Hollie Mokrzycki is the co-owner and practice manager of LPA Counseling where she focuses on the marketing and business aspects of the family, couple, and individual therapy practice. In order to wind down, Mokrzycki finds solace at the beach.
Mokrzycki and her co-owner opened LPA Counseling almost 12 years ago. Her love of working in the mental health field began after college when she first worked in psychology while living in Colorado. She earned herdegree in marketing and management, which is her focus at LPA. Meanwhile, her co-owner focuses on the clinical side of the business. They worked together at another office, that has since closed, before deciding to open their own.
“My co-owner actually came up with the idea, and I thought it was outrageous,” Mokrzycki said with a laugh. “It was a lot of work, and starting out, we really didn’t know what we were doing. We tried to focus on everything that the community mental health centers weren’t doing, or weren’t doing the way we wanted to do them. We were focusing on the quality of care rather than how many people we could get through the door or how many places we could get our name, and we’ve really stuck with that today.”
Day to day, Mokrzycki works on every aspect of LPA. She has two assistants that aid in receptionist duties and communication with clients while Mokrzycki works on insurance, community relations, personnel, hiring, human resources, payroll, and anything else that goes into a business. Within LPA’s offices, there are 11 therapists, and Mokrzycki’s work allows them to focus on clients and their needs.
“Therapy is your one opportunity to talk to somebody that is completely objective,” said Mokrzycki. “They have no other interest besides you. Everyone else in your life is coming at you with a subjective perspective because your decisions affect them. A therapist, their only concern is your well-being, what’s good for you.”
Mokrzycki believes that everyone needs a little bit of aid with their mental health, and that is something we should be comfortable with. With all of the new stressors people have been experiencing in this past year, Mokrzycki believes people need help now more than ever. She has also seen a positive trend in individuals admitting that they need help and being willing to get that help.
While an advocate for therapy, Mokrzycki also finds another kind of help in nature, specifically, at the beach. When in high school, if she had a tough day or a difficult decision to make, Mokrzycki would drive out the lighthouse in Michigan City. She would walk all the way to the end of the pier and sit. In this space, she experienced a sense of calmness and clarity. Today, she finds the beach to be a place that is meditative and almost euphoric.
Mokrzycki’s care for humans also extends to animals. She currently owns three pets which were all rescued. One is a small 10-pound mutt that rules the house, another a pitbull she traveled to Texas to rescue, and the third a cat that she has had ever since she brought her in when the cat was pregnant nine years ago.
Mokrzycki has a humongous capacity for love and hard work, while also knowing exactly how she best relaxes at the end of the day.