Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bethany Kleinhans. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Bethany, appreciate you joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
After undergrad, I left with an Anthropology degree and little idea of what to do with it. So, I went to Austin Texas to join up with a police academy. It was the worst choice for me professionally and yet, I know that I would not be where I am today without that choice. While in the academy, I started to notice that I was losing parts of myself in favor of becoming someone I was not proud of. After multiple months, I made the extremely difficult decision to leave a commitment. This was an incredibly challenging step for me as I was always taught that if you say you are going to do something, you must see it through.
Another defining moment in my career would include working for a domestic violence shelter under the guidance and direction of my manager., Kay Davis This individual has passed away, and actually died right around the beginning of COVID. She challenged me to make the most of my time at the shelter and go for my master’s degree in social work. I will forever credit the direction of my career to her. Kay was insatiable when it came to encouraging her employees and her clients to pursue their fullest potential. I am forever grateful to have had her push me forward and propel me into the career that I hold today.
Bethany, 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?
My name is Bethany Kleinhans. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Florida and newly Wisconsin. I work for an incredible therapy collective called St Augustine Counseling and I own my LLC. I never believed that this would be my career and have gone through multiple phases in life, where therapy was the LAST thing on my mind. That story is long and winding.
As a therapist, I primarily use Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This therapeutic modality was started in the 1980s by Francine Shapiro, to help those who had come from from Vietnam with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The modality is recognized around the world for its benefit with trauma. EMDR is also utilized for secondary disorders caused by trauma such as anxiety, phobias, and depression. I also utilize Trauma Informed-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Murray Method.
As a therapist, I strive to meet my clients where they are and help them achieve their goals. No client is one-size fits all so I do my best to ensure clients feel that the therapeutic approach used with them is unique. I am compassionately blunt, have a multitude of facial expressions, and occasionally, swear like a sailor. I start all clinical relationships with a phone call to ensure that I am a good fit for a client and if I am not, I do whatever I can to refer them elsewhere. With strong community connections, I feel confident when I do refer out and have always had a good response to this.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.staugustinecounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staugustinecounseling/?igsh#
- Other: [email protected]
