Meet Kelly Andrews | Clinical Mental Health Counselor

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

Hi Kelly, is there something you believe many others might not?
Self-care really gets cut short of the credit it deserves. We get advice to practice basic hygiene and nutrition, or to spend money on pampering or vacations, call it “self-care” and hype it as the answer to the stress in our lives. (Nutrition and hygiene are great!), and when we really struggle to do these basic human tasks, it’s a sign of deeper stress that can go unacknowledged when this type of self-care is the answer. This is the stress we feel when the true self-care -the care for our quality of life- is diminished.

I still remember exactly where I was when I heard this quote: “Self-care is organizing your life in such a way that you don’t need vacations to escape it.” The way I thought about my business and career forever changed this day. Valuing the wholeness of your life. Building your life around your happiness. This is the type of self-care that is a philosophy, a way of living. This is the type of self-care that fills us up, and leaves us overflowing with extra energy. Energy that can flow back into our communities, to those that don’t have access to adequate quality of life. And what a perfect position we are in as entrepreneurs to have the flexibility to embrace this philosophy. In our society, it’s easy to compromise passion for growth and opportunity. We’re encouraged to constantly expand and do more, it can be scary to prioritize happiness, to be okay with where we are, to make decisions with our quality of life in mind. For me, this is the heart of being an entrepreneur: choosing my passion over and over again, making business decisions based on how it will affect my happiness, and improving other’s quality of life because I have the energy to do so. Be uncompromising in who you are, prioritize happiness, and know in your heart that this is what makes you successful.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve always loved hearing people’s stories; small talk has always bored me. I want the juicy details. I genuinely want to know, just to understand you. I remember being a babysitter as a kid and having the thought one day, “I’m not sure what I’ll do when I grow up, I’m only good at caring for people”. I didn’t know that being a therapist was a job yet. How excited I was to eventually find out that what I was passionate about and the things I was good at were job skills! Becoming a therapist felt meant to be. The image of a person turning around on a ladder to help others up is what inspired me to pursue my career. Over years of my life, mental health professionals helped me climb up the ladder, and now it’s my turn to turn around and help others up after me. Becoming a counselor is just a natural continuation of my life. And that seems to be how things work out best. It’s more about letting things happen, rather than making things happen.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
What really makes me feel at home in a city is having go-to places to eat. So I am going to share with you some of my favorites. Gotta start with brunch, Rupert’s at the Edge by Sloane’s Lake is the best! I highly recommend their Smoked Gouda Grits and Stuffed French Toast. For a classic burger, Grandpa’s Burger Haven on Federal always hits the spot. For breakfast burritos, Bonfire Burritos in Golden is my fave; they even have a burrito with pineapples (for my fellow pineapple-pizza eaters). My favorite espresso is Bivouac in Evergreen. My favorite take-out is still Wokano from when I lived in Cap Hill. And finally, everyone needs a go-to chicken sandwich, Kicken Chicken in Lakewood.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to Resilience1220. Their mission to provide free accessible mental health services to teenagers in the mountain communities has been a backbone of my private practice. Not only in the opportunity to offer my services to teen girls with anxiety, but also in the community they have built, therapists included. The women that have come into my life the past few years are valued colleagues, close friends, and a core support system for me both professionally and personally. This shoutout is also to all of them, I am so grateful to have found these people and this place.

Website: sunhearted.com

Instagram: @sunheartedcolorado

Image Credits
Angie Barnes Photography