Whispering Pines Counselling and Wellness – Starter Company Plus Spotlight
Meet Ashley Schofield-McEachern, Owner and Psychotherapist at Whispering Pines Counselling and Wellness. When you meet Ashley you’ll instantly be drawn in to her sincerity and kind aura. She’s sweet, smart, compassionate and works to help others harness their inner strength and potential. Through her practice, Ashley offers individual therapy sessions, group education as well as consulting services for businesses. Rooting her business within empathy and compassion, she empowers women to live life their way, on their terms– not someone else’s.
Find Ashley online, by phone or through her walk + talk sessions offered locally in Stayner, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach, and Springwater.
Learn more about Ashley, what she loves to do, who she looks up to and more through the Q+A below.
What is your favourite part about being an entrepreneur?
Flexibility and thinking outside of the box!
What inspired you to start your business?
I was tired of the 9-5 grind, and red tape of bureaucracy. I wanted to do things my way, not based on a uniform checkbox that kept me from fully helping people in the way I wanted to show up. Each person needs something a little different, and I’m able to tailor my approach to meeting them where they are at.
What services or products do you offer?
- individual therapy sessions by phone, video, or walk + talk sessions outdoors at local trails and parks
- group education and support
- therapeutic book club and more to come!
- consulting services for businesses to support the health and wellbeing of their employees, customers, and clients. Includes health and wellness strategies, content review & validation, curated webinars & workshops.
What’s your favourite way to unwind and ground yourself?
Make time for rest. Spend time with my dog, Max. Get outside in the fresh air & sunshine.
How long have you been practicing?
- As a nurse for 11 years
- practicing psychotherapy for just over a year
Over my years in healthcare, I’ve learned a lot about people, across all walks of life: what affects their health and overall quality of life, beyond what we see right in front of us; the BIG picture.
If you could give any piece of advice to someone considering therapy, what would it be?
Therapy shouldn’t be seen as a weakness, but an opportunity to learn more about yourself and take charge of your life. The truth is we can all benefit from therapy, just like going for preventative care at the dentist. You don’t have to have a mental illness or diagnosis to attend therapy. There is so much more to therapy than just talking about your childhood or hardships you’ve had in life. You can start with what’s bothering you today, what your hopes and dreams are, or any other moment in your life and go from there– there’s no right or wrong thing to talk about.
How has the SBEC and Starter Company Plus program been an asset to your business?
Connecting me with other entrepreneurs and local resources, ongoing mentorship, and financial support.
Who do you look up to for ideas and inspiration?
- Mentors in nursing and therapy, past and present.
- powerful women and thought leaders who have made a difference and created change through advocacy and being unapologetically themselves. Brené Brown comes to the top of my mind right now for all the work she’s done around empathy and vulnerability. Dr. Kristen Neff for all her research, passion, and emphasis on the power of self-compassion as part of self-care and day-to-day life. Jacinda Ardern is pretty badass too, as a leader and knowing when to stepdown to preserve her overall wellbeing and quality of life. That takes a lot of courage to put yourself first!
What’s one work-related skill that you’d like to develop, especially if you could do it easily?
Learning about AI (Artificial Intelligence), it really intimidates me! I think it could be super helpful for writing content and is worth exploring.
What are your favourite local spots to visit on a day off?
A coffee shop for an iced coffee, literally any time of year! Going for a drive in the country. Often, I’ll head to a local dog park with my dog Max, too. Definitely something low-key!
What is your favorite weekend trip?
Going to a new town and checking out the local shops & markets, antiquing, trying a new restaurant or exploring the waterfront. Staying in a cozy, historic B+B that’s warm and inviting. Manitoulin Island and Niagara on the Lake come to mind as top of my list!
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Connect with Ashley.
Website: www.counselling-wellness.ca
Email: ashley@counselling-wellness.ca
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whispering.pines.wellness/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Whispering.Pines.Wellness
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/ashley-schofield-mceachern-11074a124