We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Taja Mclean, DMFT, LPC and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Taja, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I started my private practice Heart of Gold Counseling because I wanted to be the person I never had growing up. At the age of 11, my mother passed away. I remember being depressed along with other members of my family as a result of her death. Therapy was not something that was talked about or promoted. We just learned to “deal with it” and I did not have an outlet to express my feelings. I have a passion for helping children who were just like me. Children who do not have an outlet and need support.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I have a private practice called Heart of Gold Counseling and Professional Services that I opened almost 4 years ago. We serve children and adolescents ages 5-17 by providing outpatient mental health therapy. I started off as a solo practice and have now expanded to a group practice where I was able to hire another outpatient therapist, parent coach, and assistant. Since I am dual licensed I am able to serve children in Pennsylvania and Arizona. Starting a business comes with it’s challenges. It was easy for me to get started because I had a vision for helping children and a passion for making a difference in their lives. Some of the lessons I learned along the way are to make sure you are following a business model that works with the population you serve and that most people genuinely want to support their children.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to my mother who instilled 2 important values in me; love and resiliency. I watched her take care of me as a single mother prior to her death and always show kindness even when she did not get it in return. These are two things I take pride in displaying in my work and personal life.

Website: http://heartofgoldcounseling.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/heartofgoldcounselingllc

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tajajamie

Facebook: http://facebook.com/heartofgoldcounseling

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.