Today we’d like to introduce you to Allie Archer.
Hi Allie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Coming from a family of educators, I started out planning to pursue elementary education. Around my junior year of college, I started going to counseling when grief started to resurface from when my mom suddenly passed away when I was 12. My own personal counseling journey made me think: What would it be like to be in the other chair? What if my giftings align with this profession? Am I crazy to think I would really enjoy this job? I started off on my journey to become a professional counselor, not knowing exactly what that would look like. But I was hooked! I felt like after every class, I would talk to anybody who would listen about what I had learned. Seeing my first few clients for my practicum class humbled me very quickly. I had so much to learn and skills to develop, but I knew this was my gift. After completing my supervised hours and getting fully licensed at a group practice in Fort Worth, I felt the tug to serve the community I grew up in. After prayers and planning, Bayou City Counseling was born! I had dreamed for a long time of starting my own private practice and becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor felt like a natural point to launch my business. I am so grateful for my family, counselor friends, and my husband, who really encouraged me to take the leap of faith!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I am so thankful that the response to Bayou City Counseling has been amazing! I thank God daily for my clients and that most of my appointments are filled each week. I think the need for counseling has grown, and the stigma has decreased. Individuals don’t have to have a mental health diagnosis to process stress, anxiety, or grief in therapy. Marriages don’t have to be in crisis to go to marriage counseling for help. The largest learning curve with opening Bayou City Counseling has been figuring out how to run a one-woman operation! I am the billing department, scheduler, marketing manager, IT, and bookkeeper. I have had to learn to know my strengths and delegate out areas that I need help–like taxes!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Bayou City Counseling, I work with adults and teens struggling with anxiety, grief, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and relationship issues. I am trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Reprocessing and Desensitization), and I am passionate about working with clients who have experienced trauma, abuse, and PTSD. I have a special place in my heart for postpartum moms, those dealing with church hurt, and those with a toxic inner critic. I am a certified Prepare/Enrich facilitator and enjoy working with dating, engaged, and married couples. I am also trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and I have clinical experience in non-profit and private practice settings. I believe that change and freedom can come from a safe, therapeutic relationship. I have seen that by sharing practical coping skills, processing one’s past, and understanding the present, clients can have hope for the future! I will always say that one of the greatest privileges of my job is people allowing me to know their pain and trust me with their stories! Most recently, I received my certification in Perinatal Mental Health and look forward to helping struggling pregnant and postpartum moms. I also enjoy integrating faith when a client needs a trained Christian counselor.
I offer services in person, virtually throughout Texas, and even “walk and talk” therapy at local parks.
I think two things set me apart: first, I take a personalized approach to make sure that each client’s needs are met. In the first session, we make a game plan, and I consider various approaches that can help get to the root issue. Second, if I am not a good fit for a client, I will help them find the right counselor for them. Research shows that about 85% of a success in therapy is about having a good fit between the client and counselor, so this is very important to me!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice for those who are starting out would be to plan ahead and create your support system! Support changes everything when it comes to having a successful small business. I have also come to find that word of mouth is the best way I have grown my business. I’ve learned so much about how to be an effective therapist and had to adjust how I run my business to meet the needs of my clients.
My real secret to success is that I have two beloved counselor friends, Paulina Nicholson and Taryn Hockett, who both started their counseling private practice before I launched. We brainstorm and share our wins and losses. Bayou City Counseling would not be what it is today without their wisdom, encouragement, and friendship!
I wish I knew when I was starting out that I had and still have so much to learn about running a business. And because I am the “boss,” I have to be very intentional about having boundaries with work to make sure I am a healthy counselor taking care of myself, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: bayoucitycounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bayoucitycounseling?igsh=Y3lhZTN1d2hhcHV1&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089893665312
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allie-archer-lpc-84297b276/
Image Credits
Katie Ann Guy
