Meet Victoria Olson of Expand Mentoring in Boulder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Olson.

Victoria, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
While trying to find my way as a young adult, I, like so many, experimented with alcohol and substances. This eventually leads to more than my share of tumultuous relationships, poor decisions, and an emptiness in knowing who I was. This eventually landed me in Boulder, Colorado putting me far from some of my destructive influences — and the perfect place to start a new life. I eventually entered into recovery and have lived a fulfilling life one day at a time.

25+ years of my life I have been in this line of work, I have spent time with young people in residential treatment, youth shelters, transitional living programs, and now as the founder of Expand, LLC. I hold a Master’s degree in Counseling from Adams State University and a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Addictions Counselor. Balancing work and fun is an important part of health and happiness so I try to find that balance in everything I do. Over the last several years, I have found that weight lifting and finding new experiences keep me balanced and clear-headed. I spend majority of my time with my four children + husband and travel at every opportunity.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My road has been anything but smooth but has found a nice balance over the last several years. Life was incredibly rocky until I found a path to recovery from alcohol. This has allowed me to find new experiences in my day to day while exploring who I am and what I want. Recovery also leads me to start a business that was never in the plan but has proven to be where my heart lies. Learning to run a business on your own has its ups and downs, as does managing a team of 12. I have learned many valuable lessons from amazing supervisors, other business owners, and close friends that have allowed me to run a business my way with my vision.

Expand Mentoring – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Expand Mentoring, LLC offers mentoring/coaching services to clients in need of support in their daily life. We address communication, daily-living, and social needs while in the community, which allows for in the moment practice of skills they have acquired and learned. Our services help to ensure each client’s success in navigating various social contexts, learning new skills and making functional progress in areas they may have blocks.

We specialize in issues including addiction, mental health challenges, “failure to launch,” depression and anxiety, self-esteem, self-harm, as well as difficulties with relationships, school and job performance. Most of our clients need assistance with follow through and accountability so they can move forward in their life. We can help with practical tasks such as creating resumes, job hunting, meal planning, creating a workout regimen, or any area that the client may be stuck. In addition, we can act as a sobriety coach and companion for those that have struggled (or are still struggling) with addiction.

What truly sets us apart is the wide range of experience our mentor team has. It is important for us to have the right mentor for the right person because everything starts with the relationship we develop with our clients. This allows us to work with many issues and to tailor our services for each and every client we see. We pride our selves on being and individualized service that is not curriculum-based.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The future is hard to predict and we take things one day at a time in our company, but with that, I am always thinking about how we can serve more people with the highest of integrity. Since we are a little known field, how can we find the families that need our support before things get to a place of crisis? If I had to pinpoint any plan for the coming year, it would be to reach more people, bring our services to clients that may not know we exist, to find creative ways to support our client’s loved ones in this process.

Pricing:

• $125/hr
• $325 enrollment fee that includes 3 family support sessions for clients that have family involvement in the process

Contact Info:

• Website: http://expandmentoring.com
• Phone: 303.945.3007
• Email: hello@expandmentoring.com

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