Meet Courtney Burleigh | Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Private Practice Owner

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

Hi Courtney, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Most people would expect therapists to be the best at understanding the importance of boundaries, balance, and self-care. The truth is, we do. We understand it really well. We understand it so well that people pay to come to see us about boundary issues. We understand it so well that we pay other people to tell us to start practicing what we preach. Boundaries and work-life balance have always been a difficult part of my personal and professional life. In a cynical sense, I credit my lack of boundaries for my career progression as a young therapist. I entered the field of social work and mental health at the age of twenty-one, the youngest, and likely the most inexperienced social work intern in my Master of Social Work program. This personal insecurity led to the belief that clients and colleagues would judge my lack of wrinkles as someone who lacked maturity or the necessary life experience to provide quality therapeutic care. In response to this skewed belief, I forfeited boundaries for the sake of career progression to prove to others that I was an asset to the field. This masked insecurity translated to sixty hour work weeks, evening and weekend shifts, and poor self-care throughout my twenties. My hard work finally paid off (so I thought) when I was given the opportunity to open a new treatment unit at the eating disorder treatment center I was employed at for several years. But when I stopped to breathe six-months into my dream role, I recognized that I was exhausted and burned out by the age of twenty-seven. On paper I was living my dream career-life, but in my soul I knew I wanted something more fulfilling for myself and my growing family. I had to start practicing what I preached. When my husband and I discovered I was pregnant with our first child, I was forced to face the demons of the unhealthy lack of balance I created. This started with recognizing that I had the power to change how I interacted with my relationship with work and the expectations I placed on myself. I acknowledged how my lack of work boundaries negatively impacted the people I love most, including the potential stress on my unborn child. I began challenging my insecurities and recognizing the strengths I possessed as a professional, regardless of my age. I didn’t need to prove myself by being a “yes-woman.” I started to believe I had a powerful message and clinical expertise to offer others, which included my passion for supporting others in setting emotional and relational boundaries. Within that, the risks of starting my own practice started to outweigh the security of a nine to five position. As I have encouraged clients that setting and maintaining boundaries is hard work, I have come to learn how much this also applies to me as well. It’s not a one-and-done deal, but it becomes more natural over time. I still find myself wrestling with taking on additional clients and responsibilities as a private practice owner, and have to be reminded of my main priorities of raising a family and living a balanced, fulfilling life. I have found that having an accountability partner like a friend, partner, or therapist can remind us when we fall back into old patterns of people-pleasing or overfunctioning. When I hear my daughter giggle as we bake banana bread together on a Wednesday morning, and the sweet goodbyes on “daddy nights” as I go to my evening sessions after his workdays, I am reminded of how blessed we are to live a present life because of the boundaries I strive to hold within my private practice.

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 own an outpatient therapy practice in Parker, Colorado, and offer telehealth sessions throughout the state. Through prior experience and training I was able to develop a few niches that attract specific clientele. I love eating disorder recovery work, especially for clients struggling with binge eating. I have found a significant overlap with the cycle of boundaries and loss-of-control eating, and find great joy in helping clients step out of this shame cycle. I also utilize EMDR, a specialized trauma therapy that uses rapid eye movement to heal and reprocess past negative beliefs and traumatic memories. When appropriate for the client, faith-based interventions can also provide the spiritual perspective needed to ground and grow clients in new ways. I knew I wanted to become a therapist from an early age. I pursued my bachelor degree in psychology from California Baptist University and then my Masters of Social Work from California State University, Fullerton. When I came to Colorado, I sought out work that would challenge me and grow my confidence as a therapist. I first began my career at Third Way Center working with at-risk teen boys in a residential setting. I was able to then branch out to work with eating disorders at Eating Recovery Center. This is where I truly found my passion for folks seeking recovery from disordered eating. My step into entrepreneurship wasn’t sexy or exciting like you might imagine. The hard fact remained that taking this risk could allow more time with my family, or make us lose our house. A lean caseload, a single lawsuit, or a hiccup in insurance or payment could be enough to destroy everything we have built; especially when I first decided to transition to my own practice. My main priority was to be at home most days with our daughter and sustain my income, so I began planning backwards from that goal. Despite never taking a business course in my life, I started listening to podcasts and reading articles about therapists who took the leap into business ventures. I talked with family, friends, and colleagues with entrepreneurship experience and took a learners approach from mentors I trusted. I strategically stepped into an independent contract position to learn the ropes of an outpatient practice, with the flexible hours of independent ownership, prior to fully opening Courtney Burleigh Counseling, LLC. This slow dip into the pond of private practice allowed me to gain confidence in business elements while maintaining the focus on individualized client care. This planning tapered much of the risk that I was so anxious about before. One of my favorite parts about my practice is my office location–it’s right above Fika Coffeehouse, a locally owned coffee shop with specialty lattes. This has fulfilled a longstanding pipe dream of having an office above a coffeehouse in order to sneakily run downstairs in between sessions for an afternoon pick-me-up. It’s also an added bonus for my clients to enjoy before or after sessions!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m a foodie, specifically when it comes to brunch. When friends and family come to visit, our itinerary often revolves around food. We would start the day with Fika Coffeehouse as a caffeine sustenance for the trek to brunch at Lucile’s Creole Cafe. Their biscuits are unreal! We’d then zip down to Wash Park for a lovely stroll or bike ride, one of my favorite parks in Denver. I’d cap it all off at Union Station at MilkBox Creamery before taking the Light Rail home for an afternoon nap.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My success as a business owner and therapist is not success from my own work. I truly believe that people come and sit in a room with me because there is a light that shines that is not my own. In the darkest moments, people want the support of something outside of themselves. Although I don’t preach my beliefs whatsoever to clients, I do believe my giftings as a therapist and healer solely comes from my Creator. I cannot take credit for the healing work that happens for clients, but I find great joy in being a witness to it all. My mother, Carol, repeated throughout my childhood to “always be a woman of your word.” What you say and what you commit to has profound impact. I have taken the many truths she has taught me and applied her wisdom in my practice, family values, and career. I would be nothing without her guidance and grace.

Website: www.courtneyburleighcounseling.com

Instagram: @cb.counseling

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-burleigh-lcsw-127711b0

Other: Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/courtney-burleigh-parker-co/419285