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

Kimberly, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share an anecdote or story from your schooling/training that you feel illustrates what the overall experience was like?

My experience has been all over the board. As a student, I worked at a PHP/IOP for children and adolescents. There is where I found my love for working with kids, teens, and parents. While the system I was in, wasn’t my favorite; the individuals I was able to work with challenged me, gave me opportunity, and helped me grow into the therapist I am now. It is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences. I loved working within the family system so much, I got advanced training in many other areas. I began to want to work within the family system, perinatal mental health, and couples counseling. While I was in training, I learned to use what I was given and to use my strengths to develop my practice.

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 was always interested in doing therapy, but it took me a while to get to that point. When I graduated from college, I was aimless, so I went to Southwestern Theological Seminary and got a degree in education and counseling. While I attended the seminary, they were discontinuing the counseling program. Being upset that I wouldn’t get the education from the people I’d imagined, I took what I had and graduated. I spent the next 3 years working for a nonprofit suicide hotline, doing premarital counseling in church settings, All the time I was wishing I had a state license to do what I really wanted. I got married, and later had 3 children in two years. After some personal crisis I decided that in order to support my family I would have to do something, being a stay-at-home mom wasn’t going to pay my bills. I went back to school, finished my 2nd master’s degree, and began my counseling career. I did my school internship at a PHP for children and adolescents and found a love for the family system them. I later became certified in perinatal mental health, became EMDR trained, PACT 1 certified counselor (couples counseling), and am currently seeking certification in Autplay (play therapy for the neurodiverse). I have found that that majority of my clients are children, children and adults who are neurodiverse, parents, moms, and those with trauma and complex trauma. I thoroughly enjoy working with these populations.

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

To be successful as a therapist, you need to be a constant learner, and open to feedback. Case collaboration is important, and other clinicians (no matter how seasoned) are often able to give different perspective when I am stuck with a client. I enjoy the feedback and being open to the concept that I’m probably not always going to be right.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

To grow clientele in the therapy business it comes down to 2 major things. 1. getting referrals from past/current clients
2. Referrals from other therapists and professionals.

I challenge anyone who is struggling to reach out to those in a similar field. or a field (specialty) that feeds into yours and build a relationship with that other provider. That is where the best referrals come from, and ones that you will potentially match well with.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kimberlyhansley.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counseling_with_kimberly/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/counselingwithkimberly
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberly-hansley-b5a54126/
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/kimberly-hansley-dallas-tx/471583?preview=1&return_to=https%3A%2F%2Fmember.psychologytoday.com%2Fus%2Fhome&_ga=2.210556245.1330318767.1659316424-922707377.1655923684

Image Credits
Angela Richardson