Meet Brittany Kingston | Marriage and Family Therapist and Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brittany Kingston and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittany, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Being a therapist is not an easy profession for many reasons and I found that out early on in my career when I got my first job after graduating from my master’s program. Not only are therapists not valued by insurance companies resulting in us being severely underpaid or struggling to make it being private pay, but the emotional toll it takes is no joke. I found myself wanting to take more control of my situation and to create an environment for myself and for other therapists and providers that made it as easy as possible to do the hard work. I dreamed of having a group practice where providers would be excited to come in to the office and clients would feel welcome and at home as soon as they walked in. My imagination really came into play and I was motivated by coming up with different ideas as to how I wanted the experience of being a therapist and going to therapy to be. I didn’t think about it for too long before I decided to just go for it and I’m so glad I did!

What should our readers know about your business?
I think what sets Kingston and Co. Counseling apart from others is our modern approach to therapy and mental health. Mental health has come a long way in the past 15-20 years and people in general are more open to talking about the difficult things they’re going through. With that, I wanted the experience of therapy to feel evolved as well. No stuffy waiting rooms, no basic bland office furniture, and LOTS of snacks. What I’m most proud of though, is the team of providers I have and the supportive environment that has been created. My practice is nothing without the amazing therapists and medical providers that are constantly going above and beyond for their clients.
I’m so incredibly proud of where the business is today, but it was not an easy journey. There were plenty of bumps along the way and I know there will be more in the future. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about business is that it is consistently inconsistent. When I started my practice, I knew nothing about business and had no experience with that sort of thing. I was lucky enough to have a really great mentor, but I still had to figure a lot out on my own and experiment to figure out what worked. What helped me the most early on-and has continued to be my biggest asset-is my determination and inability to give up. I haven’t let not knowing how to do something stop me from doing it-I just got for it and figure it out and learn along the way. This has taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes and that it doesn’t have to go perfectly or exactly according to plan. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, but if I had let fear keep me from taking risks I don’t think I would have a successful business. Risk is part of owning a business. But I am truly thankful my family has been there supporting me every step of the way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In my mind, the ideal trip would be during rodeo season. There truly is nothing like the Houston Rodeo! It’s something I grew up doing and I think it’s such a cool mix of Texas cowboy culture and Houston city culture. There would be multiple days of rodeo fun, but I would also make time to visit the science museum and Theatre Under The Stars. Going to plays was something I grew up doing and holds a special place in my heart. When it comes to food there are so many choices, but one of my favorites are the salads at Barnaby’s Cafe. Pair it with a side of fries and it’s the perfect girl dinner. You also can’t come to Houston without eating Tex Mex. It’s hard to narrow it down, but my personal favorite would have to be Chuy’s! And no trip would be complete without a trip to HEB and I would have to send whoever I was with home with a fresh batch of tortillas.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family and my business mentors! I wouldn’t be where I am in business and in life without them

Website: https://kingstonandcocounseling.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-kingston-595682207/

Image Credits
Shannon Stroubakis
Kelsey Gilbert