Inspiring Conversations with Megan McLearon of Courage to Grow Counseling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan McLearon.

Hi Megan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I can recall telling my mom I wanted to be a therapist when I was 10 or 11 years old. I was always fascinated by people and loved to listen and observe. I became interested in psychology and was engrossed with books from the Willard Library in Battle Creek, MI where I grew up and the magazine “Psychology Today” (which my parents gifted me a subscription to through high school). Shortly after I graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Sociology, my brother was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and was treated at Mott’s Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan. We had an incredible care team which included a Social Worker who was a positive influence on me. Back in 2002 AML was rare, aggressive, and difficult to treat. Sadly, my brother passed away only a few months after his diagnosis. It devastated my family, but also inspired me to pursue a beneficent profession.

My husband and I moved to Detroit in 2003 and I worked in foster care, child welfare, and juvenile justice as a case worker. The work was challenging and rewarding, but ultimately I knew I wanted to play a more therapeutic role. I completed my Master’s Degree in Community Counseling from Western Michigan University in 2009. In 2010 we had the opportunity to move to Manistee, MI where I did in-home work with children and families involved with Child Protective Services (CPS). I started my private practice, Courage to Grow Counseling in 2011. While I continued to take in-home CPS referrals, I opened an office as a solo practitioner. In 2018 I purchased office space to renovate so that I could create a comfortable and peaceful space for clients to engage in their healing and growth.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As I look back I am amazed by all of the “right people at the right time” that continued to encourage me to pursue my passion and dreams, but there have definitely been struggles. I am sure that I am not unique in sharing that navigating the COVID pandemic was a challenging experience. Managing client fears, coping with personal losses, as well as juggling the new telehealth landscape. For me, part of the art of counseling is being a thermometer in the room and truly getting a sense of how much emotion a client may be masking, so I do think some of that skill is lost in telehealth, however it has made counseling more accessible and that is a net positive.
Currently, I have many clients who are terrified of losing access to healthcare including counseling as I am one of a few people locally who accept Healthy Michigan and Non-profit plans. Hopefully, that will not become a future struggle.

As you know, we’re big fans of Courage to Grow Counseling. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’ve always been interested in helping Veterans as my father was a Vietnam Veteran and my mom worked at the VA, where I volunteered for many years. After having several clients who were OIF and OEF Veterans I was led to further my education through the Center for Deployment Psychology so that I could better serve Veterans and their families. My experiences working in child welfare led me to obtain specialized training in Trauma Informed counseling modalities. Living in a rural community with limited access to mental health care has broadened my counseling focus to working with individuals coping with various life adjustments, however my niche has been working with survivors of trauma, Veterans, First Responders, and teens.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
In the helping professions, understand that self-care and professional boundaries are what keep you healthy enough to engage and thrive in a high stress career. If you neglect those areas, you won’t be any good to the clients who rely on you. Personally, I also feel that working in the field after college and before graduate school helped me to understand how to apply the knowledge I was obtaining and prepared me well to move forward confidently in my career.
I am so fortunate to live in beautiful Manistee County where I have access to abundant nature in all seasons. My self-care consists of hikes in the woods, kayaking the rivers, sunshine at the beach, and snowshoeing in the winter months…and as a hobby photographer there is no better place to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ctgcounseling.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CourageToGrowCounseling

Image Credits
Megan McLearon