Today we’d like to introduce you to John Cothron.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I served in the Army for 20 years at different duty stations, including Germany and Korea. My unit in Germany was deployed to Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 1991. I retired from the Army in 2005 as an E-7 and went into government contracting until 2012 when the government reduced the number of contractors. Then, I pursued my certification in personal training and worked at the YMCA in Winter Garden from 2013 to 2017 while I attended my master’s program at Palm Beach Atlantic University (Orlando campus), graduating in 2015. I completed my registered internship in July 2018 and received my full license as a LMHC. I worked at a private practice in Orlando as a student intern, registered intern, and LMHC between 2015 and 2019. I left the practice in Orlando to open my practice in Clermont to better serve my local community. Fortunately, a friend of my wife’s who owns a massage studio built out a space and offered me a room to start in, and we quickly outgrew the space, requiring more days to be available, and signed the lease on our current office, officially opening the doors March 1, 2020, not great timing, but has been a good decision as we now occupy 6 office spaces in the building. There is no slowing down the phone calls with people looking for help. We now have 6 therapists, the best massage therapist in the area, a life coach, and a chiropractor who leases a room from us (a way to do for someone else what was done for us).
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
COVID was a struggle, though we never shut the doors. We did have to let go of a couple of therapists who were not the best fit for us. Otherwise, the road has been minimally bumpy.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Work It Out Counseling?
Our therapists specialize in different areas of mental health, and I tend to specialize in trauma. I have several clients who are veterans that I work with to reconcile the trauma they have experienced while serving our country. One thing we do our best to accommodate is not turning anyone away due to financial difficulties. We have a generous sliding scale and provide some scholarships for help. Our therapists set us apart; we have some of the best counselors in the community who are empathetic and dedicated to helping. Our brand came from the brain of our youngest son, Jeremy. While considering names, he said why don’t you call it Work It Out Counseling because the solutions are not yours but the client’s. We want our community to know we are here to help in whatever capacity they need.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Can you share something that might surprise us?
Not much of a surprise. I love to spend time with my wife, study and learn Hebrew, go to the range, ride my Harley, and eat ice cream.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wiomhc.com
- Facebook: Work It Out Counseling
