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Meet Amy Wine

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Wine.

Amy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
From living in my car to an entrepreneur…

I graduated high school right around my 18th birthday, in 1989, and I was so determined to not go back to the home I lived in with my mother and step-father, that I actually lived in my car for most of that summer. At times, I spent the night at a friend’s house, but overall the summer was spent cramped up in a 1986 Nissan Sentra, it was bright red. I loved that car, perhaps not enough to want to sleep in it, but that was the choice I was left with. I never told anyone this was what I was doing, I just did it. I WAS NOT GOING BACK TO THAT HOUSE!

I had been admitted to The University of Oklahoma, of which I spent one year and flunked out (can’t tell that whole story here, sorry) (geez, could it get any more embarrassing)! Then I met the man of my dreams and the rest is history, easy peasy lemony squeezy. Haha, NOT! I did really meet the man of my (future) dreams. (see my story about lying to him here… dang I sound horrible). Moving on… in 1993 we moved to Houston where I had many, many different jobs. I was once a) professional temp, b) a failing, wreath making, craft show entrepreneur, c) human resource representative, d) visa and immigration administrator, e) mom, f) scrapbook store owner, g) elementary school teacher, h) marriage and family therapist, and i) entrepreneur. Story over. 😉

A pivotal moment was when I worked in human resources (around 1997-1999) and I met a wonderful man who took me under his wing, got me back in college, and helped me start to see the life I never dreamed I could have. It took many, many years to complete my degree, in fact, I got married and had three babes it took so long. In 2010, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. From there, I received my alternative certification and became an elementary school teacher. I love kids, so working with them came naturally for me. But, one day I realized, I just want to talk to these kids and not necessarily teach them to read. Understanding this was not good for the kiddos, I quit yet another job and went back to graduate school. I completed that degree in two years, whew that was exhausting and miserable. Yikes!

I still had not thought about being an entrepreneur, I was doing exactly what God called me to do, help others through counseling. I felt at peace like I knew I was right where I am supposed to be. However, as time went on, I kept feeling unsettled again. I knew it wasn’t with what I was doing, helping others, it took some exploration and one day on a whim, I made a phone call. With very little thought and only a few days, Amy Wine Counseling Center was born. There is no other explanation other than only God. I could not have open and grown the way the counseling center has on my own. Nor would I have the ideas and will power to start the new online endeavor (courses, podcast, and more) in a world in which I know NOTHING! Yes, there are soooo many stories I left out like I said, I could write a novel, but those will come on other days.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Absolutely not smooth, is anything? I am perfectly imperfect and believe every failure is a lesson, nothing more. Some of the struggles were in growing too fast, yes this is a problem. I didn’t really expect the fast growth, it is amazing and awesome but I felt like we were fighting fires and couldn’t get ahead. Staffing concerns, financial and bookkeeping was hard to keep up.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Amy Wine Counseling Center story. Tell us more about the business.
Amy Wine Counseling Center is a group counseling practice located in Cypress, Texas. We specialize in working with children, teens, adults and families to help you meet your daily challenges and lead a rich, more fulfilling life. Each of our counselors brings a unique set of strengths and extensive training to their practice and works with you to support you in getting from where you are to where you want to be.

At Amy Wine Counseling, we are committed to offering you the best counseling experience we can, while respecting and affirming your personal values, faith, spirituality, racial and ethnic background, sexual identity and orientation in a supportive, non-judgmental setting.

At Amy Wine Counseling Center, we believe that every person can strive toward and reach their full potential. We help you get there by supporting you in:

Establishing and maintaining healthier relationships.
Enhancing communication and understanding.
Balancing power struggles in the family and between partners.
Working through difficult emotions and traumatic experiences.
Helping you lead a richer and more joyful life.

Our counselors can help you navigate those times when life doesn’t turn out quite how you expected. We walk with you on your journey through anxiety, stress, sadness, grief, depression and all the other tough emotions that might come your way. In addition to traditional counseling, Amy Wine Counseling Center specializes in the treatment and support of Autism Spectrum Disorders.

I am most proud of our team, we fully support each other. I couldn’t do it without them, we are family.

What sets us apart, our clients come first, always, our setting has been commented on more than anything, it is like walking into your own home, yet a place where the pain can heal. We are committing to serving our community beyond our doors and therefore, you will see us all around the community at events, giving presentations (for free) or training executives. We open our doors to other professionals that want to learn the business side of things and feel that other counselors are not our competitors, but allies. Lastly, we are expanding to help others on a worldwide stage with a marriage podcast, online courses, and we have a lot more surprises up our sleeves.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
There is no way any of this has happened without it being in God’s plans. Coming from a previous non-believer and growing up with atheists, this is a strong statement of faith from me. However, there is simply no other explanation for all the things that have happened along the road to Amy Wine Counseling Center. Doors simply opened and I didn’t have time to implement any plans I had because it all just kept coming. So I don’t believe it was luck, good or bad, it was simply in God’s plan. This is such an amazing and freeing feeling.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Liza Hippler

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