We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lacey Combs a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lacey, appreciate you joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
Throughout my experience as a Social Worker, I have worked as a Mentor for incoming Freshman college students, a Direct Support Professional for both children and adults with special needs, was a Court Appointed Special Advocate Administrative Assistant in Black Hawk County, Iowa, worked as a social worker at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, Iowa, and have been a case worker for the Department of Human Services in Polk County, Iowa. Social work positions came very naturally to me. I realized I knew how to assist and motivate others and had been doing so from a very young age within my own family of origin.
After obtaining my Masters of Social Work in 2016, I started my journey of becoming a Licensed Mental Health Therapist. This process took me a year to complete due to feeling like I was not equipped enough to pass the LMSW state exam. Throughout my life I have battled with my negative thought process of not being good enough even though I have consistently proven this negative belief to be not true. While going to therapy for myself, I received the strength and motivation to realize that I was indeed “good enough,” and to follow through with my dream of becoming a Licensed Social Worker. While working toward my independent license, I worked for a therapy agency that allowed for a multitude of different therapists to collaborate and assist one another through the celebrations, trials, and tribulations of working in Mental Health. I also had the opportunity to be supervised by three unique leaders who assisted me in learning the ins and outs of both therapy work and agency work. Through my interactions within this company, I developed within my career and set out on my journey of becoming an independent private practice owner. My biggest influencers for years are my former colleague and dear friend Madison (Madi) Musson, my dear friend Grace (Hayes) Fulkerson, whom my children now call Aunt Grace, and my dear friend Adam Hill, whom my children now call Uncle Adam. I had countless meetings with Madi about how running a private practice may look and what I needed in order to make my dream a reality. I had a multitude of conversations with Grace about the idea of owning a business and she was consistently my alarm clock when she would call to wake me up every morning at 5a.m. to study for my LMSW and my LISW exams. I had more than I can count phone calls, motorcycle rides, and meetings with Adam to understand his story of becoming a business owner as well as how he has maintained his business over the decades.
Establishing an independent private practice has been one of the most formidable and rewarding career decisions I have ever undertaken. The journey was filled with challenges, including confronting my own self-doubt, contending with skepticism from colleagues and family regarding my abilities as an emerging therapist, and navigating the complex logistics of building a practice from the ground up. There were countless days when the weight of these obstacles felt overwhelming at times, forcing me to temporarily step away from the relentless demands of paperwork, planning, meetings, and the continuous learning required to manage a practice independently.
Throughout this process, I encountered individuals and held conversations I could never have envisioned during my upbringing, which further underscored the significance of my journey. Imposter syndrome became a persistent companion while establishing myself as a business owner. During these moments of doubt, I leaned heavily on my friends, who offered unwavering support and provided a safe space for me to express myself authentically. Often, I would retreat to my motorcycle, using the ride as a means to brainstorm strategies and refine ideas with the input of my trusted circle.
Despite moments of defeat, my determination and resilience never wavered. One of the most powerful motivators driving me forward was the conviction that success was my only option. The knowledge that success required resilience fueled my courage to persevere and achieve my goals. Failure simply was not an option in my pursuit of personal and professional milestones.
The largest lesson I learned throughout this entire process and throughout my life is that you have to find time to laugh. Find conversations that allow you to let loose and laugh at the most horrendous experiences that come your way. Find friends that allow you to be completely yourself and allow for all the silly moments to shine through. Try new things that allow you to make mistakes in a way that feels manageable, in a way that you can laugh at it. Find simplicity and smiles within the day-to-day grind. I found myself smiling at the beautiful art work I create after cutting a pepper, smiling at the presence of glitter wherever I go, smiling at the message left on my coffee cup from the barista, smiling at the simplicity of my scrunched-up nose when I interact with someone I love, and smiling at myself in the mirror while I pick myself up again for the next step of the process. As I was acknowledging these moments of who I am and trying to find a name to place on my independent private practice, I glanced out at my vehicle at the time and looked at the license plate. The plate read LIV2LAF. From that day forward I followed through with naming my independent private practice Live 2 Laugh, LLC in November 2019.
