Exploring Life & Business with Dorathy Scott of Renewed Hope Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorathy Scott.

Hi Dorathy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey to becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist started as a young girl. It may surprise some to think an 11-year-old wanted to be a therapist, but it’s true. My dream was first to become a psychologist, but it never strayed from the mental health field; I refined my focus as I got older. I think the saying is God laughs at our well-made plans. My path to this dream took a few more decades to become a reality. After 20 years in the corporate world and changes in my personal life, the space and opportunity were finally there to return and gain my graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2020. While looking into which program I wanted to enroll in, I spoke with a colleague at my corporate job who informed me about the Marriage and Family therapist degree at a local college. Surprisingly, this had yet to come across my radar. After meeting with the program director, I knew that becoming a Marriage and Family therapist aligned with my goals, my vision for myself, and my being as a whole. Finally, I was on the path to my 11-year-old dream and couldn’t have been happier. I opened my private practice in September 2022 and am still looking back. I realize how incredibly blessed I am to be living my dream. Getting to this place may have taken many years, but I did. I am truly living my life’s purpose. I have the honor of my clients inviting me to help them work through life’s troubles, and I do not take that honor lightly.

Let’s dig deeper into the story – has it been an easy path, and if not, what challenges have you overcome?
It has not been a smooth road to becoming a therapist, but a road I am grateful for. I put my dream on hold for several years while I focused on other things, and honestly, it was the way it was meant to be. I don’t have any regrets that my road to my purpose in life had different twists and turns. There were valuable lessons, wonderful people I met, and my personal growth in those twists and turns that only enriched who I am. Interestingly, once it was time to get on the path to my degree and open my practice, that road seemed less bumpy, and I attribute that to all of the earlier twists and turns I had already taken in my life.

As you know, we’re big fans of Renewed Hope Therapy. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist located in Olathe, KS. I work with individuals, couples, and families ages 8 and up. I have in-person and virtual sessions available. Virtual sessions are only available at this time to persons physically located in the state of Kansas, where I hold my license. I work with clients with a range of mental diagnoses, including Dissociative Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Trauma, and Stress-Related Disorders. Some situations that can cause these symptoms include marital or family distress, childhood trauma, and work-related stress, to name a few. I want potential clients to know that your care is my main priority.

Since you enter my office space, I hope to invite my clients to a welcoming environment where they feel comfortable, seen, safe, and genuinely cared for. Reaching out to someone and stating that they are interested in therapy takes tremendous courage. It is a challenging thing for most people to do. From the initial contact with me, whether over the phone, email, or my website, I hope to be inviting and feel cared for from the beginning. The name of my practice is Renewed Hope Therapy. The word hope is significant to me. In my trials during the years, there were a lot of twists and turns, but hope got me through. That is exactly what I hope to give my clients is hope. No matter what circumstances they face that brought them to me, there is hope that things can be different. Part of my logo includes the following words: peace, harmony, and balance. Those three words align with hope for me. Clients begin with me at times when they may be experiencing chaos, imbalance, and distress, and my hope and goal is that they conclude when things are more peaceful, balanced, and harmonic. I strive for that in my own life and my clients.

Can you talk to us about the role of luck?
I don’t believe in luck, but definitely timing. When I was choosing my master’s program, the program I attended was not on my radar at all. When he mentioned this degree program, I talked to a colleague about starting school and my career change. Now, the “luck” of the situation I acknowledge stems from my not sharing that information with many people at the office at the time. Whatever reason caused me to open up and share my plans with this coworker, I see it as fate. Another situation I consider fate, timing, and luck happened last year. A broken elevator in the prior space I was renting an office has led to the new office space I love. My new space led to this interview because my suitemate Grace Finley referred the magazine to me. This move has been the best thing yet for my practice. I have expanded my space size 10-fold, and my visibility has increased tremendously. All because of a broken elevator, I found the need to move, and what a great move it has been.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.renewedhopetherapykc.com