120. Finding Harmony: Managing Career and Special Needs Caregiving! with Eleni Paris

In this episode of The Traveling Therapist, Eleni Paris shares her transformative journey from a traditional therapist to embracing a fully online practice. This shift was significantly motivated by the need to better accommodate the demanding care for her special needs daughter. Eleni discusses the profound impact this change has had on her personal and professional life, offering insights into how she balances her career with her caregiving responsibilities. She highlights the importance of flexibility in her work schedule, which allows her to be there for her daughter while continuing to pursue her passion for therapy.

Key Points

Transition to Online Therapy: Eleni Paris discusses her transition to a fully online therapy practice, which provided her with the flexibility needed to manage her caregiving responsibilities for her special needs daughter.

Impact of Personal Experiences on Professional Growth: Eleni reflects on how her personal experiences as a caregiver have enriched her professional capabilities and reshaped her therapeutic approach.

Creative Solutions for Work-Life Balance: Elani emphasizes the importance of creativity in balancing professional aspirations with personal responsibilities, showcasing how it’s possible to adapt and thrive in both arenas.

About Eleni Paris:

Eleni is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the Tampa Bay area with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, both from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She has over 20 years of professional experience, including clinical work, workshop and seminar presentations, discussion and support groups, writing contributions, collaborative work with various health professionals, and wellness coaching. Eleni is a clinical member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and have been published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.

She is married and have two daughters, one with developmental disabilities. As a stay-at-home mom during her girls’ childhood, she was faced with an abundance of commitments, in terms of helping her special needs daughter, and providing the ongoing support needed for both of her daughters. Parenting a special needs child and navigating the unique challenges involved, in combination with her professional background, has enabled her to help others gain the essential skills and tools that are needed in stressful life situations to cope, heal, and grow.

Ironically, Eleni’s Master’s thesis and the JMFT publication were about the interplay between our personal and professional worlds and how one positively influences the other. She know she’s at this particular juncture as an entrepreneur and relationship therapist (a dream come true) due to her family journey as a special needs parent. After taking ample time to navigate the special needs world and tend to her family in ways she could not imagine, and reentering the workforce as a Y coach at the YMCA, she was led back to her passion as a relationship therapist and expanded upon this dream by becoming an entrepreneur. Eleni’s travel includes visiting family in a different state where she can continue working, which has added such rich elements to her career. She truly feel blessed to be at this exact moment of her personal and professional stage of life!

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