Career Spotlight: Takesha Shannon, Licensed Professional Counselor

Takesha Shannon of TMS Counseling, LLC in Northport, AL is a dedicated and compassionate licensed professional counselor (LPC) who devotes her life to helping others. Happy to lend her expertise in order to help children, adolescents and adults work through difficult issues and circumstances, she is also thrilled to talk about her career. In this article, Shannon shares the joys and challenges of her chosen profession.

Why She Chose Counseling as a Profession

"The counseling profession offered me the opportunity to work with leading professionals in the field as they serve children, adolescents, adults, couples and families in navigating life's unexpected hurdles and dealing with situational difficulties instead of chronic and severe disorders. The basis of counseling is learning what's normal development and therefore how to recognize what is abnormal and using various techniques to assist people in finding their own sense of normalcy."

Her Role as a LPC

"I provide clients the opportunity to talk through, explore and set goals, and make changes in their lives to ensure emotional health in a non-judgmental, comfortable environment. Many times in my practice, through my assessment, I refer my clients for testing and medication assessment as needed."

Common Misconceptions about Counseling

"Most people assume that if a person is being treated by a counselor, they are 'crazy'! Being treated by a counselor is not a sign of a serious mental defect; to the contrary, it's a sign of self-awareness. And most don't realize that the stereotypical portrayals of those in the counseling profession are just that - stereotypes..."

Running a Private Practice

"I'm in private practice, so my typical day begins with me opening my office - usually at 9AM, but sometimes earlier because I am flexible with students who require an appointment to fit around their classes. On average, I see four clients a day; at the most, five clients. It's very important for me to give my clients my best and I've found that five clients a day is the right number to ensure my mental acuity. As I do everything myself except answer the phones and schedule appointments, I spend my time in between clients completing necessary paperwork for my files, billing insurance companies, reviewing and preparing for sessions, updating my website and Facebook page, marketing my business, and making phone calls to collateral contacts such as school counselors."

Growing Her Practice

"The best referrals for my business come from those I've provided service to, those I've worked with, or those that have trained me. So, making sure you make an impression and do the best work you can is your best asset. Additionally, I have a website and membership in Psychology Today. I try to build relationships with potential referral sources such as school counselors, teachers, pediatricians and psychiatrists. Additionally, I rely on support from my friends, family and sorority."

"I would like to build my practice to serve between 60 and 100 clients. I would like to expand to include other clinicians and to become a full-service counseling practice. Specifically, I'd like to have a social worker to procure wrap-around services and do home visits, a psychologist to provide testing, and perhaps a massage therapist or acupuncturist, because I believe in the mind-body connection and seek to treat the body holistically."

The Challenges of Separating Business from Her Personal Life

"I've found it difficult to keep people from assuming that because I'm a counselor, I'm always on duty! I try not to engage clients when I see them in public, because I want to have some time that is private and personal. Additionally, I pride myself on setting strict boundaries at the onset of any therapeutic relationship and if a client cannot adhere to those boundaries, I refer them (elsewhere). Also, I don't engage in a therapeutic relationship with friends. I don't allow my clients to see me as a friend. I am a trained professional providing a relationship that is qualitatively different than your friends and family."

Future Goals

"I would like to write a children's book and earn my doctorate degree within the next decade of my life, because at some point I would like to teach as well."