march reflection: hope, luck, and good old hard work

by; stephanie purdom, lisw-s

Wild Hope Therapy began for the same reasons many projects began in 2021 I imagine. After a year of lockdowns, quarantine and telehealth, I longed for community and professional connection in my work again. From the beginning, the heart of our mission was to “create a space that is collaborative, empowering and affirming of our clients as well as our team.” I didn’t just want to start a therapy practice just to start one–I wanted to bring together like-minded therapists who believed we could provide better services and live better lives outside of our jobs through a nurturing and inclusive work environment. 

The first clinician who joined me had a virtual interview, and we signed her contract on my front porch wearing masks, passing paper and pen between us at as close to 6 feet as our arms would allow. That first hire, Maggie Reinmann, LPCC-S, is now our clinical director, and I was so lucky to find her amid a pandemic. And even luckier that each therapist we’ve brought on since has been as excited and committed to our mission as we were back on that porch in Columbus. 

This month our staff reflected on why they felt lucky to do what we do here at Wild Hope. The responses, which you can see on our Instagram here, brought me back to those first days of planning out what a post-COVID therapy practice could be. The “wild hope” at the time was that we could adapt to the times, and possibly do even better work and have further reach than before, in spite of the turmoil happening in our world. And while I do feel lucky to have found this amazing team, the actual outcomes they have achieved, the clients they have reached, and the growth of the practice that would be impossible without them–well that is the result of good old hard work, resilience, and commitment to their clients and their field. Yes, I am lucky to have this team. But I am also incredibly proud.