. Three of my friends/colleagues at Changes decided to join together and start Inspired Counseling in Allen. After leaving Changes, I joined the team at Inspired Counseling, where I work with teens, adolescents, families, and adults dealing with various issues. I enjoy incorporating faith into the therapy process (at the client’s discretion).
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My story is fairly interesting (at least to me) because I have dealt with only a handful of major issues. I have had a loving family, a supportive community, and awesome friends my entire life. After my freshman year in college, my parents did get divorced, which was a difficult season to deal with; however, because of the support around me, I was able to stay on track and make it through college with little to no issues.
My seemingly “easy” life has created questions from my clients about my “life experience” and if I know what it is like to struggle. Often my clients are referring to substance use and my inexperience in that department. This creates a good conversation about life’s challenges and how perspective shifts what is “hard or not.”
I became a therapist after I had the privilege of witnessing how lives could be changed by just having someone to talk to and guide them. After my time at Capstone Treatment Center, when I decided to join graduate school, I knew I wanted to help people overcome the barriers in their lives.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
I am a private practice therapist who works with all ages and all numbers of people, from individuals to couples and even families. I love working on the intricacies of communication and how social media, human interaction, and even timing affect the way we communicate.
One of my personality traits that helps me in family or couple work is my ability to see both sides of every perspective. I can often see “why people do what they do” in a family session and can help others within families see a different perspective or at least try to understand it.
I also enjoy doing therapy outdoors with my clients. Not only does it get the body active and moving, but it also forces the body to use all 5 senses to stay engaged I the session while constantly observing the environment around them. I also like to do group activity work outdoors to help build trust and work on communication skills.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a rule-following kid who did not get in trouble much at all. I did not like having conflict with people, so I did a lot of peacemaking or avoiding to “save relationships.” I was high achieving in school and athletics (small private Christian school competition is different than larger public schools). I was very connected to my church and my friends who I attended school with. Growing up I loved playing sports or trying new ones. I also tried various sports like skateboarding, rollerblading, fishing, and bowling at one point. I also played the drums for most of my life but always had an interest in other instruments. I was an active kid who wanted to be involved in things but never stuck to one thing long enough to master it.
As I entered high school, I was active with my friends and sports while continuing to do well in school. Staying out of trouble was very easy for me, and I always wanted to be on people’s “good side,” which was easy to do when you follow rules and do what you are told. This idea of being “good” was never a conscious thought I had while growing up, but more of what was easy for me.
As I entered high school, I found myself always thinking of a profession where I could help people, but I never pinned down what I would do until I headed to college. Each major I tried was centered around getting to develop relationships with people and helping them in some capacity.
Pricing:
- Initial Assessment: $145 for 60 Minutes
- Individual session: $130 for 45-50 Minutes
- Family Therapy or Couples Therapy: $150 for 60 Minutes
- Can provide itemized Superbills for insurance reimbursement
Contact Info:
- Website: get-inspiredcounseling.com
