We recently connected with Kelsee Keitel and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

In the helping professions, we are trained to believe that “you don’t do it for the money.” And while this sounds virtuous, the reality is that the majority of folks who become counselors have $100,000 of student debt, and desires like anyone else- to build a family, have a comfortable life, travel, plan for retirement, pursue other hobbies and interests, etc. It can take 8-9 years to become a licensed therapist, yet we do not project the same sentiments to dentists, physical therapists, or mechanics.

I started my career as a high school counselor. This work was equally challenging and rewarding. My long-term goal was to transition into private practice after about 10 years working in Ed. I lasted 3, quickly rising to leadership positions, but feeling extremely burnt out and dissatisfied. My work was meaningful, however I desired better work-life balance, adequate compensation for the service I was providing, and creative flexibility.

After my 3rd school year, I resigned and began building the back-end of my private counseling practice, Hemlock Counseling Services, where I offer therapy both indoors and outdoors (eco-therapy) in downtown Indianapolis.

In all of our years of clinical training, counselors are not taught a lick of business. I was starting from ground zero in both knowledge and capitol. But I found this to be a very fun challenge that fulfilled the creative desires that I had. In 6 months time I built a fully functioning business, with a full caseload of clients. By the end of my first year, I had matched my income at my former place of employment. By the end of year two I had more than doubled that salary, making 6-figures for the first time, and making an entire year’s worth of my former salary in just Q4.

Now, I teach other therapists how to start and improve their own businesses. I model for them that it is okay to admit that, “yes, actually I do this job for the money” just like any other professional goes to work to also make money. I bridge the gap between the clinical and the business side of running a practice. And I encourage my colleagues that they don’t have to dance on TikTok in order to attract clients (unless they want to!) but that it is wise to consider diversifying their offerings beyond just 1:1 therapy sessions.

Over the last 3 years I’ve been able to build a thriving counseling business, alongside a podcast, digital courses, keynote speaking, community program development, adjunct instruction, and business coaching. Now that I’ve found a sustainable stride, I’m excited to see where my business will go from here!

What I can say is that taking the risk, quitting my job, and embracing ground zero has been worth it, over and over again.

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 am from Southern Indiana, where I spent most of my childhood playing outside in the woods. I was a first generation college student at Indiana University where I studied Human Development and Family Studies, with a minor in Human Sexuality. A part of me always knew I would become a counselor in some form one day, as I was always the listener of the friend-group. I attended Butler University for a masters in education for School Counseling and Mental Health Counseling. I worked as a high school counselor for 3 years, prior to launching my private practice, Hemlock Counseling Services in Indianapolis Indiana, which I named after coniferous trees that are plentiful in southern Indiana. At HCS I offer both indoor and outdoor (eco-therapy) therapy sessions to assist folks with mental health challenges. I specialize in working 1:1 with adults ages 22-40 who would identify as high-achievers, high-performers, type-a, perfectionistic, people-pleasing individuals. I often work with elite athletes and entrepreneurs. I am well-known locally as “the outdoor therapist” and am most recognized by my down-to-earth, personable approach. I especially love working with first-time therapy goers, the LGBTQ+ community, and folks who experience Anxiety disorders. I am frequently sought after for business coaching from other therapists who want to build a sustainable lifestyle through their work. It has been important for me to diversify my work for my own sustainability. In addition to business coaching and therapy, I am a keynote speaker and podcaster. I have been commissioned by various government offices to create one-of-a-kind outdoor mental health programs and have been invited back to my alma mater, Butler University to teach as an adjunct professor for masters of clinical mental health counseling and school counseling programs. I currently sit on the board of the Indiana Counseling Association as the continuing ed chair, and in 2023 I was awarded Indiana Counselor of the Year.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

There’s two sides of reputation: amongst clients and amongst others in the industry. In my case, I feel that this is a nice overlapping Venn Diagram.

From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to lead with authenticity. For me, being a “blank slate” therapist didn’t feel totally integral. The way I see it: I’m human, you’re human, we’re all human. I wanted to let my humanity show- not in a way that distracts from the client’s experience but in a way that enhances the experience, adds to the connection, and allows me to show up as myself. I utilized social media for marketing a lot in the beginning. Not quite as much anymore. But in those early days I shared content that was very different than the typical, clinical counselor. I shared more heartfelt, transparent pieces of my own life and experiences that folks could relate to. I answered questions about the therapy process that would maybe previously have been “behind the scenes” knowledge, because I believe clients deserve to know what treatment actually looks like. And other local counselors began to follow-suit. This was exciting! In turn, clients would share with me over and over again how much my online presence, website, etc really stood out within the market. That I didn’t seem like a “boring” or “judgmental” therapist. I think that following this leaning, allowed me to really gain some authority in the therapy-business field.

My reputation also built quickly as I offer a unique modality (eco-therapy and walk/hike sessions) that is not very common in Central Indiana, let alone the midwest. I’ve become a sort of local authority regarding how to use outdoors and movement as an asset in the therapeutic process. The theme here is that I wasn’t afraid to innovate, take the lead, and move ahead.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

At one season in my life I was endangered by a client. This was something that I was totally unprepared for, both clinically and from a business ownership standpoint. I had lots of support- supervision, consultation, insurance, etc etc. However it was still uncharted territory for me.

This took a huge toll on my own mental health, my ability to show up well for my remaining clients, financially, physically. Truly in every way. Something that people don’t talk about enough is how much business ownership (even under good conditions) impacts your relationships with friends/partner/family.

This situation and the aftermath caused a lot of challenges for me. And I considered throwing in the towel. Actually, while I continued to do my work, I applied to many conventional jobs. This process affirmed for me that I was honestly over qualified and slated to be underpaid for most of the jobs I could apply to. And that what I really wanted to do, was find a way to make my business more sustainable. To learn. To tighten some of my protocols. To create new systems. To set myself up for even better success knowing what I now know. And that’s what I did.

I went all in, when I wanted to quit the most, and the result has been incredible. I feel like I am running my business, not like my business is running me. And I know I’m a better counselor for it now too.

I could never lie and say that i didn’t almost quit. I truly almost quit. But almost quitting isn’t the same as actually quitting. I think that’s what show resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hemlockcounselingservices.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelseekeitel/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseekeitel/
• Other: Podcast: https://www.evergreenthinkingpod.com/ available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2hgvR29fPCqKywefQqcf8l?si=7975385bc2744698 also available on Apple, and other major podcast platforms.

Image Credits
Aaron Ibey