We were lucky to catch up with Zachariah Crooks recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Zachariah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
At the time, I was working as a team lead and therapist at a community mental health agency. I was in my fourth year in this position, and my career path was growing. Yet, I really wasn’t happy with providing counseling to the clientele we were serving. One day, a series of events unfolded at work, and I decided it was time to make a change. What I ended up doing was demoting myself and taking a new position at a different location within the company. I spent four months in a position that was exciting at first, but the excitement wore off quickly. I pondered for a short period about what I wanted to do with my career path.
One day, I received an email that had a specific name in the subject line. This name belonged to someone who, years prior, had been sending their employees to me for counseling services. A week before this email, I had thought about contacting this individual, as they had previously expressed the possibility of helping me start my own private practice. This happened two years earlier, but I hadn’t taken their offer at the time. Now, I was reading an email from someone running their own private practice, stating that this individual had mentioned I might be interested in joining.
I discussed this opportunity with my wife, and I decided that it would be worth it to just go to the interview and see what was offered to me. Unfortunately, the interview was not the best, and I really didn’t like what I experienced with the owner. However, I felt that I was being guided to this place to start my career in private practice. So, I made the decision within the week to leave my stable job for an unstable one—not knowing what would happen but hoping this leap of faith would work out.
The start of this journey was both exciting and depressing. It was exciting to start something new with the belief that I was going to be successful—that everything was going to work out. However, it was also depressing because the reality of how demanding this was going to be on me hit quickly when I found out that the owner had not been honest with me. They had said that when I started, I’d be able to bill insurance under the practice. However, they did not have all their facts straight. What should have happened was that I needed to apply and get paneled with insurance before leaving my steady job. Thus, I spent the next six months barely getting paid. I could only see self-pay clients, and there were few of them coming into the practice for me to see.
I had a lot of downtime during these six months. I spent every opportunity watching motivational videos on YouTube to get my mindset right. I really spent a lot of time listening to successful people talk about how to think positively and focus on my destination. I even deepened my devotion to God and the path I knew I had to take. I tell others that one of the main reasons I left my steady job was after watching a speech by Steve Harvey. This was before I received that now-famous email. He talked about not putting limits on God and that there is a plan for each of us in life that we need to live. I held onto that message and a specific statement from his speech. He said that when we take our jump from the plane, our parachute will open before we hit the ground—that God won’t let us fail or get hurt. I held onto this each day during those first six months.
I spent two years at that practice. I learned a lot there. I gained some awesome friends. I took lots of walks. I also found my desire to start my own practice. I had a vision years prior, and I still have the paper with it written on it. I wrote down that I wanted my own private practice that would not just serve individuals but groups of people. It was time for me to leave that practice, and I made plans to leave a year prior. COVID slowed my next leap down. However, by the fall of 2020, I opened the doors to my practice. I was busy right away.
The practice’s focus was short-lived as I found myself being pulled toward a different treatment approach—shifting from traditional therapy to holistic therapy practices. Thus, in 2021, I took another leap of faith and started down the path of holistic healing. Specifically, I began my training as a Heart-Centered Hypnotherapist. This was a journey of healing and learning how to help others heal at the same time—how to heal the inner child and free oneself from limiting belief systems. It showed me that there were better ways to heal than traditional therapy provided. Thus, I was assured this was my path. By 2023, I finished my advanced training and truly leaned into helping others through this approach. Along the way, I was trained in holotropic breathwork, became a Reiki master and transpersonal life coach, and learned healing methods from shamanic practices.
This journey is still in progress as I write this story. I can look back on the past six years and see how the risks I took have paid off for me personally and professionally. The pain I went through has taught me a lot. I had to take the risk to show myself and my family that it is acceptable to go after your dreams and purpose in life. That when we take these risks, everything will be taken care of, and it will unfold exactly as planned. All one has to do is learn to trust the process and have faith that what is not yet seen will become visible.
Zachariah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Zach, and I am a mental health counselor, hypnotherapist, transpersonal life coach, Reiki master, and energy psychologist. My path into this field was not just a career choice—it was a calling. From a young age, I had a deep connection with others, naturally being a calm, supportive listener. Over the years, I realized that my purpose in life was to help people heal, transform, and reconnect with their authentic selves.
I started my professional career as a therapist in community mental health, working with diverse populations and gaining extensive experience in trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. However, I soon found myself feeling disconnected from the traditional approach to therapy. While effective in many ways, I felt that standard mental health models often overlooked the deeper, subconscious, and energetic layers of healing. That realization led me on a profound journey into holistic healing, where I immersed myself in Gestalt Therapy, Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy, Reiki, breathwork, and energy psychology.
