Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace McArthur, LCSW-S
Hi Candace, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Gosh, where do I start? Well, maybe I tell you about where I “am” today and then we walk it back. Today, I am sitting in my therapy office in New Braunfels, TX. It’s in this super cute, old building that has creaky wood floors and high ceilings (both of which are things I dreamt about for my future office one day). Within the last year I relocated my therapy practice to New Braunfels, which happens to also be my hometown. It’s been this sweet and weird and nostalgic and full-circle kind of thing being back here. Today I spend my days making space for my amazing clients- people who are wanting to find their ways back to a more loving and kind relationship with themselves. It’s really cool work. And I have a team of therapists that are a part of The Sparrows Collective that I also love to make space for. Being a therapist can be a lonely, isolating and sometimes heavy job, and one of my passions is to make sure that therapists are taken care of! Sparrows just celebrated 5 years of being open, which is totally wild to me. I still can’t believe I started this thing and that it’s actually still going. When I thought about starting a therapy practice, it was never on my radar for it to become a collective. That just wasn’t something I would’ve ever dreamed of. Until year 2ish in the practice… my whole world flipped upside in the wake of my divorce and I felt this stirring to do something more and I knew I wanted to bring others along with me. Thus Sparrows Counseling became The Sparrows Collective- a name change that reflected a new, larger vision for this little therapy practice I started through Legal Zoom and a very very cheap office I was able to lease.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh lordy. I don’t think a smooth road really exists nor do I really believe that that’s what I truly want, ya know, that whole concept of growth coming from challenging times sort of thing? Starting, building, and re-building this business has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and honestly, that I continue to do. I have tried to quit so many times. I have tossed around the idea of just walking away and finding a job that felt more consistent and steady rather than holding onto to this thing that felt complicated, uncertain and risky. The struggles along the way varied so much and, at times, felt relentless. The struggle of keeping up with every little thing, of having no idea what I was doing and having to figure it out anyways. The struggle of unknowns and taxes and legit burn out, while navigating a new life as a single mom, who basically lived off of coffee that had been reheated in the microwave 1 too many times and 10 minute power naps in between sessions.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Sparrows Collective is a space built around providing people space. Space to breathe, slow down, heal, and re-find themselves. The Sparrows Collective is a collective of therapists and wellness practitioners that seek to support fellow humans in their journeys towards awareness, compassion and freedom.
The Sparrows Collective started in this tiny little space, where I hoped to see a few clients a week and here we are, five years later, creating space for both clients and helpers, both, to do their work..
I knew the burn-out rate for therapists,.. I knew that that number was so high because we tend to do this work in isolation or we find ourselves in a non-supportive machine, with unrealistic expectations from caseloads to availability to expertise. This had to change.
I also knew that a therapist’s level of burnout would TOTALLY effect the quality of care their clients received. So something had to be done.
Thus, The Sparrows Collective.
I am so proud of the reputation we are building in the therapy community– therapists are finding us because they can’t keep doing it all, pretending to be non-human, while providing top notch care and therapy for their clients. Clients are finding us because there is literally space for everyone. We work hard for all people to feel welcomed, seen, valued and supported.
Also, I have found this really cool niche, maybe because I needed it myself, that blends and balances the worlds of self-help/growth and also calming the f*ck down. So often it feels like we are pulled/pushed into one extreme or the other… we’re either taking on the day with level 10 effort and perfectionism or we’re lazy. Either we are “on” or “off.” But really, to be human means that we learn to find OUR middle path. Our space where effort and striving and growth are done within the context of compassion, grace and in my opinion, laughter. We are so freaking hard on ourselves. At the end of the day… we’re human. We need naps and snacks and love and deep breaths. And we need purpose and meaning and goals and a greater sense of becoming and growth. But it can’t be one or the other.
And that is what The Sparrows Collective represents… whether you’re a tired therapist, who loves their job, but just can’t give what you’ve been told you have to give or a potential client, who wants to grow and change SOOO badly but also needs a space where you can slow down, you can access some kindness… then we’re that space.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am a total perfectionist and that I have 100% thought about shutting this whole thing down way too many times to count. The very reason I created The Sparrows Collective was because of my own need… and so it’s been challenging to offer myself the exact things I seek to offer everyone else, thank goodness for my therapist!
Also. I don’t drink enough water, I never meditate, my self-care routine is shit and I always have at least 15 books going at once.
Pricing:
- $105-$150/ session for therapy
- We accept United and Aetna insurances for therapy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thesparrowscollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesparrowscollective/
