Meet Lindsey Fox | Therapist & Life Coach

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

Hi Lindsey, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
My name is Lindsey Fox and I am the owner of CBT Wellness Center and founder of What The Fox?!™ podcast. My end goal is to inspire trauma-informed perspective-taking that generates systemic and structural change through psychoeducation and storytelling with influential stakeholders.

For starters, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I tested out a few different career paths before arriving where I am today. Two transferable skills that supported my success across different industries are my ability to investigate systemic breakdowns between operations and organizational communication, and how to speak up for what is working and what is not.

I never planned on becoming a therapist; it kind of happened by accident. When I was in my twenties, I married a man who supported traditional gender roles. He encouraged me to become a housewife and work as a community volunteer. I found myself feeling bored and stagnant, so I decided to pursue graduate school to earn my Masters in Clinical Counseling Psychology. Through this experience, I felt something in my soul ignite. I knew I was heading toward a more promising future.

I began my career as a therapist at a trauma clinic working with Medicaid clients. Among my clients, I quickly noticed many patterns of thinking, feeling, behaving and relating that were not designed to be supported by ‘the system.’ Many of my clients’ trauma histories or trauma-reactive behaviors were largely misunderstood by doctors, children and family services, and the legal system as a whole. For this reason, I found myself assuming the role of an advocate more than a therapist.

In 2020, the global pandemic became a collective trauma on society, as it challenged everything we thought we knew about the human condition and how to survive. I had a front row seat into witnessing vulnerable populations become more vulnerable. Domestic violence, child abuse, and suicide rates skyrocketed. At this time, I separated from my spouse and moved out to focus on personal healing while simultaneously holding space for my clients and figuring out how to navigate my own new normal.

During this process, my privilege as a white woman in America during the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter revolution challenged me to observe deeper levels of my belief system and toxic patterns that were considered ‘normal.’ I leaned into the discomfort and decided it was time to press the reset button on my life. I began to realize that the more I learned, the less I knew. I was certain that I was not the only one navigating this realization.

Once I felt more grounded in my personal power and newfound insights, I launched a life coaching business (CBT Wellness Center: www.cbtwellnesscenter.com) to help others with personal and professional development. I began to attract a high-level clientele of models, actors, and executives, all of whom shared feelings of being lost and in need of their own reset button. I began to realize that regardless of a person’s status or lifelong vulnerabilities, everyone was struggling with how to survive during the pandemic.

That being said, it became abundantly clear that my therapy clients at the trauma clinic were more severely affected by the broken systems than any of my life coaching clients. My therapy clients’ frontline exposure to systemic breakdowns hijacked any sense of hope for them to stay above water, no less try to get ahead. While it is easy to say, ‘We choose our own hard,’ these individuals did not have a choice as they were and are constantly operating under highly stressful circumstances. When the brain’s amygdala is in fight-or-flight mode, everything else goes by the wayside, including decision-making and control. We are primed to respond to perceived threats in ways that promote life-preserving measures by any means necessary; however, our government does not typically take mental health into consideration.

While it is essential for our legal system and lawmakers to stand behind trauma-informed approaches, Rome was not built in a day. For now, I intend to do my part by taking small, incremental steps toward inspiring change by generating conversations surrounding societal taboos that laypeople and lawmakers alike seem to avoid in an effort to stay comfortable. The goal of What The Fox?!™ podcast is to break barriers by deconstructing social norms through the use of invitational rhetoric and storytelling. We invite guest speakers from all walks of life to share how they’ve turned their adversities into advantages. My hope is to use the What The Fox?!™ podcast platform as a stepping stone to promote and foster actionable steps toward change from a grassroots level to the changemakers.

To become a guest speaker on What The Fox?!™ podcast, please share your story by emailing whatthefoxtales@gmail.com.

Tune in every Tuesday for new episodes: https://linktr.ee/whatthefox
Available on Spotify, Apple, Google, Amazon, Audible, Anchor, iHeart Radio, and YouTube.

