Today we’d like to introduce you to Paige Keisler Collins
Hi Paige, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I graduated with a Masters of Science degree in Clinical Mental and Behavioral Health Counseling in 2009 at age 23. I immediately began working towards licensure through the state as a Marriage and Family Therapist – and working as a single, adoptive mother. I spent the next four years working with at-risk youth and continuum of care services. My work in community mental health was part of a national clinical research trial involving youth aging out of foster care services. I was also working part-time in private practice during this time. I made the leap to full time private practice in 2014 in order to be able to have more flexibly and better work-life balance (no on call weekends and holidays).
In my psychotherapy practice, I primarily utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Somatic practices, and other evidence-based psychotherapeutic treatment for a wide range of mental and behavioral health issues. I now have 15 years of experience in working with children, adults, and families, which includes providing individual, couples, and family therapy, play therapy, group therapy, in-home therapeutic services, psychoeducation and life skills trainings, parenting classes, and crisis response services. I mainly see clients for stress management, anxiety, panic disorder, Autism Spectrum disorder, and family transitions. I have both professional and personal experience with blended families, foster care, and adoption. I also enjoy working with members of the LGBTQ+ community.
I received specialized training in integrated services that support holistic health, including yoga, meditation, and breathwork while in graduate school. While I enjoyed the independence of working for myself in private practice in order implement these evidence-based practices, I found myself limited on space, as well as not enjoying the sedentary nature of psychotherapy. I decided to pursue yoga teacher training as a means to provide well-rounded services focusing on a mind-body modality to help improve clients’ emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing, as well as improve my quality of work-life. When expanding my psychotherapy practice to include more physical skills and group classes, I created Mind Body Knox, which was just me at the time (we are now a team of 20!). I have been teaching group yoga classes since 2017. I am a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500) and have certifications in trauma-informed yoga, aerial yoga, prenatal yoga, and Pilates.
After renting office space for psychotherapy and yoga studio space to offer group wellness classes for many years, I teamed up with my longtime friend and colleague, Lynn Smith, to purchase unfinished commercial space in January of 2021 – I was 7 months pregnant at the time! We designed and built a mental and physical wellness oasis, with private offices and studio spaces, which operates under the name Mind Body Knox. It is the first of its kind in our community.
Mind Body Knox is now a team of 20 offering numerous services in one location. We have 9 mental health therapists, a psychiatrist, massage therapist, sound therapist, and 8 additional certified wellness instructors. We offer numerous weekly group wellness classes, some movement based including yoga, aerial yoga, pilates, and intenSati, and non-movement classes including mindfulness meditation, breathwork, and soundbath. We also have classes specific for kids and families. All of our services are trauma-informed and evidence-based. Beginners are always welcome. In addition to our weekly classes, we offer private wellness classes, numerous courses, including Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindful Performance Enhancement, Awareness & Knowledge (mPEAK).
A surprising piece for me has been our growth in community and corporate partnerships over the last couple of years. Mind Body Knox has partnered with Knox Co. Parks and Rec., several businesses, a resort, educational institutions, conferences, and more. We have hosted events for musicians on tour, book readings by nationally known authors, and numerous clinical trainings for mental health therapists, several being the first time these trainings have ever been offered in-person in East TN. We offer corporate and community services in the form of yoga classes, tailored workshops, and speaking engagements. I personally love to expand our offerings and help destigmatize mental health and make yoga + meditation accessible in our community.
Over the years, I have expanded my license to four additional states. In addition to TN, I am licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in Texas, New Mexico, and Maine. I am also a AAMFT Approved Licensure Supervisor, meaning I provide supervision to pre-licensed therapists working towards their clinical hours for full licensure through the state. I have worked part time since having my son, but I still work in numerous roles at Mind Body Knox. I keep a small caseload of clients, supervise two pre-licensed therapists, teach two weekly yoga and pilates classes, and oversee all our group classes and wellness instructors (with the help of my studio manager, of course). In addition to my work at Mind Body Knox, I also serve on the boards for a non-profit, Resilience Wellness Association, that provides mental health services to individuals who cannot afford treatment and serve as the secretary for the Hardin Valley Business Community Alliance.
