We recently connected with Joanna Townsend and have shared our conversation below.
Joanna, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
As a big feeler and empath, I’ve always felt connected to human-centered work. My parents worked in the fields of public health, nutrition, and education so I was surrounded early on by the values of compassion, service, care, and social good.
Psychology first captured my curiosity in high school. But it wasn’t until deepening my commitment to both social justice and mental health in college that I decided I wanted to pursue a Master’s in Social Work to practice as a psychotherapist with a strong systems approach.
Now, my purpose and passion remains in the mental health space where I get to do meaningful depth work with my clients, provide education on mental health to the public, all the while contributing to collective healing through it all. That’s the hope at least!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m a small business owner and live in a not-so-small-anymore mountain town in Montana. Bozeman, to be exact, you’ve probably heard of it by now. Most days I’m in my therapy private practice supporting clients in the emotional space. I do a lot of self-worth healing with my clients which can often manifest in therapy at first as perfectionism, eating disorders, anxiety, burn out, and harsh self-talk. My therapeutic lens focuses largely on self-compassion, nervous system regulation, feeling feelings, and values-alignment.
When I’m not with my 1:1 clients, my day-to-day also encompasses more creative work within my second business which is focused on psychoeducation, groupwork, and social content. I recognize the limits of the mental health industry and issues of access, so providing other resources feels like my micro-contribution that can help bridge that gap. Right now, I run support groups, I have an online course on feeling feelings, downloadable educational resources, and create short-form video and infographics on the old ‘gram.
If it means anything to you, I’m an enneagram 4w5. Being perceptive, curious, introspective, and creative defines me well. It also means I crave depth and impact. I feel pretty connected to those parts of me and for a multitude of reasons working in mental health complements who I am and how I want to contribute to the world. I’m a pretty driven person. More out of a desire to expand and challenge myself than anything else. I knew I wanted more out of my career and to give in other ways. I hold so much gratitude for being able to not only have the relationships I build with my clients, but also tap into my creative self within my brand.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Undoubtedly, I wouldn’t be where I am without having asked for support, without having felt scared and taken risks anyway, and without being true to who I am and my values.
Our culture reinforces so much individualism and the bootstrap mentality. I’m just not about it. We are social beings—we need community, and support. Early on in my career, I sought out a lot of advice and mentorship, even when it felt vulnerable and intimidating.
I also strongly believe in the notion of multiple truths. It makes sense to be scared, to worry about what may go wrong. I always wanted to work for myself and not be constrained to traditional healthcare workplaces. That didn’t mean I knew exactly how to do so. But it did mean I needed to listen to my gut and start slowly working towards that. Our fears are so valid. They’re often rooted in safety and in protectiveness. And yet, taking conscious risks towards what we care about, value, and deeply desire is part of growing and building trust in ourselves.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
The last year has really invited me to reflect on my mindset. I had some lows and some big feelings come up for me. I may be a therapist, and I’m a person, too. Just as you are. So I’m always going to be on my own respective journey.
Whether it was brought on by the pressures of small business ownership (it’s not all glamorous!), of personal transitions, of being a helper and needing to focus on myself a little more than I had been, or a combination of it all, I had to face some parts of me that I didn’t expect to resurface.
I’m so proud of myself for where I’ve come this year. I went back to therapy, I set work boundaries and took a lot of time off, and I fell back in love with rock climbing. Spending so much time outside, in my body, moving playfully, and practicing all the skills that I teach everyday was a reminder to myself of the power in pausing. Feeling off-balance is natural and normal. What we do about it and how we show up for ourselves is what matters. Recalibrating is a good thing. Being kind to ourselves in that process is even better.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joannatownsend.com
- Instagram: @joannatalksfeelings
- Other: threads: @joannatalksfeelings
Image Credits
Chloe Nostrant Taylor Jane
