At Flourish! we recognize that it is hard to be a human navigating our current modern challenges - and even harder to do it alone.
We are so glad you’re here!
Our intention is to join you on your journey exploring how past and present experiences, relationships, environments, stressors, and physical symptoms could be obstacles to feeling fulfilled, healthy and enjoying simple pleasures.
Our holistic approach to mental health is unique because we view mental health difficulties as a whole body and experiential challenge needing empathy, validation and nourishment rather than solely focusing on the brain.
Our diverse and non-judgmental team of practitioners understand you may feel hopeless and/or uncertain about your future, sick of feeling tired or anxious, or struggling to figure out what’s wrong or how to change by yourself.
Whether you work with a therapist individually, in a group setting, or within an educational or coaching setting, our work begins with empathetic listening, establishing a comfortable rapport and, over time, earning your trust. The more time we spend together and get to know all parts of you, we can then collaborate on processing past and current experiences as well as developing perspectives, skills, and techniques so your relationships with loved ones, friends, family, and yourself can feel authentic, connected, and content.
Hello, I am Cyndi Collen
CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER, MINDFUL HUMAN, AND FOUNDER OF FLOURISH!
My quest to become a psychotherapist as a second career started after spending a couple of decades in the tech industry. Solving business problems with technology felt unfulfilling and I kept feeling nostalgic about my undergraduate social work internship working with teenagers. I feel so grateful to have followed my inner guidance to become a holistic psychotherapist as I find the work I do endlessly fascinating, fulfilling and blessed with the honor of knowing what we do at Flourish helps so many people feel better about themselves and in relationship with others.
My Story
As a single mom, I decided to put my desire to go to graduate school on the sidelines and focus on providing a lifestyle and routine for my child that was secure and structured. I wanted to put off grad school for when my child graduated from high school, but my plans were interrupted when joint inflammation, chronic fatigue, and pain took over my body during my child’s high school years.
Conventional medicine dismissed my symptoms as a natural part of aging < what? at 45? > and prescribed countless medications and procedures that did not take away the pain or fatigue; in fact, the treatment made me more tired, did not stop the musculoskeletal degeneration, and slowed down my cognition so much that I had a hard time reading, one of my favorite things to do.
The medications and pain prevented me from working my demanding tech job and I went on disability. Even though I did not have the strength or capacity to sit behind a computer or engage in analytical discourse, I did not give up on my quest to become a therapist. The UT School of Social Work allowed me to take my time to do the program and, with accommodations, I was able to get through a few courses the first year. I loved what I was learning so much and wanted to have better clarity and comprehension, so I got curious about holistic functional medicine and Kundalini yoga, to see if it would bring wellness to my challenged body and brain. I made diet changes, started going to bed earlier, brought in Kundalini breath and meditation, and fully embraced self-compassion, mindfulness, and agency over my body and voila, I got better! While I wasn’t cured, the improvement in energy, the reduction in pain, and ability to read and comprehend complex ideas easily was liberating.
Before I opened Flourish in Austin in 2018, I saw clients at Capital Area Counseling. Many of my people experienced symptom reductions and other benefits from free interventions like breath exercises, meditation, and small dietary changes. It made sense to me to start a private practice that brought together holistic, mindful, somatic, and nutritional elements to treat mental health symptoms, stress, and relationship challenges.
I hope others who are struggling and feeling hopeless, trapped, and powerless can feel inspired to work with us so they too can gain empowerment, self-compassion, and agency to recover, restore, and Flourish!
OUR PRACTITIONERS
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The Flourish! Mission
Our mission is to serve our clients with integrity, purpose, kindness, compassion, empathy and evidenced-based integrative protocols so our clients can thrive and flourish!
WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
