Why I Stopped Waiting to be Ready
I don’t know about you, but when I look back on different moments in my life, it seems that the most profound changes I experienced were related to deep pain that happened before the moment of change. I wish I could sit here and tell you that so many moments in my life were meticulously planned, but that’s just not the case. Now don’t think I just react to situations left and right (there is a LOT of overthinking that shows up 😅), but I know for myself the “right way” or the “planned out to a T” way doesn’t always give me what I truly needed.
If you’ve experienced loss before, you know that it has a way of changing everything. Loss has been a quiet undercurrent in my life these past several years, and it made me question what truly mattered in my life. Loss has taught me a lot about what it means to hold space for others, and for myself. I often found myself sitting in a place of “to hell with it” after a loss. It’s when some of my inhibitions have softened, and I wasn’t able to get lost in all the reasons why I shouldn’t do something– I simply focused on why I should do something. Sometimes, our hardest moments become the catalyst for our boldest choices.
Willow Counseling has been a dream for years, but it always felt far away. I knew there were things I wanted to have settled in my life before I considered my own practice – I needed to find a place to call home, get “established” in my life (whatever that meant), complete various certifications and training in focused areas of my profession, etc. I was constantly finding reasons why I wasn’t ready for something big and unknown.
I shifted from “I’m not ready” to “let’s do this” unexpectedly and quickly. If you’ve worked with me in therapy, you likely have heard me talk about synchronicities– deeply meaningful coincidences that have no clear cause. I had a series of these moments, seemingly unrelated things that felt like signs all pointing in the same direction. And I listened. That’s when I decided to take the leap and open Willow Counseling.
This practice holds my heart and soul. It’s a space for people who have felt unseen, stuck, or in need of support as they navigate the more tender parts of their stories. I know firsthand the impact that therapy can have. I’ve felt the most seen, encouraged, and believed in when I’ve allowed myself to be vulnerable, and when I’ve had someone hold space for me in that. I want my clients to feel believed in, just like how I’ve had someone believe in me.
So here’s my promise to you: Willow Counseling is a space where you can slow down, talk things through, and show up as the rawest version of yourself without pressure to be anything but that… you. Together we can move at your pace, make intentional changes, and focus on helping you feel empowered along the way.
This blog was created as a quiet corner to explore what healing actually feels like. A space to pause, reflect, and tend to the small but meaningful parts of being human. You’ll find gentle reflections here on things we don’t always say out loud– grief, growth, boundaries, and the stories we carry each day. My hope is that you feel a little less alone, and a little more understood, as you move through your own story. I can’t wait to connect with you and support you on your own healing journey.
🤍 Caity