Hidden Gems: Meet Shayne McNichols of The Blossom Counseling Center for Personal Growth & Development

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shayne McNichols.

Hi Shayne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I was born on a cool, Fall day in Culver City, CA – HA, seriously, I was born in Culver City, CA to parents (Marlin and Joyce McNichols). I grew up in a musically family, as my parents were in the music industry. As a child, I aspired to be a Record Executive just like my Father. I spent countless hours in the recording studio with him, listening to some of the most talented voices and musicians, including my Mom who was a singer and songwriter. I watched him close deals with his feet up on his desk, speaking in his loud “executive tone.” He was both kind and authoritative. I “pitter-pattered” alongside him behind the stage at concerts with bright eyes and curiosity. He had the coolest job in the world to me, meeting celebrities, traveling and he was his own boss. At age 7, I figured, ‘Why not get started down the same path?’ I cut out my own credit cards with construction paper (because you can’t have a business without them), made business cards and a nameplate out of the same paper, and cleared out my own desk area in his office. I called my Record Company, “Happenin’ Records.” My parents supported me in my newest business venture as Record Executive, it was the newest because while I did that, I made books for children and sold them to families to read to their children. I’d take those “Shayne-original, self-published” books on the road where I read them to daycare children throughout California. I was a little business girl in my own right now juggling the record industry with authorship and illustration. I didn’t care about the recognition, although my parents loved to share with their friends what I was doing. I loved being creative and connecting with people. I learned what it meant to be passionate about paths. By my teen years, I shed the record executive role naturally and stuck with the Children’s Book Author work through middle school, but my desire for this changed in high school. I attended Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts in Detroit, MI and majored in vocal; singing was my favorite pastime. It was just a hobby, I didn’t want to be a singer, instead I wanted to be a Physical Therapist after an incident where a family member was receiving those services. I was dead set on being a Physical Therapist, even choosing to attend Grand Valley State University a school known for this program. I minored in Writing with a love for Creative Writing.

I struggled in my Science classes, but I was committed to becoming a Physical Therapist because that’s what I desired; also, I told everyone that I would. While at Grand Valley, I worked as a Peer Mentor in the Educational Support Program and spent my summers working as a Camp Counselor and Unit Director at the YMCA. I honestly continued to struggle my way through undergraduate school, academically, to graduate with a degree in Health Sciences. My plan was to take a year between undergraduate school and applying for graduate school to work, spend time with family, and take a mental break. When it was time to apply for graduate school, the confidence, assured Shayne since a child had found a fork in the road, “Do I truly want to be a Physical Therapist?” I plummeted into a crisis oriented head space and the decision was none other than my own. My parents fostered this independent thinking in me, they trusted my choices. All my Mom would say is, “Shayne, the worst feeling in the world is to wake up to a job you hate.” I realized the truth of this and I needed to figure this out. It wasn’t as easy to follow my heart, which meant changing my mind, something I could easily do as a child. I prayed, cried, and struggled with letting others down. Later, I made a decision to pursue Social Work, after I reached out to a former colleague from the Educational Support Program, Karen Mead. She said, “You do a great job connecting with people and providing resources, have you thought about Social Work?” I researched it and suddenly it clicked. It was everything that my heart naturally gravitated to in my employment opportunities in college. In a way, it was what I was doing as a child connecting with people in a positive way to help them feel better about themselves. From then on, I learned to never ignore where my heart organically led me to. After graduate school, I let my heart lead me through this Social Work stratosphere, finding myself working in Foster Care, Non-profit, Higher Education, Human Trafficking, Case Management, Public Speaking, and Individual and Group Therapy in various sectors. In 2019, I started my private practice, the Blossom Counseling Center for Personal Growth & Development, LLC in Grand Rapids, MI an in-person and virtual practice. My intention with the practice was to broaden my reach to work with individuals in the community, to join the charge to destigmatize mental health, and to foster a safe space for people to be themselves and grow through discomfort and ambiguity.

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?
When I think about the toughest times in life I remember being in college (undergrad) and crying as a result of yet another failure. I prayed. I questioned myself and my abilities, including my intelligence. I wrestled with disappointment in myself and others’ perceived disappointment in me. In the midst of that, I had a spiritual awakening, “Is life supposed to be smooth sailing?” I was stunned. My reality was that up until that point, the road was honestly smooth. In hindsight, those “high school issues,” really did not count. I was in college “on my own,” with the expectation to make it to the end with this piece of paper in my hand; there was money attached to my success – the pressure. Throughout the struggle, I found solace in my relationships with friends and the community I created in college. Those communities included spiritual, passion, and hobby-based communities on campus. No, life isn’t smooth sailing or a smooth road, but it’s easier to navigate with true, authentic support. I learned the importance of returning to my foundation through connecting with faith, family, friends, and self-affirmation. The next batch of struggles post-graduate school were ones I never imagined; for example, I was yet again faced with that “failed” language. I was nervous for a long time about the state licensure exam for Social Work. The morning of the test, I ran into a race on the same street as the testing site. I was frazzled, looking for parking, and finally found it with minutes to spare. I ran into the building, quickly registered, and sat to take the test. At the end of the test I saw, “failed.” I hadn’t seen that language in years, so blatant, so bold, next to my name and picture. Wow! I wrestled with my skill set, my worth, and my place in the profession – “Did I deserve to claim this profession?” Back around I went to my foundation: faith, family, friends, and self-affirmation, To be honest, it took a while to recover from this space and believe in myself again even while working in the field daily. When I took the test the second time, I passed, but not free of drama. Let’s just say there was a whole power outage during the test that lasted for hours (sounds unreal, huh?). Yes, with three questions to spare. I went back in with every desire to run out, but I passed. What was for me didn’t miss me – what’s for you won’t miss you. I’ve learned the difficult road can also be a confirmation of being on the right track.  I know I’m on the right track. I knew what this passion was as a child and it informs me daily in this Social Work.