Taking a leap of faith, I transitioned from a structured, stable job into private practice, where I could fully integrate these transformative techniques. I now specialize in guiding individuals through deep emotional healing by addressing subconscious patterns, inner child wounds, limiting belief systems, and energetic imbalances.
<b>The Services I Provide & Problems I Solve:
</b>In my private practice, I offer a range of holistic and integrative healing services:
<u>Hypnotherapy & Inner Child Healing:
</u>I help clients access the subconscious mind to release past trauma, transform self-limiting beliefs, and heal unresolved emotional wounds.
<u>Gestalt Therapy & Transpersonal Coaching:
</u>I guide individuals through experiential techniques that foster self-awareness, emotional processing, and authentic personal growth.
<u>Reiki & Energy Healing:
</u> I use energy psychology and Reiki techniques to support emotional, mental, and spiritual healing, helping clients balance their energy and release stored emotional blockages.
<u>Mindfulness & Breathwork:
</u>I teach clients how to use meditation, guided imagery, and conscious breathing to manage stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm.
<u>Couples Hypnotherapy & Relationship Healing:
</u>I help couples navigate deep-rooted emotional patterns that affect their relationships, facilitating healthier connections and communication.
<u>Performance & Mental Game Coaching:
</u>Through visualization, mindset training, and hypnotherapy, I help athletes and professionals strengthen their mental game and optimize performance.
The main problem I solve for my clients is helping them break free from emotional and mental patterns that keep them stuck—whether that’s anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles, self-doubt, or performance blocks. Unlike traditional talk therapy, my approach goes beyond surface-level conversation and into deep subconscious work, allowing for profound transformation.
<b>What Sets Me Apart
</b>What makes my work unique is the holistic, experiential, and intuitive nature of my approach. I integrate clinical expertise with spiritual and energy-based healing techniques, creating a truly individualized experience for each client. I don’t just help people “cope” with their struggles—I help them heal at the root.
I also bring a deep level of personal experience to my work. I’ve undergone extensive training, but more importantly, I’ve done my own healing. I’ve faced my own inner struggles, transformed my mindset, and embraced my true self. This allows me to guide others with genuine empathy, understanding, and attunement.
Additionally, my work is not one-size-fits-all. Every client is unique, and I intuitively adapt each session based on their needs, energy, and where they are in their healing journey. I create a safe, loving space where people feel truly seen, heard, and supported.
<b>What I’m Most Proud Of
</b>I’m most proud of the transformations I’ve witnessed in my clients. Seeing someone come into my office weighed down by years of pain and leave feeling lighter, more empowered, and deeply connected to their true self is the most fulfilling part of my work. I’m also incredibly proud of the courage it took to build my own practice, trust my intuition, and follow a path that aligns with my soul’s purpose.
<b>What I Want People to Know About My Work
</b>For those considering working with me, here’s what I want you to know:
<u>Healing is possible</u>—no matter how long you’ve struggled or how deep the wounds are, you have the power to transform your life.
<u>You already have the answers inside of you</u>—my job is to help you access them.
<u>The mind, body, and spirit are deeply connected</u>—true healing happens when we address all three.
<u>Taking a leap of faith is worth it</u>—I took risks to follow my purpose, and I encourage others to do the same in their own lives.
<u>I am fully committed to your healing</u>—if you are willing to show up and do the work, I will support you every step of the way.
Ultimately, my work is about helping people step into their most authentic, healed, and empowered selves. Whether you’re struggling with emotional wounds, looking to deepen self-awareness, or seeking to elevate your personal and professional performance, I provide the guidance and tools needed for lasting transformation.
If my approach resonates with you, I invite you to take that first step—because healing isn’t just about changing your thoughts, it’s about reclaiming the truth of who you are.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Personal work, works! I have come to realize that if you really want to succeed on your life path; it is essential that you do your own personal work. The fears and insecurities that you have can and will be brought to the surface. Most of us see these as negative experiences. However, they are positive experiences that are helping you receive what you need in order the expand and grow on your path. Thus, it is important to do your own personal healing work. You will be thankful in the end and so will your loved ones.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
I’ve thought of this a lot over the years. Right now, in my life, I have to say that I’d stick with my same path I am on. There are obviously choices that I made in the past that slowed down my progress. I would change those aspects, just not that pathway. The pathway I have been on has really developed my own resilience in life and brought out more of my truest self. Lot so lessons have been learned over the years and growth achieved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mycounselinggym.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacredhealingwithzach/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083536967161