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 a client-centered, strengths-based therapist who acknowledges you are the expert of your life. I provide an open, safe, & non-judgmental space to address all of your emotions, fears, trauma, & beliefs. I am a LICSW who works with clients age 10 years old and up. I am licensed in both Iowa and Arizona as a Social Worker. I am trained in Play Therapy, Mindfulness Meditation, Integrated Family Systems, Trauma Informed Care, LGBTQ+ Studies, Substance Abuse, EMDR Therapy, Sex Therapy, & Domestic Violence. I have been practicing as a therapist since June 2017. I describe myself as “a free spirit by heart that does not abide by the normalized rules of the day-to-day lifestyle of most.” I enjoy motorcycling, being a mom, being an artist and surrounding myself with laughter. I love to crochet and will sometimes indulge in this art form during sessions. I have found that crocheting allows clients to relax as they address their current stressors and past traumas. Therapy is a partnership, and together I will help you reach positive outcomes to create everlasting change in your life.
How it all began:
I grew up in Sioux City, Iowa with my mom, dad, baby brother, and extended family. We were raised in a one-bedroom home for the first ten years of my life. From the start of my story until now, I have been surrounded by people who struggle with Mental Health issues. Growing up, I watched my parents consistently harm one another physically, emotionally, and psychologically. I have witnessed or been a part of many domestic abusive situations where I or my people I loved and cared for were consistently harmed. Not only did I witness these moments, I was also often in the middle of these moments, either as a victim or a protector of both my mother and little brother. I took on the role of protector at a very young age. From the moment I was born, I was born to a mother who had been brutally beaten and delivered me with a black eye plastered across her face in the hospital. From that day forward I had been surrounded by domestic violence, substance abuse, negative mental health, and consistent trauma.
Growing up, I attended a private Catholic school. I was very shy and introverted. I knew that I was different from the other kids. I knew that my family was low income and that I was not the same as the upper middle class or perceived higher-class children I was surrounded by. I remember going to school after a long night of fighting, yelling, & bruises between both of my parents. I remember my dad beating up my mother over the smallest “mistakes” such as dinner not being what he wanted, a bottle spilling, or us running a couple minutes late from an activity. Many things would make my dad mad and it was as if a switch was flipped. He would get this look in his eyes and after that there was no turning back. My mother would get beat, we would get beat, household items would get broken, cops would eventually be called (sometimes), and if it got too bad, we would end up running out of the house to go to Grandma’s house.
Grandma would have beds ready for us to go to sleep because by then it would often be very late at night. We would then get up to get ready to go to school the next morning. My mom would often tell me “what happens at our house stays at our house.” I knew better than to speak about the night before or any of my own emotions towards what we had been through. I would often wonder; “Do other kids experience this at night?”, “Do their moms and dads break their things and hurt each other?”, “Do other dads drink Bud Heavy and Whiskey every day?”.
To me this life seemed normal as a child. My extended family members also had issues of their own. I was surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins who used drugs, went to prison, died by suicide, and also got into fights with the people they loved. Poor Mental Health was very prominent in my family of origin and to some extent, it was and still is normalized.
In high school, I realized I had a way out. I started involving myself in Talent Search which allowed me to make going to college a reality. I received straight A’s and started taking college courses. I graduated with honors and received my acceptance letters to multiple colleges. I decided to go to The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. I would be the first person within the family to be accepted to a university and follow through to receive a College Degree. I remember leaving my parents’ house with my car packed up and heading out on the world by myself. When I arrived at The UNI campus, I unloaded my belongings. I watched other families helping their children get settled into their new home away from home. I remember someone else’s dad helping me carry my stuff up to my dorm room. This moment stuck out to me and made an impact on my reality of being able to do anything I had set my mind to, even if I didn’t have help from the people who most others would lean on for everything. I had made it. I was scared, nervous, excited, terrified, determined, and FREE!
Not until I was 20 years old and found myself sleeping on my grandmother’s couch after being kicked out of my parents’ home due to them blaming me for getting chased in a car and shot at during my summer break from college, was I finally introduced to Mental Health Services and a therapist of my own. I decided my fall semester 2011 to start going to therapy. I learned about therapy from my Student Support Services Advisor, Colice Sanders, who assisted me in so many ways since the day we met for the first time in her office at UNI. She helped me make my first Therapy appointment that year. At first, therapy was difficult. It took me a bit to find a therapist that best fit me and what I needed. I was very picky and bounced from a couple therapists until I found what worked for me. Once I found my therapist, the work began!
