We recently connected with Adrienne Brown and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Adrienne , thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Making the decision to leave a salaried job to work as an independent contractor. I say this was a risk because as a single parent a W-2 job is a guaranteed pay check bi weekly with vacation and sick time. However, as an independent contractor you are uncertain of what you will get paid when you experience cancellations and/or being out ill that causes a decrease in pay. This causes a constant struggle with rearranging your budget to make ends meet. I let my safety net go for more flexibility, opportunity for financial and developmental growth and establish myself in the field by building confidence in a environment of uncertainty. This was definitely an obstacle but I would do it all over again because sex therapy is so fluid, challenging and very exciting to dive deep into on a daily basis. Having the opportunity and privilege to connect with people on a different vulnerability level that some professionals in the helping field don’t experience or don’t want to experience is sacred and fascinating.
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
I work as a therapist and specialize in sex therapy. I also dedicate time to a magazine called Kiss and tell as a contributing writer. We write about all things sex, sexual wellness and having a positive well being. I also see clients with Grow Therapy platform to treat marital, relational and individual struggles with intimacy, communication, sexual dysfunctions and anything sex related. The main thing I would like people out there to know about me is I’m very empathetic and normalize your experience which makes it easier to talk through your struggle. The one thing that set me apart from other therapist is my unconventional approach and very laid back. I can relate to anyone I come in contact with due to my professional and personal experience.. “I have struggled and experienced life stressors that gives me deeper insight that provides the opportunity to assist in validating my clients experience.”
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
The one thing that is most helpful in succeeding in my field is having support from other professionals or a mentor to consult with. I don’t feel insecure about asking questions when I’m unsure. At one point I did but I feel more confident in my career knowing that if I’m clueless about something I can ask and learn. I think this is my favorite part about the field of sex therapy. I’m always learning something new. When you think you an expert at all things sex I get humbled again with something I didn’t know.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
If I could go back I would never go into nursing. I pursued it for years before I accepted that it wasn’t for me and I could never meet the expectations of the course work. I would have started off with counseling psychology and progressed into sex therapy certification sooner. I love my career and could have never imagined where I’m at and where I’m going.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: anbrownlpc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adriennebrownlpc
- Other: https://growtherapy.com/
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