Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Westbrook. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Elizabeth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents have always taught me just by virtue of their character to show compassion and meet needs around me without letting anyone else know. They instilled in me the importance of tangibly meeting needs, offering encouragement, and simply doing the next right thing, especially when no one is watching. Because of their private approach to serving and connecting with others, their impact afforded me an opportunity before the power of social media to develop a character that allows me to be reflective on why I do what I do that has nothing to do with notoriety, likes, or engagement. I believe that our integrity in the spaces we find ourselves matter. Who I am with my family is the same as who I am in my professional spaces. I believe the support of my parents to do the right thing regardless of who’s watching has shaped me into the Social Worker and Activist that I am.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m no stranger to mental health advocacy, the means by which has just changed over time. From creating GLSEN Safe Spaces in my high school to forming a nonprofit organization committed to building bridges around social justice issues, leading community transformaiton through advocacy events, and doing all I can to destigmatize mental wellness is an undercurrant of what I do.

I’m the co-owner and Chief Executive of Conflict Resolution from the Business Consulting firm I own with my husband Thomas, a Neuropsychotherapist in private practice with Here Comes the Sun Counseling, and the Founder of the Katy Mental Wellness Collective, which is an organization committed to an interdisciplinary approach to mental health care + personal/professional development amongst providers and advocates in the Katy area. The diversity of my professions allow me to tap into the various facets of encouragement and reform that I value. I sometimes view labels and guidelines as suggestions and constantly ask why we do, believe, and act the way we do. When we seek those answers, we can be more impactful with those around us by holding firm to our values, regardless of the rooms we find ourselves.

Asking questions, pushing back on what has long been a social norm, and challenging stereotypes is something that is a commonality in all the places I find myself. Whether it’s using sneakers and fashion to engage with people and hear their stories or building training programs for those in the mental health field, I believe that there’s not one right way to be a therapist, wife, mom, or professional, but there’s a million painful ones. When I can bring hope to the hurting and provide encouragement to those who are timid about sharing their stories, I believe the sum of my work is truly because of the redemptive, restorative work of Christ in my life.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I have a strong sense of justice and that tends to trump my concern with being misunderstood. I operate in a lot of unique spaces and when you couple that with a diverse approach to how I dress, my social media presence, and more, I often find people are confused by me. There’s not a great box to put me in, and it’s one of the things I appreciate most about myself. I value my brain and my education. I value unity and bringing unlikely groups together. I can find a commonality with just about anyone, regardless of how different we seem from the outset. I also have no time for community and business politics. I’ve seen just how horrific it can be when you’re “out” and not “in” and I’ve made a personal commitment to never let those high school antics show up in any of my work. Because we moved so much in my childhood, I was forced to start over frequently. I believe this made me highly adaptable and has translated well into the consulting and mental wellness spaces. Because group-think is quite common, I seek to always create something that is, at its core, different than anything else I’ve seen in my area…or anywhere else for that matter. The commitment to individuality, while being mindful of places I can bring others along with me on my journey, has kept me going and draws clients to me who often feel this pull of being too much and not enough all at the same time.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I feel like the last 37 years has been one pivot after another. The only thing that’s the same is my love for Jesus and for people. How that’s shown up has changed over and over. From leading 12 step recovery groups in churches to taking youth sneaker shopping with a local nonprofit for my birthday, I feel like the undercurrent of who I am is this blissful, optimistic approach to unity. This isn’t always well received, and I’ve learned to be okay with that. When you know your integrity and intentions and those around you believe in you, it makes it easier to tune out the noise. Because I work in some sometimes polarizing spaces (the consulting world, the business world, and the mental wellness space), there’s not one right way to do my work. I’m constantly looking to adapt, redefine, equip and empower myself and those around me. I try to hold everything loosely enough that if it all goes away tomorrow, who I am and the people who I care about are more than enough to sustain me. I value my reputation and the respect of my clients and community, I’m also not ignorant to the fact that these things are fleeting so I work to build something that impacts ways of life, not tangible things. If I can come alongside countless professionals and advocates and empower them to be kinder, more competent, a team player, and compassionate, I believe I’ve done my job, regardless of not being able to track the metrics to prove what it means to just be a kind human.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elizabeth-westbrook.com
• Instagram: @thesneakerheadtherapist, @katymentalwellnesscollective, @westbrook_solutions, @herecomesthesuncounseling
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074466619899
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-westbrook-lmsw/

Image Credits

Oh! Shap! Photography
Colt Melrose Photography
Naranja Dulce Photography