Meet Sheila Burns | Counselor & Business Owner
We had the good fortune of connecting with Sheila Burns and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sheila, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I have always enjoyed taking risks, even if they were a bit scary. My tolerance for change has made some of the decisions in my life easier. I spent all of my life in a rural area and after 40 years, I took a risk to move to a new place. I left my job of 10 years and my home of over 20 years to move to Ann Arbor MI. I was ready for something new and different. My kids had both graduated from high school and I felt I had the freedom to make some decisions. It was bittersweet for all of us, moving out of our family home. That move informed a lot of the change that has since occurred in my life. I moved without having a job or real plan of how to move forward. I just knew I would figure it out, as always. I didn’t work for 8 months and then took several positions that were a step backward in my career. This did allow me to meet people and helped me to identify areas of need. It was both exhilarating and anxiety inducing.
After three years, I decided one afternoon that I was going to open my private practice. There has been no looking back since then! There have been bumps in the road, but I have never regretted this decision or any of the decisions that brought me here.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Refreshing Waters Counseling & Consulting was established in 2017 and has won the award for Best Counselor of Ann Arbor, consecutively from 2019 to 2023. Five years of receiving this award has been a great honor. RWCC has become known for our work with people suffering from trauma, anxiety and depression. We utilize evidence based practices, aiming for the best possible treatment outcomes. COVID affected everyone in some way. It brought hurdles of paying rent on office space we were not allowed to use, losing the ability to have regular comradery and interactions with others, creating spaces to work from home in and establishing the needed technology to continue to provide services. I think the biggest lesson has been that you have to be adaptable, because life can be unpredictable.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ann Arbor is full of fun spots to see, places to eat and things to do. One of my favorite restaurants is West End Grill. It is small and cozy, serving amazing food every time! You can tour the campus of U of M and the big house stadium. There are many parks to explore, you can kayak down the Argo Cascades on the beautiful Huron River in Ann Arbor. You can explore the children’s Hands-On Museum, experience the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and view The Creature Conservancy. There is something for everyone!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have worked along side many skilled clinicians and psychiatrists. They have each taught me something and influenced my work in some way. I think the biggest share of credit goes to those who have shared their lives and struggles with me, in hopes of finding a better outcome. They lessons they teach are always heartfelt and welcome.
Website: www.Refreshing-Waters.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refreshingh2os/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheila-burns-40a166145/
Image Credits
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