Each month at Green Hills Office Suites, we have the distinct pleasure of getting to know one of our members even better. This month I got to sit with Jeff Browning of Beginner’s Mind Counseling. Jeff started his own private practice in our community almost four years ago and has been going strong ever since.
Born and raised in Indiana, Jeff attended high school in Kentucky, eventually ending up in Nashville about 23 years ago. He met his wife not long after, and they, too have been going strong for over 20 years. They live in town with their dogs.
Jeff found himself following his own path of recovery and was inspired to work with and help others who found themselves in need of a different way of life. He began his career working in addiction treatment in 2002, eventually moving into working within an adolescent program, which he helped build for 7 years. His passion grew for working with young people who struggled with dependency challenges, and he found even more ways to make a difference by helping build a program for chronic relapsers.
Furthering his career, Jeff spent several years working for a nationality recognized treatment center here in Nashville. During this time, he became a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor, a certification which allowed him to try working in the prison system with incarcerated men. Unfortunately, Jeff did not enjoy this position like he had hoped and says that “the pain of that propelled me to take my own risk”, leading him to open his own practice.
Jeff absolutely loves what he is doing now. He is able to employ his own knowledge of struggle in tandem with his education to build treatment plans specifically for each of his clients. He intends to continue working his private practice as long as he possibly can.
When Jeff first started his practice, he didn’t say “no” to anything, and took any and all clients, even making house calls when needed. That’s part of what helped him grow a strong business. He also credits his intention for his success. He shared that before he started on his own, he paid attention to what other therapists were doing, and many failed because they were not treating their practice as an actual business. He did some deep research on how to successfully run a sole proprietorship, reading several books to prepare. He recommends that anyone looking to venture out on their own should do the same. Jeff also puts a heavy focus on Customer Service, always returning phone calls and making sure the person on the other end of the phone is okay, whether or not they become his client. A last word of advice from Jeff: “Be flexible!”
Now that Jeff has built a strong foundation for his practice, he is able to take weekends off. He loves spending time with his wife and their dogs. He is a self-proclaimed “really dorky” book collector, and a voracious reader.
When I asked Jeff why he chose to work with us at Green Hills Office Suites, he said the location was what really brought him here, but the staff is why he stayed. He knows he never has to worry about his clients being treated kindly and with respect. He said that our staff always goes above and beyond to make sure he and his clients have everything they need. What a great compliment!
We hope to continue working with Jeff for many years to come. He is a great part of our community!
