Andrea Shipley is joining me today in this episode of the Colleague Down the Hall podcast. She talks about lifestyle design for therapists as a tool for self care and sustainability and how recent cultural changes are providing some new possibilities and opportunities. We explore the concept of designing one’s life around authenticity, breaking free from societal norms and expectations, and finding ways to balance personal desires with professional responsibilities. The discussion emphasizes the importance of embracing change, experimenting with different approaches, and enjoying the journey toward one’s goals. Additionally, the conversation touches on the role of therapists in advocating for their own well-being and how lifestyle design can help therapists create a life that aligns with their values and aspirations.

“I think of designing your life as taking responsibility for what you see in your life and what you experience and how you experience it. So, you know, I actually just listened to a talk this morning by Oprah Winfrey who just wrote a book about how to build the life you want. So I think it’s just a super relevant thing right now. And so it seems to me that a lot of burnout and dissatisfaction and unfulfillment often comes from people feeling like they have to just sort of bend themselves over backwards to fit into their job role, to fit into like, pre-prescribed family roles and cultural roles. And I think it takes a lot of us further away from our authenticity than is good for us.” – Andrea Shipley

What you’ll learn:

• The benefits of private practice, including flexibility and freedom in scheduling and workload and the importance of tuning into one’s bandwidth and energy levels to design a practice that works best for them.
• Designing a life involves breaking free from societal norms and expectations, enabling therapists to explore unique paths that align with their true selves.
• Aligning values and policies in therapy practice. 
• Lifestyle design, self-care, and sustainability in therapy. 
• The importance of periodic assessments to ensure lifestyle design is working effectively and making adjustments where needed.
• The importance of being open to change and experimenting with different lifestyles.
• The value of personal experience in understanding and helping others, as well as the value of expanding one’s perspective through interactions with people from different backgrounds and locations.

About the Guest

Andrea Shipley is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and a Lifestyle Design Coach, helping people become healthier, more present, and more satisfied with their day-to-day lives. She’s designed her lifestyle and businesses around her love of travel and exploration. She’s been traveling full-time in a converted school bus since 2019.

alive.kartra.com/page/reg – a free webinar about lifestyle design

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