Community Highlights: Meet Amanda Woodard of Original Path Counseling
Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Woodard.
Hi Amanda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my counseling private practice 10 years ago, we just celebrated our 10th anniversary. Originally, my goal was just to build my private practice large enough to support myself and my family and continue my work with suicidal teens. Over the years, I took to mentoring and supervising both interns and new clinicians and it pushed me to want to expand the business.
About 4-5 years ago, I took on my first official employee and have never looked back. I have built my business based on the premise that I want to train the next generation of clinicians to be great and I want to create a work environment in which mental health professionals get paid well and have a lot of support so they don’t get burned out in this job.
In August of 2020, I doubled my office space and built the practice to where it is today with 9 clinicians and 2 administrative staff. In January of 2024, we will double our space again and work to double our staff as well. I could never have dreamed of accomplishing so much in such a short period and still absolutely love what I do.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Building a business of any kind is anything but smooth. Most businesses go under in the first 2-3 years. Business requires the ability to go along for the ride and know nothing will go exactly as you have planned. I went to school to be a clinician not run a business so it’s been a huge learning experience to become an owner of a small business and manage everything from the beginning.
Employees are something that is outside your control, you can do what you can, and balancing what is good for the business versus what is good for the individual is always a struggle for me. I want to do well for my employees and provide them as much as possible but that is not always the most profitable thing for a business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Original Path Counseling?
Original Path Counseling is a group mental health counseling practice in Centennial, Colorado. We perform therapy for individuals, couples, families, and groups for children, adolescents, and adults. Our therapeutic team all come from different backgrounds and have different specialties so that we can serve a variety of members of the community.
We are best known for helping suicidal teens and also specializing in complex trauma for children, teens, and adults. What sets us apart is that we provide in-person counseling and accept a variety of insurances as well as serve a vast population. I am most proud of our entire staff, they are incredibly talented and support each other so that our clients get the best treatment possible.
I want people to know that there is no one way to treat mental health challenges and that at Original Path Counseling we focus on creating and giving you an individualized treatment.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Denver, I have lived here for about 20 years and love the ability to be in the city or the mountains at any time. I love that the people of Denver are focused on being outdoors and enjoying our city versus focusing on what we wear or superficial things.
I don’t love the growth of the city over the last 20 years, I moved here because I loved the simplicity and affordability, and unfortunately, that has gone away.
Contact Info:
- Website: denvercounseling.com
- Instagram: @originalpathcounseling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/originalpathcounseling
Article by: Voyage Denver Magazine