Brice Boembeke

I graduated college with aspirations of writing a great American novel. In the meantime, I needed something to pay the bills, so I decided to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and become a police officer. Between Indiana and Kentucky, I spent the next 12 years of my life (with a short hiatus in New York along the way) working nights and weekends in a uniform. As an officer, I met so many people who were having the worst day of their lives. I found myself wanting to listen, to understand, to help them find a way through that moment to something better. Unfortunately, as an officer, there were limited opportunities for that. I was always seeking something more. Something that would allow me to connect with people more deeply and help them more completely. I left police work to spend time as a stay-at-home father for my two amazing children. During this time I wrote more, learning to love stories for the surprises that they can offer. Life, like art, was full of surprises. I found myself working in the Urbana school district, building connections within our community. Just as the pandemic came along and changed everything, I was continually hearing of the need for more mental health counselors and it all clicked into place. I had finally discovered my calling. Once I started my counseling education and realized that this work would allow me to be there alongside people in those seemingly hopeless moments, rather than standing across from them. Now, as a therapist at Therayology, I’m finishing my education and starting this next chapter of my life. As a writer at heart, I see stories everywhere I look. Some stories can seem like tragedies. Some of us can feel like our life’s story is taking us down a path we never wanted for ourselves. We feel like we’ve lost control. My goal as your counselor will be to help you become the author of your own life’s story. Find the power to change the narrative of your life and find the path toward a better tomorrow.