Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Bernadette Smith, LPC-S.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The journey towards where I am today has been filled with twists and turns, but every lesson along the way has prepared me to build my practice, Aspen Counseling and Wellness. This practice is a manifestation of persistence, faith, and my desire to care for both my family and my community.
I always knew I wanted to help people, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity. In college, I majored in English because I thought I wanted to teach high school. Before that, I considered nursing and even business. Now, I tell people I’ve become all three of the things I once imagined, just in a different form. I run a business that allows me to help educate and heal people so they can grow into the fullest version of themselves.
Aspen Counseling and Wellness is actually my third attempt at private practice. The first two times, I didn’t yet have the foundation to sustain the long-term vision I had in mind. I had clients, but growth wasn’t steady or sustainable. By 2018, when my daughter was three years old, I finally felt ready to try again. I started slowly, seeing clients in the evenings and on weekends while still working full-time.
That progress came to a pause in 2019 when I became pregnant and was placed on bedrest. It was during that still season that I discovered telemental health. At that time it was a new and evolving way of providing counseling. I started learning how to enter this space ethically and responsibly. I knew this was the flexibility I would need as both a mother and a counselor.
At first, only a handful of clients were open to it as most people still felt most comfortable with face-to-face. But then the pandemic hit, and suddenly the entire world shifted online. What became a tragedy for so many also became an unexpected catalyst for my practice. I officially left my full-time job in 2020 and poured myself fully into Aspen Counseling and Wellness.
In 2022, a former student reached out and expressed interest in joining my practice. While I didn’t feel completely ready to grow into a group practice at that time, I also knew the only way to learn was to take the leap. Dr. Donetta Shelby became the first clinician to join Aspen Counseling and Wellness, and from there, other counselors have trusted me and the vision for Aspen Counseling and Wellness and we’ve continued to grow.
This journey has also opened doors I never could have imagined when I first started. I’ve had the privilege of serving as the moderator for the keynote address at the Texas Counseling Association’s annual conference, being awarded Counselor of the Year by the Texas Counseling Association, and being appointed Parliamentarian for the Texas Counseling Association. I’ve also been given the opportunity to teach master’s-level counseling students and provide clinical supervision to new professionals entering the field. Opening my practice has created opportunities I never imagined, allowing me to grow not only as a business owner but also as a leader, educator, and advocate within the counseling profession.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely been a journey of growth and resilience. My education gave me an amazing foundation in clinical skills and in shaping my professional identity as a counselor. However, while counseling programs prepare us to be clinicians, they don’t teach us how to run and operate a business. Learning about the right tools and systems, understanding laws and regulations, and figuring out how to manage a practice has been a whole education of its own, and one I’m still learning.
My path hasn’t been linear. I’ve had to start and stop building my practice more than once. Early on, I didn’t yet have the right foundation to sustain it long-term. Later, as I balanced motherhood and pregnancy challenges, there were seasons when I had to pause to care for myself and my family. Those interruptions, while frustrating at the time, gave me perspective and clarity. Each pause became an opportunity to reimagine what Aspen Counseling and Wellness could be, and each restart brought me back with more determination because it allowed me to see this is part of my life’s purpose.
While the road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been purposeful. Every challenge has shaped my vision and deepened my commitment to my clients, to the counselors who now trust and join me at Aspen, and to building a practice that is sustainable, ethical, and grounded in care.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Aspen Counseling and Wellness?
I like to say, “We are where you are.” That phrase holds duality. On one hand, it speaks to the flexibility we provide through secure telemental health, meeting clients wherever they feel most comfortable so they can access quality care without barriers. It also reflects our deeper philosophy: we meet people where they are in life, walking alongside them as they grow, heal, and evolve.
Aspen Counseling and Wellness is a group practice offering counseling to individuals, couples, families, and children ages 12 and up. Our counselors bring a wide range of specialties, including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and major life changes, among others. We’re committed to making care accessible, which is why we accept most major insurance carriers and also provide affordable options.
What sets Aspen apart is not just the services we offer, but the environment we’ve created.
For our clients, Aspen Counseling and Wellness is a safe, welcoming place to begin or continue their journey of healing.
For our clinicians, it’s a nurturing and supportive work environment. I make it a priority that my team knows I’m only a text or phone call away, so they never feel alone in the work they’re doing. We take on the administrative and business side of private practice so our counselors can focus fully on what they do best, providing compassionate, effective care.
Beyond counseling, we also offer customized trainings for businesses and organizations on topics such as wellness, stress management, burnout prevention, and continuing education opportunities. These trainings allow us to extend the mission of Aspen Counseling and Wellness beyond the therapy and into the larger community, helping organizations foster healthier, more supportive environments.
I am proud to be creating a place where clients know they can find trusted care, and professionals know they can join a practice that sees and supports them. That balance is what makes Aspen Counseling and Wellness more than a counseling practice, it’s also a place where both healing and professional growth are possible.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Here a few favorites in no particular order:
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Mindful Way Through Depression by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-Zinn
Nutritional Treatments to Improve Mental Health Disorders by Anne Procyk
Dené Logan – Therapist and Author
Gabor Maté – Physician who specializes in trauma
Pricing:
- Counselors’ rates can be found on our website
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.AspenCW.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aspencounseling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aspencounseling
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspencounseling
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aspencounseling
Image Credits
Headshot: David Wright
