Because Life Happens | Insight Life Counseling

By
Meredith
Knight

The mother/daughter team of Cris
Treadway and Gail Payne couldn’t be more grateful to the Greater Houston area
for the support and acceptance they’ve received at their boutique counseling
practice. Throughout what’s been a hectic few years, Insight Life
Counseling has grown and flourished as they’ve offered this community a
reassuring and supportive refuge from all life can dish out.

Not that long ago, Licensed Professional
Counselor (LPC) Cris Treadway was working in large hospital settings, feeling
disheartened by the often impersonal aspects of the corporate-care model. She
imagined a setting where she could slow things down, really connect with her
clients, and provide the individualized attention they deserve. Meanwhile her
mom, Gail, was ready to retire from her own fund-raising and event-planning
business.

Mother and daughter decided to join forces
and open a boutique counseling practice where clients are carefully matched
with the right counselor and no one gets lost in the shuffle. That’s exactly
what they did with Insight Life Counseling. They were soon joined by Licensed
Professional Counselors (LPC) Sarah Shyne and Christine Sanchez and, this
past year as the practice has continued to grow, they’ve welcomed Dr. Shavara
Lyons and LPC Brina Johnston. Cris’ daughter (Gail’s granddaughter), Sydney
Treadway, even joined the practice early on making this a true family
endeavor.

“Each of our five counselors has a different
specialty,” Cris said. “When a new client calls, Gail can match them to the
right counselor, one who specializes in the issues they want to discuss and
whose personality compliments their own. I don’t think there’s a problem a
patient would call with that we don’t have someone with expertise in that
area. We’ve listened carefully to the needs of the community and, as we’ve
grown, we’ve enhanced our services in the directions they’ve
requested.”

That growth
has included not only additional team members but physical
growth as well, as they’ve expanded
their Webster office and added a second location in the Galleria
in Houston. “We’ve increased our physical footprint in Webster expanding our
suite with more office space and have added a group area where we can host
guest speakers for free community talks on pertinent topics such as domestic
abuse and helping a loved one who’s struggling with substance abuse. We’re
even hoping to open it up to activities like wellness-based yoga.”

It’s just
one way they’re able to give back to the community. Another way
is through counseling that’s accepting and approachable. Walk through their
door and you’re greeted by Gail’s friendly face. You’ll hear music playing
and water running and know you’ve arrived somewhere safe and comforting. If
you need a counselor after hours, your call won’t go to an answering service.
“We carry our business phone with us 24/7,” Cris said. “When our clients need
us, they know they can contact us.”

Shavara bio picture insight life counseling photo dpi — Dr. Shavara Lyons

SarahInsight Life Counseling photo dpi — Sarah Shyne

Christine Sanchez

Brina Johnston

Meet the
Newest Team Members

Dr. Shavara Lyons firmly believes that, if
you change your thinking, you can change your life. A mental wellness
advocate, innovative speaker, author, and well-respected therapist, she
blends deep, real-world experience with a magnetic personality to help
clients thrive. Her goal is to offer a safe and trusting environment and an
informed, integrative approach to therapy that incorporates various
techniques and methods tailored to the unique treatment needs of each client.
A board-certified licensed professional counselor, she holds dual master’s
degrees in professional counseling and educational leadership as well as a
doctorate of philosophy in counseling. With 13 years’ experience as a high
school teacher, youth leader, and adult advocate, Shavara works with
adolescents, adults, and couples. Her treatment approach includes
client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-based
therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy.

Brina Johnston understands that past trauma
and current life transitions can rob a person of their peace causing children
and adults to struggle with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.
She aims to collaborate with her clients to address trauma/stress and help
reconnect them with a sense of tranquility and a renewed zeal for life. Brina
graduated from University of Houston-Clear Lake with a master of arts in
clinical psychology. She uses a holistic approach in counseling children,
adolescents, and adults addressing mental, emotional, physical, social, and
spiritual states of wellbeing. She utilizes a combination of cognitive
behavior therapy, mindfulness, person-centered therapy, solution-focused art
therapy, and more.

“Brina and Shavara have been wonderful
additions to our team,” Cris said. “I continue to work with individuals,
couples, and families faced with depression, anxiety, addictions,
infertility, and life transitions. Sarah works with individuals of all ages
empowering them to set in motion the ideal plan to achieve their best lives.
And Christine continues to work with children offering dialectical behavioral
therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy,
tailoring therapy to each unique child.

Virtual
Reality Therapy

The new expanded office includes a dedicated
space for virtual reality (VR) intervention used as an adjunct to
face-to-face therapy for depression, anxiety, and other conditions. “We’ve
had great success treating simple phobias—such as a fear of flying—with VR
which exposes the person to that fear gradually and safely, as they’re ready
to advance,” Cris said. “We’ve seen clients face and even overcome their
phobias. The goal with VRT isn’t to replace counseling sessions but to
enhance them and take them further.”

Sometimes, even the strongest people need
help working through life’s more challenging problems. At some point, most of
us will have battles to fight and hurdles to overcome. Whether you struggle
with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or other issues, you should know
there’s hope for a better tomorrow. Contact the Insight Life Counseling team
at (832)
846-6206.