Inspiring Conversations with Hannah Osmanski of Lilypad Counseling LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Osmanski

Hi Hannah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my career in counseling in 2017 when I began my graduate studies at Northwestern University, but my journey began long before that program. At 18 I decided to listen to the call of the mountains and moved from Michigan to Montana to start school at Montana State University. While the R-1 research status and generous scholarship definitely influenced my decision, the true draw of Bozeman was the same for me as many other Bozemanites, the skiing. Montana offered me what I had never experienced in Michigan, an unrestricted access to the outdoors. I soon found that through nature I found connection to myself and a sense of peace. While I did work in several research laboratories at MSU I found research too sterile and distant from the human connection that drew me to the social sciences. Therefore, I explored past research and began working at the Voice Center, an on campus office that provides support for students who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and rape. Here I witnessed the seedy underbelly of collegiate life and found a passion in offering a listening ear to those who need to be heard. I remained firmly on the fence, torn between research and advocacy until my third year. In January 2016, my future altered forever when I lost my best friend and roommate to an accidental drug overdose. Through my grief I leaned on what I knew would comfort me, nature. Spending time in the wilderness gave me time to reflect and recognize that there was only one path for me moving forward. The counseling program at Northwestern University allowed me to achieve my goal of helping others on an accelerated path. By 2018 I had moved to Kirksville, Missouri where I worked in an inpatient/outpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility. There is a running joke that all therapists are therapists because of their own trauma, and perhaps that is true. Working with those struggling and healing from substance use was as healing for me as I hope it was for my patients. By working with the Missouri Treatment Courts I advocated for less criminal punishments and more mental health services for those experiencing addiction. While this work is some of the most rewarding I have done, when life moved me from Missouri to Phoenix, Arizona I needed a higher income to survive and thus was thrown into the world of private practice. During this time, I learned the ins and outs of private healthcare, the positives and the negatives. I worked with insurances and often had to console patients after their insurance denied their mental health coverage. Since moving back to Michigan I knew I wanted to start on my own path. I opened Lilypad Counseling LLC in September of 2024 and have since felt the liberation and fear that comes with working for yourself. I made the decision not to accept insurance because of the negative experiences I and my patients have had in the past. Instead, I aim to provide an affordable rate of $100 per session. My aim is to not make a profit, but to be able to do what I’ve always wanted, help people, and to pay my bills. While we live in a capitalistic society, Lilypad Counseling stands against for profit healthcare and aims to provide increase access to care. Mental Healthcare is a basic need, and I hold that belief at the core of my business.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Graduate school was one of the harder things I’ve done in my life. Going to school full-time in a program that strongly recommended you do not work lead to serious financial stress. I was fortunate enough to be able to move back in with my parents during this time. As many young adults can relate, the costs of living especially rent prices are unaffordable even with my partner working full-time. When my partner was accepted to medical school in Missouri, we had no choice but to add on cost of living loans as well as his loans for medical school to my student loans for graduate school. Collectively, we have about about half a million dollars in student loans.

I mentioned that working in substance use was one of the most rewarding times in my career but it was also the most challenging. This is where I began to specialize in trauma, as anyone in the healthcare field can tell you that substance abuse and trauma go hand in hand. I love being a trauma therapist, I feel that holding these stories and giving space to my patients is a privilege, but it is hard. I’ve had nights where I break down to my partner, crying at how the world can be filled with such pain. I’ve felt the fear of calling police for a welfare check, terrified what they may find. I’ve experienced grief of losing a patients to their battle with addiction. Leaving community health was an extremely hard decision for me. Part of me felt, that I was giving up on the people who need help the most. It is still a burden I carry.

Starting a business of my own was a challenge I am still struggling with. I juggle licenses in three separate states, Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan. While this means I can have patients from any of these states, it also means I have had to navigate 3 separate licensing boards and three separate business commission boards. In short, it’s a logistical nightmare. After getting all the legal ducks in a row, I find I’m having a hard time building up my case load. Being a business owner means marketing yourself, which is something I’ve found to be difficult. I visit local businesses and physician offices in my area, list myself on all the necessary websites, but business is still slow. I hope in 2025 to increase my outreach and get connected to those in need.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Lilypad Counseling LLC?
Lilypad Counseling provides telehealth individual and couples therapy. I specialize in trauma, substance use, anxiety, and depression. I think a common misconception people have about therapy is that they need to be experiencing some specific mental health issues to seek help. At Lilypad, I firmly believe that therapy is for everyone. Therapy can be proactive, it should be treated like we treat other parts of our health and seek support for routine maintenance. As I previously mentioned, I hold the belief that mental health care is a basic need and as such shouldn’t be capitalized on. The goal of Lilypad Counseling is to provide people with the help they need at affordable rates. I offer free 20 minute consultations prior to scheduling to be sure I am a good fit for each patient. I promise that if I believe I don’t have the skillset or are otherwise a poor fit, I will communicate that to the potential patient and offer them a referral.
The name lilypad has dual meaning. The water lily symbolizes resurrection and enlightenment which I believe can be achieved through counseling, and Lily is the name of my black lab who shows me everyday that unconditional love is the purest gift one can have.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I try to practice what I preach to patients, “don’t be afraid to ask”. Throughout the process of starting my business I’ve cold called people from my past that I haven’t spoken to in years and their responses have all been warm and helpful. I’ve also learned to trust myself, how someone else starts/runs their practice isn’t necessarily the gold standard and I need to do what is best for me. For me this has meant keeping rates low and not working with insurance companies.

Pricing:

• 100 per individual session
• 130 per couples session
• Free 20 minute consultation

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lilypadcounseling.org
• Instagram: @lilypadcounseling
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/792122

Image Credits
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