Meet Alayna Baillod | Clinical Therapist (Mental Health Counselor)

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

Hi Alayna, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
After years of working in the clinical Social Work field in a variety of settings including foster care, mental health crisis response, intensive in-home services, to name a few – I recognized that I was longing to provide a high level of therapeutic care to people struggling with trauma, relational challenges and anyone feeling alone in the world. I wanted to bridge the gap between generic counseling and well tailored, more intentional support. I made the decision to embark on creating my private counseling practice after recognizing how routinely people find themselves in a place of not receiving adequate, specialized mental health care. My goal was to truly offer a unique approach to therapy that didn’t fit the standard mold but rather more fully met the needs of people who haven’t been successful in landing with the right fit of a therapist. From the beginning, my focus has been creating a counseling practice that prioritizes the areas of struggle and needed support with therapist expertise and passion. Self Care Impact Counseling has been a dream come true of mine in that I wholeheartedly see our clinical team as being able to offer specialized therapy services for our clients.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
One of the biggest lessons I have learned thus far is that people are always more valuable than money. I had no idea the extent to which my business would grow. It has far surpassed any dreams I’ve ever imagined, let alone what I thought could be possible. Throughout my experience, I have set out to remain conscious and grateful for each and every prospective client that reaches out to us and every therapist that has worked along side me in our practice. I see reminders everyday that success stems from human connection and I am always in awe of the diligent effort and care of the therapists at Self Care Impact Counseling. My Social Work background broadened my understanding of privilege and the harsh reality of life hardships. Social Work shaped my personal and professional values, through a strengths based lens. No matter the current situation someone may find themselves in, I look to recognize innate strengths and work to support them in leveraging their strengths to continue growing.

I strive to convey utmost empathy, professionalism and appreciation for every client I speak with during the initial phone consultation process – all the way to holding space, steeped in recognition of client’s efforts, during intentional closing sessions, when clients have met their personal goals and are finishing therapy. This is by no means an effortless practice, but it reinvigorates the deepest motivation behind my years of long days and fatigue; I am a therapist and a private practice founder because I am passionate about helping people move out of survival mode into a newfound experience of thriving. I truly put every ounce of energy, intention and drive into building and sustaining a counseling practice that holds each and every client (and therapist) as a vital contribution to the larger vision. I have never been so humbled by any other experience in my life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Some of my favorite spots in the greater Denver Metro area include Red Rocks Amphitheater, hiking in nearby National Forests, tubing (in the summer, of course!) in downtown Golden, checking out the murals in the RiNo Art District and definitely going to Meow Wolf! Denver has no shortage of amazing activities and outdoor beauty within reach!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents truly are the catalyst for my leap of faith, embarking on this private counseling practice journey. I do not think I could have felt confident enough to take the (inherent) risk without their unwavering support. Specifically, my father has been instrumental in helping support me throughout this entire experience – from the very beginning. He has a professional background in computer software engineering and has spent an enormous amount of time learning SEO (search engine optimization) with me. SEO is probably the most significant challenge to any therapist, like myself, attempting to build a private practice. It’s a foreign language to me, as I’ve never had any formal education in the technology field and SEO is also an ever-changing target. I feel so grateful to have my family’s support – especially my dad’s willingness and interest in supporting my business model on the technological side. Self Care Impact Counseling simply would not have existed without his guidance and tireless hours of computer work, on the back end. Our team truly feels so fortunate to have established an online presence in both the Lakewood and Longmont areas of Colorado, all thanks to him!

Website: www.selfcareimpact.com

Instagram: self.care.impact.counseling

Twitter: @SCI_counseling

Facebook: www.facebook.com/selfcareimpact

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/self-care-impact-counseling-lakewood

Other: Additional Yelp page for our Longmont office: https://www.yelp.com/biz/self-care-impact-counseling-longmont

Image Credits
These photos are mine, created/taken by me. I have rights and permission for all attached photos.