We recently connected with Kaylee Criswell and have shared our conversation below.
Kaylee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
Throughout history, names have carried weight and meaning. New parents spend countless hours, days, and even months, laboring over what they would like to name their new baby. For me, landing on Luxx Therapy was less of a challenge. Throughout my work as a professional counselor, certain themes have emerged within the different people with whom I am privileged to work. In my experience, individuals often come to therapy when they are struggling with something, whether it be a life transition, relationship issues, trauma, or ongoing mental health struggle. I often meet people during the most challenging chapter of their lives. And even in the midst of that pain, turmoil and struggle, I am amazed at the strength, resiliency and “light” within people to persevere. Light has long been curious to me. Both humankind and animals are attracted to light. We revere Thomas Edison for the development of the lightbulb; earlier societies would have died without the light and heat coming from fire, and one light illuminated in the dark attracts countless insects. World religions emphasize light, and the spiritual component of it is often has universal application regardless of the religious origin and background of the person. In Christianity, Jesus referred to himself as the “Light of the World”. Hinduism often uses light to symbolize gods and goddesses, and honors the god of light, Surya. Spiritual practices such as yoga use terms like “namaste” which is commonly translated as “the light in me honors the light in you.” It seems like globally, we accept the importance of light, and often identify light as universally “good”.
In honor of my clients’ vulnerability and bravery and their ability to maintain the light within themselves, even on days in which it feels like it might be snuffed out, a name centered around light seemed like the only option. Many people know the Latin word, Lux means light. As such, Lux as the title of the therapy practice felt unique, while still accessible and easily understood. Our logo design also intends to bring forward the light metaphor.
Some have asked if Lux is short for luxury. While that is not the intention of the name, I encourage individuals to find meaning for themselves. I know there are times in which therapy can feel like an investment and a luxury, and I encourage clients to invest in themselves in ways that feel healing.
At Luxx Therapy, we want our clients to leave our office feeling more and more connected to the light that is in them; the light that is in us all. It is light that gives life, and there is nothing we want more than our clients to feel alive in all the ways they desire and deserve. At the end of the day, we want our clients to feel seen and cared for, capable of shining their light a little brighter in their communities and families.
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.
Hello! Thanks for being here and spending a moment of your time reading about me. My name is Kaylee Criswell, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas and the owner of Luxx Therapy, a thriving group practice in North Richland Hills, Texas. “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I change.” This thought provoking quote by Carl Rogers, a pioneer in Humanistic psychotherapy, is one that defines both my personal experiences, and the work that I do in the counseling room. My desire to help this truth become the lived experience of the men and women I work with is the defining feature of my work.
As a therapist, I take a Humanistic and Emotionally Focused approach to counseling. I believe that in the context of safe relationships, people can change and grow the most, thus inspiring me to connect with my clients on a fundamentally emotional level. I work to understand what clients are going through in the context of their diverse systems, paying special attention to cultural factors. With a focus on empathy and acceptance, while offering helpful tools, feedback, and resources, I formulate treatment to help clients meet their goals. My passion as a therapist is working within relationship systems, with a focus on couples.
In 2021, I opened Luxx Therapy. Luxx Therapy is a people-centered therapy practice in North Richland Hills. The culture we have worked to create within Luxx is one in which clinicians are truly invested in; in which clinicians are respected in the ways they deserve. Similarly to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, I believe that in the workplace, when one’s basic needs are met, such as safety, then one is able to focus on higher-level/ emotional needs, like perfecting their craft. I work to empower our team by giving them the trust the deserve, and helping them feel safe to take risks, trust their therapeutic instincts, and know that they are supported. Therapists working in this type of workplace are then able to deliver the highest quality services to clients. Clients are why we are here, and they deserve to have therapists who are truly present and attuned to their needs. We are so proud of our team; each individual has a unique specialty and population served. We are specialists individually, and a force as a team! As a team, Luxx Therapy, has served hundreds of individuals. Our therapists are trained in working with individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD, life transitions, LGBTQ issues, new parent concerns, play therapy, couples therapy, relationship issues and more. We see children ages 8 and up, and work with individuals, couples and families.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Most of us grow up as children who are easily molded. We learn information from society, our environment, and our families, and often times we don’t have control over the lessons we are taught. In adulthood, I have developed understanding that much of my behavior has been motivated by fear. In both business operations and in my work as a therapist, I had to unlearn a scarcity mindset in order to step into the mindset I have long been captivated by: one in which action flows from gratitude and love; in short, a growth mindset.
For me, opening Luxx Therapy was a process full of anxiety, There was a lot of fear that came with the decision I had made to go out on my own. I was previously working at a large group practice, accepting all major insurance panels, with a long waitlist of clients ready, at any opportunity, to fill my schedule. This meant financial security. I also had the safety net of a boss; someone to whom I was accountable and able to turn to if I needed support in working with a client.
Going out on my own meant that my safety net was gone. Thoughts and feelings I experienced included, “What will happen if my clients don’t want to work with me anymore?” “How will I pay rent?” “What if I get in a situation in which I don’t know how to effectively help someone?” I think it goes without saying that it is difficult to be an effective therapist when you are full of fear and anxiety. I experienced a huge boost of confidence when I announced the transition to my clients, and every single one of them decided to make the transition with me to my new practice, I felt a bit of the load on my shoulders lighten.
I also recognized that therapeutically, when I operate from a scarcity mindset, I could fall into the trap of working to please the client (in order to keep them as a client) than doing the meaningful work of therapy. The way I do therapy is emotionally-charged. It involves reflecting back the truth of someone’s life to them in a way that they can see, understand, and cultivate change. When operating from a scarcity mindset, it can be easy to reflect back the good parts of the picture, to please the client, rather than the whole picture. When doing therapy effectively, I believe that one is able to confidently and kindly help clients see parts of their life that are causing them pain. Delivering reflections, confrontations and observations in genuine and supportive ways is part of being a therapist. Encouraging clients to maintain a growth mindset, and asking them to be open to such feedback requires that I, too, operate from that mindset, rather than out of fear or scarcity.
Today, it is much easier to lean into growth, and to have the confidence to operate in a more philosophically grounded way. Remembering the fear that comes with change, though, helps me to maintain a humble stance and work effectively with clients, especially those that may be experiencing fear or anxiety in their lives.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Our business is currently in the process of a pivot. When initially opening Luxx Therapy, I was very mindful of the difficulty in accessing affordable mental health care. There is a large disparity in accessibility to care, with disparities ranging from socioeconomic status down to race/ethnicity to rural verses urban locations. While this disparity continues to exist today, our practice is in the beginning stages of a pivot in terms of how to address that problem. We have identified that the goal of being part of the solution in delivering accessible mental health care is a worthy one, but have also realized that our plan has been ineffective thus far. We are still in the beginning phases of identifying how to best serve that population and be part of the solution for the disparity of services at large in the mental health field. It is something all of our team is passionate about! Please stay tuned to see what we accomplish on this worthy front!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.luxxtherapy.com
- Instagram: @luxx_therapy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylee-criswell-ms-lpc-ncc-b1827151
Image Credits
Lindsey Rabon Photography