What inspired you to become a Licensed Professional Counselor?
I was inspired to become a licensed professional counselor because of the communities that have shaped me. They offered generosity, dignity, and care long before I had the language for my own healing. Stepping into this work feels like a way to give back what was given to me so freely. I’m drawn to sitting with people in their hardest moments, offering presence, attunement, and hope, and helping them reconnect with their own strength and meaning. Counseling feels less like a career choice and more like a way of honoring the people and places that helped me become who I am.
What do you think is the most important aspect of therapy?
The most important aspect of counseling, for me, is the relationship with the client. It’s the foundation that allows everything else to unfold. When a client feels truly seen and valued, they can bring their full self into the room, which creates safety, and that safety creates movement. I strive to show up with presence, warmth, and respect because healing happens in relationship – the relationship itself is the intervention.
What advice would you give to someone considering therapy for the first time?
To someone considering therapy for the first time, I would say it can be incredibly rewarding to finally have space to talk about yourself without apology. Therapy helps you see how you fit into your own world by exploring your patterns, your relationships, and your hopes. Therapy gives you a chance to examine the lens you’ve been using to make sense of your reality. It’s not always easy, but it’s deeply worth it. You learn more about who you are, why you move through life the way you do, and what might need to shift so you can feel more grounded and whole.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
Something people are often surprised to learn about me is that I was a vocal performance minor in college, with a focus on classical performance. It’s a part of my life that still feels meaningful. Music speaks to me, and I can now see that there’s something grounding about the breath, resonance, and expression I developed while honing that skill, which continues to shape how I show up with people now.
Denise Fattic is a Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor at Greenway Therapy . Learn more about her on her BIO page.
