We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexa Shank. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexa below.
Alexa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
Growing up as a dancer, my parents instilled in me the qualities of determination and resilience. There were a couple of times throughout my life, when I auditioned for dance positions or specific dance teams and initially didn’t make the cut. These instances were extremely devastating to me. However, my parents always encouraged me to learn from my mistakes and use them to motivate myself to be better. They taught me that with hard work, I could improve and be successful if I tried again. Without their encouragement I wouldn’t have ultimately been able to achieve my dance dreams. Being able to build resilience through dance allowed me to cultivate my work ethic and without this, I never would have believed I was capable of owning my own private practice.
Alexa, 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 am a psychotherapist and owner of Relief & Recovery Psychotherapy in Houston, TX.
I knew I always wanted to work in a job where I could help others. I became interested in mental health in high school and majored in Psychology in college. After retiring from dance, I achieved my goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I knew from the start of my education that I wanted to be able to help people who might be struggling with some of the same difficulties I had, and I noticed a particular need for more professionals knowledgeable about treating eating disorders in athletes. I was able to gain experience working at a variety of levels of care and am now a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. I feel that my own experience with dance gives me a unique perspective and understanding that many other therapists do not have. I am able to fully recognize the pressures of the competitive dance world and how they can take a toll on a person’s mental health. I had my own struggles and was able to work to achieve a balanced relationship with food and my body while still dancing. I think these aspects allow me to relate to my clients and validate their difficulties.
I am extremely proud of the private practice I have been able to build. It had been my dream for years to be able to combine two things I am passionate about; dance and mental wellness.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
The desire to continuously keep learning is critical to being a psychotherapist. Just like with dance, there’s always new material to learn. There are constantly new theories being tested, and revised modalities of treatment being taught. If you aren’t driven to keep up with the latest research, you can end up doing a disservice to your clients. Therapists need to continue to change and evolve as mental health challenges change and evolve. If we don’t make an effort to gain more knowledge, we can’t expect to have the best tools to equip our clients with.
Additionally, I wholeheartedly believe that every therapist should seek therapy for themselves so that they have the opportunity to see what it is like “on the other side of the couch” so to speak. Experiencing the perspective of being a client myself has helped me have more empathy and understanding for my own clients. Furthermore, it’s beneficial to have a place to process my own struggles so that they don’t negatively impact my work with clients.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
Absolutely. I love my job and the clients I get to work with. I knew I wanted to remain connected to the dance world in some way but I also wanted a career where I was in the “helping field.” My position allows me to combine these two aspects. It’s the perfect combination.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reliefandrecoverypllc.com/
- Instagram: @reliefandrecovery
Image Credits
Scott Edwards