Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Sido.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hannah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I think I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit in addition to being a healer. I tried to fit into organized systems to do my work – I was working on my postdoctoral residency at a VA hospital. And I was feeling restricted. I wanted to be able to do my work as a psychologist on my own terms. I started business planning about 6 months before moving back to Chicago. Then I had a 3 month wait to get my IL psychologist license. I used that time to build up my online presence. I blogged, I networked, I experimented with what might work to get my name out there. I created a niche practice for myself working exclusively with women, helping women overcome mental, psychological, emotional, and behavioral obstacles to greater well being and success in their lives.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first 6 months were up and down. It was hard to stay focused on abundance. I didn’t know if I would have enough clients in time to sustain myself financially. I worked really hard on my website, created 20+ blog posts, and networked with other professionals to get my name out there. I got fairly close to taking a part time job, but then I got an online scheduling system that started to bring me many new clients. From there, I was able to create an abundant practice that supported me and my life. And was able to expand into to my own office space which I love.
Balanced Awakening – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a licensed psychologist with a psychotherapy private practice just for the needs of women : ). I provide a space for women to explore their own growth, healing, and life improvement. Often clients come to me first when they are in some kind of distress, whether it be a traditional mental health issue or difficulty adjusting to a life transition. Or maybe it’s when life has just become too overwhelming and they are not sure how to cope best or move forward. This is where the work tends to start, but it usually expands beyond just that. Once life gets more manageable, the focus becomes on how to overcome more broad limiting beliefs and live the best possible life according to one’s values. It’s about balancing and expanding into abundance of joy and peace.
I think what most sets my work as a psychologist, and, more broadly, healer, aside is a combination of my own commitment to my personal growth and healing, as well as my extensive training in third wave behavioral therapies. Third wave behavioral therapies (for example, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) are evidenced based treatments – read proven to help people – that can be very flexibly applied to help someone along on the path to live the best life possible as defined by the individual. In my own healing, I have benefitted and learned greatly from spirituality, meditation, and breathwork, which I integrate in my work as appropriate for the client.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Moving into my own office space was a huge marker of creating what I wanted my practice to be. I choose a loft style, exposed brick space with lots of southern exposure. It brought me great joy to furnish, decorate, and make the space as comfortable and fun as possible for myself and my clients. I feel like the space says “You can do this. Anything is possible here.”
Contact Info:
- Address: 5215 N Ravenswood, 208
Chicago, IL 60640 - Website: http://www.balanced-awakening.com
- Phone: 5074074363
- Email: hannah@balanced-awakening.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balancedawakeningchicago/
Image Credit:
Morgan Anderson
Juseppy Avila
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