Our Story
Prior to COVID-19, I was enjoying the empowerment of running my own practice as a solo therapist specializing in “a holistic approach to counseling worrying women and Highly Sensitive People/Empaths.” Because of my holistic approach to healing and unique set of credentials and specialties, I had the privilege of being constantly busy helping people grow to be their best Selves. With a full schedule or when I didn’t think I would be the best fit for what the person needed, I worked to provide a warm transfer to another clinician who I felt the person could trust to take care of them.
However, after the public health crisis that accompanied COVID-19, even my trusted referral sources were full! I couldn’t keep up the amount of referrals for both individual counseling and particularly couples counseling. And, I wasn’t alone. My colleagues were also struggling to meet the growing need for behavioral health support.
What I Could Do
I am only one person, but in thinking about what I could do to impact our community and provide support, I decided it was time to take the leap I had been considering for quite some time! I would actively search for other like-minded therapists to add to my practice to serve those in Kalamazoo and greater Michigan via individual counseling, couples counseling, family therapy, and life coaching. It was evident that we needed more quality therapists in our field to serve those in need and I wanted to do my part.
Doing my Part Well
Finding other therapists to add to my vision at Inner Peace Counseling, PLC was no easy task, however. I was not just looking for “warm bodies.” I wanted diversity a goodness of fit with someone who I could proudly put my name behind. I wanted those who provided therapy at Inner Peace Counseling to have an extension of my values and passion for serving people deeply, wholly, and respectfully. Because, as therapists, we serve people best when we are at our best, I also wanted to create an atmosphere of happiness and appreciation with my therapists that would, therefore, extend to clients.
Our Vision
For our office, it’s not about competition. Yes, we have quality therapists with a unique and valuable set of skills and experiences that we feel would make Inner Peace Counseling, PLC an excellent choice for what you are looking for. However, we cannot (and have no intention of) being all things to all people. If, even among our growing family of therapists, we don’t have someone who will be able to meet your needs, we are happy to assist you in finding someone who is a better fit.
We believe that the people who are looking for us will find us. We believe that it is the relationship, not the number of certifications or the amount of letters after one’s name, that creates change. And, we believe that there are enough “fish in the sea” that we can continue to do our work well and proudly and allow each client to empower themselves to determine what their needs are.
The Journey to Telehealth
Taking this journey has also meant meeting the needs of others in a creative way. I would have never imagined this would be the story of my female-owned business. And, I never imagined I would be offering anything other than in-person psychotherapy. But, I believe that part of my job as an effective social worker and human is working to meet people where they are. And, when we are isolating during a stay-at-home order during a global pandemic, that is at home!
So, I took another big step into the world of telehealth. Prior to COVID-19, securely dual-encrypted virtual visits is a creative option I offered for my clients in times of illness, emergencies, or inclimate weather. But, after COVID-19, it became the only way to maintain a connection with people. I even began to see a trend in people reaching out for support for the first time because providing telehealth virtual visits eliminated the anxiety they had related to meeting people in-person. So, with adaptation and flexibility came a whole new set of people to serve!
Our Future
Where are we going? Honestly, we don’t know. For right now, we are focused on providing quality, holistic individual therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, and life coaching. And, we hope that you join us on our journey so that we can help you with yours.