Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Wolters.
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?
We could go back to when I was five and only wanted to be a Kindergarten teacher. Well fast forward 18 years or so, and that little curly haired girl’s dream came true. I taught in high needs areas in South Carolina for five years, in Kindergarten and First Grade. Those years with my students taught me more about humility, love and understanding, trust, and grace. From that experience I knew I wanted to help students, just like mine, in a more intentional and emotionally supportive way. I then obtained a Masters and Specialist Degrees in School Counseling from Clemson University. From there I served as a school counselor in Taylors, SC for another five years. Again, my world was rocked in the best and most humbling ways. As I depend my experience in the public school sector, I still worked closely with my grad school mentor and supervisor, Lori Nelson, who encouraged and guided me through the process to obtain private practice licensure.
Now this is where it all comes together. with a twist of fate, love, and nature. Throughout graduate school and after I became a school counselor, I began dreaming of taking the therapeutic experience beyond the walls of the counseling office. During this time I also met my husband and pitched my dreams to him. After having our son, it was time to make these developing dreams a reality. We had the space, located on our property at The Red Horse Inn, and I now had the opportunity to fully launch my private practice serving clients through an eco based therapeutic approach. I was not aware at the time, how impactful this type of work would be, Yet, here I am blown away after each session. Nature is the absolute most impactful co facilitator in therapy sessions. Imagine walking by the river, on private trails, as you are in a counseling session. Better yet, imagine sitting in between two pastures of rolling hills with alpacas and horses, as you learn grounding skills. Pinch me because this is the reality for my clients and myself.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, not always. Being a teacher, early in my career, was the hardest thing I had ever done. I think I mentioned being humbled, and boy was I humbled. I have always been good with children and felt called to be a teacher, but they can only teach you so much in college. My students came from so many backgrounds and my eyes were opened to some of their realities, that frankly I could have never imagined to be true. They came to school carrying “invisible backpacks” full of loss, trauma, hardships, and suffering and I was there to be a safe place for learning to take place. Leaving your baggage at the door is, quite frankly, an unrealistic request. As a new teacher I really did not have the skillset or tools to intentionally help these students regulate their emotions, gain awareness of certain triggers or challenges, and I was left feeling defeated most days. After my first year teaching I attended a conference through The Center of Excellence to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty at Francis Marion University. There, I learned about the impact that poverty, stress, and trauma have on the developing brain, along with what ACEs were and how they impact emotional, physical, and physiological development. I left that conference with a different perspective and a new heart for serving my students and providing them with intentional support.
These early classroom experiences with my students paved the way for where I am today. Not only am I able to do impactful work, I am truly fulfilled working alongside clients as we embrace the empowerment of nature!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Allison Wolters Counseling?
My counseling practice is something of an anomaly. I provide eco based therapeutic experiences for children, teens, and young adults. We truly go beyond the walls of a counseling office and take therapy sessions to the woods, by the river, alongside pastureland, or to the gardens. I specialize in working with individuals who have experienced loss, traumatic events, stress and anxiety, ADHD, or are trying to navigate one of life’s many transitions and challenges. We walk, we breathe, we take a moment to find space and hold it, we create, we learn, we meditate, and we move through what a client is working through. Each session looks different, just as you would expect from a counselor, but here different may look like laying a blanket out in-between the alpaca and horse pastures while we read a book and play a game about emotional regulation. Different also looks like walking down to the river and taking your shoes off to dip your toes in the water as you process the different stressors in your life. Different may look like engaging in mindful breathing practices while you sit in a rocking chair with a barn kitty in your lap.
For my younger clients, sessions can be quite the restorative experience for their parents, as well. While I work with the child, I encourage parents to take advantage of the opportunity to unplug and soak in the serenity of the space, as well. They trade in an office lobby couch for a rocking chair on a terrace that overlooks pastureland and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
This practice continue to evolve from the impactful work in nature and with nature.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Breathe and release. Taking care of myself while taking care of others is a critical, non negotiable.
Pricing:
- All pricing and information can be found on my website. www.allisonwolterscounseling.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.allisonwolterscounseling.com
- Instagram: theoutdoorsycounselor
- Other: https://www.theredhorseinn.com
