We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Melissa King. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Melissa below.
Melissa, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
As a person who has struggled with people pleasing almost her entire life, burn out can hit early on in a counseling career.
I started my career as a clinician in private practice therapy in my late 20s. During this time, I was also married and became pregnant with my first child. Prior to being a therapist, I had been on staff with various churches and ministries. I learned early on how my lack of boundaries with others and my eager “YES” was often leading me to exhaustion and high levels of anxiety. My own personal journey with very high anxiety forced me to learn to say no more often and live a life more in tune with my personal values. My faith and my family were high priorities to me, so in order to place high value on those, I had to slow down and back off in other areas. This has been an ongoing journey for me as a mental health therapist, wife and mom. A couple years ago I read the book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer and it had a huge impact on my life and decision making. After 15 years of being in private practice as a therapist, burn out is always something I have to be aware of. Practical ways I cope is through exercise, slowing down on the weekends when I can, reading, being outside, doing devotionals that enhance my faith, and talking to friends that inspire and challenge me.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hello! Just thought I would share a little bit about myself… I am a licensed professional counselor in the state of Georgia. I’ve been in group private practice in the Atlanta area for the last 15 years. Last year I moved my practice to the community I live in and went into solo practice. It has been a joy so far living and working in the community that I love 💗! I specialize in working with children, teenagers, and adult women, struggling with anxiety, OCD, grief, boundaries and other life transitions or adjustments. I am a wife to Brent , Mom to Mazie, Graham and Claire. I love being outside, being near any water (I grew up in Florida), eating good food…. I wouldn’t survive without coffee ☕️. I enjoy reading and listening to a good podcast. Humor gets me through my week.. so you can always send me a funny meme on Instagram!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three qualities that have really helped me in my career are resilience, a love for learning, and my faith always being my center. These are things that I value and I have had to grow in each of these areas.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents instilled a great work ethic in me. As a teenager and young adult, they expected me to work and pay for certain expenses. This taught me the value of a dollar and made me aspire to be a hard worker and to put my best foot forward at any job I did. At age 14 I worked at a local travel agency filing and doing admin. I also babysit and worked at my local church. I appreciate my parents pushing me and having this expectation of me even at this age. It instilled confidence and self respect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.melissakingcounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissakingcounselor?igsh=d2ZxNGNidHR2YWd5&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564909687115&mibextid=kFxxJD
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-king-ba7b409
Image Credits
Naomi Hopkins
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