Meet Siri Austill | Therapist and Artist

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

Hi Siri, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I started my therapy private practice because I was tired of working for others and wanted more control over my time, my schedule, and what I prioritized. Starting my own business gave me the freedom to decide how I spend my days—and the chance to build something aligned with my values. I love my work as a therapist but sometimes there are limits on how much you can do in that space. I wanted to give people more opportunities for experiential learning, to have access to a transformative experience that they could reflect on for a long time afterward. I now run art workshops and “Circles,” which are ongoing groups and retreat-like experiences intended to help people release old narratives that no longer serve them and embrace healing, playfulness and freedom.

Now I do individual therapy with people who are neurodivergent or living nontraditional lifestyles, teach silk painting workshops to help people unlearn old messages about their creativity, and run Circles like the Smashing Circle to help facilitate transformative experiences.

The name Stream of Mind came to me while on a meditation retreat. Eckhart Tolle has a quote about not letting the contents of your mind mean too much. That quote has helped me remember not to take anything too seriously. I came to realize that there are a lot of groups of people who feel misunderstood by society and pressured to conform. In this culture, you are “allowed” to do something nontraditional, but the cost is that you are constantly asked to question yourself. In our current climate the voice of the Critic is so loud and ever-present, it’s hard not to internalize it. I wanted to provide a space of respite from that world, a space where one’s truth is amplified and supported and given room to grow into something meaningful.

“Every time you create a gap in the stream of mind, the light of your consciousness grows stronger. One day you may catch yourself smiling at the voice in your head. This means that you no longer take the content of your mind all that seriously, as your sense of self does not depend on it.”
– Eckhart Tolle

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
A big theme in my work is helping people feel ready for change. I want people to take big risks and embrace the weird, to see difference as a strength that benefits all of us and gives us the capacity to handle new challenges. For me, risk isn’t just about taking leaps—it’s about challenging societal norms. There’s a narrative that equates a “risky” life with stepping off the traditional path—like not owning a home or choosing an alternative lifestyle. But the real risk is often social: being misunderstood, not being taken seriously, or stepping away from the safety of conventional support systems.
I’ve had to redefine what risk means for me—moving away from fear-based thinking and toward a more intentional way of living. Risk, in that sense, has become part of how I stay aligned. I took a risk in leaving my job and starting my business, and I continue to choose risk by making my bottom line less focused on money and more on interconnectedness. I want to help others re-envision what risk and success can mean for them, so they can choose what’s right with intention, not just follow what’s expected.

I’ve had to let go of the idea that you have to work harder than anyone else to succeed. I’ve found it’s more sustainable to work in community, ask for help, and be strategic about where I invest my energy. It’s not just about effort—it’s about mutual support and alignment.

Working in community is huge—I do best when I’m not isolated. External accountability helps, and so does remembering why I care. I’m more motivated when I’m doing something for others or for a larger purpose. I’m still working on nailing down the perfect schedule, but one idea I’ve let go of is rigidity around discipline: that once you decide to do something you must do it to perfection every day or else it’s a failure. Now I count any approximation of the habit and build from there, which is much more sustainable.

I’ve learned a few key things that have helped keep my relationship to my job more sustainable. First, you don’t have to feel ready to begin. I used to wait for clarity or perfection—but real growth came when I started anyway, even if it was messy. Action creates momentum, and clarity often follows. Second, I’ve come to rely on patience and perseverance over chasing a dopamine hit. I didn’t expect things to happen overnight, and I didn’t give up. I also leaned into my strengths and trusted that my unique combination of being a therapist and an artist would resonate with the right people.

I’m most excited to spend this year expanding my art practice and sharing my art with others. It can be so easy to assume when we are vulnerable with our passions we will receive some backlash, but I have a thicker skin after embarking on my business journey, and I’m ready for what the world has to throw at me!

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?
Zwei Brewing has great food and beer selection, and they also support local artists with their ongoing art markets through the summers!
Eat a delicious donation-based lunch at FoCo Cafe, hang out in their community garden, then rent a bike and take the Spring Creek Trail all throughout the city.
Pinball Jones is a popular arcade for locals to hang out and has Monday night all-you-can-play for $10.
Alleycat is great to get some work done with a delicious ginger milk and a pizza while getting in some people watching. It’s one of the few establishments open late for all ages.
Bawarchi Biryani has the most delicious Indian food in town, super efficient service, and often plays Bollywood on the tv which I love!
It has just passed this year, but FoCoMX is my favorite festival in the whole state. It showcases Colorado bands in venues across town, with lots of opportunities for creativity and community engagement. It really shows off the ongoing efforts of this community to support the arts and artists, and gives me plenty of new music to listen to throughout the year!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Early on, I was overworking and overdelivering. I was quickly burning out and I felt a lot of resentment toward people who weren’t as invested in my dream as I was. Now I’m learning to pause and trust the timing of things. Balance isn’t about doing less—it’s about knowing when to push and when to rest, and trusting that an idea is good when it ignites a spark in others. I’m grateful to my friends and family who would name my burnout moments and remind me to put less pressure on myself. I’m especially grateful for my co-facilitator, Kelly Gonynor, for bringing so much passion to every dream and finding ways to share it with others. Kelly is my link to the larger world, amplifying everything that I do. I am also obsessed with the author and facilitator Priya Parker. She wrote the book The Art of Gathering, which beautifully illustrates the many ways that we can create meaningful connection with intention and heart. This book started my journey into running groups, which then led me to learn about Circlework, a term coined by Jalaja Bonheim to add structure to the ways humans have always navigated transitions and important moments in life. I am now part of many circles and I’m grateful to them all.

Website: https://www.streamofmind.com

Instagram: @streamofmind