Meet Shelby Measel | Clinical Mental Health Therapist & Diagnostic Evaluator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shelby Measel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shelby, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to provide cohesive therapy to my clients. As a therapist, I am here to support and walk a journey with my clients. I view my clients and I as a unit. To best function the unit must master working together. In therapy, we hold our clients responsible for their progress, as humans we can not evolve without trial error and support. In order for me to be able to give each session the attention it deserves
I needed to make sure I was taking care of myself. We can not pour from an empty cup.
Providing a good example of work life balance to be completely present for my clients, is my personal goal. For me, this looked like not working 8 hour back to back sessions, allowing time to refresh my mind before sitting with the next client. Starting my own business gives me the freedom to meet myself where I am, and walk into each session ready to devote the time and energy, no matter the level needed for each individual person.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My passion began from a young age, when given the chance to join the special olympic bowling team in my high school. The joy I experienced being a part of a team where competition was not the focus was magical. My love for being apart of a population so passionate, genuine and honest was where I found comfort and thrived. I then went to Western Michigan University where I pursued a double major in psychology and sociology, from there I took a position as a registered behavioral therapist for children with autism. Which then has led me to Tennessee, where I continue to work with children with autism along side my mental health career as a therapist.

My clinical mental health career started off rocky, in the middle of COVID-19 when no clinical location was taking on interns. I was two days away from the final deadline to submit my internship site. I was desperate and stressed because I did not want to be “behind” my classmates due to the lack of hiring. An important part of internship is the in-person experience, many clinics were not taking on interns because they could not safely provide that experience due to the unknowns of the disease at the time.
This moment of fear changed my life. I printed out dozens of copies of my resume, transcripts and recommendation letters and physically showed up to locations to put a face to a name. My fear and dedication paid off and I landed an internship on the spot with hours left before the deadline. I spent the next year and half shadowing, taking on new cases and spending countless hours becoming the best therapist I could. This is where I found my passion for every case, I am not a therapist who is drawn to one demographic population. I enjoy the challenge of expanding my knowledge to work and learn amongst my clients. I feel this is a choice which provides quality and collective care.

Within this experience, I then was given the opportunity to participate in conducting psychological evaluations. Soon after, I began a new position as the Assessment Coordinator; scheduling, conducting, interpreting, writing and reviewing results with clients on information that was life changing. I have spent the last two years conducting these assessments and have found a great love for being able to give almost immediate answers to those looking to understand their symptoms and disorders. Toady, I am still completing evaluations and take on individual mental health clients.

I have grown in ways I could only have dreamed of. This journey was difficult, especially in an economy that has not been so forgiving and a society which is rapidly changing. I want to bold and italicize the importance of how many times I stopped what I was doing to hit life’s refresh button, to re-evaluate, track my progression and tweak my mindset along with approaches to continue to move forward. You are on no one else’s timeline but your own.

Getting to a position of working on my own terms was not easy but it was achievable! I have learned so many lessons along the way. I have failed, I have experienced doubt, I have fallen blind to thoughts of others having good intentions, I have cried and I have stepped away from practice for periods of time. We are only human, I hope if you take anything from my brand it is: we evolve when we are reflecting on the experiences and adjusted our behaviors to match the life we want to be living. Mistakes are needed, we are human. We do not need to be walking this life alone, but rather sharing it with others we feel safe around.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a BIG food lover. So most of my itinerary would be involving patios, snacks and delicious experiences. The following are my nonnegotiables!

Breakfast :
Lady Bird Taco
The Bagel Shop
Nadeen’s Hermitage Haven

Coffee:
Hearts
Frothy Monkey
Lady Bird Taco

Lunch:
Mitchell Delicatessen
Redheaded Stranger
Greko Greek Street Food

Dinner:
Hawkers
Barcelona
Cilantro Mexican Grill

Hangouts:
Urban Cowboy
Rosemary’s & Beauty Queen
Lipstick Lounge
Shelby Park (any park)
Percy Warner Park (any hiking trail off Percy Priest Lake)
Tailgate Brewery Headquarters

The Treehouse
The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Professor Jennifer Adams was my biggest support throughout my masters program at Walden University. She was so authentically herself throughout class, honest with the hard truths about this field and very encouraging. I often look back at the work I completed while under her influence and read her feedback to reflect on how far I have evolved as a therapist and to remind myself that someone else believed in the version I was years ago, who sculpted the therapist I am when I walk into a session. Professor Adams left a lasting impression which I am proud to say, weighs in on many of my clinical decisions, creating confidence in my practice to this day.

Website: https://www.MindfulsSteps.care

Instagram: mindfulsteps4u

Image Credits
Shelby Measel