Meet Hollie McCrea Olson, Marriage and Family Therapist In Training, and HEART Counseling’s newest therapist!

My path to practicing therapy feels non-traditional and perfectly aligned in the same breath. As I look back on my journey to HEART Counseling, I see that my story is riddled with clues that point to therapy as my vocation. Some of these clues were glaring. For instance: every personality assessment – from an eighth grade career aptitude test to frivolous magazine quizzes to Strengths Finder, Myers-Briggs, and the enneagram – have all opined that being a therapist would be a natural career choice for me. Of course, I’ve always enjoyed adventure, exploration, and interesting detours and the search for my vocation was not immune to this pattern.

Hollie’s Path to Being a Marriage & Family Therapist

Instead of majoring in Psychology and going to graduate school immediately, I was drawn to the stories of Victorian literature and magical realism. As an English and Spanish literature major, I discovered a different outlet to tap into curiosity and learn more about people, their histories, stories, and discoveries. Upon reflection, my curiosity usually landed with how the author came to write that specific story in that particular way. I deeply enjoyed critical analysis of literature and the ways that it informs how we understand the motivations and experiences of people today.

Supporting College Students & Emerging Adults

Alongside my studies in stories, I served as a Resident Assistant supporting my peers with their own college experiences. I grew up as a shy person, so my interest in this leadership role surprised and intimidated me. However, the draw to be a resource to others to find connection and support on campus outweighed my nerves. I quickly found that when equipped with responsibility and training to guide and support others, my confidence blossomed. During a semester abroad, I genuinely missed this role as a student leader. However, I was afforded the opportunity to focus solely on my own education and build relationships with my host family and new friends. As my Spanish language skills developed, I discovered how moving it still is to share emotion and empathy when words fall short. Through this experience, I learned how supported we can feel with someone’s mere presence.

Not quite ready to give up my interest in supporting college students, I made the decision to work abroad as a Student Life Coordinator. This post-graduation opportunity kicked off my decade long career in Student Affairs. Over the next ten years, I sat with college students supporting them in identifying their own goals and vocations, navigating difficult relationships and identity shifts, and, for too many, healing from unexpected trauma and grief. Every day there was something rewarding that arose from working with emerging adults. As much as I loved it, though, I began to desire the tools to professionally support them in their healing. So, armed with the experiences I’d gathered along the way, I caved to the predictions of all those assessments and sought a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Marriage & Family Therapy Journey

Balancing full time work and a full time graduate program was daunting; but my deep interest in everything I was learning (not to mention invaluable support from loved ones and colleagues) propelled me to graduation. The most rewarding part of my graduate studies was practicing in-home co-therapy in Rock County. Working with families who invited us into their home demonstrated a new dimension of vulnerability and motivation to heal. Additionally, working with a co-therapist taught me about perspective and how many different approaches and pathways there are to healing.

Now, at HEART Counseling, I am more eager than ever to work with families, partners, and individuals (little and adult) who are wondering how they get to where they want to be.

While I could easily look back at my story and wonder why I didn’t just listen to what assessments and people told me all along I would enjoy, I know that the experiences and lessons I gathered along the way contribute to a depth of practice I would not have reached had my path been more direct. As a therapist, I enjoy supporting others in identifying the critical points of their stories, experiencing the empathy they deserve, and learning how to leverage the systems around them to access healing, relationship building, and achieving their goals. Though, we will still probably do some assessments along the way just to get a glimpse of what might be to come.

Hollie is a marriage and family therapist in training at HEART Counseling. She sees clients ages 6+ and works with individuals, couples, and families. Reach out to her via our Contact Form today!