Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi Wolfe and Elil Yuvarajan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kristi and Elil. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Kristi – I grew up in Ohio and moved to Waco, Texas in 2007 to attend Baylor University for graduate school in clinical psychology. In graduate school, I worked at several internships, including child and family mental health clinics, Texas Youth Commission, and a college counseling center. I found that I really enjoyed working with adolescents and young adults. I earned my doctorate in clinical psychology in 2012 and moved to the Houston area. I joined a group practice here in League City working as a psychologist. I developed a specialty in working with teens and young adults with anxiety.
Elil grew up in North Dakota and was in the HR/ business field for 10 years before deciding to become a psychologist. He quit his job and attended graduate school at Baylor University, earning my doctorate in clinical psychology. He developed a specialty in working with teens and adults with a history of trauma. He moved to the Houston area in 2013 and originally worked at University of Houston Clear Lake in the counseling department. He then joined a group practice as a psychologist.
We have always had the desire to be entrepreneurs and in 2016, we decided it was the right time for us to open our own practice. We chose Friendswood, Texas and officially opened Stepping Stone Therapy in June 2016. It was a big risk for us as we had to learn how to run a business, including marketing, billing and all the other aspects of business. We went from psychologists to psychologists and business owners. However, we are really glad we took this risk and we have loved owning our own business. We have worked really hard to create a business that serves the community. In 2017, we hired two additional psychologists to meet the growing demand for our services and we look forward to continuing to expand in the future!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We are married to each other, and it has been fun to develop our business together. However, about a month after deciding to open our own business, we found out that I was pregnant with our son, Finn! It was tough creating a business while pregnant, and then I took maternity leave only 4 months into our business opening. Luckily, my clients were very understanding and we made it work. We still continue to struggle balancing parenting and working with our now one year old son. Many times, I’ve been on the phone with a potential new client or insurance company, and my son has started crying! It’s definitely a balancing act!
Please tell us about Stepping Stone Therapy.
Stepping Stone Therapy offers psychological therapy and assessments for clients of all ages. We are able to help clients with family and relationship problems, depression, anxiety, and many other difficulties. We also offer assessments such as ADHD, personality, and Gifted/ Talented. One thing that makes us unique is that we accept insurance, which many psychologists do not.
We really enjoy working with our clients! I think we are known for really caring about our clients and being able to help those who come to us. We’ve developed relationships with different doctors and schools in the area, and we enjoy building relationships with different members in the community. Most of our referrals are word of mouth from previous clients. We also have a bilingual Spanish and English speaking psychologist, Dr. Morua.
Each of our psychologists has a doctorate in psychology and at least five years of specialized training in therapy and assessments. We also continue our education every year by attending workshops and conferences, consulting with other professionals, and staying up to date with the latest research. We take a lot of pride in our ability to provide the highest level of care to our patients.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
The four seasons! I grew up in Ohio. I loved seeing the leaves change color in the fall and playing in the snow in the winter.
Pricing:
- Self-pay rate is $165 per session.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1410 Winding Way Dr.
Suite E - Website: http://www.steppingstonefriendswood.com/
- Phone:281-993-8040
- Email:info@steppingstonefriendswood.com
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
