Sagacious Counselling and Wellness Support is growing and needs to find a home. I have been looking at properties all around the city of Edmonton and surrounding neighbourhoods like Leduc, Sherwood Park, and Beaumont. I’ve looked in high rises, hidden games and storefronts. I have been talking with like-minded entrepreneurs, family and friends to learn what I can about growing a business. I want to share a few of the lessons I’ve learned from the decision to expand my counselling practice.
Lessons I've Learned from the Decision to Expand my Counselling Practice
Variety is the spice of life
- Pet therapy
- Play therapy
- Traditional talk therapy
- Goal-oriented practice
- Behaviour-based solutions
- Emotion-focused
Be open to advice, but stay true to you
The second thing I learned came from a conversation with one of my best friends. I narrowed my search and showed him one property that I was incredibly excited about. Being the great friend he is, he always points out things I haven’t thought of…which I love. I don’t love “yes men”, I love people who challenge me and remind me of something I can lose focus on when I’m excited and passionate. My friend said something along these lines, “are you sure you want the business so out in the open? There is stigma and some people don’t want to be seen walking into a counselling building. Maybe a more hidden office setting would be better.”
I considered his suggestion, paying attention to how it felt in my body and what my emotional response was, and then realized that in order to stay true to myself and the vision for my practice, I didn’t want the space to be hidden or worry about stigmas. I am an advocate for mental health and wellness and I don’t want people to be ashamed of coming to counselling. I want people to see my sign and think that it’s a safe space for healing, which aligns with my motto, “a safe place to tell our story.”
I am aware that there is still a stigma around mental health for some people and they might not feel comfortable coming in for a session. My team and I will always offer online solutions or refer out to great people we know who offer more hidden offices. To those who are holding on to the stigmas, let me offer you a bit of insight.
Counselling isn’t “people just complaining” – this is a very outdated statement.
Counselling is often working through a decision, finding ways to communicate better so we don’t hurt others, coming up with a plan, or being heard by someone outside of the situation to protect loved ones from judgment or overwhelm.
Sagacious Counselling and Wellness Support posts about mental health awareness and being true to yourself to help debunk dated mental health stigmas that are keeping people from healing.
The lessons I’ve learned from the decision to expand my counselling practice so far have been enlightening and helpful in mapping out what it will look like to invest in a business location in Edmonton. I am eager to share updates over the next few months on how Sagacious will be bringing forward mental health services to anyone wanting to share their story and begin the healing journey to living a full and happy life.
