Today we’d like to introduce you to Tish Lee.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
If I zoom out I feel that my story is one full of pivots after disappointments and failure. It is also saturated and intertwined with my biblical worldview that allows me to interpret these failures and disappointments as opportunity to grow and trust my divine creator.
My professional story begins with my college career. I started studying at Clemson in the fall of 2009 with the goal of one day becoming a Pediatrician. I loved children and wanted to work in medicine to help and care for others. Fast forward to my junior year of college and I could not pass organic chemistry for the life of me. After multiple attempts and failures, I made the decision to leave college. I was immensely disappointed in myself but couldn’t justify continuing in college when I had lost sight of my ultimate goal.
I found a job working for a bank in a call center. I quickly learned that that version of the business world was not for me. About a year after I left Clemson I found myself interviewing to work as a receptionist at a psychologists office. This role exposed me for the first time to the counseling world and I learned that I could still pursue a career advocating for the well being of others- just primarily with working with their stories, minds, and emotions instead of the care of their physical bodies like I had envisioned when pursuing work in medicine.
Once I determined this career path I was able to reenroll at Clemson and change my major to psychology. I received my undergrad just 3 short semesters later and promptly started working on my masters in professional counseling. When I arrived at the practicum and internship needs for my degree program I was able to reconnect with a previous acquaintance to supervise my client care. Throughout my training with this person I was made to feel valued and was promised a role within their business when I had completed my degree and received my provisional license. This however did not happen. Reflecting back, I see the hand of God halting this professional relationship because He had bigger plans for me than I had for myself. However, at the time, it was a total gut punch and disappointment. I found myself having to quickly pivot and launch my own practice as “Tish Lee Counseling” in order to care for the clients that I had acquired during my training. After I gained my LPC-A (licensed professional counseling associate), I pursued finding a professional counseling supervisor who would challenge me in new ways to help me grow as a clinician. This new supervisor introduced me to a team of clinicians and colleagues that have had the most profound impact on me, not just as a counselor, but as a human being. Once again, disappointment and let down pivoted to even better things on the other side.
I started meeting with my new supervisor in October of 2019 and began planning to relocate and relaunch over the next few months. I moved my office to Travelers Rest and launched Rivers Way Counseling, LLC in January of 2020. No one foresaw how the world would change that year. It was a wild time but I was plugged into the new community surrounding me in TR and my business started to grow. Almost 5 years later now my business is thriving and I am given an opportunity to balance my home life and working life in a way that I never could have envisioned. I also have the opportunity to lead a small group of fellow counselors at my office as we pursue deeper understanding in our faith while also navigating our own lives and client care.
It’s strange for me to think of myself as an entrepreneur, when I feel that I have just problem solved my way through obstacles in my career in order to achieve the goal of meeting clients where they are and providing good care for them along the way.
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?
Oof, no. I feel like I covered this in the previous question a bit but I feel like my story is laced with failure and the need to pivot or persevere. The “struggles” along the way were usually, unfortunately, the result of humanness. Either the struggles with myself- my own motivation, drive, planning, expectations, etc., or the challenge that other people and their influence or decisions had on my growth or needs.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a professional counselor and provide services to individuals in the Upstate of SC. I originally got my start in counseling working with children. I loved providing play therapy and becoming a safe place for children and their families. However, as my own family grew I was able to recognize the challenge of showing up for my clients then going home and maintaining that same level of investment and connectedness with my own kids. A few years ago I transitioned to working with clients 10+ but have a soft spot for my work with young adults and professionals. I provide services for a lot of needs but am most known for supporting clients with OCD or ADHD. I love being able to sit with people who are having a hard time and being able to look them in the eyes and tell them they aren’t alone. Exploring diagnoses like OCD or ADHD can be so profound as individuals finally find a name for the mental anguish they have dealt with for so long. I am also able to provide spiritual formation support for Christian clients who desire that level of care.
I’m hopeful that what sets me apart from others is my own level of vulnerability/humility. I own that I don’t have it all together as a human or as a counselor. I’m forgetful and make mistakes and I feel that me being able to show up as a human while holding the space for another human is powerful.
What were you like growing up?
This is a fun question because within the last few years I have learned that my personality as a child actually has a clinical name- ADHD (lol). I was energetic, friendly, and funny but there was also a dark side of immense shame because I just couldn’t seem to do life like everyone around me. I was forgetful and clumsy, but it was always played off in a charming “Oh that’s just Tish” sort of way. My personality helped me to take big risks without cognitively considering the downsides. Sometimes this caused problems but more often than not it propelled me to meet new people and try new things. I had varied interests but mostly music (I played Clarinet in school band for 5 years and the guitar for church), reading, and various fandoms (think, Twilight, The OC and Gilmore Girls). I was never into sports, too distracted and uncoordinated, but I was primarily a social creature. You could always find me with, or at least communicating with, friends.
Pricing:
- New Client Intake Session- $145/60- 90 minute assessment
- $120/50 minute session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.riverswaycounseling.com/
