We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katrina Bell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katrina below.
Katrina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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.
I took a huge risk when I decided to leave my stable job in Corporate America to become an Independent Contractor job at a Private Group Practice doing therapy. I really enjoyed my job, it was effortless and I worked from home, but I was not totally fulfilled. I knew that it was time to leave when I began to feel unhappy, but I stuck in there because of the need to have stability to help contribute to my household. I was presented with the opportunity to join this practice, set and make my own hours, take time off when I wanted, to make more money, to have more time with my family and most of all to get back to providing therapy. After researching the practice and speaking to some people who I knew that worked there, I talked with my husband about it. I knew he was hesitant as our daughter was 3 years old and we had to pay for daycare tuition. However, when he realized how unhappy I was, he agreed that we could work it out. I decided to start out doing part-time initially by only working 3 days a week in the evenings. I did my first week and put in my 2 weeks notice at my job because I enjoyed it so much! I then found out that my daughter was accepted into a program at one of the public schools so that eliminated our daycare bill. I worked in that role until August of this year and I took another risk by starting my own private practice counseling business which continues to grow and thrive. The Lesson I learned from these risks is to al bet on yourself.
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 began in this field in 2005 as an ABA(Applied Behavior Analysis) Therapist for students with Autism in 2005. I have a B.S. in Sociology/Health from the College of Charleston, a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Webster University and a specialty Master’s Degree in Gerontology (Elderly Aging). I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor in the State of SC and I am also Licensed in the state of NC. I enjoy working with teenagers, women and young adults, but I also work with couples. I have 10+ years of experience as a school-based mental health counselor and clinical therapist and have helped countless children build a tool-set to healthily manage their emotions, increase their self-esteem, and learn coping skills that will help them for the rest of their life. I also work with clients struggling with life transitions, grief/loss, stress from daily life, or finding the motivation to accomplish necessary next steps. My focus is to help clients begin the process of moving forward and making positive changes towards a brighter future by meeting them where they are and helping them from that point. I enjoy integrating my knowledge of education and mental health issues to help families problem solve, overcome personal issues, and work towards positive professional, home and school experiences. I am dedicated to helping others improve their lives through education, insight, and change and humbled to be a part of my clients’ journey towards reaching their goals through counseling. . I am the author of several guided journals as well and I am currently working on some new Mental Health related products.
My areas of specialty are:
ADHD
Anxiety Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Couples Therapy
Depression
LBGTQIA+
Low Self-Esteem
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Life Issues
Grief
School/Career Related Issues
Women’s Health Concerns
In my spare time, I enjoy cooking, music, crafting, watching sports, spending time with family and friends, traveling and being a small business owner of her crafting business Krafty K’s Custom Designs. I am an active member of the Lambda Nu Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. in the Summerville/Ridgeville area. I live with my husband, our 7-year-old daughter and our Yorkie.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
I would not change my profession. I am very passionate about the work that I do and believe that part of my purpose is to help others.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I believe that my work done in my community has helped me to build a reputation in my market. I am a native of the area that I work in so I believe that this helps as well. i have tried to remain well connected to my community and that helps.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lifewithkb.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/l.i.f.ewithKB
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/LIFEwithKB
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-bell-37b94368/
Image Credits
ECB Photography L & M Photography