Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Head
Hi Paige, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My practice, Crescent Counseling & Consulting, LLC, has always existed as a part of me – so, I truly can not share its story without sharing a little of my own personal story as well. If you’re here and reading this – truly – thank you for allowing me to share these pieces of my story with you, I’m honored.
I have always enjoyed learning about people – so, while I wouldn’t say I always knew that I wanted to be a therapist, I did always know I wanted to do something in the realm of working with and serving others. That desire, along with my desire to someday be a mother, served as an anchor point as I made my way through college and graduate school – every milestone I met served more so as a stepping stone that brought me to where I am today. I often describe it as a correlation – the more sure I became of myself, the more clarity I gained in regard to what I wanted to do with my life.
As I began to build my career as a psychotherapist, I felt called to work with children who had experienced trauma. During my internship in graduate school, I partnered with a local child advocacy center and poured my heart into serving their clients in whatever capacity I could before graduating in 2019. As an associate clinician, I continued to work with children and obtained my Registered Play Therapy license alongside my licensure as a professional counselor. I truly thought I had found my sole purpose as a clinician and then, I had my first son, Campbell.
When I tell you motherhood changed me – I mean, it altered me to my core. It changed me in every sense of the word. It was during this time, while I was navigating the first few months of my first postpartum experience, that my practice was born. I realized I was simply no longer the same person (and ergo not the same therapist) I was before I became a mother, and so I was struggling to fit all the previous pieces of my life into a new one where they no longer fit. It all felt, truly, like trying to fit square pegs into round holes – no matter how hard I tried (and try I did), I could not make it work, and it nearly broke me. I was struggling with postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA), and I didn’t know how to help myself – a realization that was extremely hard for me to accept considering what I do. I needed time to heal both physically and mentally, so I chose to take a risk and start my own private practice. This allowed me the time and flexibility I needed to take care of myself, to heal, and to gain confidence in the one role I had spent my entire life praying for and the one I cherish the most above all others – “Mama”, while also being able to provide for my clients.
During this time, I became extremely aware of how vital a “village” is to those struggling with the hardships associated with postpartum. I want it to be known, truly known, that the path I walked was not something I would have been able to accomplish alone. It took people seeing…truly seeing me and guiding me; giving me their love, their patience, their strength and tethering me to the notion that…no matter how dark the night, “morning always comes” and come it did.
Then, a few months later, I found out I was pregnant with our second son, Landen, and I was both overjoyed and terrified – I felt the highest of highs picturing our growing family and wondering what Campbell would be like as a big brother and then, in the subtlest of ways, I felt it again – the tugs of the same destructive thoughts and the postpartum depression/anxiety I had fought so hard to overcome not even a year before. I knew…I knew I wouldn’t survive another postpartum experience like the one I had had previously, so I relied again on my network of supports and, after Landen was born found myself actually happy and enjoying my postpartum experience. I found myself further reflecting on how important it is to have a village and how thankful I was for mine…how vital they were – especially when, not even two months after we’d brought Landen home, we found ourselves rushing him back to the hospital and praying over him as he battled a severe case of RSV. After bringing Landen home, I experienced crippling anxiety that for months took its toll on me – chipped away at me little by little. I was losing myself again, but this time I knew what to do. So, I once again leaned on those in my village and, once again, they saved me. When I went to resume my role as a therapist, I felt a tug…this time a positive one…to expand my practice to serve both pre and postpartum women. I had once again been changed by my experience and so, once again, my practice changed alongside me. I spent the next few months rebuilding everything I had previously started into something new, something that – if I am being honest with you all and with myself – I was always working my way toward.
Crescent, for me, is more than a business – it is a resource to all women – women in EVERY phase of motherhood – It is a safe place where women can come to learn, to heal, and to grow – maybe into someone completely new or maybe into the version of themselves they were always meant to be…
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I actually laughed out loud when I read this question…because, in short, no – the road was anything but smooth. In fact, I wouldn’t describe it as a road at all but more of a extremely narrow, winding, path along the side of a mountain overlooking a very VERY steep drop…Not adding that for dramatic effect, truly, that is how I would describe the journey here.
As I shared previously, I myself struggled with postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety following the birth of my first son and, as I stated, it changed me. It is hard to truly describe the depths of disconnect I felt from the world and those around me and I truly believe the reason I am still here and able to be talking about perinatal mental health in this capacity is because of those who saw (truly SAW) what I was going through and actively helped me. I was blessed in that way – in a way that, sadly, some women aren’t, and so that is why I aspire to use Crescent as a resource for women to build not just themselves but their village as well.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I provide psychotherapy services to women and their families – I specialize in working with perinatal women. In particular, I am equipped to work with perinatal women who have experienced trauma. I am trained in EMDR, and I use that as a resourceful tool to help women heal from both past traumas and traumas related to birth. I offer individual sessions both in-person in Cumming, GA and virtually throughout the state and am known for my transparency and inclusivity as it relates to building a sound circle of support for my clients. If I am not meeting with clients, I am meeting with other birth workers and practitioners in an effort to get to know them and the type of services they provide so I can help my clients create their own ideal “village” so to speak. This is the part of my practice that I am the most proud of because it is the one I am constantly putting the most effort into – I recognize that I am a part in a larger network of supports women need in order to flourish both pre and postpartum, and so I strive to connect and personally vet those that I refer to on a regular basis. With Crescent, it is more than a generic Google search – it’s several cups of coffee, consistent follow-ups, etc. to ensure you’re receiving the highest quality in terms of referrals.
I do also reserve a small percentage of my caseload for children and teens, as I am a Registered Play Therapist (RPT) in addition to also being a licensed professional counselor (LPC). This is work I still hold dear to my heart even as I have expanded my practice to working primarily with perinatal women. I believe, too, it helps set me apart from others in this realm of work because I can use this education and knowledge to further support women as they grow alongside their children. We’re constantly changing as mothers and, in truth, I think support is a natural part of that process. Which is why I have sought out ways in which to best support women in EVERY phase of motherhood.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
You’re going to feel like an imposter – you’re not.
Do the scary thing – the reason I started my solo practice was because a therapist I admired said, “It’s the scariest thing to do until you do it.” So, I did it and you know, she was right! It’s not so bad on this side of things!
You’re not for everyone and everyone is not for you – it’s okay. Seriously. I think the hardest thing I had to learn as a new therapist was that I couldn’t help everyone. If it’s not me, it’s someone else and I actually really enjoy helping clients find and connect with other providers if for whatever reason we are not able to create and foster an alliance.
Take care of yourself – no, really, take care of yourself.
Lean into the happy – life is really too short to not seek out the things that fill you up. For me, that was being walking distance to a good cup of coffee between sessions and a room full of natural light!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.crescentccllc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crescentccllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crescentcounselingllc/
Image Credits
Audrey Grace Photography
