We recently connected with Aristia Mosley and have shared our conversation below.

Aristia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

I let fear control me for a long time before starting my practice. I was always scared of failure and the little voice that would say “you can’t.” It wasn’t until I had a near death experience that I decided to just have faith and take the leap. It was the best decision for me since starting my career. Having my own practice gives me a sense of peace and freedom because I get to help so many people who look like me. At the beginning, it was a lot of paperwork making sure everything was good with the county. Once Puzzle Piece Counseling was officially legal, it was all about marketing to get clients. I think my biggest struggle was figuring out “my brand.” It’s so much pressure to get an “aesthetic” on social media and it’s easy to fall into that trap. If I had to do it differently, I would’ve started out by just doing my own thing and not trying to force myself into a box. Once I stopped doing that things got better. I would tell someone who might be considering starting their own practice to just do it and TAKE THE LEAP. I promise it’s worth it.

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

My name is Aristia Mosley and I’m the owner of Puzzle Piece Counseling. I am based out of Pflugerville, Texas but can see any client in the state of Texas. I became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) about 4 years ago. I see individuals, families and couples to help them sort through whatever they bring into the therapy room. I mostly see clients dealing with anxiety, depression and couples who are having issues with communication and connection. I think something that sets me apart is that I don’t try to change who I am in the therapy room. I let my clients see the human I am (with boundaries) because according to a few studies one of the most important things about therapy is the therapeutic alliance, which is the relationship between the client and therapist. I really focus on connecting with my clients so that they feel comfortable in my role of helping them sort through their thoughts and feelings. I am most proud of the leap of faith I took in starting Puzzle Piece and the growth I see in so many of my clients.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

100% yes! Saying yes doesn’t mean I don’t have hard days in the field though. Some days are really draining. On TV they make therapy look so easy to do, but those of us who are doing the work with clients know just how tough it can be. We are hearing some tough life stories and navigating our clients through those things while we may be experiencing some of the same things (especially dealing with things regarding the pandemic). Through all of that though, the good days outweigh the bad. Seeing a client make progress makes it all worth it.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I think being able to decipher whether you and a client are a good fit for each other is important. Not every client is meant for every therapist and not every therapist is meant for every client.

Contact Info:

• Website: puzzlepiececounseling.org
• Instagram: puzzlepiececounseling