Meet Olga Mikhnyuk, she/her & Sarah Malone, she/her | Therapists/Owners, SideDoor Counseling LLC.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olga Mikhnyuk, she/her Sarah Malone, she/her and we’ve shared our conversation with them below.

Hi Olga & Sarah, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Re-defining our relationship with change. Naturally change is anxiety provoking for many and we meet it with caution and sometimes rejection, often focusing on what will go wrong and how it won’t work. While this is sometimes true, within change might also lie an opportunity that would not have been there otherwise. For us, many things went not as planned, hoped or expected, and re-grouping and pivoting where necessary was crucial. Re-defining the relationship with “change” allowed us to see new opportunities and sometimes the outcome became more fulfilling than the original plan. Letting ourselves be open and tap into “the new”, especially during the challenges of the pandemic, gave us new perspectives and led to growth both personally and professionally.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Well, when two mental health therapists are married to each other and set out to create a practice together, you might think “they are crazy”, but this was our passion and dream, and from it SideDoor Counseling was born. With over 30 years of combined experience, we help folks with eating disorders, stress, anxiety, depression, identity, gender, life transitions, body image, OCD, trauma, and self-acceptance. We are also dedicated and passionate in supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Our primary goal is to provide our clients with an experience of acceptance, authenticity and discovery so that they can live their lives fully.

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.

Definitely the First Friday Art Walk, Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe. It’s such a great place to experience the talent, diversity, and creativity that Denver has to offer, and the food trucks are a must. 

Driving Rocky Mountain National Park’s Trail Ridge Road.  It will take your breath away and possibly your feet out from under you if you aren’t careful. This also might be what the top of the world feels like.

Denver Beer Co. Beer, Bacon & Coffee Fest.  Enough said.

South Pearl Street Farmers’ Market.  You can pick up everything you need, things you didn’t know you needed, and be a part of this beautiful community experience all at the same time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

We dedicate the Shoutout to our families, our parents and grandparents, and our friends. They were our most devoted cheerleaders in the moments of doubt, and they were there to celebrate our successes. And to each other. Being married to each other and developing a business together certainly was more than we anticipated. Being there for each other, opening new levels of acceptance and understanding, building on each other’s strengths and supporting one another has been an incredible experience that made our business and our marriage more dimensional.  And, to all the people we met, and whose stories we heard, whether in person or through their creations, like music or poetry, their paintings, interviews and books about their lives. There are people who lived a long time ago and never knew us, but they inspired and taught us. Every bit of those experiences changed something in us, provoked thoughts, inspired, created questions. We are grateful for that.

Website: https://sidedoorcounseling.com

Instagram: @sidedoorcounseling