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

Taylor, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a therapist, specifically. I was the target of many bullying experiences starting in elementary school. Going through these experiences led me to become interested in the human brain and behavior. I was curious as to what made people do the things that they did and say the things that they said. For a long time, I wanted to go into the FBI and become apart of their Behavioral Analysis unit. I even looked at the application process and gave it a lot of thought. I ultimately decided not to go this route, but my interest in human behavior persisted. I knew that I wanted to go into the psychology field my junior year of high school. I went to community college for my first two years of college so that I could save money and also learn how to be a college student/how to study for college classes. I was accepted into Texas A&M University and started school there in the Spring of 2014. Even then, I still didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do with my life. I have always been a hands-on learner and learn best through experiences, so I decided to take on an internship at the College Station Police Department where I worked alongside their Crime Victim Advocate for my fall 2014 semester. This role continued a lot of social work and case management, and I realized that I wanted to do more one-on-one personal work with folks. After this internship came to an end and some time had passed, I volunteered for the Student Counseling Student Helpline at Texas A&M in the Spring of 2016. Helpline was a student-run helpline that served as a free resource for Texas A&M students. It was during this volunteering experience that I discovered my deep passion for working one-on-one with people. Once I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in December 2016, I immediately jumped into graduate school in the Spring of 2017. This program, similar to most graduate school programs, was one of the hardest challenges of my life. In order to help others heal, you have to heal yourself first. After I saw my first client at the school clinic, I was convinced that I wasn’t cut out to be a therapist. I took the weekend to decide whether or not I wanted to continue in the program, and after many tears later I ultimately decided to continue. I am so glad that I persevered through the hard times of grad school because I truly could not see myself doing anything else. My journey was anything but easy and the road took so many unexpected twists and turns. My family was always there to pick me up and encourage me when I was down. My mom especially. I remember her telling me how much she believed in me, that she knew in her heart that I would be a wonderful therapist and that so many teens would need me. I’m glad that I listened to her, because 98% of my practice consists of teen clients. I’m definitely right where I am supposed to be and doing the job that I was brought onto this earth to do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Sure! My name is Taylor Vest and I am a mental health therapist in Austin, TX. I specialize in teen therapy and sandtray therapy. Most of my work includes helping teens navigate through some of the most challenging years of their lives. I love helping teens figure out who they are and help them foster their intuition. I’m a big supporter of listening to your intuition, after all, listening to mine is what got me to where I am today. Helping teens fine-tune their internal compass is something I am very passionate about, because this compass will be with them for the rest of their lives. My therapeutic support extends beyond my teen clients and into their family systems. I provide parent support for the parents of my clients and I help them foster and grow healthy relationships with their teens. What sets me apart from others is that I am unashamedly myself. I am human first, and therapist second. Keeping this mindset helps me connect with teens, and it proves to them that I really do get it and I’m on their side. I enjoy assisting clients in reclaiming their power, finding ways to be assertive/speaking up for themselves/their needs, and also building confidence in themselves. It’s not uncommon for me to see many children and teens through different seasons of their lives. I’m very relational in my work as a therapist, and it’s through the relationship that healing and change is made. Clients know in their hearts that I am on their side and will always be there for them.

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

One of the most powerful predictors in one’s success is how much confidence they have in themselves. Confidence, in my journey as a therapist, has been a game changer. Having confidence in yourself and BELIEVING that you are capable and know what your doing will help in so many ways. Confidence has certainly helped me in my parent sessions and also speaking as a professional in the mental health field. Also, owning our human-ness is important too, knowing that it’s okay to make mistakes and to be perfectly imperfect.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

100% networking with other mental health professionals. I reached out and connected with other professionals in my area that practice similarly to how I practice. It’s important to network with them not just so they can be a referral for you, or you for them, but networking and connecting with them as individuals/being authentic and genuine. People feel authenticity and it is so refreshing and memorable.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taylorvesttherapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorvest.therapy/