Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Rice.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Anne. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story doesn’t have the happiest beginning – by the time I graduated high school. I had known four people who had committed suicide and had known many more who had attempted. These were friends who I thought were happy and parents of friends who had incredibly successful careers. I quickly learned that depression and anxiety don’t care who you are or what wonderful things you have going on in your life. I knew I wanted to understand this better so that I could hopefully make a difference in at least one person’s life, so I pursued a masters in counseling.
After working for various agencies in Boston and New York City, I landed back home in Georgia where I decided it was time to start my own private practice. Agencies provide amazing services but are often limited in the number of sessions they are able to provide or the type of care. I knew that opening my own practice would allow me to provide quality services to the clients with whom I work best. I now have a practice that lets me do the work I love in a way that best serves my clients.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business is scary. Starting a business when your degree is in counseling is terrifying. I was still working a full-time job when I started my practice and I had no idea what the first steps to starting a business were. I would come home from work and spend hours watching YouTube videos on how to build a website or listen to podcasts on starting a private therapy practice. I remember walking into my first Business Association meeting and wanting to just give up and run because I felt so out of place and like starting a business was just too hard. I was confident in my skills as a therapist and knew if I could my name out there and get things running, I could help people, but getting going was really difficult.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Firefly Wellness Counseling – what should we know?
Firefly Wellness Counseling is a private therapy practice in Decatur that offers individual and group counseling to adults and teens. I specialize in working with those struggling with anxiety and depression and have recently brought in an art therapist who works with trauma. We all experience uncomfortable thoughts and feelings- from social anxiety to feelings of hopelessness. I think a lot of treatments focus on getting rid of those thoughts and feelings and labels them as “bad.” I instead take the approach that those thoughts and feelings can come and go just like more pleasant thoughts and feelings, but we don’t have to let them take over our lives. I work with my clients on observing their thoughts and feelings with curiosity and warmth by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere and I have an Instagram with weekly mindfulness tips to help you be present in everyday life.
I am constantly striving to create a space that is welcoming and comfortable for all. There is always tea and coffee to sip on and plenty of coloring books and stress balls. I love using movies, tv shows, podcasts, and music as ways to talk about difficult topics. I also provide online therapy for those days when Atlanta traffic is just too much. I think people are often looking for a place where they can just be themselves, and Firefly Wellness Counseling works hard to provide that space.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think I have been very open-minded and flexible as I’ve created my business. This had allowed me to go with the flow when things weren’t going well and it has allowed me to manage new problems as my practice got fuller. My practice isn’t exactly what I imagined it would be a year ago; it’s better. I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am if I’d put myself into a box of what I thought a therapy practice had to be.
Contact Info:
- Address: 151 Locust Street, Avondale Estates
- Website: fireflywellnesscounseling.com
- Phone: 404-478-3016
- Email: info@fireflywellnesscounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firefly.wellness.counseling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fireflywellnesscounseling/
Image Credit:
Renaldo Mili
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