We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsey Barrett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey, what’s your definition for success?
To me success is about following the meaning and purpose in order to do good in the world while also being able to provide for myself. My dad used to joke about how I was always working for free because I prioritized helping and meaning. Overtime I found balance in knowing the worth I provided and getting to live the dream of helping others at the same time.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I opened my own private practice, Ashes to Embers Counseling in July 2021 after dreaming of being a counselor since early high school.

From the time I was very young I felt drawn towards learning about and supporting people through great pain in a one on one context. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the weight of what my friends carried around and longed to offer them support. I wanted to know how to help in a crisis. I knew that if I learned I could figure it out.

It took several identity crises of my own before I was able to even start my master level internship. It took rejection from a graduate program I was not right for, a job in sales where I couldn’t shake the counseling bug, and a specific graduate course that made me afraid I would never be able to be a good counselor that had me wrestle my worth away from what I do. Over years I faced my perfectionism and the ways I put my personal worth in my relationships and my performance. Over time with the help of counseling, Brene Brown’s work on shame, and risking it all in relationships by practicing vulnerability i learned how to silence my inner critic and embrace self compassion.

Ashes to Embers Counseling is the image of a self being resparked into something new like a Phoenix being remade from the dust. My experiences have at times felt like an ending, but I have found that there is something waiting on the other side. That potential is what I offer through my practice. I work with trauma, anxiety, and work across the lifespan 8+.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a friend was visiting we would be hitting up family friendly spots like Dallas World Aquarium, the Village Baking Company Boulangerie in lower Greenville, and the Dallas Arboretum. A Dallas Bites food tour would be fun or Nick and Sam’s Sunday supper and hopefully we would find ourselves window shopping in Bishop Arts. If we were feeling crazy we would probably go to a performance at Bass Performance Hall or a game in Cowboy Stadium. I’m also a sucker for the Fort Worth Zoo or any of the local festivals like Grapefest in Grapevine, Fort Worth’s Main Street Art Festival, or Octoberfest in Southlake.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who helped me become who I am and who have helped me grow, but my mom is the person who deserves the most credit. She has been a great leader and someone who I’ve learned from the most.

Website: https://www.ashestoemberscounseling.com/

Instagram: Kelsey.Barrett.lpc

Facebook: Mental.health.mama11

Image Credits
Cara Thurman Photography

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