Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Berishaj.
Hi Lindsay, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My path to becoming a therapist and practice owner wasn’t necessarily a clear one right away. Early on, I knew I wanted to work in a field where I could help people, but it took me some time to figure out exactly what that looked like. Around the time I was in college, my parents began exploring fostering children, and through that experience I got to see some of the gaps and challenges within the systems that are meant to support children and families. It made me want to be part of creating something better.
Throughout my career, I had the opportunity to work in a variety of different areas, including with children and adolescents in school settings. This experience gave me a really strong foundation in understanding children and families and allowed me to work alongside professionals from a variety of disciplines. I also gained a lot of experience supporting parents whose children were struggling – helping them understand what was happening, find answers, and connect with the resources and support their families needed. Having the opportunity to work with so many different individuals taught me that there is rarely one simple explanation for why someone is struggling, and that understanding the whole person and their individual needs is so important.
I loved my time working in schools, but I eventually realized that I was craving the opportunity to go deeper. A lot of my work was focused on helping a child regulate enough to return to the classroom. While that was important, I found myself wanting to understand why they were struggling in the first place and help address what was underneath the presenting problem. While I started my career primarily working with children and adolescents, I found myself increasingly drawn to therapeutic work with people across different stages of life and wanted the opportunity to understand and support each person as a whole. That naturally drew me toward therapy.
Starting my own practice was something I envisioned doing eventually, but becoming a mother was what ultimately pushed me to take the leap. I had spent years hearing, both personally and professionally, stories about people having experiences with therapists who weren’t the right fit or who didn’t provide the quality of care they deserved. I wanted to create something different.
That was really the beginning of my practice, Flourish Therapeutic Services. My long-term vision has always been bigger than just having my own private practice. I want to eventually build a team of really good therapists who I trust to provide thoughtful, high-quality care. I want someone to be able to reach out to Flourish and feel confident that they’re being connected with someone who can genuinely help them.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. Building the practice has been a huge learning experience, especially because being a therapist and being a business owner are two very different roles that don’t naturally go hand in hand. I’ve had to learn so much along the way, from billing and insurance to marketing, administration, and all of the other things that come with running a business. There have definitely been moments where I’ve had to figure things out as I go, which can be challenging.
Starting the practice while also becoming a mother added another layer to that transition, and learning how to balance all of those different parts of my life has been an ongoing process. At the same time, I think some of those challenges have been what have made building Flourish so rewarding. I’ve had the opportunity to really think about what I want the practice to be and create something that reflects the kind of care I believe people deserve.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Flourish Therapeutic Services, PLLC?
Flourish Therapeutic Services is a virtual therapy practice serving adolescents and adults throughout Michigan. I primarily work with people struggling with anxiety or who are emotionally overwhelmed, including people who may look like they’re doing well on the outside but internally feel stuck or disconnected.
One of the things that is really important to me about Flourish is taking a whole-person approach to therapy. I don’t think we can understand why someone is struggling by looking at just one part of their life. There are biological, psychological, environmental, and so many other factors that can affect how we feel and function. I want therapy to take all of those things into account rather than just focusing on the symptoms someone is experiencing.
Being completely virtual is also an intentional part of the practice. There are already so many barriers that can make it difficult to get into therapy, such as transportation, scheduling, taking time away from work or family, or simply feeling more comfortable being in your own space. Providing therapy virtually throughout Michigan allows people to find a therapist who is actually a good fit for them, rather than feeling like they have to choose someone just because they’re nearby.
I think one of the biggest things I want people to know about Flourish is that I really care about the quality of care people receive. I’ve heard so many stories from people who have had bad experiences with therapy or felt like they weren’t really understood, and I want their experience with Flourish to feel different. I also want therapy to be more than just showing up every week and talking about what happened since the last session. I want people to better understand themselves and why they’re struggling, while also learning things they can actually use in their everyday lives.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I’m someone who is always learning, and I think that’s really important as a clinician. The field of mental health is constantly evolving, so I don’t ever feel like I’ve learned everything there is to know. I’m regularly taking new trainings, reading research and studies, and learning about new approaches so that I can continue to provide the best care I can. I think being a good therapist means being willing to keep learning and questioning what you think you know.
On a less personal level, one resource I really like and often recommend to clients is the How We Feel app. It’s an emotion tracking app that helps you identify what you’re feeling and also look at some of the factors that may be contributing to those emotions. I like it because it can help people start noticing patterns they may not otherwise recognize, and I think that can be really valuable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.walkwithflourish.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkwithflourish
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GRQdsFG7p/?mibextid=wwXIfr
