Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Tolvaisa.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been fascinated by the human mind and subjective experience, and how those experiences thus shape our perspective and reality. After graduating with my Masters in Clinical Psychology in 2011, I worked on the south and west sides of Chicago providing outreach therapeutic services to homeless folks; work that is so undervalued but work that I truly loved. I moved to Philadelphia in 2013 to continue providing trauma informed care to homeless women. Through my work with this population, it became increasingly clear how our formative experiences shape our personality and perspective, in addition to the genetic changes that stress and trauma can cause. Research in epigenetics and significant studies such as the ACES study, highlight how trauma, especially in childhood, has long term negative impacts on the individual. I transitioned from community mental health to a group practice providing individual and couples therapy in Center City in 2017. I then decided to bring my eclectic, trauma informed and culturally sensitive approach to the suburb of Media, and have been working under my own practice, Healing Waters Counseling and Wellness since 2019. I now largely work with what is considered the “worried well” regular, high functioning individuals who are looking to make positive changes in their life, unpack trauma, or simply understand themselves better.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t always been easy. Starting your own business, no matter how big or small, certainly has its challenges. Building a therapeutic business takes time. I remember when I got my first client, that weekly session just covered my office rental and so I was barely breaking even. The second client allowed me to build, and then it snowballed from there. At this point most of my referrals are from current or previous clients, or other mental health providers. It’s important to set yourself apart from your ‘competition’ and even more difficult in a field based in human connection, which is entirely subjective. However I found that being my full authentic self, and trusting my intuition (in addition to my training, knowledge, and experience) has allowed me to connect with my clients and build my business in a real and meaningful way. Building any business/brand takes time and perseverance.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Healing Waters Counseling and Wellness?
I created Healing Waters as a bespoke therapeutic practice offering integrative and holistic mental health care that is rooted in trauma healing. Feeling frustrated and burnt out after working for a corporate type group practice in Center City, I wanted to create a warm and inviting atmosphere where I can tailor a highly personalized and comprehensive trauma informed approach to each client and couple that I work with. It was important to me to create a practice that values privacy and discretion as I work with many high profile leaders within the Philadelphia community. I connect deeply with each client I work with, which I believe is the basis for creating lasting change.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Connecting fully and completely with every person I interact with brings me so much joy. I’m a relational person, so genuinely connecting with whomever I’m with, and through every experience I have, allows me to experience a real sense of contentment. I think it is only through our connection to self that we are able to connect in real meaningful ways with others, and being fully engaged in the present moment allows us to feel happiness in earnest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hwcwellness.org
