Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn Reagan.
Hi Shawn, 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?
I became a counselor because I’ve lived through seasons of struggle myself and understand how hard it can be to find steady ground. Over time, I learned that healing often begins when we feel safe enough to tell the truth about our experiences — without fear of being judged or fixed. I wanted to create that kind of space for others. My path has been shaped by my own life as a mother, veteran, and someone who has walked through loss, change, and growth. Counseling gives me the chance to sit with people in those moments when life feels heavy and help them find their way back to balance, meaning, and connection. It’s work that feels both deeply human and deeply needed.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The path to becoming a counselor was anything but straightforward. I went back to school later in life, balancing classes and internships while raising my children and managing the realities of everyday life. There were times I felt pulled in every direction — trying to be present as a mom, keep up with work, and still show up for my own healing. My time in the military had taught me discipline and endurance, but learning how to sit with vulnerability — my own and others’ — was a different kind of challenge. There were moments of doubt, financial strain, and exhaustion, but also small victories that reminded me why I was doing it. Each step forced me to grow, to confront my own patterns, and to learn how to hold compassion for myself in the same way I wanted to hold it for others. Those experiences shaped not just my career, but the way I show up for the people I work with now — grounded, real, and human.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My practice, Psychotherapy in the Woods, offers a calm and down-to-earth space for people to slow down, reconnect, and begin to heal. I work with individuals and families who are navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, or major life changes. What makes my work unique is the balance I bring between the clinical and the natural — combining evidence-based counseling with mindfulness, somatic awareness, and time in nature. Sometimes that looks like sitting quietly and breathing together, other times it might include creative expression, drumming, or guided reflection outside. I believe healing happens when we engage both the mind and the body, when we reconnect with what’s real and steady in us. I’m most proud that my practice feels genuine and approachable — a place where people can be fully themselves and know they’ll be met with warmth, respect, and honesty. My goal is to help clients build self-understanding, self-trust, and a deeper sense of peace in their everyday lives.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck has shown up in my life in unexpected ways — sometimes it looked like doors closing, other times like people showing up at just the right moment. What I used to see as bad luck often turned out to be a redirection toward something better aligned. Starting my practice took a lot of persistence, but I’ve also been fortunate to cross paths with mentors, clients, and colleagues who believed in what I was building. Even the hard seasons — the financial uncertainty, the long hours, the moments of doubt — pushed me to grow and trust myself more deeply. I think luck is partly about timing, but it’s also about being willing to stay open and keep showing up. Looking back, I can see that the mix of good and bad luck helped shape both me and my business into something more grounded, authentic, and true to who I am.
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