I finally started to recognize the family I came from and the situations I faced were not at all normal. Not everyone experiences the types of or amount of trauma I was exposed to as a child and young adult. I realized I often am triggered by everyday situations which form the way I move through the world.
After starting my own therapy journey, I acknowledged that Mental Health Services are highly needed throughout the world. I realized that my own determination to get out of my own reality of my born into family was necessary in order to save my peace, my mental health, Myself. I changed traction on my college degree and sought out bachelor’s degrees in Family Services, Art Studio, & a minor in Women and Gender Studies. My success obtaining these degrees allowed me to be offered a spot in the Master’s of Social Work Program at The University of Northern Iowa.
To this day, I am a firm believer of self-work and growth. I utilize my own Therapist and have since 2011, when I first began Mental Health Services. There have been moments over the last fourteen years where I have taken breaks from therapy services. However, I pick right back up again when I can tell I need to.
As a Mental Health Therapist, I have found that showing up as my true authentic self, allows for clients to really lean into their own self work. I take pride in my ability to meet the client where they are at. Allowing them time to find the rapport they need in order to be fully honest with themselves to work through their own self battles. I encourage clients to be patient with themselves and allow for patience within our work together. I find that allowing patience within my practice not only makes for a calmer atmosphere but also allows clients to be fully honest with themselves through their work. Through this patience, I also allow for multiple modalities to be utilized throughout sessions. Human beings are extremely complex, so allowing for multiple modalities to be present through our work together, allows for the client to really seek the answers within themselves in order to make change within their own realities. Mental Health Therapy is a journey that consistently pushes your boundaries. Finding ways to rearrange your neuropathways within your mind and pave new roads that lead to more positive outcomes can sometimes feel like a never-ending escape. As a Mental Health Therapist, my goal is to continue to engage in supporting clients in the way that I as a child needed in order to escape what was presented to me as “normal”. Positive Mental Health is so important in order to make the changes you want to make for a better future.
From my long and extensive journey to this moment, I have learned All rules in life were meant to be challenged.
Run the Dishwasher Twice.
Sit in the shower.
Mental Health Therapy IS for everyone.
“Because I said so” is not an explanation.
Drink as much coffee as you need.
Take naps when you can’t keep going.
Ask for help.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Training and knowledge provide a stable foundation with keys of continuing education. Always focusing on maintaining boundaries with ethics courses, updated therapeutic practicum, social awareness, and using technology as a support tool. Lasting success in this field is deeply rooted in a practitioner’s personality and dedication. Building strong client relationships is key, with a focus on creating an environment of trust, loyalty, and open communication where clients feel comfortable to express themselves and seek guidance. A commitment to personal and professional growth, such as maintaining one’s own mental health journey and continuously refining skills, demonstrates genuine investment in the craft. Believing wholeheartedly in the advice and solutions offered enhances authenticity, while strong salesmanship ensures the value of the practitioner, the business, and the therapy is effectively conveyed in every session. Catering to a diverse range of needs—whether through individual, couples, or family sessions—while being inclusive of varying client ages and socioeconomic backgrounds is essential. Lastly, embracing flexibility and maintaining an open stance on all subjects help foster a safe and accepting space for meaningful collaboration and growth.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?
At the outset of establishing my independent private practice, I faced significant financial challenges, lacking both additional funds and familial support for financial assistance or reassurance. Driven by resilience and determination, I embraced hard work to overcome these obstacles. During my first year as a private practice owner, I balanced dual roles, serving as a Mental Health Therapist during the day and working as a bartender by night. My unwavering commitment ensured that my practice remained my top priority despite the hurdles.
To equip my practice with essential furniture and therapeutic items, I relied on the generosity of colleagues and the support of friends who believed in my vision. Many of these contributions included gently used items, which I carefully curated to create a vibrant, welcoming, and expressive atmosphere. This thoughtfully designed space has fostered a sense of comfort and trust for both my clients and myself, enabling deeper, more authentic therapeutic work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.therapyportal.com/p/live2laugh/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/live2laughllc?igsh=MTU1MjQyamtoczdhMQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lacey-may-combs-lcsw-b87386b4/
Image Credits
For the Personal Photo only:
Let’s Mixx It Up – Photography