Meet Kate Willecke | Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Private Practice Therapist

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

Hi Kate, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I chose to become a social worker, I was told that I’d need to work hard, obtain a Master’s degree, ‘do my time’ working in challenging environments, and I wouldn’t make much. For the last 8 years, I’ve worked in school settings, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and community mental health centers learning as much as I could about what it means to do this work well. The knowledge I’ve gained has been incredibly valuable in becoming the social worker I am today. However, when it came to picturing myself as doing something more, I wasn’t confident in my ability to navigate the private practice world- it felt BIG and unattainable. It wasn’t until I started expanding my family that I had a big enough reason and purpose behind becoming a private practice therapist. I began to see the bigger picture of self-employment and how this could impact my family in a positive way. I wanted more flexibility, a healthier work-life balance, and the opportunity to be a more present parent to my kids. My biggest reason for starting my own business is to align my life choices with what feels most authentic to me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Looking back on my work experience, I have to laugh a little. It has been challenging, intimidating, overwhelming, and equally confidence-building, wonderful, and impactful. I have worked in drastically different (and hard) environments, including elementary schools, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and community mental health centers. I told myself that I needed to learn from some of the most challenging work environments as early as I could- I thought this would somehow make me the best social worker. The most challenging work experience I had was the psychiatric hospital because I was the person that told patients with suicidal ideation and/or psychosis that they were admitted to the hospital involuntarily. I had to adapt to what other mental health professionals were recommending for treatment and do my best to create relationships with patients who were at the hospital on a short-term basis. The biggest lesson I learned from this time in my life was the importance of adapting and going with the flow- a crucial skill that applies to the ebb and flow of scheduling therapy sessions. I also learned that I don’t have to only work in the hardest jobs in order to be considered worthy of being a good social worker.

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?
How fun!! Here it goes- Monday, we’d walk around Sloans Lake (Edgewater) and bring a picnic to eat for lunch. We’d stop by Odells for beer afterwards. Then, we’d go to a Film on the Rocks at Red Rocks Monday night. Tuesday, we would go downtown to the Milk Market and grab something to eat near there. Wednesday, we would take my kids to story time at the Arvada or Golden library and pick out some books to bring home. Thursday, we would order Blue Pan pizza to go for dinner (you have to get the Detroit Style Brooklyn Bridge pizza!) Friday, we would drive up to Evergreen and walk around the lake, maybe do a hike at Maxwell Falls. Saturday, we’d go to the Colorado Train Museum (Golden) in the morning and hop on their train ride around the grounds. Sunday, we would go to the farmer’s market in Arvada to pick up some fresh produce and get coffee in the morning.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am so grateful for my family that always encourages me to dream big. My colleagues are also amazing- they have paved the way before me, offered support in navigating the hard stuff, and provided a community that encourages growth as a human and therapist.

Website: https://www.brightconnectionscounseling.com

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