Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Cox
Hi Stephanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a therapist. I was fortunate enough to be able to go to school to realize that dream and in 2020 I started my private practice Better Being Therapy Services. What started out as me taking Telehealth sessions from my closet in our 600 sq. ft. apartment during the lockdown has turned into a 3 office suite right on 3rd street in Jax Beach. Better Being Therapy Services now employs a Child and Family Therapist who specializes in ADHD, Autism and Parent Coaching, an Individual Adult Therapist who specializes in anxiety, depression, trauma, postpartum anxiety, depression and adjustments, as well as elder care for dementia and helping caregivers cope with end of life care for their loved ones. In addition to running the group practice, I’m also the Couples Therapist on site. I’m a Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist, and in fact one of the only fully Certified EFCT Therapists in the entire city. The speciality allows me to work with couples using the EFCT framework, which has been around for decades and named the “Gold Standard” for Couples Therapy by the American Psychological Association. With our specialities combined, Better Being Therapy Services can help anyone seeking help no matter where they are across the lifespan.
In addition to running the practice, I just launched The Better Relationship. The Better Relationship is an education company designed specifically for couples. Through specialized digital workshops and courses we teach couples crucial relationship skills that equip them to repair, build and maintain healthy and happy relationships. I wanted to build this company because I know that not everyone can afford or get into couples therapy – so I wanted to create a barrier free way for people to still learn skills to help themselves!
Today, we’re so busy. Myself included, but that shouldn’t prevent us from learning how to love each other better and improve our relationships. The Better Relationship makes it easy and accessible. With just your phone you can learn skills that range from apologies and forgiveness, to parenting, to basic communication practices that couples desperately need but may not have ever been taught. Because lets face it – no one teaches us these relationship principles as we’re growing up, and we’re not a generation that’s going to make it a habit to regularly travel to seminars and couples retreats to learn this. We’re a digital generation, in a digital fast paced age, and The Better Relationship meets us where we are and gives us what we need to not feel so alone in our relationships.
The site is also organic, and new workshops and courses are added all the time. I have future plans for courses on Co-Parenting through Divorce, Parenting the ADHD Child and so on. We’re just getting started and are having so much fun with it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A smooth road would have been so nice! I feel like smooth roads are absolutely a dream but has not been the reality for my journey. Starting during the pandemic for one had it’s own challenges (sessions from the closet, etc.), but not surprisingly any business venture is going to incur significant costs and I don’t come from a background with readily available financial backing, to put it one way.
My father is an immigrant to this country, and while my parents worked hard to provide for my sister and I there’s never been a coffer for “business risks” to draw from for us kids! Still, our childhood was sweet. One of my fondest memories was one Christmas when we couldn’t afford wrapping paper my mom flattened out some old paper grocery bags and cut up a sponge into snowflake shapes and we used some paint to make our own paper. Sitting there, on our kitchen counter in our little apartment off Baymeadows road is a core memory of resourcefulness and making the best with what you have. Which is something that I carry into my businesses.
As a second generation immigrant myself what I did gain from my parents is an incredibly hard work ethic, and the knowledge that there are no shortcuts. Ultimately, I’m thankful for that. While I can’t turn a stack of my parents money into a business shortcut with a wave of a wand, I am able to walk away with grit, knowledge and hard knocks.
My journey thus has been slower, measured, and meticulous and something I get to be very proud of.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Better Being Therapy Services, Co. : We’re a group practice that see’s people all across the lifespane. From our Child and Family Therapist who specializes in ADHD, Autism, Trauma and Parenting to our Individual Adult Therapist who specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Postpartum Care, Grief, Elder/Dementia Care, and Caregiver Support, to myself who works with Couples using Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy as one of the only Certified Emotionally Certified Couples Therapists in the city – we can meet most every need for therapy.
The Better Relationship, Co. : We’re an educational company designed specifically for couples. Through our specialized digital workshops and courses we teach couples crucial relationship skills that equip them to repair, build and maintain healthy and happy relationships. I’m so excited to be able to share this company with the world to help remove the barriers for couples and individuals who want better for themselves and their relationships.
In terms of specializations and what sets me apart from others, personally it’s my certification as a Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist (EFCT). Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy has been named the Gold Standard for Couples Therapy by the American Psychological Association, and over the decades of study it’s shown to be one of the most effective models for helping couples repair, recover and reconnect. The certification process is extensive and involves hours and hours of education, trainings, case consultation, supervision and review by an international board. It can sometimes be a years long process, and I’ve been fortunate enough to earn the designation and be one of the only Certified EFCT Therapists in our city. As a result, I’m on a mission to educate as many people as possible about this model and make it accessible to all who may benefit from it.
In terms of what am I most proud of brand wise, I would have to say my relatability and desire to make skills accessible and easy to digest. Therapy, skill building and change can be so hard – but I want people to know that they can in fact change their lives! They can change their relationships! They can change their families, all for the better! Through therapy, but also through the workshops and courses available at The Better Relationship I communicate that accessibility and hopefully lower the proverbial bar for people who just need a little bit of a nudge to start themselves on their journey to “Better”.
What do I want the readers to know about my brand, offerings and services? That it’s just for them. They don’t need to have ever been in therapy, or need advanced education or degree’s to understand or benefit from it. The only pre-requisite to being part of the “Better” family (whether that be through therapy at Better Being Therapy Services, or joining us over at The Better Relationship) is a desire to be just 1% happier, just 1% better at communication, just 1% healthier in their relationships. If that’s you – then get to know us, or better yet join our newsletter at The Better Relationship and you can stay in the know with everything we have going on over there.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love that this city is home. I was born and raised in Jacksonville and in part that’s why I’m so invested in the health and happiness of it’s people, the families of Jacksonville, and the relationships in Jacksonville. Ask any Native Jacksonvillian and they’ll tell you it’s the biggest small town you’ll ever live in. Growing up here and staying gives you the privilege of watching your friends and neighbors throughout our lives. I’ve gone from playing on the playground with my peers, to making reservations at their thriving restaurants downtown – and that is just the coolest thing to behold. I can’t go a weekend without spotting an old acquaintance or teacher, and reminiscing on the past. I love the community feel, the community atmosphere and the community care.
This is a city that truly cares about each other, and I believe it’s only getting better – and I intend to be part of that.
What do I like least about our city?…. Is it a cheap answer to say nothing comes to mind?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebetterrelationship.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.better.relationship/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebetterrelationship
- Other: https://better-being-therapy.com/
