Although I knew (as much as I could at 17) that I wanted to be a counselor, my journey to get here took several twists and turns. Many positive turns but definitely not the most direct way to get here! One of my favorite things about counseling is hearing people’s stories and how they got there. Here’s a little of my story and how I became a counselor.
It’s not very common to meet your future spouse at 17 and still be together but that is exactly what happened. My brother went to college out of state and wanted to introduce me to one of his friends. He did and several months later we were dating. I ended up at the same college but knew that I would have to finish elsewhere. It was a small Christian college and I knew they would not have a degree that would match my career goals. After exploring several options, I landed on becoming a teacher. I made this decision for several reasons but at that point I knew that my now husband and I were likely going to get married when he graduated, and I wanted a way to pay off our student loans. We also decided we didn’t want more student loan debt if I chose to pursue my master’s degree right after we got married.
Once I graduated, it soon became clear I wasn’t going to be able to find a job in St. Louis. So, after much kicking and screaming, I mean wise, thoughtful discussions, we decided it was best to move to Dallas, TX where I began teaching 5th grade reading and social studies. After several years in Dallas, and one baby, my husband wanted to get back into ministry, so we ended up in Clearwater, FL. He took a position as a Children’s Pastor for a thriving church. After several years there and another baby, we decided we wanted to be closer to family so we picked up and moved to Greenwood, IN .
With each baby and each move, I would try and determine if it was the right time to pursue my master’s degree. And each time it was a no. Once we were settled in Indiana, I found a program that was close to home, that I could do part-time and we could pay for it as I went. We still had a lot of student loan debt when I made this decision, so we decided to get all of our debts paid off (except the house) before I started my master’s. It wasn’t until my youngest was in first grade that everything lined up for me to go back to school.
At different times pursuing my master’s degree was financially and emotionally draining to me and my family, but the timing was perfect. Because I knew this was a life-long dream that hadn’t wavered much since high school, it made these challenging times a little easier to manage.
Even as I write this and reflect on my journey to becoming a counselor, I am so thankful for the life experiences I had before I was a counselor and the insight I have on life experiences now as a counselor. I am also very grateful to past and present clients who have shared and trusted me with the hardest parts of their own journey. It is humbling to be in the presence of someone who is sharing their pain in hopes of finding peace and recovery. It has been my honor and my joy to walk alongside them in an effort to help them make sense of their pain.
I hope this helps you understand how I became a counselor for counseling in Greenwood, Indiana. If you’re looking for help parenting your child, I offer parent coaching online and more information can be found on our website at peacefamilycounseling. If you are looking for help with depression, anxiety, trauma or behavioral concerns, our physical location is in Greenwood, IN please reach out to me at 317.496.0456 or email lisa@peacefamilycounseling.com.
