Inspiring Conversations with Jamie Given of Given Guidance Family Counseling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Given.

Hi Jamie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up, I experienced many obstacles, conflicts, and anxieties that set in at an early age. I was encouraged to go to therapy but never felt truly comfortable. I never felt understood by the therapists that I had, and eventually I gave up on it.

I became an active participant in my local YMCA programs at the start of high school. This was where I started to develop my identity, self-confidence, and understanding of the person I wanted to be rather than who I was becoming. It was the start of change. At the age of 16, I was a residential camp counselor for 12 elementary-aged girls. I was scared but excited. That week of being their counselor and the person that they relied on provided me with motivation to do and be better. It also showed me how much I enjoyed working with kids. I continued to volunteer at that camp for five consecutive years and always looked forward to those weeks in the summer.

For my undergraduate degree, I majored in Child and Adolescent Development. Within this department, I was introduced to family study courses and reintroduced to therapy. I have a vivid memory of my 3rd year in college, where I realized I could be a therapist. I enrolled in more psychology courses and decided I was going to become the therapist that I needed when I was a teenager. From then, I went onto graduate school to earn my Master’s in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage & Family Therapy. I worked for two years at a residential group home for boys to gain hours towards my license and then moved into private practice. During the transition to private practice, my husband and I welcomed our first child, and our priorities shifted.

Once becoming a parent, I had a new interest in the developmental milestones of children and an increased interest for myself with post-partum mental health symptoms. My priorities changed where I wanted to be home more with my baby and have control over my schedule. Therefore, Given Guidance Family Counseling was established in 2018.

We started out small for a few years, where I was the sole therapist. In 2022, I turned the business into a corporation and started to hire other clinicians. My motivation was to support more clients and to provide associate therapists with good supervision and support. From then, Given Guidance Family Counseling has continued to grow and thrive, serving our community.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Learning how to run a business without a business background or education has been the most significant obstacle in maintaining Given Guidance Family Counseling. This includes marketing, finances, and making the right business decisions. My graduate program and many other programs do not prepare students for how to run a therapy practice and only focus on how to be a therapist. Therefore, I have made many mistakes and continue to seek courses to try and enhance my knowledge of managing a business and employees.

As you know, we’re big fans of Given Guidance Family Counseling, Inc. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
“Make Room for Yourself, Make Time for Mental Health”

Engaging in talk therapy and improving mental health is starting to finally be recognized as important in today’s society. It has always been important, but we are truly seeing the effects after the pandemic of a mental health crisis. There was no way to prepare for the aftermath of being in isolation and fear for nearly two years and perhaps longer for others. This has put a significant focus on the importance of engaging in therapy and receiving mental health services.

Given Guidance Family Counseling is thriving practice located in La Crescenta, CA, where community and relationships are highly valued. We engage in talk therapy and focus on individual client needs. Sometimes the client is a family unit enhancing their communication, a partnership between two individuals working through differences, or a child learning how to regulate their emotions. Our areas of specialty are:

– Anxiety
– Depression
– Post-Partum Anxiety & Depression
– Parenting (Family Counseling)
– Children of Separated or Divorced Parents
– ADHD
– Significant life transitions
– Relationships issues (Couples Counseling)
– Trauma.

Finding mental health services for children is often very difficult. Given Guidance Family Counseling takes pride in working with children and supporting them through various life circumstances. For example, we have worked with clients that started with us in elementary school and have continued periodically throughout their higher education for various needs. We also often work with siblings and are able to see the entire family unit within one office setting. We pride ourselves on being a counseling center for everyone in the family.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
It may seem strange to some, but I love to work. Of course, my husband and children make me very happy, but I also love what I do as a therapist. I feel privileged to learn about a client’s life, circumstances, and innermost thoughts. I enjoy learning about how relationships are formed, maintained, damaged, and reconciled. My work also helps me to grow and to be better myself. My motivation for becoming a therapist has always been to be the therapist that I once needed. So, when I see my clients overcome adversity and accomplish their goals, I feel incredibly proud and happy to have been able to support them on their journey.

Pricing:

• Associate Marriage & Family Therapist – $140 per clinical hour
• Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist – $180 per clinical hour
• Supervising/Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist – $225 per clinical hour
• Licensed Psychologist – $250 per clinical hour

Contact Info:

• Website: givenguidance.com
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/given-guidance-family-counseling-la-crescenta-2

Image Credits
Jennifer Ramsey (for logo images)