Leaning Into Fear
Growth
Brookhaven Counseling turned 2 years old a few weeks ago. I really can’t believe it’s been 2 years already. Those years flew right by, just like they did when my babies were born, and somehow turned into toddlers (and then teens!) overnight.
Starting my own practice looked difficult and scary before I actually did it. Even so, something inside me knew this was the way I needed to head. In the beginning, I thought I was just creating a side gig, a place where I could practice and hone my therapy skills alongside my full time “real” job. I knew I was a good therapist, and that I had a valuable service to offer to people in my community. But even with this kind of insight into myself, it was still so intimidating to put myself out there. To be vulnerable enough to allow other people let me know if they saw my services as valuable enough to pay for them. Eek.
Sometimes I look at my life and think “is this really what I was scared of?”I feel a deep sense of gratitude for how well things have gone.
A little over a year ago, things were exploding at Brookhaven, in a good way. I knew I had to make a decision. I couldn’t continue doing both my full time job and my practice. It was too much. I quickly knew which one it would have to be, as I had fallen in love with my practice. The fear came out to play again though. It was one thing to have a side gig with extra money coming in. But an entirely different matter to give up a full time, reliable salary with full benefits. Again, something inside me spoke louder than my fears, and I took the leap. It was the BEST.DECISION.EVER. My work life balance finally fell into place. My finances improved. My stress level decreased significantly. Being in charge of myself and my business was one of the most empowering things I ever gifted myself. It has been an amazing year since Brookhaven became my one and only “real” job.
My friends, today I find myself at another crossroad. Things have gone so well in my little practice that I have become overwhelmed with a wait list that seems to grow by the day. I have started dreaming of being able to help more people and have more of a positive impact on my community than I can possibly do alone. I have also realized that I miss the camaraderie of coworkers. There is so much value, especially in this field, to have people at work to bounce ideas off, celebrate the wins with, and to vent to every now and then.
Once again, I am leaving my comfort zone, which has been oh so very comfortable. I am venturing into the great unknown as I nudge Brookhaven to expand into something more than just myself. It is exciting and thrilling and once again terrifying. The good thing about the fear this time, is I am becoming friends with it. It’s the same fear I had starting out, and the same fear I had when I made the decision to quit my full time job. This time I am learning to welcome this fear because I know it means that I have the opportunity to discover even more about myself and my community, and the meaningful contributions I have to offer.
What amazing thing are YOU scared to do? What incredible thing is fear keeping you from even trying? What would happen if that thing actually worked out for you? What fear do YOU need to learn to make friends with? I would love to hear your answer in the comments, or in a message. Leaning into my fear and allowing myself to be scared, while still doing the thing, has been one of the most valuable lessons I have learned on my own journey. I hope this can be helpful to you in some way on yours.
Also, if you are an awesome therapist or know one who might want to be part of the Brookhaven story, here is the link to our job posting:

