We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Camp Ryan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, 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.

Looking back on my career, I realize I have embraced some risks. Risk, if by definition, is stepping into the unknown without complete confidence in the outcome. One significant risk I took was launching my private practice, Balance + Life + Counseling, earlier than I had initially planned. I had always envisioned myself as a “seasoned” therapist with over a decade of experience before venturing into my practice. However, I defied my expectations and started my private practice just two years after obtaining my license. Surprisingly, it was a great decision, and I am thriving in my dream job.

Throughout the years, I have continued to take various business risks. In 2023, I made a bold choice to walk away from insurance panels to prioritize confidentiality and provide my clients with the finest therapy experience they deserve. This decision prompted me to rebrand, and I am now the proud founder of Urban Fern CoActive. At Urban Fern CoActive, my focus is on assisting teens, college students, and women who are striving for perfection but find themselves overwhelmed by anxiety and depression. I help them embrace their imperfections, utilize mindfulness techniques to calm their minds and guide them toward a life filled with joy and healthy relationships.

Embrace the unknown and take the risk! The outcome may surprise you in the best possible way. Even if things don’t go as expected, you will gain valuable knowledge and experience. You will grow stronger with the experience.

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’ve been a counselor for over 20 years! I started working for ALIVE, a local non-profit agency that helps people affected by domestic violence. I continued my work with families, teens, and women through other nonprofit agencies before entering private practice. My private practice has transformed throughout my career, and recently, I created Urban Fern CoActive. A private therapy practice that may not look like your typical therapy practice, as I may not be your typical therapist. I am a combination of therapist and life coach. I have the education, experience, and skills of a therapist and enjoy working co-actively with clients. Our work together is more than the treatment of symptoms. With respecting and honoring the uniqueness of each client, the work is a journey that incorporates their self-awareness and experiences with my therapeutic skills and psychological knowledge to bring them to life filled with calm and joy.

In addition to working co-actively with my clients, my new adventure with my sister may set me apart from other therapists. My sister, Katheryn Barton, is a couple’s therapist, and we have joined forces to show that therapy is relatable and not overly formal. We created TheraSistersStL. Through our podcast, TheraSistersStL, and social media, we share that healing can involve laughter, joy, authenticity, and everyday experiences. Within this, I am unfiltered, silly, and personally reflective, which perhaps some therapists may refrain from. I know I do within my counseling sessions. I keep my journeys pretty buttoned up unless it is therapeutic. Granted, that is the ethical thing to do and good therapy. TheraSistersStL gives me permission and a platform that highlights this unfiltered part of me to the world, which, although a bit uncomfortable, I am enjoying. Again, taking risks, if in this sense, a risk of being vulnerable.

For future clients, I want them to know that the first step in calling or setting up a Discovery Call is enormous! You have taken the first step, like taking the first step into a cold lake. You hesitate, pull back, and go back to enter the cold slowly. This coldness becomes less daunting, and you go a little deeper as your body acclimates. The phone call is the first step, and once you are comfortable, we will go deeper. Again, therapy is not all about drudging up hurtful memories and finding out what “is wrong with me”; it also includes humor, joy, relief, and ultimately, understanding and connection. I say, take the risk, make the phone call, and see where the journey of counseling will take you.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I used to think that when I transitioned from working with insurance panels to marketing my private therapy practice, I needed to come up with a completely unique idea or message. I thought I needed to have a groundbreaking approach to therapy. But I’ve realized that instead of having a brand-new perspective, what matters is my way of delivering therapy and being my authentic self. I’ve learned that I am the “product” and being genuine and showing clients who I am as a therapist is more important than trying to be completely unique. In fact, being relatable may be more attractive to clients. If I have personally experienced something, I can better understand and empathize with my clients. I’m still working on embracing this new mindset, as I tend to lean towards perfectionism. It can be scary to show my true self, especially when I want everything to be “perfect” so I won’t be rejected. I’m unlearning the belief that I need to have brilliant new ideas and that I need to be flawless to attract clients.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Absolutely! I am passionate about my job. I genuinely enjoy the conversations I have with my clients and I find fulfillment in helping them see themselves as beautiful and flawed individuals deserving of love and kindness. The journey toward self-acceptance can be challenging, but that’s what keeps my work interesting and varied. Each person is unique, yet I find commonalities in our human experiences. It’s the diverse mix of experiences that my clients bring that keeps me engaged and challenged. My commitment to helping my clients motivates me to continue learning, which adds a sense of novelty to my work. I find joy in learning about the human experience, and people never cease to intrigue me. I hope my genuine curiosity comes across in my sessions as a display of interest and concern. This curiosity helps me gain a better understanding of my clients’ experiences and in turn, find ways to support them on their journey toward self-acceptance and love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://urbanferncoactive.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urban_fern_coactive/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanFernCoActive
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-camp-ryan/

Image Credits

Heidi Drexler was the artist who took my photos. I do own my photos, but she is amazing and deserves a Shout-Out!

https://www.heididrexlerphotography.com/