Today we’d like to introduce you to Seth Houdeshell.
Hi Seth, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in San Antonio, TX, and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology at Trinity Unversity. I also attended the University of Guanajuato in Mexico for 1 semester where I studied painting. I came to Austin in 1997 for grad school and received a Master of Social Work degree in 1999. I have been a practicing therapist in Austin for over 27 years. I have been married almost 10 years, I’m a dog dad, a surfer, skateboarder, and snowboarder.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I worked for an agency for 5 years before I started my own practice. That helped me gain some practice skills and confidence to go out on my own. It was a risk to trade a salary and insurance from an unknown income. Being in a solo practice is absolute freedom, and it’s wonderful to be your own boss. But you are your own IT, accounting, secretary, so you take on alot of the administrative aspects of business you don’t have to be responsible for as an employee.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about New Leaf Counseling?
I started New Leaf Counseling, a private practice counseling office, in 2004. I provide adult therapy for many adult issues- relationship counseling, trauma, addiction, mood disorders, personal and professional development. I have enough years of experience to cast a fairly wide net in the issues that I treat, and that helps since so many life issues are interconnected with others. In other words, trauma is highly correlated with addiction. Addiction usually affects primary relationships. If you need brain surgery, you want a specialist. Therapy suits a more generalist approach because the issue that a client presents walking in the door may not be the issue that is uncovered. I offer a balance of conversational depth as well as humor with my clients. I like to teach clients with words, concepts, and illustrations, so my dry erase marker and white board is my best friend.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Therapy, like many products and services, will be heavily impacted by AI. Clients are already consulting with AI about anything and everything they are bringing into the therapy sessions. And AI and internet based services are routing clients more toward corporate-based platforms to find therapists. Therapists tend to be luddites and averse to technological shift, for the most part, but we have to adapt and figure out how to integrate the soul and identity of our practices with this shifting landcape. It works out ok! In this world of screen-based interaction, my clients still come hang out in my office on comfy furniture with real plants and drink real coffee! Probably 20% of my sessions each week are telehealth through video conference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.newleafcounseling.com
- Instagram: nonehttps://www.amazon.com/Staying-Keeping-Sand-Your-Pants/dp/0757300332/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3KMD3QWY15S1R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.SgeiWyw4N4IDP5BUWKCdQOoyjn3J8pPt2jeg6cRdjCLxDYnUniL7Ev-uImNhdasvPjfkdKSHYWVNZsmNyD46ngevckbTNXMrWQ4GEeSRIB6YYT269NTMsSJBd0XKue1R69-xYw4WeNg–C0XY6UNk4HQ4TNA-ovSlVrbYCpQD9Y-2oadku2BvTihNGHFKBMlqkaVJ2MEgHQjiCFxJ84OI-uM07J9vintTX4M-FnKaKo._1WTUgEZP2b2AKgj1RDCbe8jEb7GVLBPGkaKIyYAYDg&dib_tag=se&keywords=staying+on+top+and+keeping+the+sand+out+of+your+pants&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1792963190&sprefix=staying+on+top+and+keeping+the+sand+out+of+your+pant%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1
- Facebook: none
- Twitter: none
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@houdeshell/featured
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/seth-houdeshell-austin-tx/37171
