Meet Caitlan Siegenthaler | Licensed Therapist (MA,LPC, NCC)

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

Hi Caitlan, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has changed significantly over time. In my early and mid 20s I worked in the corporate world and I was very focused on proving my worth and climbing the corporate ladder. That quickly lead me to burnout and to discovering that I was being called to follow a career that was lead by things I was passionate about. As I transitioned to becoming a therapist, I found that there were still parts of me that wanted to work crazy long hours and prove my worth and that is when I began to look at balance differently.

I wanted to be of service to my clients and I also wanted to show up as my best self.
I moved into opening my own private therapy practice and becoming an entrepreneur so that I could have more control over the type of balance I wanted in my life.

I don’t think about balance as this picture perfect thing where we work just enough and we do life just enough. Sometimes work takes priority for a season and sometimes life needs more attention for a time being. Balance for me is being really clear about why I’m doing what I’m doing and what my values are. For example, I really value relationships so I often prioritize my partner, friends and my family over working longer hours in my business. At least, during this season. I also value freedom and so time freedom for me feels like balance because I could work 12 hours if I wanted to or take the entire day off but I am making an aligned choice for myself.

I think that balance comes from a place of calm and allows you to flow with life rather than trying to manage it or control it or force it. It is accepting myself for who I am in the moment and working to be present in the moment as much as possible, regardless of what I’m doing.

I don’t think of balance as something to achieve necessarily because I don’t think perfect balance exists. I just think it is about being intentional about everything– the job choice you have, the relationships you are choosing, how you take care of yourself. It’s loving and caring for yourself enough to pause and get clear and if you don’t like the answers having the courage to take small steps towards change.

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’m a therapist who owns my own private practice and I help high achieving womxn overcome burnout so they can have thriving relationships. I LOVE working with women to help them unlearn the expectations society has placed on them and together we dream up their ideal life and then we make the changes necessary so they can go live it!

I think what sets me apart from other therapists is that I didn’t follow the typical therapist track. I actually wanted to work in sports and be an ESPN sports anchor which back when I was in college felt like shattering a glass ceiling. This lead me into a brief career in marketing and the corporate world and so I know my clients appreciate that I have actually walked in their shoes. I am most proud of living abroad and not following a traditional “life path” and I think this helps me bring creativity to my business. I don’t like to be told that something isn’t possible and so I’m constantly searching for a solution or another way of doing something. This serves my clients because I’m always bringing grounded hope for them into our sessions.

I got to where I’m at business-wise today through a lot of hard work on my business but also a lot of inner growth work (and going to my own therapy). There is a saying.. If you want to grow start a business and that couldn’t be more true. I think by getting honest about my shadow sides and my own healing that has allowed me to ensure my stuff doesn’t get in the way of running a successful business.

It definitely wasn’t easy and I overcame challenges by leaning on a lot of support. Support from coaches, my therapist, friends and family, my partner, my community, my colleagues, etc. I overcame challenges by not being afraid to ask for help .

Lessons I’ve learned along the way: Go to therapy, it’s important for you and for your business. Don’t be scared to ask for help. Fail quickly. Look at the data and use that to make business decisions rather than centering decisions on your emotional response. (Strange I know coming from a therapist).

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ooo I love this question because I love travel and food. I know Red Rocks isn’t in Denver the actual city but I would definitely take a guest to Red Rocks because I believe it’s truly magical up there. You have the views of the city and you can’t beat seeing a concert there.

To eat I would probably go for Mexican food in Denver and some of my favorite places are El Five or Los Chingones. Sushi is my number one food choice though so if we wanted to do something fancier I would take them to Sushi Den. For dessert I would take them to Little Man Ice Cream.

To drink I would take them to Infinite Monkey Theroem to have some wine from the Urban Winery or to Gold Point. I love Gin & Tonics and they make a homemade tonic that is to die for.

To just hang out I would go to City Park and if it is a Summer Sunday, I would take a little blanket picnic to jazz in the park.

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?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to friends, family, and work colleagues who’ve loved me and inspired me along the way to becoming this version of myself.

Website: www.caitlansiegenthaler.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitlansiegenthaler/

Image Credits
Genevieve Deits