Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Troy.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Your Whole Healing was born from my healing from burnout working in the field of social work as an outpatient therapist working with addictions and trauma. Approximately nine years ago I was struggling with a battle over stress and it was clear that stress was winning. I was feeling disempowered by a relationship with a boss and a teacher with whom I was in training. I was overwhelmed in a job that dealt with chronic crisis and was in a partner relationship that was all kinds of wrong. My external environment represented how lost I felt inside.
Through the use of various holistic health modalities such as yoga, acupuncture, chiropractic care, nutrition and body work, I was able to slowly head down a different path. As I felt healthier, I also became happier. My relationships also began to change. I let go of the partner that wasn’t the right match and then left the training that wasn’t a good fit. My relationship with my boss also shifted.
This process lead me to become about learning how to integrate these skills into my professional work as a therapist. I began to take trainings in yoga, nutrition coaching, reiki and herbal medicine. I eventually left my job to create my own business.
Stress has become a national health epidemic in the U.S. Since 1988 prescriptions for anti-depressants have gone up 400%. Most people are working well over 40 hours a week in salaried jobs at the same that cost of living continues to steadily increase. The healthcare system is pressured by budgets and the insurance company to see more patients in less time. Given the time constraints for the average American, most people come into seek treatment looking for a quick fix for what ails them. This creates the perfect storm as it leads to putting a band ail on a gushing wound.
My mission is to help people become happier and healthier by going to the root of the problem and working on healing. My use of nutrition in my practice of mental health is rooted in the innovative research on the gut-brain connection which connects diet with emotional stability. For me the personal is the professional. Everything I suggest to my clients are things that I have used to help me heal and become happier along the way.
Has it been a smooth road?
The obstacles in the process are that most people are used to thinking of therapists as someone you tell your problems to but not someone who works with you on taking action to fix the problem. The field tends to be more process rather than action oriented. My style is more in line with coaching. I believe that nothing changes if nothing changes. In order to see change occur in our lives we need to be actively involved in creating that change. I believe that too much analysis leads to paralysis. Having a basic understanding how why we do the things we do is helpful but at some point it fails to become helpful if we continue to stay in the thinking mind rather than taking action to better our lives in the present.
Another obstacle is that people on the East Coast are not used to the use of holistic health in healing. Due to the number of major hospitals in the Boston area, we are used to seeing things through an illness model. We are used to believing that what our doctor says we need is what we need. If we don’t have to go to the doctor than we must be healthy. We are not used to realizing that self can prevent illness from occurring. This means that by taking personal responsibility for our health we get to determine our quality of life. I always tell my clients that proper nutrition and exercise doesn’t necessarily lead to a longer life but it will lead to a better quality of life while we are here.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Your Whole Healing story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a mind/body therapist working individually with clients in my office in Harvard Square. I also facilitate corporate wellness stress management programs in businesses.
In the office, I work intuitively with clients to help them create an action plan that will help them move from being stuck in a rut to feeling empowered and healthier. I pride from my skills working as a therapist for over 14 years as well as from my various trainings in yoga, nutrition, coaching and mindfulness. Each client and each session is different depending upon the needs of the individual in the moment.
I firmly believe that we do not need to be attached to our wounds from the past for the rest of our lives. Transformation is possible for all.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The industry of therapists is definitely saturated in the Cambridge/Boston area. There is much pressure on therapists to take insurance given that people are used to viewing their mental health through an illness lens. This is changing. Many therapists are taking themselves off insurance panels due to the challenges in getting paid and the continued decrease in reimbursement rates.
I straddle two worlds with being both a coach and a therapist. In the coaching world, insurance is a non-issue and people are used to paying out of pocket and working on action plans.
Changes to healthcare in our country will make even bigger shifts in this issue for therapists as well as clients. There will be less and less therapists contracted with insurances companies. This is a double edged sword as it could decrease access for those that need the financial assistance from insurance. At the same time, being a therapist who currently takes insurance, the process of being contracted has serious challenges that will most likely only get worse.
Contact Info:
- Address: Stephanie Troy, LICSW
1158 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 305
Cambridge, MA 02138 - Website: www.yourwholehealing.com
- Phone: 617-702-4640
- Email: yourwholehealing@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/yourwholehealthhealing/
- Facebook: https://www.twitter.com/stephanietroy1
- Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/your_wholehealing/
Image Credit:
Niki Coste, Logo
Sarah Foy, Beach images
Office photos, Stephanie Troy
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