Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Hondorp.
Hi Shawn, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I never planned to become an entrepreneur. In fact, I had planned to be a psychologist in an academic hospital setting for the rest of the my career. But as I continued my own journey of healing and trusting my body, I realized I was getting a lot of my own answers outside traditional systems and ways I was trained. Eventually, I knew it was time to become my own boss. For the past 5 years, I’ve had my solo private practice (currently all virtual) with clients all over the US. Alongside my practice, I’ve done a wide variety of creative outlets, some that made money and some that didn’t, including but not limited to an online group coaching program, workshops, speaking engagements, hosting The Innovative Therapist podcast, and eventually hosting my first retreat on Lake Michigan and creating an online community around my Zones of Genius: deep connection, creativity, and creating a business that makes you feel more like yourself.
Today, my work feels more aligned and me than ever. Ironically, I have less division between work and life, but I’m also less of a workaholic than ever. It feels like every day I’m moving more towards the mom, partner, and person I want to be.
I started dance again after almost 20 years off (a beginner tap class), and today I do jazz, contemporary, and am always open to learning new styles of dance (recently, bachata!). I even choreograph dance now, and created and performed a solo piece for Art Prize in September.
I am deeply passionate about helping therapists and helpers think outside the box, and do the work that lights them up, and finding a balance between aligned work, and paying the bills in these wild and uncertain times. It’s messy and nuanced, but I have the most courageous community and I get to meet and talk to amazing people every day.
I also had an eating disorder for many years, and have been free of that for over a decade. This used to be a more central part of my story, but now it just feels like a chapter. But certainly it helps remind me just how far I’ve come when it comes to truly listening to and trusting my body, and believing myself that in the past, it truly hadn’t felt safe to do so.
I am a partner to my husband, a friend, and a mom to two kids (5 and 8). Being their mom has been the most rewarding and also most challenging role, as it’s caused me to face parts of me that I didn’t even know needed so much healing. I’m far from perfect, but I work on growing as a mom all the time, and my work helps me do that too.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
LOL, ask my husband. Early days as an entrepreneur, there were many moments, where I turned to him and said “I hate this business, I want to quit” or something to that effect. This was amidst the days of overworking, and burnout, especially in trying to follow the online course model and chasing “passive income” (I’m a little embarrassed to admit). At the same time, looking back I know why I was trying to do that (overworking was one of my numbing techniques), and I’m grateful for what I learned during that time, and how I now have grown in my ability to trust myself over advice I get online.
In many ways, my growth has been slow and intentional (no viral moments here!) and I’ve learned so much about what I do well naturally and where I need to grow (hello-marketing!). I ran my first retreat for 7 therapists and 1 coach on the shores of Lake Michigan in Oct 2024. I texted my husband and said “I cannot believe I’m ‘working’ right now.” It was incredible. And… I got incredibly sick afterwards, and no one else did (hello nervous system shutdown). I learned from this and took a lot of time before booking the next retreat even though it was a major success. I learned about my perfectionism and the pressure and critical parts of me, and what they’ve done to try to protect me, and how I can best support myself to show up for the next retreat without a major backlash on my body after.
My journey with dance and creating in that way has been a major teacher for me. I’ve learned so much about my perfectionism and how I relate to people in a creative community. I’ve learned so much from my dance friends and about the creative process. Leading up to my solo performance, I had a lot of neck pain, and I know understand why (a part scared of being vulnerable in that way, and being judged as self-indulgent, a part worried about centering my experience and expressing in that way). I had moments where I questioned why on EARTH I did that, but immediately after, it was clear. I’ve grown in my grounded confidence so much from dancing in my joy on that stage, and for the first time, not caring what others think. And it was all from following the breadcrumbs of desire and challenging myself, without knowing what the outcome would be. It’s helped me tremendously as a business owner.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a psychologist by training, but in many ways what I do now is outside of the psychologist box. I create small community gatherings and groups among therapists and helpers who want to connect deeply, think creatively, and explore how they can do work aligned with their Zone of Genius that truly lights them up. Because I believe the Howard Thurman quote is true: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
I love helping people explore doing work that’s at the intersection of contribution to others, and fulfillment for them. I believe in this rapidly changing world, we need more creativity and play to help us come up with innovative solutions. I believe all fields are being called to evolve with the rapidly changing times, and the therapy and healing world is no differently.
I have discovered that my Zone of Genius is connecting deeply with others, making them feel comfortable sharing, and being brave. I believe connecting people with other people is a Zone of Genius (hearing about friendships and collaborations based on connections made at my retreat brings me so much joy).
I also think one of the things I love to do is explore new things and adventures (bachata dance class, local art class, culturally immersive Costa Rica trip) and invite others to join. So much of what I do is less about teaching you how to explore creativity and live in an aligned way, but to bring together people who are doing the same thing, and all learn alongside each other. It’s very different than my training as a therapist, where I was “doing” a lot (conceptualizing, reflecting, giving suggestions, guiding my client). That for sure has value, and at times I do guide those in my community, but a lot of it is creating a space where they get inspired and learn to guide themselves. It’s every so fun. 🙂
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
This is a fascinating question. I think the field of psychology, like most fields, are being called to evolve big time. Many factors are making traditional 1 on 1 therapy inaccessible cost-wise, so we are being called to look at how can we bring our unique skills and gifts to help others, in a way that is sustainable for us. I believe exploring our Zone of Genius, joy, and creativity can help us get there, if nothing else because it helps us access more of the right-brain dominant skills like storytelling, meaning making, and working with other disciplines for creative healing solutions.
I also believe learning to be in community is an essential skill, and learning to play and have fun with those who think differently, while maintaining emotional safety and boundaries, is paramount, and I think therapists and those in related fields have a lot to bring to the table in that discussion.
I also think our own healing has always been important as a business owner, but with the online world going in the direction it’s going, develop depth of connection and quality over quantity is key. I think there’s a reason so many people are going to and hosting retreats, we are craving rest, depth, and small connected community gatherings.
That said, we need all of the amazing skills sets of therapists, those who are lit up by systemic thinking, those who love spreadsheets, and everything in between. Focusing on ways to share our strengths without burnout feels hopeful and empowering, even if the path is no linear. 🙂
Pricing:
- My online community includes weekly Zoom calls and Mon-Fri Voxer access for real-time connection, at the time of this writing we are in Founding member pricing which is 297/month for very regular connection with our amazing small community!
- My Norton Shores all inclusive retreat is around 1500-1995 depending on room and includes all meals and services (massage, yoga, workshops etc)
- I also see limited 1 on 1 clients for $200/session (45 mins)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drshawnhondorp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innovativetherapist/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnhondorpphd/
- Other: https://pages.drshawnhondorp.com/zone
