Insight, Healing, Transformation - Mindful Counseling GR

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental health care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Bryan Nixon, founder of Mindful Counseling GR, located in Grand Rapids, MI, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am the founder of Mindful Counseling GR. We provide psychotherapy services for adults, couples, adolescents, and kids in West Michigan. We work hard to eliminate the stigma that has historically been connected with mental health care by holding to the belief that therapy, not unlike yoga and meditation, is a type of wellness practice that can be good for anyone who wants to develop a deeper sense of self-awareness and experience more vitality in their life.

Tell us about yourself

It’s hard to know where to even begin when answering a question about one’s origin story. In many ways, I feel like I am still starting. I’ve never had the luxury of feeling as though I have arrived, and for me, when I pause to reflect, my life seems much more like the unfolding of a mystery rather than the execution of a well-laid-out plan. For the sake of this interview, the moment that comes to mind is one from 2013. I had been working for a counseling agency in Grand Rapids for a couple of years and was relatively content in my position there, but there was also this part of me that was beginning to emerge. That part of me was more entrepreneurial, and I found my thoughts increasingly moving in the direction of wondering what it would be like to own my own business.

That thought was both terrifying and exciting. Terrifying because it was stepping away from the comfort of what was familiar and safe into the unknown, and what if it didn’t work out? Exciting because something in me felt like it was coming alive each time, I would allow myself to be present with the idea of creating my own thing. Gradually it became more and more difficult to ignore until one day, I had breakfast with a good friend who was starting a business of his own. He asked, “are you ready to take the leap? I just signed a lease on an office suite and will have an extra room that you can rent to start your own thing.” My heart leaped, and before the terror had a chance to shut it down, the excitement spoke, and I found myself saying, “Yes, let’s do it!” A few months later, I was moving my furniture into a small basement office that felt both new and foreign, yet also like I was home and where I belonged.

I started initially as a solo practice, and today the practice has grown to over 30 wonderful therapists, three excellent administrative staff, and three locations. There are millions of details between my initial “Yes, let’s do it” and where we are today, but the one consistent thread for me at each stage of growth for Mindful Counseling GR has always been the presence of that strange mixture of feeling both terror and excitement and then choosing to lean into each new moment of unfolding. Additionally, as I reflect, I am struck by a deep sense of awe and gratitude. I am honored to be able to do this work in the world with such an amazing team of people who all co-create what MCGR is in the community.

I am motivated by the healing power of authentic relationships. I have a mentor who has often said, "we are formed in relationship, harmed in relationship, and healed in relationship.” I would say that this belief is central to our work at Mindful Counseling GR and the "why" that drove me to start this practice. Research has shown that in spite of which therapy technique is used, it is the relationship between therapist and client that will determine the outcome. For example, a therapist could perfectly execute proper technique and therapy tools with a client, but if something is off relationally between the therapist and client, then the therapy has a high likelihood of not being helpful. Because of this, we really try to focus on both the content that our clients are bringing to us as well as on the relational process that takes shape in each therapeutic relationship.

I would say that this is what sets us apart from others. Many models of therapy focus exclusively on symptom relief, and while that may work for a little while, the symptoms often return. We believe that symptoms are not the primary problem but rather are like messengers trying to get our attention to point us to deeper, more buried wounds that seek to be known and worked through.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm not totally sure how to measure this, but I can say that the thing I am most proud of is the dedicated team of therapists and admin staff that we have serving the community. Our therapists are also committed to their own personal and professional growth and development because we believe that the old adage is true that “we can’t take people to places that we ourselves have been unwilling to go.” We hold to the belief that we must be willing to take our own medicine because we are just as human as our patients are.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Many unexpected challenges come with owning a business. You can be moving along smoothly for a time, but then you unexpectedly hit a pothole and end up with a flat tire. Sometimes the potholes are external, like having to work through some sort of conflict with someone or having to deal with random issues that come up from day to day that I wasn’t planning on, to having to make sudden decisions about how to transition our entire team to an online platform when COVID first hit so that we were able to see our clients virtually.

While the external potholes can be really frustrating at times, the most challenging potholes for me have always been internal. For example, being in a leadership position has consistently held me at my growth edge. Leadership is not something I set out for initially and has often brought me face to face with my self-doubt, fears, and other internal and sometimes very old patterns. This has been perhaps the most unexpected gift of leadership for me. At any given moment, multiple mirrors are held up to me, offering me the opportunity to see my reflection, identify my potholes and consciously try to grow beyond them. Of course, this is both an inner and interpersonal work that lasts a lifetime and is never fully complete.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

As cliche as it sounds, it is critical to get to know your "why" for wanting to start a business. A connection to your "why" can be an anchor when things feel really difficult.
Don't do it alone. Surround yourself with good people who are willing to tell you the truth about yourself. A lot of people will say nice things to encourage you, but to run a business well, you also need people who are willing to call you on your BS from time to time.
Learn your strengths and weaknesses and be willing to delegate and empower others.

I also teach in a continuing ed program for licensed therapists called Relationally Focused Psychodynamic Therapy (RFPT), which is another source of delight for me. I love working with therapists to deepen their work with their clients by training them how to attune more fully to the relational dynamics in the room between themselves and their clients since, as I previously mentioned, it is the relationship itself that determines the outcome of therapy.

Additionally, I host a podcast that is largely focused on these themes as well. The podcast is called Why in the World.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.mindfulcounselinggr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfulgr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiwpodcast/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-nixon-ma-lpc-1599225/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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