We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Constance West. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Constance below.

Constance, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I must be honest in saying that the biggest risk that I have ever taken is becoming a business owner. I do not have a background in business, therefore, my dreams of becoming an entrepreneur were built on a dream. Lord knows, I did not know the first thing about where to start, but there is one thing that I have always had no matter the circumstance or season of life that I was in, and that is my faith. I was raised to know that no matter what I am going through, I can always go to God in prayer. This has been exactly what I have done and I am blessed to say that I have had my practice for 8 years. These past 8 years have not always been roses and rainbows. I have had seasons of uncertainty and self doubt. I faced days when I questioned whether I was strong enough or even worthy or capable to help others in the capacity of a therapist. I struggled with confidence, financial literacy, and my biggest hurdle was fear. I allowed fear to dictate my direction which spiraled into seasons of self deprecating thoughts.

Our minds are such powerful tools that I like to think of as a rose garden. Roses are absolutely beautiful and vibrant when in bloom. But have you ever taken a closer look at a rose bush? Behind all of the beautiful flowers are a plethora of thorns. If the thorns are not pruned they can prick and hurt those that touch them. The same goes for our minds. Fear, negativity, self doubt served as the thorns of my mind. As a beginning business owner, I had beautiful thoughts and ideas behind how I envisioned my therapy practice, but seeing other practices around me and living in fear and a lack of confidence, the thorns of my rose garden became more visible than the roses themselves. I am not ashamed to say that I am in a constant state of growth and learning. I love to say that I am learning to navigate through life because I have Jesus and a therapist (I even put it on a t- shirt). I have learned to continue to lean on God, pray for direction and to build a sense of community around me that helps assist me when I am not unable to help myself. I have learned that building a business is not a one size fits all practice as what works for some does not necessarily mean that it will work for me. I am thankful for the highs and lows that I have experienced on this journey and look forward to continuing to grow individually and as a business owner. My next risk will be shifting from working within my practice part time, to being a full time entrepreneur!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Constance West, and I am the Sunflower Counselor. It is hypothesized that sunflowers get their energy from the sun and share energy with other sunflowers that are lacking. I truly believe that this is me in human form.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and the owner of Mindful Tranquility Counseling, LLC. I have had my therapy practice for 8 years. I am licensed in the state of Missouri and I offer in person and virtual services to adolescents and adults. In addition to being a therapist, I began my career as a middle school counselor and have worked in education for the last 11 years. My passion is assisting others grow, heal, and find peace on their journey to mental health and wellness. I offer individual sessions, group therapy and workshops on a variety of mental health topics. I particularly enjoy assisting individuals in the areas of self compassion, mindfulness, and anxiety. I also started creating mental wellness t- shirts that I call Positive Vibez Sunflower Designs. I wanted to create another way to spread positivity and strive to spread wellness to others which I have been able to do through therapy, school counseling, t-shirts, as well as through my wellness tik tok page.

I love walking in my purpose and passion and spreading awareness to the importance of mental health and wellness.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe that authenticity is the most helpful tool for succeeding as a therapist. I have learned that being my authentic self with clients has helped to ease the tension that can come with seeking out therapy. Therapy can be very intimidating and requires a great sense of vulnerability. When someone is in a space where they are navigating life’s challenges, the last thing that anyone wants is to feel judged within a space designated for healing.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

If I could go back, I would not change my profession, I love being a therapist! I remember aspiring to be in a variety of different careers growing up. At one point, I wanted to be a detective, but the thought of seeing so much crime felt overwhelming. I then considered the music industry as a singer, because I love to sing, but that would require me to get on a stage in front of people and sing without my voice and knees shaking. I also wanted to be a doctor, but that idea did not stick around either. What I have learned as I got older is that the values, skills and interests that we carry play a major role in our lives. While I enjoyed certain aspects of some of the jobs I was once interested in, I realized everything that we like does not mean we have to make our interests a career. I realized that helping others was a passion and I found my purpose within that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.constancewestlpc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/constancewestlpc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/constancewestlpc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/constance-west-lpc-14172266
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sunflowercounselor