Today we’d like to introduce you to Sehrish Ali.
Hi Sehrish , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been curious about people what shapes us, why we repeat certain patterns, and what helps us create meaningful change. That curiosity eventually led me to counseling, although I definitely didn’t have a perfect plan for where it would take me.
Over the years, I found my niche working with eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, and people navigating major transitions. I went on to earn my PhD and eventually opened Guided Growth Therapy in Houston. What started as a private practice has grown into a career that now includes therapy, supervision, consultation, speaking, and education.
I think the biggest shift for me has been realizing that I don’t have to stay in one lane. I love being a therapist, but I also love teaching, speaking, building something of my own, and being part of larger conversations about mental health.
I’m proud of what I’ve built, but I’m probably even more excited about where it’s going. I still feel like I’m just getting started.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not. I think one of my biggest challenges has been learning that just because I can do something doesn’t always mean I should. I’m naturally ambitious, and for a long time, growth meant saying yes to more clients, more opportunities, more training, and whatever came next.
Building a practice also meant learning a lot of things no one teaches you in graduate school. You suddenly have to be a therapist, business owner, marketer, administrator, and decision-maker all at once.
I’ve also had to get more comfortable with uncertainty and with not having every next step perfectly mapped out. I still love a good plan, but I’ve learned that some of the best parts of my career have come from opportunities I never could have planned for.
The road hasn’t always been smooth, but it has made me much more intentional about what I’m building and, just as importantly, the kind of life I want alongside it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Guided Growth Therapy ?
Guided Growth Therapy is a Houston-based private practice offering in-person therapy in Houston and virtual services across multiple states. I created the practice for people who may look like they have everything together on the outside but are struggling much more internally.
I specialize in eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, body image, identity, and major life transitions. A big part of my approach is recognizing that mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Culture, relationships, career pressures, chronic illness, and identity all influence how we experience ourselves and the world around us.
Beyond therapy, I provide supervision and consultation for other clinicians and have expanded into speaking and education around eating disorders and mental health.
What I’m most proud of is that as Guided Growth has grown beyond Houston, it has still kept the personal feel I wanted from the beginning. I want people to have access to highly specialized care while still feeling like they’re working with a real person who sees the whole picture not simply a diagnosis.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m a big podcast and audiobook person. A few I enjoy are Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam, The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, and Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel. I love conversations about psychology and human behavior, but also relationships, business, culture, and how people build meaningful lives.
For books, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb is a favorite because it shows the very human side of being a therapist. I also love The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown and The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel.
For apps, How We Feel is one I really like because it helps you slow down, identify what you’re actually feeling, and notice patterns over time. Google Calendar and my Notes app also deserve an honorable mention because I love a good plan and probably have more lists than necessary.
And honestly, travel is one of my favorite resources. Getting outside of my normal routine and experiencing different places and cultures gives me a perspective that I don’t always get from a book or podcast.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.guidedgrowththerapypllc.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sehrish-ali-phd-lpc-s-ceds-c/
