We were lucky to catch up with Karen Balumbu-Bennett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Karen , looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?
One risk that I’ve taken recently, is allowing myself to be more vulnerable by openly sharing more about some of my difficult experiences. As a psychotherapist, we are taught to do very minimal self-disclosure. And as someone struggling with fertility challenges, openly sharing isn’t always the most comfortable thing to do. However, my vulnerability has allowed for me to connect with people near and far and has allowed for me to attract more of the clients that I strongly desire to support.
In 2022, I continued on my “risk taking” journey, and self-published what I like to call a memoir meets guided journal, titled: My Baby Journey: A Guided Journal To Support You Through The Peaks And Valleys of Trying To Conceive. In this guided journal, I tap into my personal and professional experiences with fertility challenges by sharing personal aspects of my journey and providing guided questions to help readers not only feel validated, but also feel safe to process their difficult feelings. Furthermore, I decided to continue to dip into my newly found creative space and open an online wellness clothing and apparel store. All of this may not seem “risk taking” to some, but for me, these ventures were all new, exciting, scary, and nothing that I learned about while getting my master’s degree in social work.
Karen , 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?
As a psychotherapist, I have had the opportunity to work with people from various backgrounds. As a therapist specializing in Perinatal Mental Health, I have the unique experience of working with those who are trying to conceive, pregnant, and postpartum. Part of my role as a therapist, is to help my clients understand the importance of prioritizing their mental wellness. I do this by offering both individual and group therapy, workshops, retreats, and in the form of speaking engagements. Some of my group topics include mom support groups, infertility support groups, work/life balance, and more. I strongly emphasize self-care and community-care, encouraging everyone to incorporate intentional care practices into their daily routine. Some of my personal favorite self-care activities include: hiking, yoga, dancing, journaling, resting, volunteering, meditating, praying, singing to late 90’s RnB, and spending time with family and friends. I live by the motto, “balance over everything”, which is a reminder that when aspects of life are in the correct proportion, overall wellness is more achievable.
My road to psychotherapy entrepreneurship wasn’t necessarily what I would call smooth. I hit several bumps in the road, and often found myself feeling stuck and unsure with what direction to go next. The field of Mental Health is broad, and when you step out to start your own practice, you really must do some “soul searching” to narrow down your interests and find your niche. Initially, that was hard for me! Because I had some great experiences while working within various settings; I struggled to narrow in on what I wanted to specialize in. It wasn’t until I dealt with my own unexpected challenges that the light bulb went off. For years, I struggled to get pregnant. When I did finally conceive, with the help of IVF, I had a very difficult pregnancy and had a hard time adjusting to life as a first-time mom (during a pandemic). I found myself juggling working from home, building my practice, caring for my toddler, and trying my best to manage my own wellness. It was tough! And though it was a harrowing time, it is also one of my experiences that have helped bridge the gap between personal and professional, making me a more well-rounded maternal mental health therapist.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
Absolutely!!! I love what I do. I love meeting new people and supporting them on their wellness journey. I do however wish that mental health programs didn’t solely focus on therapy, but the business part of being a therapist who choses private practice. There’s so much that I’ve had to learn on this journey of entrepreneurship that I believe could have been implemented in graduate programs.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
If you want to work outside of a traditional mental health agency setting, then you have to invest in learning more about running a business. Networking is essential and necessary for branching off into other areas. When I earned my degree all I wanted to do was provide therapy. Work for an agency and be a therapist. That’s it. Now, my wheels are always turning. I am not only a therapist but a speaker, published author, trainer, consultant, wellness store owner, all of which I never really considered. I’m excited to see what’s next for me and how I’ll continue to use my clinical skills to reach and connect with others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.karenthetherapist.com
- Instagram: @karenthetherapist
- Linkedin: Karen Balumbu-Bennett, LCSW, PMH-C
- Other: online store: shopkarenthetherapist.com guided journal: mybabyjourney.org
Image Credits
Photographer: Will Utley