If it’s not already obvious, I am very passionate about the work we do. I truly cannot imagine a more fulfilling work life than what we have created at Mind Body Knox! Apart from genuinely enjoying my “job,” my family and friends are my world, with being a mom at the top of the list – I am an adoptive mom to my daughter, Kymberli, who is now 22 and in the same Clinical Mental and Behavioral Health Counseling program I went to! My husband, Liam, and I are former DCS foster parents, with plans to resume that role in the future. I am a biological mom to Finn (3) and we have another son on the way (due March 2025), as well as a rescue dog and cat mom 🙂 (My daughter is the “model” in the photos attached with brown curly hair, purple pants – proud mom!!)
It may sound like I do not have a lot of free time, but I actually take pride in my work-life balance. I set limits on how much time I spend working so that I have plenty of time for myself, my family, and my friends. I enjoy traveling the world, being outdoors, sunshine, swimming, creating art, playing the ukulele, and of course my yoga and meditation practice.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been plenty of learning opportunities along the way, in particular, learning the business side of things and navigating being an in-network provider with insurance companies. My degrees are in psychology and mental health – not business. I have definitely made mistakes (and learned from them) along the way, had to pivot and change plans a few times / had plans delayed many times (pandemic, numerous construction delays). My business partner, Lynn, and I kept saying we had to practice what we preached throughout the entire process of expanding and building our facility – deep breaths, yoga, meditation. It kept us zen!
I was also a single, adoptive mother, for the first eight years of my career. I have had sole full custody of my daughter since early 2010, when I was 23 years old and single, fresh out of grad school. Not having any biological relation to her, we had nearly two stressful, emotional years where there was no future guaranteed between us. Thankfully, our adoption was finalized in late 2011. I did not meet my husband until several years later, so I was the only provider for many years. Private practice was a risky jump, considering I had the two of us to support on my own. However, after working in community mental health for four years, which included on call weekends and holidays, being self employed afforded me a flexible schedule to never miss an after school game or special event of hers. After my husband and I were married in 2018, he adopted my daughter as well – she was 17 at the time!
Since I was a single mom for so long, I personally know the need for mental healthcare providers to take health insurance to make sure services are affordable and accessible to all. As a clinician, I also know that insurance companies can be difficult to deal with. Sometimes it’s smooth sailing, however, problems do arise and can be painfully time consuming to deal with. For example, I have worked for 7 months without payment from an insurance company, which resulted in many thousands of dollars in back payments because of an administrative error on behalf of the insurance company on my network contract – and I was the one putting in hours and hours of work to get the issue resolved. Yes, insurance companies are an ongoing challenge, but I have vowed to continue to contract with major insurance companies in order to provide in-network services because I know there is a great need in our community. I also now supervise and mentor pre-licensed therapists, whom I strive to teach from my mistakes to make these challenges easier for them (hopefully!)
Then navigating a coinciding pandemic and pregnancy came with its own set of challenges. In 2020, mental health services were in higher demand than ever. Due to the health of my elderly grandparents and being pregnant, I switched my entire practice to telehealth video sessions and took on as many new clients as I could squeeze into a work week because there was such a need. Then expanding Mind Body Knox with an infant was a challenge, as I am sure all working mothers can agree with. My son joined me for numerous meetings with architects, contractors, colleagues, employees, and now I’m going through the pregnancy and postpartum phases all over again, which I’m sure will come with a new set of challenges figuring out life with a newborn, preschooler, running a business, and treating clients. Motherhood and self employment are both hard work!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Mind Body Knox?
I am is the owner and founder of Mind Body Knox, LLC, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 500). I have worked as a therapist since 2010, treating children, adults, and families with a wide range of mental and behavioral health struggles. I received extensive training on the science of integrated health in graduate school and have been practicing meditation, breathwork, and yoga myself, as well as incorporating these practices into my work with clients for many years.
Over the years, I noticed that the clients I was seeing for mental health therapy recognized the need to better manage stress and take care of themselves, as well as understood the benefits of coping and relaxation skills. However, they have difficulty finding time to actually integrate and apply these skills in their daily lives. This is not surprising, though. Life is hard, and change is hard, especially given how busy everyone is these days. Also, technology has rapidly changed our lives. Our brains do not have time for rest. We are constantly under pressure, have unrealistically high expectations, and are experiencing negative emotions such as feeling overwhelmed, defeated, and frustrated. Many individuals rarely get a break, and when they do, it is often filled with unhealthy habits or pure exhaustion. Then take people who are struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, etc. Walking into a yoga studio, meditation center, a gym, or a support group is incredibly intimidating.
