Meet Lindsey Mullins | Licensed Professional Counselor & Registered Play Therapist™

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

Hi Lindsey, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My value for motherhood and family was a huge motivating factor in starting my private practice. Coming out of graduate school in my 40’s, I had two teens living at home, I was newly remarried, and family needed to come first. So flexibility and autonomy were critical to that process.
Additionally, at that point in my life, I was too stubborn to play by someone else’s rules in the workplace. I wanted flexibility in my schedule and I wanted to “do therapy” my way. I was new in the field of mental health therapy, but experienced in working with children and families. I had strong feelings about the right and wrong way to do child and family therapy and I found myself knocking heads with potential employers about what that process would look like.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I went into graduate school with the knowledge that I wanted to focus on children and mental health. As a single mom, I had limitations on my time and availability so an online education was my only option. I was enrolled in a faith-based adult-focused clinical mental health counseling program for which I am so grateful AND I had to carve my own path in that community. I sought out a Registered Play Therapy Supervisor in my area, signed up for every play therapy training I could logistically and financially manage, and I committed myself to mastering the craft of play therapy.

Play therapy is the most developmentally appropriate approach to mental health for young children and while the number of Registered Play Therapists™ in the United States is growing, there are too few professionals who commit to specializing in work with children. This credential requires a grueling number of training and supervision hours, so families can be sure that if they see RPT™ behind a professional’s name, they are committed to serving this population. One of the challenges I face is advocating for the specific field of play therapy. There are too many counselors who claim to work with children but have completed a singular 6 hour training that can’t sufficiently cover the bases of child development and the nuances of how they use play to communicate.

Starting and maintaining a private practice has also not been easy. In graduate school, we learn how to listen to people and sit with them in their most painful moments. We do not learn how to self-promote and market our services. Most therapists (myself included) are introverts and this element of small business and private practice has been a slightly painful process. Sometimes the very things we are working on with clients are at the core of our own work– self-affirmation, knowing your worth, boundary-setting, clear communication. It has been difficult to monetize relationship– though it is a unique professional relationship that fosters healing, growth, introspection, and clarity– it is hard to put a price on this work.

I am working on overcoming these challenges by staying in community with therapists and small business owners I trust and can hold me accountable. I am also committed to ongoing training and perfecting my craft wherever possible. It is a long-term goal, that may never see an end, but fortunately, I am a passionate learner.

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?
Old town Fort Collins- there are so many options here! The lights are beautiful in the winter and Old town square is a lovely place to visit.
Boyd Lake (Loveland), Horsetooth Reservoir (Fort Collins)… if you have a paddle board and a small cooler of microbrews, you have a full afternoon 🙂
One of my favorite things is to take a “destination bike ride”. There are fantastic and beautiful trails throughout Fort Collins and Loveland and with a few clever turns you may find yourself at an ice cream shop or microbrewery.

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?
Honestly, I don’t know if you can or will print it, but my primary shoutout is to God and the faithful companionship, discernment and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
That is closely followed by the support of my family– the patience and encouragement of my children and husband, who are my greatest cheerleaders.

Website: https://www.mullinscounseling.net

Image Credits
The two images with quotes were stock photos