Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Boyd.
Hi Kevin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Absolutely! Inspired with a drive to make a difference in the world to help people, I pursued a Master’s Degree in Social Work at the University of Illinois, and upon graduation, immediately took off to LA to chase new and big dreams. My first job as a therapist was at a short-term residential treatment program, providing treatment to youth who were on LA County probation and their families. I served this demographic for the first almost 10 years of my career, providing individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and eventually clinical supervision and program development. My experiences during those years helped build a strong foundation to launch my own private practice.
Early in the pandemic, I decided to take the risk of founding Future Full of Hope. Graduate school programs for helping professions typically don’t teach students how to start their own businesses one day, but I knew that I had reached the point in my career where I was excited and inspired by the challenge of entrepreneurship and of running my own practice. And now, 4 years later, I can’t imagine doing anything else.
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?
Not at all – which has been part of the fun and growth opportunity. Coasting is boring – riding beyond the bumps in the road makes the story. Mental health professionals tend to have high burnout rates due to overburdened caseloads, low pay, long hours, and general fatigue that comes from joining clients as they process their pain. Therapy provision is hard work – and there have been plenty of moments that could have led to me pivoting to a different industry. And as mentioned previously, learning to start and run a business introduced a host of new challenges. In the early days, I had to google everything from tax forms to marketing 101. The fact that the world was also going through a global upheaval did not simplify matters. Conquering challenges, expanding my own capacity, and continuingly being inspired by witnessing clients courageously pursue growth and change are all things that make the work worthwhile.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m the founder of Future Full of Hope, a teletherapy practice that serves creatives, professionals, and men across six states. Our mission is to help you process your past, embrace your present, and step into your future. When you go through life on autopilot it’s easy to lose hope and see a bleak or uninspired future. Or maybe no future at all. However, once you take an active role in your life, you can step into a future that excites you. Choosing therapy is empowering. Seeking support in therapy is one way that you can lean into creating your future.
Our unique approach is predicated on the idea of cultural relevance, and human connection are essential to meaningful therapeutic work. When you visit Future Full of Hope’s website, you’ll notice rap lyrics everywhere; as you read the blog, or visit our Instagram page, you’ll see mental health content inspired by music. That’s intentional – I love hip-hop music, I love the way an artist can speak to the listener’s experience better than we can ourselves, and the intersection of hip-hop and mental health allows for a culturally relevant method of content delivery. I should caveat that I don’t force hip-hop into each client’s treatment plan – what works for one client will not work for all clients. Instead, it’s important to help each client tap into their own strengths and interests and make sure to include those in each client’s pursuit of change. Sure, sometimes that means listening to a Kendrick Lamar album in between therapy appointments. But that might also mean practicing communication skills while playing Minecraft, adopting a new intention to your yoga routine, or rewatching a favorite film featuring a favorite character whose experience you relate with. Being culturally relevant allows us to make connections with the people we work with and to develop creative interventions to support their experience.
I’m especially proud of Future Full of Hope contributing to macro-level world change by being a member of 1% for the Planet. This means that we’re donating at least 1% of our yearly revenue to support environmental causes. This year, we gave our 1% to the Ron Finley project in Los Angeles and to the Triangle Land Conservancy in North Carolina.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
It’s hard to believe that the future is full of hope when you’re living out of fear – to take risks is a courageous act in the face of fears. Given that much of my practice is focused on helping clients step into their future, I often counsel individuals through big choices and risks they can take in their lives. It’s impossible to grow without risk. You have to risk being uncomfortable to grow.
I also find that people often have a very narrow definition of risk. We hear “risk-taking,” and we think about adrenaline junkies, entrepreneurs, or gamblers. But skydiving or investing your entire retirement into crypto are often not the only risks we take in our lives (although those definitely are a gamble). Vulnerability and openness are risks. Deciding to try therapy is a risk. In therapy, you sit down with a person you don’t know and invite them into your deepest hurts. It’s a risk to be so vulnerable and open about your pain. When you risk engaging in the therapeutic process, you courageously process your past, embrace your present, and prepare to step into your future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.futurefullofhope.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/futurefullofhope/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-full-of-hope-pllc
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/kevin-boyd-santa-monica-ca/830821; https://directories.onepercentfortheplanet.org/profile/future-full-of-hope-pllc; https://www.guidancett.com/kevins-corner
Image Credits
Anh Nguyen
