Today we’d like to introduce you to Becca Allen
Hi Becca , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I received my masters degree in Clinical and Mental Health counseling at UTSA in 2016. I went on to complete my 3000 hour (yes, you read that right) post graduate internship at a local San Antonio private practice where I continued to work at for over five years. I held many roles during this time as a senior clinician and intake coordinator running multiple adult and adolescent skills classes as well as my individual client caseload. My time at the center was very valuable for my career and I enjoyed the relationships I built working with some of the best clinicians in my field.
At the end of 2020 I decided to open my own private practice so that I could better balance my career and family. Making this decision was difficult however this has continued to give me the opportunity to give better focus on my family and career. I have two young children that are my everything as well as a very loving and supportive husband. Oh and a Frenchie named, Pierre. By making the leap on my own to private practice I have been able to balance the roles I love so much as mom, wife, and therapist.
In addition to being a licensed professional counselor (LPC) I am a certified eating disorder specialist (CEDS) as well as a perinatal mental health counselor (PMH-C). I found my passion for treating eating disorders while I was in an internship during my masters degree program at partial hospitalization center for treatment of eating disorders. I enjoyed working with this population then and have continued since.
During the pandemic, I was given and opportunity to become intensively trained in the treatment of perinatal mood disorders. Most of my clients during this time were in their child bearing years having a previous eating disorder behaviors and or or a current eating disorder behaviors. This population has historically been underserved therefore it was important for me to be able to provide care to those going through an already life changing period of time. I continued to pursue my work in this area even more after experiencing my own journey with postpartum depression and anxiety with both my pregnancies.
I am passionate about being well educated in these two populations so that I can best treat the clients that I have. Continuing my education in these areas has always been a priority in my work as a therapist.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would say there has definitely been some bumps along the way. You have to have a strong support system, especially in the beginning of your career when you have a grueling 3000 hour low paying internship in order to receive your full license as an LPC. I was very fortunate to have the support of my mother and now husband during that time. I was also fortunate to work for a practice that valued and supported me greatly during this period of time. Many individuals who start a masters degree in counseling do not ever receive their full license post graduation because the requirements are so extensive and time-consuming.
Once full licensure is complete it becomes more manageable because you tend to have more consistent hours, feel more secure in your abilities and can have more of say in your schedule. Oh and it’s nice to start making a living wage!
Other bumps in the road I have learned are part of choosing a career in counseling. This is not an easy field. You have to be very mindful of your own mental health. You have to learn strong boundaries for yourself and for others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am currently on the leadership board of the San Antonio chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (iaedp). I have held many leadership roles since 2019 when the chapter was founded. Currently I am president of this growing chapter! It has been so much fun planning and managing the different events for our community. I very much enjoy giving back and volunteering my time to this community. It is extremely fulfilling to work along side other eating disorder professionals here in San Antonio. Getting to collaborate with other eating disorder clinicians by build awareness and give resources to those who in need will always be a passion of mine. We have a really fun, free event for planned this weekend on November 2nd at Charis Park. You can click here to register for the event. We will have many eating disorder providers hosting booths of crafts, clothing donations, current statistics on eating disorders, scavenger hunt and more. Come join us!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/recovery-with-our-community-tickets-995625270987?aff=oddtdtcreator
I am most proud of my little babies. They are the light of my life. Truly nothing compares to being able to be there mom, what a gift this journey has been. Many of my close friends and family have heard this before but if I could have one wish (or two or three) for them would be to be able to give them the tools to be authentically themselves, to be kind, to be able to express their emotions, assert their needs, and be mindful of their bodies. If I can help develop this foundation in them then I know they will do well in this world. It is never an easy task to be a parent however I will always be most proud of this role that I play.
Fun fact I am also a bit of a crafty lady so when I have some down time (idk what that is currently) but when I do I like to create mental health stickers and or journals. Both are on my website if you ever want to check them out. Crafting has always been an outlet for me from work. My husband might loose it if I buy one more craft machine as we are running out of space and closets for me to hide it all. However I really want an acrylic cutting machine next and if I can figure out where to store it when not in use I am hoping to create with this next.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I would not say I have made it to where I am due to luck. More due to building connections, hard work and perseverance. However I will say that my introduction to the field of eating disorders was a random conversation in class with a friend in grad school (we are still friends today) that told me of an internship opportunity in the field of eating disorders. This is where it all started. Originally I wanted to be a grief and loss counselor but after about two rigorous courses I quickly realized I was not going to be a good fit for this type of counseling. Grief and loss counselors are so valuable to healing and moving forward. They deserve so many extras stars in their lives for the work they do!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beccaallencounseling.com
- Instagram: @beccaallencounseling
