How are You Serving Your Mental Health?
Recently we had a chance to meet with Andi and hear the why behind her passion and new business.
Andi, thank you sharing your journey with us. We would love to hear more about your mission and who you serve.
My mission is to help people heal their individual wounds that contribute to destructive or negative interaction patterns in their relationships with their families or significant others. The people who would benefit from my services are people who have a desire to change, heal, and do the work required to have healthier, more meaningful interactions. People who have experienced or are experiencing unhealthy or toxic relationships, trauma, or feel like they are repeating the same mistakes or gravitating toward the same type of situations and/or people would also benefit from my services.
Thank you for sharing that, before we go further, can you tell us a little about how you decided to go into this field?
I was soul searching when my stepmom asked me if I had ever thought of becoming a therapist. Through my own private healing from unhealthy relationships, I learned my value, worth, and learned many lessons that helped shape me into the therapist I have become. I set out to understand my own “why’s” and now want to help others do the same.
My past self is my biggest inspiration. My past self was broken, beat down, unhealthy, needy, and hurt. Through my own healing journey, I have sought therapy to get an unbiased opinion and insight into my struggles with relationships (family and romantic relationships). I believe that if I can do for someone else what another did for me, I will have been successful. However, I am not the expert on anyone’s life but my own. My role is to simply listen with compassion and grace while helping them dig deep into their feelings, reactions, and experiences.
What are your typical responsibilities as a business owner?
I fill all the responsibilities of my private practice. I do everything from marketing, consultations, scheduling, and billing to providing the therapy sessions to clients. I advertise on social media (Facebook and Instagram), psychology today, and through networking events.
What has been your biggest lesson learned and what keeps you going?
The biggest lesson I have learned is to surround myself with people who are supportive, not competitive or petty. In the therapy world, we all specialize in different things and have different insights. That is what makes us unique in this field. There is no reason to try to compete with anyone as they have things to offer than I do and vice versa. I want to surround myself with therapists that are supportive of each other and helping each other succeed.
The possibility of helping someone understand themself or others they are involved with better, healing, and feeling heard and understood keeps me going. For me, it’s about being the person for others that I needed myself.
What was the most positive impactful changes you have made in your business?
I think being willing to get into the uncomfortable parts of this process by putting myself out there is the most valuable and impactful decision and change that I have made for my private practice.
Andi can be reached at 863-345-2596 or you can explore mental health options through the Connected Pathways site linked below.