Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Lajiness.
Amy, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Absolutely! I have wanted to be a therapist for as long as I can remember. Even as a young child, I would look at the “bad” or “weird” kids and see beyond that label to who they were as a person, and I felt that I could see people for who they authentically were. In college, I majored in Psychology with minors in Religion and English and worked as an RA for a year. I relished leadership and work opportunities that allowed me to get to know other people deeply and to provide support for them. After moving to San Diego, I worked with youth and children in various capacities before enrolling in SDSU’s Masters in Social Work program. After graduating with my MSW in 2016, I worked for a wonderful company called Mending Matters, where I had the privilege of providing individual and group therapy for a diverse population of teens in schools throughout East County San Diego.
As my skills developed, I began to wonder how I could further grow my clinical skills in a way that resonated personally while providing top-notch therapy for my clients. I quite literally woke up one morning with a vision of combining my love for nature with my professional career as a therapist, and after a quick google search discovered the field of Ecotherapy. It felt like falling in love – I spent every spare minute soaking up research about the physical and mental health benefits of being in nature, and telling everyone I knew about it. The initial excitement never died down, and I made the life-changing decision to enroll in a Professional Ecotherapy Certification Course, which I completed in Spring 2019. In late 2019, I launched my psychotherapy private practice, Inner Nature Therapy, which serves teens and young adults of all genders, as well as women of all ages, with a particular focus on pregnant and postpartum women.
Has it been a smooth road?
My vision for Inner Nature Therapy has always been relatively clear – I believe in the work that I do, and research backs up my strong belief that contact with nature has a major positive impact on our mental and physical well-being. There have been some bumps in the road, however; starting a business has been a huge learning curve for me. Although I’m quite organized and detail-oriented, being an entrepreneur has required developing an entirely new set of skills, from writing website copy to understanding marketing to getting my financial books in order. If I didn’t believe so strongly in the work that I’m doing, the entrepreneurial side of my business may well have scared me off from opening Inner Nature Therapy!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Inner Nature Therapy is a psychotherapy private practice that I own and operate from my beautiful office in La Jolla, CA. I’m similar to many other mental health practices in that I provide 50-minute in-office sessions for people struggling with a variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, relationship problems, and much more. I specialize in working with teens, young adults, and women of all ages (including pregnant and postpartum women), although I’m open to working with anyone as long as it is a good fit for both of us. What sets me apart is that I weave ecotherapy into traditional psychotherapy approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Whether we meet inside my office or at a favorite park (Mission Trails and Torrey Pines are two of my favorites), I recognize that our physical environment affects each of us in a variety of ways and can lead to profound healing within the psychotherapy process. The type of ecotherapy I practice focuses on tapping into each client’s unique relationship with the natural world – where they feel peaceful, supported, free, challenged, etc. Ecotherapy includes practices such as mindfulness and somatics, meaning I invite clients to be aware of what is going on in their bodies and tune into the wisdom that natural beings can offer. This can sound a bit “woo-woo” to people, so I’ll give a concrete example here: Imagine someone struggling with anxiety and panic, feeling out of control and stressed.
I might invite them to look around in the landscape and find something that is appealing to them – say a large eucalyptus tree. They might notice that even though the tree is blown about by the wind in its uppermost branches, it is strong and rooted at its base. At this point, the client sees that despite the stressful circumstances of their life, they have the capability of finding a sense of calm rootedness. They might begin to feel this same sense of solidity and strength within their physical bodies, which leads to a mental and emotional shift as well. And now, anytime this person walks or drives by that tree, they are brought back to that reminder and the peace they felt at that moment.
I have office hours in La Jolla two days a week for now and offer eco-therapy sessions around San Diego County during my non-office days. I occasionally make home visits, particularly for perinatal and postpartum women who might otherwise find it difficult to get out of the house due to pregnancy complications or having a new infant. I also provide teletherapy (video-based therapy sessions) for CA residents, which is wonderful for those who resonate with my approach but live in another area of the state. Finally, I love creating and leading custom retreats and team building events for private groups, companies, or faith-based groups. I also offer occasional day and weekend retreats in the San Diego area.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think it is! Although San Diego has a large number of psychotherapists, it is a warm and welcoming community that supports one another well. From a practical standpoint, it’s a large enough city that therapists utilizing a unique approach or having a very specific niche can find clients who can benefit from the specific services provided. Personally and professionally, I also really enjoy the socioeconomic and cultural diversity within San Diego County. We all have so much to learn from one another.
Pricing:
- Initial phone consultation (20 minutes): FREE
- In-office psychotherapy session (50 minutes): $130 – sliding scale available
- Ecotherapy session (90 minutes): $165
- Initial in-office session (90 minutes): $165
- Custom retreats, presentations, or team building events: Variable Fee
Contact Info:
- Address: 836 Prospect St.
Suite 101
La Jolla, CA 92037 - Website: https://www.innernaturetherapy.com/
- Phone: (858)432-3422
- Email: amy@innernaturetherapy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innernaturetherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/innernaturetherapy
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/inner-nature-therapy-la-jolla?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
- Other: https://vimeo.com/372927740
Image Credit:
Kyle Baudour
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