I pursued yoga teacher training in 2017 as a means to provide well-rounded group services focusing on a mind-body modality to help improve clients’ emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing. I expanded my private practice and created Mind Body Knox in order to provide a structured space and time focused on holistic health for my clients, our community, and for myself. I have taught yoga, breathwork, and meditation in a variety of settings (community groups, corporate settings, conferences, and residential treatment facilities) for 8 years now, in addition to continuing my work as a mental health therapist.
With the help of my husband, Liam, and longtime colleague, Lynn Smith, we teamed up to bring the dream of Mind Body Knox alive, into one space. Together we purchased unfinished commercial space and designed an oasis for mental and physical health that we are incredibly proud of. Mind Body Knox has grown to a team of 20 – we have 9 licensed mental health therapists, a psychiatrist, massage therapist, sound therapist, and 8 certified yoga, meditation, and wellness instructors. We take pride in being the singular wellness studio in East Tennessee that presents such a comprehensive pathway to mental and physical wellness under one roof.
We are honored to play a role in helping to destigmatize mental health and making yoga + meditation accessible in our community… people say they cannot do yoga because they are not flexible or that they cannot meditate because they cannot empty their mind are not allowing themselves to be beginners. Practice makes progress and the more one practices, they quickly realize that yoga is not about flexibility and meditation is not about having zero thoughts.
Located in Hardin Valley, Mind Body Knox is a center of excellence offering professional, evidence-based services through a trauma-informed approach. We curate a diverse offering of classes that cater to one’s holistic wellbeing. Our classes are thoughtfully designed to provide a comprehensive, balanced wellness experience, nurturing both mind and body. Our mission is centered on aiding our students in strengthening both their mental and physical capabilities while simultaneously managing stress, regulating their nervous system, boosting mood, instilling confidence, and establishing life balance.
Our offerings are inclusive, catering to every skill level from novices to experts. Our devoted instructors are passionate about assisting every student, ensuring they benefit maximally. We have created a safe haven—an environment that is not just encouraging but also provides solace to those grappling with life’s challenges.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
It’s hard being a newer, locally owned business in a world of franchises and corporations, so word of mouth helps us tremendously! Tell your friends, follow us on social media (@mindbodyknox on Facebook and Instagram), join us for a class, come get a massage, sign up for our newsletter via our website mindbodyknox.com
At Mind Body Knox, we truly mean it when we say that our classes are beginner friendly. Plus all of our services are evidence-based (meaning backed by science) and trauma-informed – we prioritize clients feeling safe both in their environment and in their own body. We have a wide variety of both movement and nonmovement group classes on our weekly schedule that we would love to have you join. We also offer one-on-one private yoga classes, massage therapy, and sound therapy. In addition to psychotherapy, counseling, EMDR, and medication management offered by our licensed mental health professionals.
We love to be out and about in the community, and we will travel to you! We are partnered with numerous community groups, local businesses, educational institutions, and more. We offer corporate/community services in the form of yoga classes, sound baths, tailored workshops, speaking engagements, and much more. Keep us in mind if you are looking for an engaging activity or team building event for your business / conference, wanting to provide ongoing wellness services for your clients or employees (we can also offer discounted classes and memberships for clients/employees of businesses we work with), interested in a partnership to expand services, or know of a business who is looking for any of the above!
Lastly, we absolutely love to continue to expand our offerings – if you need a space to offer your evidence-based services (nutrition/dietician, acupuncture, etc.) we have plenty of room to grow! We have private office space for you to meet with clients individually and lots to offer in the form of workshops, classes, and courses (our studio can house 30 participants in-person, plus we have full hybrid capabilities to easily livestream). Reach out if this applies to you!
Pricing:
- Intro Offer – new clients can take up to 8 classes in 2 weeks for $48
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mindbodyknox.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindbodyknox/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindbodyknox/
