We recently had the chance to connect with Shannon Thornton and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shannon, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Getting away from the noise of the world and reconnecting with nature allows me to lose track of time and find myself again. I always considered myself a “beach person” until I experienced the likes of Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Parks, Muir Woods, and the wilderness of Alaska. Breathing fresh air with nothing electronic around me, feeling the crisp breeze, and watching nature unfold before me provides the grounding I need to reset. Whether it’s the hidden underground communication of the trees or seeing a mama black bear protect and find food for her cubs in a stream brimming with salmon, reconnecting with creation makes me feel completely at peace.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Shannon Thornton, and I’ve been in private practice as a Licensed Professional Counselor for over 10 years now. I specialize in treating adolescents and adults with ADHD and help parents understand the nuances of how to best parent a child with this specialized brain. I also specialize in treating anxiety, offering a creative and unusual way of taking it captive so my clients can control it, instead of being controlled by it. I treat clients from all backgrounds, and especially enjoy using my experience in faith-based counseling when a client is interested in that modality. I find it lends itself to additional ways to assist my clients in finding the hope they need to get through their circumstances more smoothly.
As my practice grew and I gained more experience, I began seeing patterns of similarity in the struggles people had. I noticed that no matter what my fellow travelers experienced, they all had one of six things in common. Left unchecked, these commonalities led to some kind of maladjustment which can ultimately lead to supreme unhappiness. I wanted to share what I learned that has worked for hundreds of clients over the years, so I wrote a book in hopes that more than just my clients could benefit from it. It is entitled Special Sauce: A Recipe for Mental Wellness; where science connects with scripture in a therapist’s office. I love the way that healing in the counseling world aligns so perfectly with scriptural truth. The six ingredients truly do make a special sauce that are the key to solid mental health in every person I have treated. The answer to our mental wellness was there all along in scripture, and is backed by loads of real world truths as well.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My husband saw me clearly before I could see myself. Despite my flaws, he has always shone light on my gifts and abilities and what I bring to the world, instead of my faults. He encourages me and reminds me of my worth and the difference I make. He believes in me and has always brought out the best in me, and makes me want to be the best version of myself.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
As the youngest of two children, I didn’t often feel like I belonged in my family. I didn’t have much in common with anyone in my family and tended to enjoy different things. I grew up being confident in myself but not believing I would ever amount to much or contribute in a great way. My father was a corporate executive and my sibling followed suit. That life was never anything I wanted so I thought whatever I’d end up doing would be less than impactful or meaningful.
I was a people pleaser and didn’t like to ruffle feathers. Others made the decisions and I went along with it. I didn’t believe my opinion really mattered that much, and as long as other people were happy, I would be too. I married a man right out of undergrad who unfortunately reinforced that negativity and broke me down to almost nothing. In time I would marry a better man and have a loving family of my own, but I still never thought much of my strength or ability in the big things that mattered.
Fast forward to the last year of my life. My parents have been aging and without warning, we lost my mother. In a four-day period, my dad was diagnosed with significant cognitive decline, my mom went into the hospital and died two days later, and my husband and I left our home and moved in with my dad to care for him. Within weeks I became an expert on managing another’s household as well as my own, learned the truth about the significant decline of my dad which had been hidden until now, and became the executor of a will and POA for the man who loved me first. Uprooting your life and caring for an aging parent, maintaining your workload, getting a book published, managing your own grief as well as your children’s, spouse’s and father’s, all the while prioritizing your mental and physical health as well as your marriage was more than I thought I would ever be faced with, yet alone do by myself and do it well.
Now almost a year in, we have developed a routine, educated ourselves, contracted help where we need it, created boundaries and carved out time for our own wellness. I have learned to let go of my own expectations of others and to appreciate the support I’ve received from the most unexpected places. I recognize a strength and resilience within myself I certainly never saw coming, nor ever thought I’d master. Yet, a year later, my relationships with my children, husband, and friends are thriving, my dad is doing great, I’ve published a book, my practice continues to have a wait list, and I am still standing. A little worn and tattered, but standing nonetheless.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say my faith, truth with grace, and solid relationships with my family and friends matter to me most.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am definitely doing what I was born to do. But I had to do what I was told to do first so I could create the path to get here.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chrysalisbtc.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/chrysalisbtc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-thornton-b1996071/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/chrysalisbtc
- Other: linktre.ee/chrysalisbtc
You’ll also find my book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Special-Sauce-Wellness-scripture-therapists/dp/B0DWKX5PS1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35E89MSSICYPR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BZxcyAdHy4EJbJBQvOTJHw.T_hnk2FxmovIOA5SY8jZLO5Bq4E1zWThGHb4TuRoq5M&dib_tag=se&keywords=special+sauce+shannon+thornton&qid=1757620289&sprefix=special+sauce+shann%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-1
Image Credits
all my personal pictures
