We recently connected with Shavonne James and have shared our conversation below.

Shavonne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

There’s a lot I can say about how my parents have impacted my life and career but I really feel that what stands out the most is the kind of independent, “you are capable,” environment they fostered. I think that really set the tone for how I feel about myself and, in turn, it’s the lens in which I see the world. My dad was always coming up with new systems and charts that focused on creating balance in our lives. He called it the “SFMP” which was “Shavonne Franklin’s (my maiden name) Master Plan” and it was a reminder that I had to do something for my Spiritual, Financial, Mental, and Physical well-being on a daily basis. I had to write my own affirmations and I listened to, or had to read, personal development material throughout the day. I was in the first grade bringing Og Mandino books to school for reading time, haha. Of course there’s more to life than those things (and there has been a lot of my own discovery and/or unlearning that I’ve had to do) but I think it has really helped me personally and professionally. My parents are always optimistic, welcoming, and make a point of looking out for people’s strengths and talents in an effort to build them up. My dad always says that people have a desire to feel special and when we can make people feel special, it stays with them. They have this combination of a limitless mindset and warm accessibility that make them great people to learn from without feeling less than because they’re so humble. They are a little eccentric, out of the box, thinkers but their unwavering authenticity is definitely kind of charming. They never seem to be embarrassed by anything and that is a skill in itself!

Shavonne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Shavonne James, a Licensed Clinical Therapist and founder of Paper Cranes Counseling, a group practice that focuses on identity, interpersonal relationships, and inner child work. I’m very proud of our mission to connect underrepresented wellness seekers with culturally-affirming, holistic, care because our intersectionality plays so much of a role in our life experience so we don’t want to skip over that; we want to explore it. Our work is so much about empowerment, hearing the stories that brought people to us, and helping people discover the paths that align with them. Each of our therapists have their own style of how they approach therapy and I love the creativity and art that’s created in the space together with clients.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Other than training/knowledge, what I feel is most helpful for succeeding in this field is really having a passion for people and taking care of yourself in the process. For me, being a therapist helps hold me accountable to do the work that I’m encouraging other people to do. Because therapy is such a present interaction, I have to be mindful about the energy I bring into the space and how I navigate the energy of other people – whether that’s helping to contain energy, shift energy, mirror energy, etc. I think a therapist-client relationship is so unique that no two experiences are the same and a big part of my idea of success in this field is that connection – when clients feel seen, heard, or affirmed.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Going from a solo practice to a group practice was definitely a pivotal time in my career because I was adding these various leadership hats to my list of roles. I was aware that I was running a business before but actually have a team of people is a totally different experience – one that I am definitely loving because I really appreciate the kind of work culture we are nurturing together. Work culture is so important to me because I know that when people feel supported, appreciated, and empowered in an environment, that shows up in the work they do with clients. I love seeing clinicians evolve and develop their clinical voice/style. I love getting to know them and learning how to support them. It has continued to truly be an honor and fulfilling experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.papercranescounseling.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/papercranescounseling
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/papercranescounseling
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/papercranescounseling
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@papercranescounseling

Image Credits
Blossom Blue Studios