Today we’d like to introduce you to Ayesha Lakhani.
Ayesha, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
How did I get to where I am today? What a great question because it feels like I blinked and all the pieces came together, at least from the outside looking in! My journey started before I even realized it when I was in high school and a friend shared with me that she spent her weekends volunteering at Texas Children’s Hospital. I immediately wanted to know how I could become a volunteer and this is when my journey began which allowed me to spend many years volunteering at Texas Children’s Hospital. This opportunity in turn became my safe haven for joy because it gave me a chance to help children and families smile and find a small piece of happiness while going through traumatic experiences. I did not have a real understanding of what those children and families were going through and my innocence as a child was very much still present every day.
What I knew is that there was something about the energy that drew me in and I never wanted to leave, even on the toughest days. I found resilience in these hard moments and I wanted to find a way to serve this community, but was not quite sure how to make this happen. As time went on, I went to college and I was completely lost and without a clue as to what I wanted to do for a career. All I knew is that I had a love and compassion for children and wanted to work with them in some capacity. I returned to my safe haven at Texas Children’s Hospital some years later trying to reconnect and find my way again. This is when I was introduced to Dr. Michelle Forrester who took me under her wing and helped to show me my path and guide me in the direction I had been longing. Dr. Forrester was the Director of an intervention program for early childhood education where there were pre-school children struggling to succeed. She allowed me to join her program to learn how they were serving children and I immediately fell in love with play therapy and decided this is what I want to do for work. My fears kicked in because I knew I would have to return to school and I was not a very good student. What I realized is that I had not found my passion until this very moment.
Once I was accepted into graduate school, I knew this was my chance to shine and I took advantage of every opportunity that came my way. During this time I also realized how important it is to have a tribe, which is a support team that will help you get to where you want to go. This is critical because no one can do anything on their own! I eventually ended up in graduate school and I became a licensed therapist. I went on to be trained by some of the best in the field who continually pushed me to be better than I ever thought possible. I worked in the field for several years and went from working with children to stepping outside of my comfort zone and working with adults. I realized I was playing it safe when I worked only with children because that is where I was the most comfortable. Stepping out of my comfort zone was one of the hardest steps I have ever taken, yet the most rewarding. I am so glad that I was willing to step outside of my comfort zone because it gave me more insight and understanding as to how patterns get repeated and cycles continue within families. After working in various places and getting comfortable in my own skin, I ended up starting my own practice. I had to do my own work and go on my own journey along the way but here is where all of my years of experience in different areas, with different populations, and different age groups all come together.
Has it been a smooth road?
Sitting here today and thinking back, I believe my road has been smooth as they come, but that’s not to say that I haven’t had struggles along the way. I’m humbled to have been taken under so many peoples wings and given a chance, one that I didn’t feel like I earned or deserved most of the time. I vowed that if given any chance that I would take advantage of every possibility given to me and I did exactly that and continue to do so. What I did not know when I started was I had my own journey of understanding and healing that I needed to endure.
The struggle came when I knew I did not want anyone else to suffer like I was suffering. I could not quite understand why I was so unhappy at times and struggled with being vulnerable about what I was feeling with others. I battled with isolation and keeping it together in public and falling apart behind closed doors because I did not want people to think I could not handle life and this is where my tribe came in. I had support always surrounding, I just did not know how to utilize them because my belief was that I had to do things on my own. Once I allowed myself to be vulnerable, I realized that my tribe wanted what was in my best interest and helped guide me to where I am today. The struggles have been internal and external, questioning myself and second guessing myself every step of the way and eventually when I let go and trusted in who I had become and believed in myself all the pieces came together. My purpose is to serve others and by having my own practice, I get to help others every day become the people that they were created to be themselves.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Infinite Counseling and Wellness story. Tell us more about the business.
My primary focus is helping children, adolescents, adults, and families to identify traumatic experiences while learning how to heal during the process. This process is one that takes patience with yourself and each individual has their own unique journey. It is important to meet them where they are, holding the space for them to feel safe and allowing them to be vulnerable to do their work and heal. This work is what I am the proudest of, to help others through their pain and distress and help them live the life they really want. It is a humbling thought that people put their faith and trust in me to help them reduce suffering in their lives and find ways to live with purpose and meaning.
How do I do this and help facilitate transformation? I tailor each person’s journey for what they need specifically. For example, with children, I use play therapy which is a mode of therapy that is child-centered and allows the child to be in charge of their own process. The room is designed with specific toys that allow children who may or may not have the language, vocabulary development or ability to verbally communicate what’s causing them stress. They use the toys in the room as their mode of communication and it is a beautiful process to watch them do their work and transform. As for adolescents, adults, and families, I generally use talk therapy, coaching, and energy balancing (chakra healing) to help them understand why they do the things they do or make the decisions they make and then this journey helps them to shift. This is another beautiful process because the relief it brings to people when they have a better understanding of themselves is amazing. The realization that they have control to change their path is truly eye opening for everyone involved.
I have been fortunate enough to work with people who have always made me rise to the occasion. My career started off at The Children’s Assessment Center (CAC) where not only was I trained to be an amazing therapist but was also given opportunities to work in disaster situations like hurricane Katrina. Through my job at the CAC, I was allowed to be on the front lines of horrific situations. It was there that I learned I was capable of anything I set my mind to. The people I met during this time taught me so much about myself and the opportunities I had to impact people simply by being present. From the CAC, I went on to do crisis interventions with people who were struggling to survive. I observed immense suffering but took the opportunity to shed joy in some of the bleakest situations by helping people understand the context and suffering they were enduring. After this, I ended up working at the Harris County Jail where I also encountered people who were suffering from no way out. Helping this population catch a glimpse to see that there is always an opportunity to make a different choice even when it does not feel like it, was my greatest accomplishment.
After the jail, I went on to work for a judge where I was exposed to the legal side of mental health. I gained a much clearer understanding of why it is so difficult for people with mental illness to get the services they need in order to stop suffering and see life in a different way. One year ago Houston was hit by Harvey and I was stranded out of town feeling helpless. Once I arrived back home and saw the devastation, I knew that I had to jump in and spread some joy. This is when I realized that all people want in life is to be seen and to be heard. It was effortless for me to make people smile and the impact it had on them was huge! I watched the chain reaction occur when they took that smile and paid it forward to the next person. This is why I started my own practice. I wanted a space to call my own where I could reach people and help them transform in ways that they never thought possible. This all starts with being seen, being heard and open to smiling. It all starts here.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Mental health is such a crucial part of our day to day living, however, most people do not put emphasis on taking care of themselves. Unfortunately, self-care is usually at the bottom of our list and let’s be realistic, whoever gets to the bottom of the list? My hope is to see shifts and changes where people will begin to put themselves first, not in a selfish way, but in a caretaking way. Since we have to model in preparation for teaching change, beginning this trend at home is a great place to start. I also think that we are moving into a virtual age even for therapy and coaching. I believe that if tools are more easily accessible to people that they will utilize them more. With life being so hectic these days and with so many commitments and activities, we have to find ways to take care of ourselves. Being able to be on the go and have access to tools that can hold us accountable is where I see the trend moving to create more interconnectivity personally through innovative technological approaches.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5959 West Loop South, Ste. 100
Bellaire, Texas 77401 - Website: Infinitecounseling.com
- Phone: 713-907-1669
- Email: ayesha@infinitecounseling.com
- Instagram: #infincousel
- Facebook: Infinite Counseling and Wellness
- Twitter: @infincounseling
Image Credit:
Kaite Kerbow, Tracy Hailey
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