We were lucky to catch up with Liz Watts recently and have shared our conversation below.
Liz, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.
I’m happy I ended up where I did for my first counseling job. I was a student counselor at Capital Area Counseling (CAC). They specialize in offering low-cost services making counseling services possible for those with limited income, a cause I feel strongly about. When I worked at CAC I was a student in my final year of completing my master’s degree in counseling. I was so nervous (and excited!) to get to work with actual clients. I had spent several years learning about counseling in theory, but this was my chance to put everything I had learned into practice. These were real people with real problems in search of real help! I ended up enjoying my time at CAC so much that I decided to stay on as a post-graduate working on my 3000 hours to become fully licensed as a professional counselor.
Liz, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I offer counseling for individual adults ages 18+. I most enjoy working with people who struggle with never feeling good enough, have strong negative beliefs about themselves, have imposter syndrome, or are perfectionists. I also work with anxiety, mood disorders, and life transitions, and I offer EMDR. I have first-hand experiences with all of these issues meaning that I can approach my work from a viewpoint of empathy and understanding.
I originally became interesting in counseling due to my own experiences of having performance anxiety as a musician. I’m a classically trained violinist who has failed in auditions due to extreme nerves. When I think that I’m being evaluated, I shake so much that I can’t play properly! I initially took psychology classes at my local community college, enjoyed them so much that I applied to and was accepted into graduate school for clinical psychology. Unfortunately, I had to leave that program when I was halfway though it because of a change in my husband’s job. Luckily, I found an excellent graduate program in counseling at St Edward’s University in Austin, and that set me on my path to becoming a licensed professional counselor (LPC) here in Texas. If I were to highlight one thing that I’m most proud of, it would be that I started this career path from the beginning at a community college, and that I never gave up despite life throwing me a few curveballs.
To learn more about me and my approach to counseling, please visit my website, www.lizwattscounseling.com
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
By far the biggest change I’ve seen in the counseling world is the increase in telehealth. I completed my year of student counseling at the end of 2020, and so I was part of the cohort that had to learn how to do virtual therapy very very quickly. Prior to the world turning upside down in March 2020, I had worked with a small number of clients in person. I was only 6 weeks into working with clients and had barely gotten my feet wet. I knew absolutely nothing about conducting sessions online. Thankfully, this was during the time I was a student counselor at CAC where I really appreciated the amount of help and support I received from other student counselors. We were members of a team. Even though we disappeared in all sorts of different directions, that team spirit never wavered.
Nowadays I still do most of my therapy sessions online. I love the convenience of being at home and it works well for my clients as they generally find it easier to fit in their appointments. I do a few in person sessions on Saturday mornings in Westlake (Austin) but I plan to keep the bulk of my sessions online for the foreseeable future.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy has been networking with other therapists. I’ve gained a reputation as being someone who is approachable and patient. I don’t shy away from hard topics, and I’m told I have a calming presence in the therapy space. Many therapists in the Austin area are active on Facebook and that’s where I’ve learned about therapist networking meetups. It’s been a little scary to go along to a meetup where it’s possible I won’t know anyone there, but that’s also a good thing in that I’m making contact with a wider range of people. I also maintain professional listings in two online directories – Psychology Today and Open Path Collective.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.LizWattsCounseling.com
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Phone: (512) 643-4898