Meet Shari Warner | Mental Health Therapist and Attorney

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shari Warner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shari, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
If I were to answer off the cuff, I would say, and have often said, that I am not a risk taker. Except that when I look back over my life and the major decisions that I have made…all of them have involved taking a risk of some sort. When I decided to relocate from New York to Fort Lauderdale the day after graduating law school, with no job prospect and having to take the Bar Exam…that was a risk. When I decided to return to school 13 years after practicing law to earn a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy…that was a risk. When I decided to leave my full time position as a primary therapist at a substance abuse rehabilitation facility to start my private practice…that was a risk. And I continue to take risks today.

What I’ve learned though, is that you don’t grow without taking risks. Being risk averse means staying safe and sometimes that is a good thing. But it could also mean becoming stagnant. I like growing and learning new things and taking risks, sometimes calculated ones, stretched me out of my comfort zone and exposed me to new, exciting and sometimes terrifying opportunities. Without my willingness to take risks, I would probably still be living in New York, working as a lawyer and being unhappy, rather than building the career and living the life I’ve always dreamed of here in South Florida.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am CEO and Clinical Director of a private mental health practice in Tamarac, Florida. When I started my practice in 2016, I told everyone that it would be my “retirement career” and that I just wanted a small solo practice focusing on women’s wellness where I can work at my leisure, when I wanted, if I wanted. Now, I find myself with a growing multicultural group practice where we assist individuals, couples and families in obtaining the help that they need for themselves and their loved ones. The group practice developed out of a desire to help new mental health graduates who are interested in private practice learn the fundamentals to develop and grow their own businesses. I then expanded to graduate student couple and family therapy interns from my Alma Mater, Nova Southeastern University, who I wanted to help learn the basics of clinical work so that upon graduation they would be prepared and equipped to work in whatever setting they desired.

But of course, as in anything else, there were growing pains. Learning how to scale my practice in a healthy way is still a work in progress, especially when it comes to identifying the right fit and putting proper systems in place for seamless growth. I try to learn from the mistakes that I make and more importantly, I’ve learned to ask for help from those who have done it successfully and to step out of my own way to make the changes needed, at the time they are needed.

My brand continues to evolve as the practice grows. The meaning is the same, Serendipity – A Happy Accident, and I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the new and interesting happenings that come along with the growth. Our current team of therapists hail from different countries: Jamaica, Trinidad, America, Haiti and Serbia, which allows us as a multicultural practice to better serve a wider audience. As I grow individually, so do the members of my team and I enjoy watching them stretch beyond their own limits to try new things and develop their own clinical skills.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Anyone who knows me will tell you that I’m a home-body and the pandemic has really solidified that. However, my friends and I have been dipping our toes in the social scene recently and found a few good spots that I would totally share with friends from out of town. For food anything Caribbean or Latin is great. For lunch I’m partial to Bahama Breeze, by Sawgrass Mills Mall or on Federal Highway, and Coconuts in Fort Lauderdale. For dinner, JB’s on the Beach in Deerfield Beach or Shooters Waterfront are phenomenal with great food and great service. If you’re up for fun and entertainment, Blue Jeans Blues in Fort Lauderdale is a great jazz spot where they have no problem pulling you up on stage for a little fun. Recently we hung out at the Dania Improv for a comedy show and that was fabulous. The food was great, service was on point and the show was hilarious. We plan to head back to Dania Pointe to check out the shops and other entertainment that they have there. Of course, weather allowing, you can’t beat a day on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Whether you’re hanging out on the beach or having lunch at a sidewalk restaurant, just taking in the vibes down there is good for the soul.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have a whole tribe of family and friends that have supported me and my decisions over the years. The two most consistent have been my husband and my mother. My cautiousness was learned from my mother. Her carefulness and deliberation in making consistently good decisions has helped me in developing the abilities need to make good, healthy decisions for myself and my business. She continues to be that voice of reason telling me to look both ways before crossing.

My husband, on the other hand, encourages me to take the risks needed to step out and pursue whatever my heart desires. Sometimes he pushes me beyond my level of comfort, but knowing that he has my back makes the leap worthwhile. He’s my sounding board for new ideas and when I need to work through issues that seem obvious but aren’t making sense, he’s there to help unravel the knots.

I am also blessed to have countless friends and colleagues in both the legal and mental health fields that have been supportive of my various ventures. I know that I can reach out to them, just as they are always able to reach out to me when needed.

Website: https://www.serendipitycounselingllc.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serendipity_counseling

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shariwarner/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/serendipitycounselingllc