Hidden Gems: Meet Alice Failoni of Better Days with Alice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alice Failoni.

Hi Alice, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Becoming a therapist is the culmination of my own experiences. I didn’t know at the time that’s where life was taking me, but looking back, it seems clear. I started going to therapy as a kid, and I returned to therapy many times throughout my healing journey. After experiencing how transformative therapy can be and often finding myself in that “helping role” professionally and socially, it made sense to return to therapy but this time as the therapist.

However, it wasn’t a straight road to where I am today. My undergraduate degree is in art, and though I loved the creative industry, I was drawn to helping professions because of my lived experiences. So I attempted to combine my passions by teaching, but what that mainly did was help me see how much I care about the social/emotional well-being of others. Each part of my professional journey only confirmed that therapy was the “right” place for me.

Some defining moments in my life include being a teen parent, exploring my queerness, and discovering my authentic self. Many people come to therapy for that reason: to figure out who they are. Now I can guide others on their similar paths of growth, toward better days.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The big struggle as a solo practitioner is professional isolation. I saw this being a potential deterrent to success and convinced several of my colleagues to start the RAD Collective with me. We’ve been able to grow the collective into a small, dedicated group of therapists who are also looking for a professional community. We use this collective to discuss business, expand our knowledge with post-degree education, and emotionally support each other.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My approach to therapy is down-to-earth and person-centered. What that looks like is a deep, meaningful conversation with someone you trust about things in your life that are complex and difficult. I would approach any client from the standpoint of “what happened to you” as opposed to “what is wrong with you”. I don’t think there’s anything “wrong” with any of my clients.

What I see are people who are doing their best trying to cope with overwhelming experiences and need some extra support. As a therapist, I work hard to step into the worldview of my clients and understand their experiences. Once oriented, I tailor sessions to meet the needs of my clients, so it is individualized to maximize their growth potential.

Sessions can be more or less structured; therapist or client-led; and focus on the past or the present. Modalities I use allow for flexibility, too, so sessions can look like a conversation or more like a workshop, it might be direct and solution-focused or more creative and narrative. There are many ways to “do therapy” and I let my client show me what they need, and use therapeutic interventions which meet those needs.

What I’m saying is that the session is not mine, it belongs to my client. It is integral that people feel like they’re having the kind of therapeutic experience they’re looking for. I keep an open dialog with my clients about their therapy sessions. I ask for feedback to make sure I’m giving plenty of opportunities to “set me straight” if I’m getting it wrong. In my practice, the client is the captain of the ship.

I work with individual adult clients in telehealth space and person. Reasons to seek me out might include processing trauma, exploring queerness, working on developing coping skills, and wrangling symptoms of anxiety, depression, or mood disorders. Most of my clients identify as one or more of these categories: woman, mother, and queer, which makes sense, as those are also words I use to describe myself.

To potential clients, I would say this: My role is not to “fix you”, tell you what to do, or influence your values and belief system. My role is to see you, validate you, join you in your world, and help you make sense of it. I am here to support you as you make changes for yourself, encourage growth, and help you define a better future. You don’t have to feel stuck forever. I’m living proof of that and that’s why I’m here, to hold space for you to do the same.

What’s next?
In the immediate future, with the help of the RAD Collective, I will be co-running as many Queer Support Groups as possible. There is a real need for safe queer spaces facilitated by queer therapists, and we are working on filling this gap. Our goal is to start next month and continue to add groups and new therapists as needed so that no queer person in need is ever without therapy.

Pricing:

• $125.00/hour

Contact Info:

• Website: www.betterdayswithalice.com

Image Credits
Catherine Flanagan