Today we’d like to introduce you to Marjorie Nelch.
Hi Marjorie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story started in a rural town in western Washington. I was raised with the same kids from kindergarten to senior year of high school. I enjoyed a childhood of simplicity- riding bikes, picking blackberries, raising animals. In college my life became more complicated with realization that I wanted my world to be bigger than the simple dream of having a family and a house. I decided to drop my interest in veterinary school and pursued studying music and teaching degree instead. Music had always been my sanctuary. The decision to pursue this more seriously was a bit of an existential crisis but I would say it was worth it.
During my college years I had the privilege of discovering the joy and serving others. I did this with my church group at Washington State University and my local church. I had the opportunity to travel and build a strong sense of connection through faith. The relationships formed in college are still some of the most important friendships I have today.
After college I spent the next five years working in ministry. While I was working at a church doing music and youth ministry, I started a private teaching business doing music lessons. When I moved back to the Seattle area I expanded my business to include multiple instruments and vocal instruction. I balanced working in music, teaching, and ministry for about 10 years. During this time, I fell in love and had my heart broken, which influenced me to pursue therapy for the first time. It quickly became another avenue for healing and self discovery. When Covid hit in early 2020 I pivoted and decided to get a masters degree in clinical mental health counseling.
I graduated with a masters degree in 2022 and went into private practice. I enjoyed working in therapy since it combined my love of people, creativity, and teaching. My love of warm weather and music brought me down to Austin in 2024. Since then I’ve been working to establish myself as an Austinite, building community and career in Texas.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yes, and no. I enjoy adventure and creativity, which implies a life of bumps and unexpected turns. But on the inside I’ve been able to maintain a sense of stability and security, which I would say feels smooth. It’s my guess that early childhood experiences of chronic illness and being a tall woman expose me to life outside of the norm on a daily basis. But there was a season in my life that challenged my stability and security which was i believe my biggest struggle. I was so heart broken that I disconnected from my sense of self. I remember making choices that compromised my faith, values, and self-respect. I was afraid of how much I had compromised and the lack of emotional connection to the consequences. I’ve always been a rule follower and the, “good girl,” so finding this new side of me was uncomfortable. In therapy, I got to integrate this rebellows side of me with the stable and secure side and accept that I’m a person that can make mistakes. I think this was the biggest lesson to learn, failure isn’t fatal.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I work as a professional counselor in both Texas and Washington. My style of therapy is warm, creative, and direct. I enjoy working with people to accomplish their goals and had value into their lives. I use the relationship between myself and my clients to process unconscious material that usually comes from deep attachment wounds. I found much healing in doing this kind of therapy myself and so I strive to continue growing and learning in this therapeutic approach.
In Austin, I work in office, virtually, and do Walk And Talk Therapy. This unique type of therapy combines my love of being outdoors, the beautiful Austin environment, and solid evidence based practice. Bilateral stimulation (the pattern of left-right-left-right) movement assists in processing emotional and logical content. There have been many studies about this effect on the brain and I’ve seen it be especially effective for people who struggle with concentration, executive function, and trauma processing.
I am proud of my ability to create meaningful connection with people because of my varied experiences and the love of creativity. I believe what sets me apart is my ability to be effective in listening to what the most important problem is and treating that first. The care of the client is first, and I pursue every case with that mentality because I know the power of feeling seen and known.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I have so many people who support me and have credit for helping me develop to where I am now. My mother is my biggest cheerleader, she was the inspiration for me to pursue higher education, believe that I could want more for myself, and she was a model for doing these. I can’t even count how many hours she helped me fill out paperwork, and provided a supportive voice. My dad was also a driving force in my love of learning- I remember him, teaching me to write because I’m left-handed, he taught me my alphabet before kindergarten and was actively involved in my education. Both my parents believed deeply in me and I’m grateful for their unwavering faith in my ability to succeed in life.
I had supportive mentors through my teachers, pastors, and community leaders. Bill Reynolds, senior pastor at Catalyst Church in Colfax, WA was my mentor during my ministry internship. He stands out as one of the most effective mentors of my life. Bill has a gift of asking effective questions. That’s a skill I have been honing because a well placed question can change your world.
In therapy world your supervisor can make or break your associate licensure experience. I was beyond fortunate to be supervised by Kim McBride, LMFT, PhD, the owner of Envision Counseling in Seattle and Katherine Winans, PhD. These two clinicians helped me the structure a therapy business and the support to develop and define my clinical practice.
Pricing:
- Private Pay Individual session: $140.00
- Walk and Talk Session: 140.00
- In-network with insurance: copay
Contact Info:
- Website: https://marjorie-nelch.clientsecure.me/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkandtalkatx
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjorie-nelch-1841a144
