Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Hensley.
Rachel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Once upon a time, I was a pregnant high school dropout. Raised by a single mom and an only child for 16 years, I always searched for family. I made quite a few “poor choices” and was told by my HS counselor that I should give up—get my GED and find a trade were her exact words—so I did…for a while at least. Throughout my life trials, I always recognized the importance of having a support system to get through difficulties and tried to be that for so many people. Eventually, I decided to go back to school. I chose a quick, simple program and signed up for classes. One of those was intro to psychology…that’s where things shifted. One of my professors told me she had never had a student make a hundred on any of her exams, adding if I ever needed a letter of recommendation, she’d be happy to provide one. That was the beginning of my journey to becoming a therapist. Just someone believing in me. Ten-plus years later, I have had several positions that utilized my degree and license, and I’ve learned from every one of them. These days, I enjoy practicing privately and teaching psychology classes at my local university (UHCL).
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road was adventurous to say the least. I already had two children by the time I chose a career path, and during my schooling, I had my last child—who was diagnosed with autism and ID—during the first half of my collegiate journey. Struggle builds character. Lots of character building days! Building and maintaining a practice were much less of a struggle than I believed they would be initially. Turns out if you do good work, that kind of takes care of itself. The road is much smoother now.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a licensed marriage & family therapist and a certified anger resolution therapist. I work with individuals, couples, and families, managing emotional and relational issues. I am also an artist, so one of my favorite skills is teaching others to channel their emotional dysregulation through creative pursuits.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I have a saying: not everyone needs therapy, but everyone deserves it. I’m noticing a lot more openness to therapy as a tool for growth and healing. I have personally seen an uptick in interest and engagement. I’m hoping even more folks are interested and willing to gain self-awareness by talking to a therapist in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rachelhensleymft.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhensleylmft?mibextid=LQQJ4d