Follow us on Instagram @whatthefoxpodcast and @lindseythelifecoach

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In an effort to support clients make breakthroughs, CBT Wellness Center has created a holistic wellness approach that is both belief- and behavior-based. It addresses person-centered skill set as well as mindset. I believe in providing an oasis for urban lives to pause, to reflect, to tune in to their own greatness, so that they can regroup for their next leap forward.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands and how to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic, my virtual coaching services aim to introduce clarity, self-motivation, and mindfulness by incorporating a holistic mind + body, cognitive behavioral approach. As a Masters-level clinician and certified cognitive-behavioral life coach, I have been successfully providing services to clients, and facilitating their self-growth since 2018. In addition, I have been studying disaster psychology and the effects it has on public health since 2006.

My services require a highly engaged and collaborative approach with the identified coaching client. All coaching services offered by CBT Wellness Center utilizes components of the cognitive behavioral model. Research shows a CBT-oriented approach can quickly help you identify and cope with specific challenges. Through cognitive behavioral coaching, you will learn CBT-informed techniques and distress tolerance skills to better manage the stress that comes with everyday life transitions, including but not limited to how to navigate today’s “new normal” both personally and professionally.

CBT-informed coaching applies the techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in a *non-therapeutic way to the problems of every day life, enabling individuals to rapidly and efficiently reach their personal development and career goals.

*CBT Wellness Center does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Coaching services are not designed to replace or substitute mental health services.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you want the quintessential Boston experience, then you have to go on a duck tour, walk the freedom trail, shop on Newbury Street, explore the aquarium, and take time to appreciate the Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Gardner Museum, Boston Public Library, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in the Seaport District.

If my best friends came to visit, we would eat our way through my old stomping grounds in the North End aka Little Italy. One of my favorite local spots is Piccolo Nido (Lewis St.) where owner Pino Irano takes time to get to know every patron and tells hilarious stories of various celebrities, athletes, and politicians who have frequented his restaurant. If Pino’s entertainment is not your style, then Assaggio (Prince St.) is a great alternative because they have comedy shows on Thursday nights. Lastly, Nando (Hanover St.) offers simple, modern Italian with a classic elegant vibe. For dessert, I recommend completing the ultimate cannoli crawl by walking to Bova’s Bakery (Salem St.) Mike’s Pastry (Hanover St.), and Modern Pastry (Hanover St.). and giving each place a little taste test!

For a super unique speakeasy type of experience, I highly recommend OFFSUIT, an intimate cocktail bar located at 5 Utica Street in Boston’s Leather District. It is hard to find and available for walk-in business – when you find the door, call, don’t knock.

To have the ultimate Girls Night Out, I would absolutely drag my friends out to Jacques’ Cabaret. It is an offbeat bar & cabaret hosting over-the-top drag performances & a weekly karaoke night SEVEN nights a week! I’ve never had a bad experience at Jacques!

If you’re a beer-loving Red Sox fan, don’t forget to check out the Bleacher Bar! It is located beneath Fenway Park’s bleachers and patrons are able to get an awesome (and free!) view of centerfield through a huge garage window.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to What The Fox?!™ podcast co-host Amber Ross for supporting all of my wild and crazy ideas. I started nagging Amber about participating on the show for a solid six months before she decided to give it a go! I am so thankful that she chose faith over fear and opted to push herself out of her comfort zone. She volunteers to help wherever needed and has truly been a pleasure to connect with on this journey.

Shoutout to my Clinical Supervisor Melissa Petrillo, LMHC (www.mpetrillolmhc.com) for her words of encouragement on my hardest days. Melissa provided unparalleled guidance on how to launch a successful life coaching business (www.cbtwellnesscenter.com). She continues to inspire me to evolve and gives that extra little push when I need it most.

Shoutout to my #1 fan and best friend: my sweet dog Lulu. She is the best dog in the world and has overcome unbelievable hardships as a rescue and cancer survivor. As she approaches the end stages of her life, I hope to honor her unconditional love and legacy by writing a children’s book series in her honor: The Adventures of Lulu. Be on the lookout!

All of these individuals have played a significant role in my story. I am tremendously grateful for their love, guidance, and support.

Website: www.cbtwellnesscenter.com

Instagram: @lindseythelifecoach

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcwhUM_hvBgbfgVwA3rfIQA

Other: Instagram: @whatthefoxpodcast Snapchat: @whatthefoxtales TikTok: @lindseythelifecoach

Image Credits
Eric Ross and Lindsey Fox