Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Schad.
Hi Kelsey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Growing up, I received several marks on my report card disclosing to my parents that I talked WAY too much. I was dubbed a ‘chatty Kathy,’ and my parents were often told that it didn’t matter who the teachers sat me next to in class because I was going to talk to anyone and everyone. You’d think that with this natural desire to communicate and engage with others that counseling would have been my first career choice.
Wrong. I wanted to be an astronaut!
But as I grew up, I reflected on how I spent a majority of my time and where my interests as well as passions reside. I was born and raised in a sports fanatic household (Go Broncos!) and dedicated a lot of time to playing soccer. Therefore, I figured I’d thrive in a similar career. I decided to pursue Kinesiology at Houston Baptist University with focus on being an athletic trainer. I knew going into this major that I would have a couple of barriers, but what I didn’t expect was my inability to hear the heartbeat when using a stethoscope. I was told by a professor that I should probably consider a different path, which brought me back to the drawing board.
I remember being home for the summer and having conversations with my parents about other majors. I had no clue what direction to head in, but I am so thankful for my parents who pushed the mentality of pursuing a field that brought out curiosity and excitement rather than focusing on the monetary value associated with certain careers. The turning point for me came when I was watching ‘Criminal Minds.’ I was fascinated with the way the mind worked and how the analysts were able to utilize pieces of someone’s story in order to understand them better. I immediately changed my major to Psychology and have never looked back.
Undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate versions of me have all wanted different things and been attracted to various parts of this field. As such, I have worked with veterans, completed a fellowship with LEND (Leadership Education in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities), worked at a psychiatric hospital, and a residential treatment center for female adolescents in CPS (Child Protective Services) before settling in at a group private practice.
These experiences have helped me to define my ‘why’ as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I found that I want to be someone that cultivates change, whether that comes through advocacy, policy change, or sitting with individuals who need that safe place. The need for safety to live authentically is what has driven me to my current state, which is owner of Be Counseling, a mental health private practice in Magnolia, Texas.
Be Counseling opened up in January of 2025 and serves individuals as well as couples. In my practice, I have the privilege of sitting with clients and echoing their fears, validating their story, and providing them with unconditional love as well as a place to be heard. I get to walk with them while they heal from trauma, move intentionally and challenge stigmas that have been handed down through generations.
At Be Counseling, I encourage the idea of existing as we are.
Be messy.
Be afraid.
Be vulnerable.
Be raw.
Be brave.
Be hopeful.
Be worried.
Be curious.
Be whatever you need.
For however long you need.
Just be.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was 10000% not a smooth road! This road involved TONS of hurdles, from going back to school, life transitions, long hours, switching supervisors, job closures. Whew!
While in the program for my Master’s in Counseling, I went through a significant life change that altered the trajectory of my life. I was trying to pick up those pieces while also going to school full time, working full time, and at one point also completing hours required for practicum. Some days involved working in the morning and going to school at night. Some days involved getting practicum hours from 8 AM until 3 PM then going to work from 3 PM to 11 PM. I have a very vivid memory of being in the McDonald’s drive-through, crying and feeling uncertain about whether I could do this. I can’t say enough for my mom, dad, and brother in this moment. My family provided unwavering support and encouragement. Whether it was through spoken word or babysitting my pup for the day. The emotional load that they would take off me at points was pivotal in my ability to keep going.
I would later complete all required hours and submit for licensure. Unfortunately, the board kicked my application out due to missing courses on my transcript. After reviewing things with my academic advisor, we found that there was an oversight, and I would need to return back to school (AGAIN) and complete additional courses. The amount of frustration and anger in that moment was unmatched. In trivial times I remember my dad always reminding us that the grass isn’t greener on the other side – It’s green where we water it. It was hard to not compare my journey to those of others in my program and even harder not to compare my journey to those in other fields. I had to focus on my own journey and water the area with lots of patience and kindness towards myself.
This message is finding its way back to me as I navigate the stressors, fears and insecurities of opening up my own private practice. This part of my career has been filled with uncertainty, tears, and lots of sleepless nights. It’s SO easy to look around and compare my starting point to other clinicians established point. How unfair to me and to former versions of me who would be so excited to know about the adventures I’m going on. As such, I am currently working on offering myself grace as I encounter several unknowns and firsts. I am so proud of myself and the development of Be Counseling and I’m also learning to be proud of the things I overcome in the development of this practice.
The struggles have made me the individual I am today and the road towards this place in my life all the more beautiful!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Be Counseling?
Be Counseling is a private practice in Magnolia, Texas that provides mental health services. Be Counseling serves the Magnolia area as well as surrounding areas such as The Woodlands, Tomball, Montgomery and Conroe.
The purpose of Be Counseling comes from an understanding that many of us feel that our true self can only exist conditionally in the world around us. That we take up more ‘space’ than we should be allowed to. My hope is to invite comfort and acceptance for each person to exist authentically and to feel safe in emotional expression without needing to change or ‘fix.’ There is power in understanding that we don’t have to shrink to be more valued or loved. You are enough in your exact form!
As a clinician, I specialize in trauma and am currently working towards becoming a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) as well as a Certified Addictions-Informed Mental Health Professional (CAIMHP). My passion is rooted in trauma work and how attachment styles are impacted. I find significant value in understanding how we learn to love and how we integrate ourselves into various relationships by exploring childhood unmet needs, lack of praise, emotional neglect, and high achievement expectations.
I define myself as someone who is eclectic, meaning I utilize strategies and techniques from different modalities such as Gestalt, Jungian, and Psychodynamic. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). I provide mental health services to individuals of all ages and couples. I believe it is super important to tailor my therapeutic approach to match the clients needs, personality and presenting issue. With this in mind, I have implemented Walk & Talk Therapy at Be Counseling. Several clients have verbalized a desire to get outside whether that’s to ground, move, or connect with the environment. Walk & Talk Therapy takes sessions outdoors, which allows us to combine movement and deep conversation while existing among nature. *Cue birds chirping and the feel of sun on our skin.*
Lastly, I recently completed hours and requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor, Supervisor (LPC-S). This licensure upgrade allows me the opportunity to mentor and guide associates as they earn clinical hours, explore their therapist identity and navigate cases. Stay tuned future therapists of the world as I would love to be with you throughout the licensure experience 🙂
What does success mean to you?
Success is the ability to be proud of my own life.
One of the things that I discussed at length with my own therapist was the difficulty of drowning out the timelines and accomplishments that I felt society demanded of me or that I felt others my age were doing. There is a lot of noise out there, especially with social media, that can make it easy to feel behind and can make my own goals convoluted.
Success is creating a life that aligns with what makes sense to me.
Success is finding peace in my own timeline.
Success is knowing that I am making younger versions of myself so happy.
Pricing:
- Individual – $160
- Couples – $180
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.be-counseling.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becounseling_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569118485748
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseyschadlpc
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Ux56QhD9MGwYj53VEK7nJ
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/kelsey-schad-magnolia-tx/937865
