Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Stein.
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I got my start in counseling seeing teens and adults within various settings such as schools, psychiatric hospitals, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. Through those vast experiences, I have helped many people cope with a variety of struggles varying from acute mental health crisis, continued stabilization after residential or outpatient program completion, as well as regular checkups to help clients continue living out the life they have always dreamed of living.
I have found that no matter what level of support I am providing, or setting I am seeing people in, a few things remain constant: Those who want to heal are seeking genuine connection, clinical direction and are willing to put in some good old fashioned hard work to see results. With these core principles, I find that many people have the power within them to create the life they have always dreamed of living.
I connect best with the black sheep, the outsiders, the wallflowers of the world. I want to change the face of counseling and therapy away from the “wellness yoga” and “finding inner peace” trends. Although I believe those are valuable ideas and skills; I find equal value in helping people create a community they can do “hood rat shit with”, helping people rebel against societal norms in a healthy way, and help people push the envelope of what is “normal” to create a life that is personally exciting to you and that consistently feeds your unique and individual soul’s needs.
A little bit about my training and expertise – I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. I hold a Bachelor of Psychology from Southeastern Louisiana University and a Masters of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I have specialized training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Family and Couples Counseling, and Motivational Interviewing.
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?
I actually started Atomic Souls in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic! I saw my first private practice client in May of 2020 and I was meeting with a commercial realtor around that time as well. I was looking for an in person location the same week of the first wave shut down – needless to say, the commercial realtor ghosted me. HA!
Utilizing all virtual services, I ran the company on my own for about nine months while also working full time at an outpatient treatment center. At this time, I was putting in about 70-80 hours a week and hired three part-time therapists to help with the volume of referrals seeking quality mental health & addiction treatment.
The obstacle of moving to virtual counseling was actually a huge part of Atomic Souls’ success as a business because it allowed us to continue to help people who were in need of services at a low overhead cost to stay open. The cushion gave us time and space to find our current location – that we love so much – in the heart of Austin at 12th & Chicon.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Atomic Souls started out as Atomic Souls Counseling and was seen initially in the community as “just another addiction & mental health private practice”. To be completely honest, it was a side hustle I created out of desperation to escape the often overworked/ underpaid treatment industry.
Atomic Souls Counseling has flourished into a team of 10 dedicated and hardworking individuals seeking to bring lasting change to the addiction & mental health treatment paradigm. We specialize in ASAM level 1 care – a commonly overlooked level of treatment – which includes 1-9 hours of weekly services focused on maintaining long-term recovery from alcohol & drugs. Our treatment model helps people create sustainable and exciting life cycles while simultaneously escaping the negative and traumatic life cycles that keep them returning to the numbing effects of chemical dependency.
Atomic Souls Counseling has actually morphed into ‘Atomic Souls’ as we are growing beyond counseling services and into inclusive community building, sober & safe event production, and sustainable business & branding practices.
A few of our new endeavors include…
Atomic Souls Productions, which focuses on creating and hosting sober, inclusive, and FUN events throughout the Austin area. This company was created out of necessity – to help people to continue living their lives to the fullest without having to feel pressured to drink or use drugs.
ASP Branding, which specializes in helping start-up companies create sustainable and scalable company branding, business, and marketing practices. This company came about from seeing the business success we had building Atomic Souls Counseling. We have partnered with Tyelur Watkins, formerly with 8511 Films, to create a one-stop-shop for start-ups looking to take their company to the next level in ways that are sustainable and scalable – internally and externally.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The counseling industry had massive changes in the last two years – due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Addiction & mental health treatment has been forced to meet people’s needs in different and more lasting ways.
For example, the utilization of telehealth counseling has expanded the availability for people to receive treatment despite their lack of resources – such as lack of transportation, lack of specialized clinical professionals in their area, and lack of time to get into a counselor’s office.
I also see the outpatient addiction & mental health treatment industry moving away from the primary utilization of insurance to pay for services. Insurance is helpful in many ways, although it can be limiting in the outpatient treatment world. A few downfalls include only offering a limited amount of sessions per year, only paying for certain providers (who are usually not specialized), and focusing on strict documentation to justify service reimbursement. These things bog down outpatient practices and lead to clinical burnout, overdiagnosis, and wasted time on claims processing (with the potential of not actually getting paid).
I see the addiction treatment world specifically following our lead by moving more towards a holistic, affordable, and long-term care approach. The old model of treatment is showing to be ineffective and not a lasting solution for the life-changing process of long-term recovery. I see more facilities and programs utilizing our model of treatment, which follows people from day one and continues with them beyond the treatment setting into REAL LIFE – where they can process difficult situations as they pop up. We offer people a strong foundation to face life’s challenges & adventures by supporting them to utilize skills learned from trained clinical professionals, to foster genuine & supportive community connections, and to lean into an authentic & value driven life.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@atomicsouls.com
- Website: atomicsouls.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/atomic_souls?utm_medium=copy_link
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atomicsouls/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCh7uQ2aQgRyI4832LVz9AsA
- Other: https://www.aspbranding.com/
