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

Hi Christie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

It’s easy in our culture to focus on where our parents missed the mark. But I’m glad to share two of the greatest lessons my mother taught me: to work hard and persevere through hardship. My mother began working in keypunch for Russell Athletic as a late teen in the 1960s. By the 70s, she had become the first female supervisor for Russell and was manager over their payroll and security in their Information Systems Department. She had no college education, yet she worked her way up in the male-dominated company while housing, clothing, and feeding a family of 5 on her meager income. Even though she had a prestigious position and was well thought of in the company, as a woman in a small town, her pay often did not stretch as far as it should have. Rather than take government assistance, she worked a part-time job at a local florist to ensure we had the extras we needed – cleats for ballgames or dresses for proms. I was always proud of her for these accomplishments and believed if she could do it, so could I. Because of her example, I worked to pay for college and grad school and opened private practices in two states while raising a family with my husband. My mother was tough, but fair to those who worked for her. I also strive to be fair with those who work alongside me and diligently provide the best services we can to our community. My strength and my desire to do well all come from my mother.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Like most therapists, I became interested in healing family relationships because of the dynamics in my own. As a teen and young adult, I was convinced that the family was crucial to our emotional well-being. My fascination led me to my undergrad studies at Auburn in psychology. While there, a professor nudged me to explore the Marriage and Family Therapy program on campus for my grad work. It was a perfect match! I found what I had believed to be true all along – individual development is directly related to our formative relationships. Since then, I have been blessed to work with people from all walks of life as they heal their emotional and relational wounds. These last few years, my focus has been helping couples in conflict restore intimacy in their relationships, bringing comfort to families coping with infertility, healing spiritual pain, and serving adults with depression and anxiety. I believe two specific areas set our practice apart. One is our training in Emotionally Focused Therapy. EFT addresses our relationships with ourselves and others to create a greater emotional connection and deeper healing. With couples, we do more than stop them from fighting; we help strengthen their relationship bond, experiencing an intimacy they may never have known before. For individuals with depression, anxiety, and various types of trauma, we go with our clients into their painful emotions and unexpressed needs to help them heal wounds that may overwhelm them when they first begin therapy. The other aspect of our practice that sets us apart is a focus on healing for those who have experienced ruptures within their spiritual community. In this country, we are experiencing division within and mistrust for every institution we once relied on. People are questioning their beliefs about life, their government and organizational bodies, and their spiritual leaders. This is painful. Our job is to create a safe place to talk about the pain without judgment.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Wow. Very important question. When I began hiring other therapists, I thought that if I created a warm, caring work environment, everyone I hired would stay until they retired – we’d be one big happy family. I had to unlearn that. People move, their goals change, they have families and decide to stay home with kids, and sometimes, they aren’t a good fit for the position. Being relationally oriented, that was a hard lesson for me. I’ve had to shift my perspective to one that enables me to pour into the therapists who work at Family Renewal while they are here but also allows me to accept the stages of life that may take them elsewhere. Right now, we have a dream team. But I know one of them is moving out of state soon. While we are all sad to see her leave, we are so happy for her and can’t wait to see her succeed in her new home. I learned how to open my hand – to receive and to let go.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

The book Profit First by Mike Michalowicz was one of my most influential business resources. Before reading Profit First, I had a bad habit of putting most of my resources back into the business, and I was guilty of “bank book balancing” – if I had money left over, then I had money to spend on something the practice needed. This approach left me training and business systems rich, but inner resources broke. I was becoming burned out and resentful of the time invested vs. how much I compensated myself for the long hours it takes to run a practice. Michalowicz’s rationale for having separate bank accounts for taxes, operating expenses, and profit made me rethink my approach. Now, at the end of each month, I pay myself a percentage no matter how much the practice brings in. This may not be much on the off months, but it’s something. And it allows me to better plan for the ups and downs of the business cycle inherent in our field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://familyrenewalcounseling.com/
• Instagram: Family Renewal Counseling
• Facebook: Family Renewal Counseling
• Linkedin: Family Renewal Counseling; Christie M Poole

Image Credits
Christie Poole has rights to all photos provided.