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

Hi Kim, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Over time I’ve come to learn that work-life balance is not something that’s static. It doesn’t always look like strict boundaries around email between 9-5, or the ability to drop the kids off at school and still have meditate for an hour before your get to work. Instead, balance is a dynamic process, which has to evolve alongside continuous change in your own life. It’s full of ebbs and flows, and tiny corrections along the way.

When I started my own business, I made a commitment not to burn out like I did in my corporate career. I was incredibly mindful of boundaries, self care, and making sure I had enough space for everything to feel in perfect equilibrium and harmony. Yet as my journey as a therapist and small business owner progressed, I found that the road was full of stretches that required more of me at certain times, so I was forced to adjust my expectations and consider that balance might look quite different in those moments. Having sworn I’d never work weekends, for example, when I found myself making the temporary tradeoff, I started experimenting with new things like having my groceries delivered so I could still savor the little time I still had. Or, as my business grew and I found myself with different financial needs, I changed some of the limits I had previously placed on my client load and found different ways to make time for me and my relationships at home.

Work-life balance changes when you start a business or a family, take on a promotion or the caretaking of a parent, or find yourself in the middle of a pandemic. But we always know when we’re in balance, and we know when we’re not. That’s why to me balance is not about a particular structure, but about a feeling that we create systems and structures to support. When we listen to our bodies, we can organize our lives in a way that gives us balance “enough.”

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m a therapist based in LA and I work with both couples and individuals around stress, anxiety, and burnout, relationship issues, and deep trauma healing.

When I went back to graduate school to pursue a career in mental health, I remember a professor saying that our ideal client is often the one looking back in the mirror. And I’ve found a lot of truth to being able to use experience not only from my training, but also my own journey to really understand and help others coming to therapy. For example, my own experience in corporate as well as an executive coach helps me to really meet many high-functioning, high-achieving professionals who may feel a little hesitant about therapy where they’re at. My work as a former yoga teacher also allows me to incorporate a unique focus on mindfulness, somatic experience, and a scientific understanding of the nervous system into my work with trauma and anxiety.

One of the things I love most about my job is that my lessons also become ways in which I more fully understand or relate to my clients – whether it be related to balance, fear, self-esteem, and deep connections with others. Therapy is so much about a relationship with another real human being, and time and time again that’s what my clients enjoy most about working with me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Of course one of the best parts about living in LA is the proximity to the ocean, so whether it’s the middle of July or the middle of December with some blankets and peppermint mochas, I love taking friends to the beach when they visit – especially up toward Malibu and the Santa Monica mountains where hiking is also a favorite.

We also love showing friends around the amazing gastronomy and diversity of food and culture in LA. A favorite bar of ours continues to be Death & Co. in the Arts District, and Culinary Backstreets has put together a phenomenal tour of LA’s thriving food scene and history in downtown LA. We even sometimes go as far as to encourage friends to watch City of Gold about the late food critic Jonathan Gold before coming down. It really provides a deeper understanding and appreciation of the how various communities came to be around LA, and the local richness because of it.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, this question is impossible to answer because there are so many people who have been a critical piece of how I’ve gotten to where I am – current and former managers, mentors, teachers, friends, family, and even public role models. I sometimes think of the “team” of support and influence I’ve had over the years and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude.

But to choose just one in this moment, I would actually love to give a shoutout to my clients themselves. Not only is it their bravery to reach out and their incredibly deep and vulnerable work that keeps me in business, but it’s also the the relationships we build together and having the privilege of witnessing their change that makes me love what I do and keeps me coming back day after day.

Website: kimbielak.com

Instagram: instagram.com/kimbielak/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimbielak

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimbielaktherapy/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kim-bielak-therapy-pasadena?osq=kim+bielak+therapy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/kimbielak

Image Credits
Avalon Bauman, Kim Bielak

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