We’ve been impressed with The Blossom Counseling Center for Personal Growth & Development, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Blossom Counseling Center for Personal Growth & Development, LLC is my baby, birthed on September 2, 2019. Being an entrepreneur wasn’t a part of the plan but remember when I mentioned following my heart and allowing myself to evolve organically? This practice is the result of that. This space was a natural transition for me. When asked about the name of my practice, Blossom Counseling Center for Personal Growth and Development, I direct people to the theme of growth. As you can see there is a lot of growth language embodied in the name: for example, “Blossom” as a verb means to “produce flowers.” Of course, in our humanness, we cannot do this, but we can bloom just as beautifully from the inside out. It is my intention to support people in uprooting negative thinking and behaviors; plant, healthy thought seeds; water the seeds through consistent positive engagement and treatment, which allows one to “Flourish from the Inside Out.” I cannot say it enough, “I want to see individuals and families Grow into their BEST selves.” I understand feeling like that’s impossible when we experience intrinsic and extrinsic opposition, but remember seeds grow in the dirtiest and darkest conditions.

For over a decade, I have made it my focus to research the topic of trauma and counsel those who have had traumatic experiences. It’s been a joy to assist children as young as four years old to adults through the treatment model of evidence-based, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Additionally, I am an experienced professional equipped to help children, adolescents, and adults to address concerns related to depression, anxiety, stress, stressors related to sexual orientation, life transitions, grief/loss, and self-esteem. Although talk therapy is the primary form of connecting in sessions, I have experience using art, music, mindfulness meditation, and play therapy to process thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and behaviors.

My approach is energetic, down to earth, non-judgmental, culturally competent, and with your best interest in mind. I normalize struggle often because we all do, but I challenge my clients to see the resiliency in them. I’m not meant to be your friend, although I am friendly, my job is to ask you the questions they don’t. I pride myself in creating a safe space for clients to answer honestly.

One of my mottos is, “It is great that you are learning in the four-wall space of my office or virtual setting and that you come to see me weekly; however, you spend way more hours in your real life. My desire is for you to learn tools to use to succeed in your everyday life.” This makes me the Therapist that gives homework (smile) because practice makes  one stronger and the brain needs that to create new habits..

I am also a Public Speaker, Trainer, and Facilitator of conversations around mental and emotional health, conflict resolution, faith, and healing. One of my beloved, original projects is called, “Breathe, Be Still, Create,” where I intersect mindfulness meditation, music, and art therapy. It is an audience interactive experience where I guide groups on a journey that intersects biblical truths and everyday life in a creative way. To learn more about the topics I present feel free to visit: https://blossomcounselingcenter.com/booking-info/

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
First, my advice is applicable to any path a person is on and that is to: Have a face in mind. It may be the face of a former client, a future client, a loved one who passed on, your child’s or even your own, but have a face in mind of who you are starting this business or doing this work for. Don’t lose sight of that face. When you get tired, visualize that face, and keep pressing. If it is one of a client, talk to yourself about how much they are in need of your services. The joy you will feel seeing them grow, how that’ll impact their generation(s) and knowing you helped them all.

Second, yes, there are a “million” private practices (or businesses similar to yours) opening up every day, but don’t let that discourage you. There are plenty of practices/businesses, but none like yours and the uniqueness that you’ll bring. Be patient with yourself. Take time to educate yourself about the practices/businesses around you, but don’t see them as your competition; instead, network with those spaces, especially those who have a similar vision as yours. Remember: It is not you against each other, but you together helping the community to heal.

Third, get a mentor who can provide honest feedback and guidance along your journey. My mentor, Clyde Poag, LCSW has been such a huge support for me since graduate school. He is always available to stretch me and hold me accountable in the professional ways that I needed. Clyde saw the potential in me that I couldn’t see in myself. I am beyond grateful for his guidance. None of us are ever too old, too smart, or too experienced for mentorship.

Fourth, get creative and used to marketing yourself. A lot of us Therapists really struggle with putting ourselves out there, especially on social media. I haven’t met too many Therapists who dove headfirst into the self-promotion world without hesitation; however, for the success of your business you must show up to those vendor opportunities, community organization staff meetings, pass out your cards, etc. Remember a closed mouth is a closed business – you have something that the community needs – Speak Up!

Lastly, repeat after me: Therapy is for Everyone! Life gets really hard sometimes and it’s in all of our best interest to speak to someone trained to help you navigate it. Therapists don’t give you the answers, instead they ignite you to discover the answers that have been inside all along. We all deserve to be in a non-judgemental space where we can let our hair down and take off the mask. Is it weird at first? Yes, but that’ll change soon enough. Are you nervous about it? Sure, but what new thing doesn’t make you feel that way. Is it hard work? Absolutely, but you’re worth the effort. The Therapist for you is an internet search away. Take a chance on yourself – it is one of the best investments you’ll ever make.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blossomcounselingcenter.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/blossomcounselingcenter/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/blossomcounselingcenter/

Image Credits
Alfield Reeves Photography