Meet Melissa O’Malley | The Self Care Witch

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa O’Malley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After earning a masters degree in clinical counseling in my early 20’s, I started my career working for my town’s great big counseling agency. I made a nice salary, trainings and supervision were free to me, and in many ways, it was exactly what I always dreamed of. I had a big office, a caseload of clients who loved me, and my coworkers were pretty great too. I had always been a casual student of astrology and witchy things, but it was a quiet part of my life, and totally separate from my work as a counselor. Then, on one ordinary and magical Tuesday, a witch gifted me my very first Tarot deck, and the entire trajectory of my life changed. Learning the Tarot provided a pathway to healing my own anxiety and trauma that I never could have imagined possible. As I grew into my own intuitive knowing, I witnessed firsthand the healing that comes from connecting to your power while simultaneously surrendering to your human-ness. The Tarot provided me insight into how I was interpreting and operating in my world, and gave me clear anchors and guideposts to help me decide how to show up in my power.
It was radical, and it was clear: working within the mental health system no longer aligned with what I wanted for my own life, nor could it give me what I wanted for my clients. I wanted to remove myself from a system that overworks counselors to burn out; that regulates and restricts access to healing; that emphasizes paperwork and numbers and protocol over true nitty gritty healing.
I needed to be able to bring the same evidence-based practices I learned in graduate school into an environment where I could be creative, free, and a little wild. So, without even knowing exactly what that would look like, I trusted my inner guidance, closed my eyes, and took a big leap of faith into the unknown. My last day in the office was the day before the country went into quarantine and holy moly, was I in for a wild ride!
Navigating business ownership at the start of covid was challenging. But, in the years following, I have continued to practice faith in my inner calling, and my business has steadily grown with me and my family because of it. Now, I’m the main breadwinner in my home, and it is all because I trust the Spirit-guided work I’ve been lead to bring into my world. My work now includes one on one mentorship, running Moon Circles, and reading Tarot at parties. I get to support my family by supporting my community, and I am continuously blown away by how lucky I feel to be doing work that I love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world that I get to support my family by supporting my community. My work is always evolving, and I am loving what it’s looking like right now. I offer one on one mentorship, tarot readings, and moon circles, and I pride myself on providing holistic, accessible support for personal and spiritual growth. I am not your average counselor. I blend mental health and magic, using a marriage of evidence-based practices, and intuitive practices like tarot. I am also not your average tarot reader. Having a background in clinical counseling gives me a unique foundation for my witchy practices to dance and cackle and grow upon. I believe in empowering individuals to tap into their own inner wisdom and intuition, guiding them towards self-discovery and transformation.
What I want the world to know about my brand is that it is rooted in compassion, authenticity, and empowerment. Whether through one on one mentorship, tarot readings, or Moon Circles, my goal is to inspire and support others on their journey toward self-discovery, sovereignty, and empowerment.
I am also a certified full-spectrum doula and midwife’s assistance, specializing in home and water births. No matter where my work takes me- whether it’s at the Tarot table or at the edge of the birthing pool- there is a common thread: to liberate ourselves from oppressive birthing and mothering practices; to return ourselves to our power; that by embracing our inner wisdom and connecting with others, we can create positive and lasting change in ourselves and the world around us.

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.
If you ask me, Fort Collins is the best city. This town has so much heart to be found in every nook and cranny, and I just love bringing people to all my favorite little spots. Naturally for a witch like me, that begins with a little walk along Spring Creek Trail, where we will swing under grandmother Willow and see if we can spot some ducklings along the way. I’m a sober witch, so we’ll be stopping by the Herbal Mocktails stand at the Farmer’s Market before popping into Big City Burrito for lunch. Of course, we have to stop at some of my favorite local shops- Golden Poppy Apothecary and MakerFolk for some handcrafted goods, a visit to the Old Firehouse Bookstore, and perhaps a stop into Little Bird Bakeshop for a little treat. For everything your witchy heart desires, a trip to Northern Lights bookstore is a must. And, no trip to Fort Collins is complete without some music and sunshine on the patio of Wolverine Farm Publick House, followed by a snack and a flick at The Lyric.

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?
I honor those who paved the way for me to forge my own wild path; those who have taught me, mentored me, and supported me in my endeavors- there are so many! First, I have to honor my Tarot teacher, Lindsay Mack, who developed a method of relating to the cards that is empowered, sensitive, trauma-informed, and divested from colonization. Lindsay’s leadership and heart inspire me in my spiritual and business practices alike. I also want to shout out my mentor, Jen Phippen, who has held me and supported me in endless ways. Her expert guidance has helped me to deepen my trust in myself and my path, which directly impacts my work with my clients. And, her monthly breathwork circles are one of my all-time favorite self-care practices.
Finally, the love and support of my sisters keeps me going in the toughest of times, and their trust in my vision has kept me going when I waver. Even in the middle of the night while I’m having a meltdown over a DIY disco ball, they are there to offer support and encouragement and it is truly priceless.

Website: www.theselfcarewitch.com

Instagram: @theselfcarewitch

Other: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/expansiveastrology

Image Credits
Adriana Wicker