Today we’d like to introduce you to Quinton Clawson.
Hi Quinton, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey with counseling and the decision to start my private practice, Essence Counseling, began when I was young. It was my own experiences with childhood trauma and my later experiences with treatment that led to my passion for mental health counseling. My childhood counselor changed my life, and it seemed to me at the time that if I was to have any purpose it was to hopefully do the same for others. I graduated with a clinical mental health counseling degree and an addiction counseling degree in the spring of 2019 from the University of the Cumberlands.
My career up until now has been defined by eclecticism. My internship while completing my master’s degrees was spent working on a contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice where I provided counseling to kids on probation or who were detained in the juvenile detention center. I then spent over three years with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, FL where I provided trauma therapy to children who had experienced emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse. In August of 2022 I moved to Lakeland, FL and I accepted a position with Lakeland Regional Health as a supervisor at the Harrell Family Center for Behavioral Wellness. In November of 2023 I helped to create the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at LRH and then supervised its operation. In April of 2025 I chose to start my private practice, Essence Counseling, located in downtown Lakeland, FL at 238 N Massachusetts Ave. My hope in starting my private practice is to provide passionate quality care to those who need it most.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think any road taken in life is ever completely smooth. I’ve had my fair share of obstacles, just as everyone has, and I’m sure that the obstacles I’ve faced aren’t all that unique to those that others have faced. I try to remain aware that every experience is something to be embraced, good or bad. Life, after all, is about the experience, not the destination.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My private practice, Essence Couneling, offers mental health counseling to clients, supervision to registered mental health counseling interns, and training and education to the community and businesses. We hope to expand to multiple locations in the future along with providing the first residency program to registered mental health counseling interns.
Pricing:
- Self-Pay is 95$ a session
- In-network with multiple insurances
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.essenceflorida.com/
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Essence Counseling
