Meet Alysha Aiello | Mental Health Therapist, LCSW

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alysha Aiello and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alysha, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
My perspective on work-life balance has changed a lot over time. When I was in grad school and training to be a social worker and therapist, there was a lot of emphasis on making sure you engage in “self-care”. However, when it came to action, the mental health field often perpetrated a culture that was quite the opposite. In grad school I found myself trying to balance a full time job, unpaid internships, graduate school and homework, while also trying my best to be social. Looking back honestly, I don’t know how I even had enough hours in the day for this. While it was a necessity to balance work/internship/school at the time, I did not even consider I would be stepping into this career already burnt out and tired. I followed this path earlier in my career as well, I sort of fell into the trap that told therapists and social workers “this is just how it is” and to accept that we are just going to be perma-tired. I neglected work-life balance and often found myself working overtime pretty much every single week, working off the clock, and taking no days off (including holidays). I was very much like “work-life balance? Sorry I don’t know her”. This obviously negatively impacted my overall well-being, and ultimately had me question if the field of therapy or social work was even for me. It was around this time that I decided I needed to slow down because honestly, it was a little wild that I was teaching my clients about balance and taking care of themselves, and not doing it myself. I made my life a priority rather than prioritizing an organization I worked for, and reconnected with my own values, rather than one of a toxic hustle culture. As a therapist, or anyone in a helping profession, it is so important that we take care of ourselves and model what balance looks like. Additionally, if we are not in a good place or are burnt out, that could directly impact the people that we work with and the quality of our work, and continue to perpetrate this culture of not taking care of our own needs.
Opening my own practice has given me the opportunity to maintain the work-life balance that works for me and my current goals, while providing me the flexibility to change this schedule should my goals or needs change in the future. I have structured a work environment that allows me to be the best therapist I can be for my clients, while still leaving plenty of space for me to be the best person for myself and loved ones. Maintaining a work-life balance that works for me and challenging my old views of balance, has allowed me to keep doing what I love most- helping people.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and I run a therapy practice located in Orange County and I offer online tele-health appointments to all of California. Incorporating an online option for therapy was important to me to not only expand my business but provide support in areas in the State that might not have access to an affirming therapist. I specialize in working with queer folks and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Whether the person is questioning, exploring their gender and/or sexual identity, seeking support with coming out, or are already out and proud, or just wants a therapist who understands our community, I am here to support them. While I do specialize in working with the queer community, I take great pride in supporting individuals from all walks of life and backgrounds. I work with teens and adult clients with depression, anxiety, trauma, school and work issues, life changes and transitions, sexual trauma and abuse. As well as folks with attachment issues, highly sensitive persons, the sex-positive community, and people who are neurodivergent. I take great pride in the atmosphere I have created in my practice. Navigating my own therapeutic and healing journey has allowed me the opportunity to understand how important the client/therapist relationship is to the healing process, and I very much wanted this to be the forefront of my practice. I have worked hard to cultivate and provide a safe space for people to heal where they can be authentically themselves, and where they feel heard, seen, understood, and supported. Prior to my practice, I worked for a variety of settings, including a psychiatric hospital, a rehab, some group practices, and even a non-profit community center. Each of these provided me amazing experience, and ultimately taught me what kind of place I saw myself working in and where I did not. I wanted to work at a place that shared my values, and where I could be authentic, have flexibility and go at my own pace, and decide how many clients I wanted to see and when I wanted to see them. Realizing this sort of led me on the path to opening my business. In graduate school, they taught me how to be a therapist, but they definitely didn’t teach me about opening my own business, so that was a learning curve for sure. Luckily I had some great colleagues to consult with, and I did a lot of research, which made it manageable. I think the hardest challenge for me in starting a private practice was the imposter syndrome and I did not realize that having a private practice can be an isolating and lonely experience. I have learned to celebrate my accomplishments and remind myself of my success, which has improved the imposter syndrome. Prior to establishing my private practice, I was the person in the office who would like to chat with my colleagues during breaks or when writing notes, I would bring in treats, I liked sharing ideas and consulting with colleagues, and just enjoyed being around people. That all went away when I opened my private practice, because it is just me, and due to the nature of my work- I can’t really talk to my friends and family about work. To combat this, I have made an effort to connect with my therapist friends/colleagues, whether it is to consult, get coffee, craft, or just chat. Also creating a healthy work-life balance helped too.
My main goal in my practice is to destigmatize mental health services, honor my client’s true self while also being true to myself, and create a safe and nurturing space for people to heal. I hope the message people take away from me and my business is that it is okay to be authentic and show up as yourself, and it is okay to honor your needs.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is such a hard question! I am kind of the go with the flow friend, and planning a week itinerary is not my strong suit. But let me try! My favorite thing about LA is how diverse it is, from people, to landscape, to the culture, to the food scene, it is completely unique. There’s literally every kind of restaurant you can think of here, so food might depend on the mood of the person who is visiting. But I know for sure I would start our days off at a local coffee shop. Some great options are Kumquat, Goodboy Bob, Mad Lab Coffee, or Dayglow, all of these have amazing drinks and a great atmosphere. Another great option would be going to Cinespia to watch some classic films in the cemetery with a full bar and snacks. We can hike Escondido falls or Eaton Canyon Nature Center, they both have beautiful waterfalls. We all know sundays are for brunch, I would take them to a drag brunch at the Abbey in Weho or Precinct in dtla. It is always a great time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The journey of becoming a therapist is not a solo path, and I would not be the therapist that I am today if it wasn’t for the amazing people in my life that extended their support to me. My family, partner, and friends have been my biggest cheerleaders through this process, and have supported me through this long and wild journey. I am thankful to have amazing clinical supervisors, mentors and professional colleagues that have all helped shape and influence my career.

But most of all, my clients both past and current, deserve the biggest shoutout. Their strength and resilience moves and inspires me, and honestly they have taught me so much. I am truly honored to be a part of their healing journey.

Website: alyshaaiellotherapy.com

Instagram: @therapist.alysha

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyshaaiello/