Meet Angela Prior

We were lucky to catch up with Angela Prior recently and have shared our conversation below.

Angela , first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Honestly, it still shows up. Not in the same way that it used to. It used to be a daily occurrence in my life. Questioning and doubting my self, my skills, and my abilities. Now when it shows up usually during new opportunities that feel unfamiliar and challenging and I’ll find myself with this little question in the back of my mine “why on earth would they want to hear from me” or “do I really have anything to offer here?” or “what in the hell am I doing I don’t have a clue”. In these moments when I hear that voice of doubt I know what it is and It’s fear. Fear of failure, fear of being seen, fear of not being good enough.

I now take some grounding breaths because if fear is showing up I can usually bet I’m also dysregulated. So I take some grounding breaths and I gently remind myself that I have 2 degrees, 13 years of clinical experience, and I’ve been running a business for 7 years. I then affirm to myself I have something to contribute and my voice matters so let’s get going. In those early days when I was still accumulating experience it was pretty similar except I would also add in that this client or this job opportunity found me not somebody else so it’s my voice that is needed here.

So in some ways I experience it less now but it still shows up. I think that is human. So I’ve leaned into acknowledging why I feel this way an finding comforting words,

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Hi! I’m a helper, a healer, and a creative at heart who really just wants to have a little fun along the way.

I’ve been doing this work for over 13 years and something I’ve learned along the way is feelings are messy and hard, and when we embrace those feelings we were trying to not feel in the first place is when we actually can begin to move through them and let go.

Our bodies are full of wisdom of how to feel if we can get out of our own ways. Yoga can help us be grounded and get quiet to listen to that wisdom. Because when we can feel, we get to be.

I created AP Counseling and Yoga a collective of embodied mental health therapists and yoga teachers because I was looking for community to practice with and have support from like minded professionals while also creating a space for clients who are looking for practitioners who specialize in mind body connection.

As a collective we offer mental health therapy from licensed clinicians, 1:1 therapeutic yoga sessions, and group movement sessions. We are anti diet clinicians and teachers rooted in our belief of dismantling social injustices based on weight discrimination and trauma.

We are working on continuing to make our services more accessible to others through creating a suite of therapeutic movement services including an upcoming launch in January 2024 of our on demand yoga classes and growing our collective to continue creating community for practitioners through our community partners track. This work is hard we shouldn’t have to do it alone.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1) Creativity: I have a desire to dream an idea and then bring it to life. 2) Flexibility: Being a small business owner through the pandemic really showed me how the ability to be flexible and to pivot quickly is very much a requirement of the job. 3) Grit: I’m a sprinter my nature. I can do anything for short bursts of time but being a small business owner and a therapist requires the mindset of a marathoner. I’m in it for a long haul and when stuff feels really uncomfortable I have to be able to zoom out and see that this moment is a blip on my lifetime and the next 30 years of being a business owner. So at the moments when it feels hard and I think about burning it all down I feel deep internal grit to keep going.

I also say all of this very aware of my innate privilege’s to walk through this world with as much ease as I do and to have doors just be open for me that others may not have. I am white, middle class, cis gendered, and in a straight sized body.

One of the hardest things for me is my relationship with failure. I have had to really get ok with shit not working out. That you have to be willing to be vulnerable, to put an idea out into the world, and maybe it doesn’t work out. A reframe with 7 years of entrepreneur wisdom behind me I find helpful “is maybe this didn’t work out but maybe it wasn’t supposed too and that has lead me to here”. All failures are really a gain. This is where cognitive flexibility comes in handy.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Being a helper is truly a unique, rewarding, and challenging career choice or really isn’t it a calling? So let’s not do it alone. AP Counseling and Yoga has expanded into a collective practice model. We are building a collective of embodied therapists and helpers for community, collaboration, and connection. We have 2 tracks to be apart of our collective: our Community Partner or Therapist Team Member track.

Community Partner
Are you a solo practice owner? Feeling a little lonely in solo practice? Are you craving some therapist community and connection while continuing to operate independently? Working remote but would like to add on some in person work? Are you finding that you need someone to bounce business ideas off of while actively growing your business?

If you answered yes then joining us as a Community Partner might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Therapist Team Member
Are you looking for autonomy and freedom for creativity while having community and support as a therapist? Do you believe in ditching diets and take a non diet approach to clinical care? Do you identify as an eating disorder therapist? Do you or would you like to integrate yoga and somatic therapy practices into your work?

If you answered yes we are your practice. AP Counseling and Yoga is a collective of embodied therapists and yoga teachers. We are a holistic practice that takes a non diet and embodied approach to therapy. We have high ethical and integrity standards.

If you are looking for community, connection, and collaboration as a therapist or helper let’s talk!

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Tactics & Strategies for Keeping Your Creativity Strong

With the rapid improvements in AI, it’s more important than ever to keep your creativity

Productivity
From Burnout to Balance: The Role of Self-Care

Burning out is one of the primary risks you face as you work towards your