Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Troszok.
Hi Ashley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I went in the field of social work because of my desire to help support others. After obtaining my bachelor’s degree, I was uncertain of what area of social work I actually wanted to be in. It took me a while to realize that I wanted to be a therapist. I experienced a number of significant life challenges in a short time period including the deaths of very close family members. To help navigate these challenges, I sought therapy for myself and came up against a number of barriers. The biggest barrier I encountered was finding a therapist who actually had experience and knowledge of what I was going through. The first therapist I went to was clearly uncomfortable addressing grief, often changing the topic. The next therapist was very empathetic and caring, but had many questions about my experiences so that it felt like I was teaching them in order for them to be able help me. Through these experiences in therapy, I realized that there is was a need in our community for therapists who are comfortable and knowledgeable in supporting people who have experienced traumatic losses. This pushed me to go back to school for my master’s degree in social work (MSW).
While my goal of obtaining my MSW was initially to become a grief therapist, my career path took me in varied directions including working with adults with developmental disabilities, children’s grief support and then to the medical field where I was an emergency department social worker. Through all of this, I still new that being a therapist was ultimately what I wanted to do.
In 2019 I went into private practice, joining a collective of other therapists. As my practice and experience grew, so did my love for being a therapist. I quickly found that while providing grief support is an area that remains important to me, I also really enjoy working with women and trauma survivors, with a draw towards supporting women in the postpartum period who experienced traumatic births.
In 2021, I decided to grow my practice by starting a group practice with a team of other like-minded therapists. By the fall of 2021, Balanced Life Counseling and Wellness had grown from being just myself to a team of 5 therapists, all with our own areas of focus, allowing us to further help meet the growing needs in our community for mental health care. Our office is now able to provide mental health care and support to children, teens and adults in our community, and it is an honor everyday to know that those we work with us trust us to help them through life’s challenges.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. Starting out, I had to face the challenges of learning how to run a business, figure out insurance, and requirements and laws around operating a therapy office. I also struggled at various times with confidence and questioning if I could really do this. Just as I was feeling more confident and decided to leave my job as a hospital social worker in order to be full-time in private practice, COVID hit. This led to a lot of unknowns and the change from in-person appointments to telehealth resulted in a number of my clients deciding to stop therapy. But we got through it. More challenges came as my practice grew and I decided to expand to a group practice. I had to learn a whole new skillset to be able to lead a team and help the therapists who put their trust in me to be successful. I am fortunate that I started with an amazing, supportive team.
This past year has been the most challenging. I have had the same team since 2021 and with their own growth as clinicians, some of them made the decision to leave Balanced Life Counseling and Wellness in order to start their own independent practices. While I celebrate this for them, this year has become a year of rebuilding a team, reflecting on the goals and values of my business, determining if changes are needed and how to move forward in a way that is best for the clients we serve, the new team that is being built and the business itself.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We provide mental health therapy for children, teens and adults in Grand Rapids and surrounding areas with in person and virtual options. We love supporting Parents, Mental Health Professionals, Entrepreneurs, Adoptees, Survivors of Sexual Violence, Survivors of Domestic Violence, Trauma Survivors, and Women in Transitional Phases of Life. Because each of our therapists have their own areas of focus, we are able to meet a variety of mental health needs including Trauma, Depression, Self-Image & Confidence, Perinatal Depression and Mood Disorders, ADHD, Behavior Difficulties, Adoption, Sexuality, Relationships, Life Transitions, and more.
I am proud that our team of therapists all are passionate about the work we do, this is not just a job for us, it’s part of who we are. We value being human first-showing up with no masks, no jargon, no pretense and offering a space where truth feels safe, imperfections are welcomed, and connection is real. We truly want to empower our clients to grow and thrive in their lives, which is why we are intentional about who we work with. I never want a client to leave our office feeling like we are not competent to help with their needs. If someone comes to us with a need that is not our specialty, we will be upfront about this and provide referrals to other therapists in the area who are better suited to meet the need. Collaboration over competition is vital in order to help people seeking mental health care to get the best care possible.
We are here for our clients, not the other way around. All of our therapists take time to get to know the people we are working with and to approach therapy in a way that meets each person’s individual needs. Different ways we do this is through being trained in multiple treatment methods, offering options to make the therapy space comfortable, and having various activities and ways to process information such as through art, movement, play, or just talking.
We also look for ways to support our clients outside of therapy. We recently started a lending library for our clients, allowing them to borrow mental health related books and we seek ways to connect to our community through volunteering, collaborating and supporting area organizations that serve as resources for our clients.
How do you think about luck?
This is an interesting question and not one I have really thought about. I’m not sure that I would say luck is a factor, but I certainly have been fortunate to have a great support system of family, friends and colleagues. The people who support me have helped me to keep going when things feel tough and have made it possible for me to start and grow my practice.
Pricing:
- We accept insurance so the out of pocket cost for sessions will vary depending on each client’s insurance plan.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.balancedlifegr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balancedlifegr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balancedlifegr/
