Today we’d like to introduce you to Alli Clayton.
Hi Alli, 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?
Although I chose to shadow a child psychologist for 7th grade career day, I was actually not the child who knew what I wanted to be when I grew up.
It was not until after I completed my undergraduate degree in religious studies and history that I even learned about social work as a viable profession. I completed a post-grad year of service in Ecuador and befriended a neighbor who is my age and was pursuing a social work career.
We talked about the importance of working with the community, solidarity, social justice, and radical change.
When I returned, I worked as a case manager with families experiencing homelessness and then supporting families with parenting. I then decided to pursue my MSW at the University of Maryland, knowing that I needed more skills in order to accompany people in the most empowering way possible. I have worked primarily with Latinx families and newly arrived immigrants, but have also worked with Black, white, and Asian families.
My social work degree has led me to a few professions–as a clinician at a community clinic, a therapist working with unaccompanied minors, and now, owning my own private practice, Shine the Light Counseling.
At each job, I have become a better clinician and received training to help me grow in my career. After hearing about many traumatic experiences from the immigrant community, in particular, I decided to become a Certified Trauma Professional.
I continue to learn more modalities, such as brain spotting, to effectively address and heal trauma. I am passionate about accompanying people on the journey of healing from trauma, depression, and anxiety. I believe that when we are healed, we can shine our light brighter in order to make the world a better place, one person at a time.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I started Shine the Light Counseling in November 2020– in the height of the pandemic and with a 5-month-old baby and a 3-year-old!
The flexibility of working at home and providing telehealth services has allowed me to meet with clients at the best times for them while also still caring for my children at home. I am fortunate to have a supportive partner to tag-team childcare and make the work-life balance a little easier. The biggest struggle so far has been marketing so that clients can find me.
I have a social work degree (which I love and would not change!), but I never took any marketing or business courses, so I have been learning as I go. I am still working to build my full caseload, but I am grateful that the people who do find me stick with me!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Shine the Light Counseling, LLC?
Shine the Light Counseling, LLC is a bilingual practice dedicated to serving English and Spanish-speaking adolescents and young adults.
The name comes from my deep belief that we all have a light inside of us and sometimes, we need some help to let it shine brightly. Shine the Light uses trauma-informed practices to build relationships with clients, learn from their strengths, truly listen to their struggles, and join them in the healing process. I am trained in several trauma modalities, such as brain spotting and body-based therapies. I also work with clients with depression, including major depressive symptoms such as self-harm and suicidality, as well as clients dealing with anxiety, grief, and other life stressors.
I am incredibly proud of my clients– for them putting their trust in me, for doing the work, and for the progress they make. Their growth gives me the energy to keep doing the work, even when it is challenging. In addition to individual counseling, Shine the Light Counseling also offers mental health evaluations for those in immigration proceedings, such as for people pursuing asylum. I have been humbled as people have trusted me with their stories and to accompany them on their immigration journey.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
No one childhood memory stands out as most important, but instead, a montage of moments in nature: Wading in the creek nearby our house, playing “grocery tree” with my sister, riding our bikes, picking wild blackberries, sledding down our hill with my dad, going on hikes, gardening with my mom.
When I was little, we had a big backyard and parents who encouraged us to use our imaginations and wonder (safely). My sister and I could take on the world in our yard: Pretending aliens invaded when it flooded or pretending to be Tarzan on vines in the woods. We lived a relatively carefree childhood together.
However, my mother passed away from breast cancer when I was 11; this changed that “carefree” attitude that I now appreciate with such fondness. My mother instilled in us a love of the outdoors with her extensive knowledge about flowers and birds. My parents’ encouragement of curiosity has allowed me to pursue my passions and has made me both a better mother and therapist.
Pricing:
- $135 for a standard 50-minute therapy session
- $800 for a comprehensive mental health evaluation for immigration proceedings
Contact Info:
- Email: alli@shinethelightcounseling.com
- Website: www.shinethelightcounseling.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shinethelightcounseling
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/shine-the-light-counseling-baltimore
- Trauma Therapist Network link: https://
traumatherapistnetwork.com/ therapists/alli-clayton/ - Therapy Den link: https://www.therapyden.
com/therapist/alli-clayton- baltimore-md - Psychology Today link: https://www.
psychologytoday.com/us/ therapists/alli-clayton- baltimore-md/807050
Image Credits
Jules Kennedy Photography
