Paige Bond shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Paige, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Something outside of work that is bringing me joy and I’ve been making part of my routine almost nightly is doing scratch art books! I have a few different themes to choose from which are between dinosaurs, fantasy, and mystical creatures. I’ve gotten so into this lately that I even bought a light up magnifier that I can wear around my neck so I can get really detailed lines to make my masterpiece even more beautiful. This is one of my favorite mindful activities that helps me decompress and avoid screen time that I can do alone, or in the presence of my sweetheart, it’s so adaptable!
My other happy place outside of work is going to concerts, which my calendar is filled with this fall. I’m an atheist and not religious, but I do find something spiritual about being in a place where everyone is singing the same lyrics and having their own individual and group experience simultaneously. I believe music in while in community is healing and I’m so looking forward to this jam packed next few months of seeing my favorite artists with the people I love!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Paige Bond, a licensed marriage therapist, psychedelic assisted psychotherapy provider, and host of the Stubborn Love podcast. I also provide Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), which is a transformative therapy designed to help you quickly address the roots of your anxiety and insecurity, promoting lasting change.
As the owner of Sweet Love Counseling, my mission is to help people feel grounded, confident, and connected in their relationships — especially those navigating anxiety, non-monogamy, or past relationship trauma. I create immersive, short-term therapy experiences that support deep healing and lasting change.
If you’re looking for a relationship expert who doesn’t just listen to your problems, but creates an environment for CHANGE, I’m your gal. What makes my practice special is that I have the belief that therapy doesn’t have to last forever to create lasting change. I focus on intensive, transformational work that helps people heal quickly and feel more secure in their relationships and in themselves. Right now, I’m especially passionate about building out therapy retreats and workshops that combine education, connection, and experiential healing.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I believe the part of me that feels like an imposter must now be released. I’ve forgotten how much knowledge I’ve acquired through the years of school, supervision, consultation, and continuing education because sometimes I’m faced with a challenging case that I had not dealt with before.
When I feel stuck or lost, it results in me getting obsessive over taking trainings to help me be a better therapist and I’ve noticed that can be a result of my own imposter syndrome, thinking I’m not a good enough therapist and I MUST learn everything. What I forget is that the moments I’ve felt my most confident in my work is not when I’m belting out a formulaic research-backed intervention, it’s when I hold space for the real moments in the room supported by my genuine human connection.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Through an exercise from a dating course I took, I wrote out what my big negative story that I told myself that sabotaged me/my relationships and how I looked for evidence to support it. This is something I most certainly do not believe anymore after retraining my brain, surrounding myself with supportive family and friends, and finding a partner who worked towards creating a secure relationship with me.
Due to life circumstances, I had deep wounds which resulted in me telling myself that I was too much and overly sensitive. I told myself that no one would comfort me when I was in pain, that I’d never get things right, that I wouldn’t be chosen. I used to tell myself that I was just too broken to be loved and I’ll never be good enough.
I no longer believe any of that junk and have realized I don’t need to feel like I’m “too needy” anymore because what I need MATTERS. My new story I’ve created for myself is that I am worth being patient for and I deserve love that is committed and doesn’t just turn off along with all the affection when tension occurs. It’s been so freeing and such a relief to rewire my brain in a way that can support me getting the life I want. Now I get to help others feel better about themselves and create secure and fulfilling relationships!
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I believe the biggest lie the mental health and healthcare industry tells itself is that healing happens in weekly 45-50 minute appointments. The root of this is structured by capitalism with insurance companies determining how often you should be seeing your therapist and what duration the session should be. This model prioritizes financial outcomes and can only be addressed through certain treatments that may not align with culturally sensitive, individualized care necessary for genuine transformation.
Often times when on the cusp of a breakthrough or emotions are escalated are right at the point where the session needs to end due to insurance standards. This model of weekly therapy can create a low retention rate due to people not seeing the results they’d like fast enough.
What I love about intensive therapy is that I can engage in deep work with people who are interested in their own growth and development in a shorter amount of time than insurance determined therapy. When you’re having car issues and need repairs to drive it safely, you don’t ask the mechanic to change oil one week and rotate the tires one at a time in the next weeks week. To make your car drivable again, you likely want to get all the work done so you can enjoy the open road sooner and not be locked in to weekly appointments.
This can be done the same way with therapy – imagine months of therapy packed into a weekend retreat where you come out on the other side with new skills, insights, and great relief from your concerns.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the legacy that I leave behind is the affirmation and knowledge that people don’t need to follow any societal script of what a relationship “should” be. I hope that people are able to draw inspiration from my work and have the internal knowing that they can design whatever relationship they would like, as long as everyone involved is in full agreement.
Most people fall in love, commit, and then feel lost when conflict arises. At Sweet Love Counseling, I hope to leave behind the skills to help people learn how to relate intentionally, to return to the “why” behind their love, and to co-create a relationship dynamic that feels secure, joyful, and aligned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SweetLoveCounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stubbornlovepaige/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-bond/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stubbornlovepaige/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StubbornLovePaige
- Other: Podcast: https://www.paigebond.com/stubbornlovepodcast
