Episode 24-Interview with Stephanie Konter-O’Hara

Who is Stephanie Konter-O’Hara? How has she dealt with perfectionism, stress, anxiety, and what might you be able to learn from her journey? How can you become motivated in life to do what’s important and to cut what isn’t?

In this episode, Nathan and Aaron interview guest Stephanie Konter-O’Hara, discussing all these things and more.

In This Podcast

Summary

• Who is Stephanie Konter-O’Hara?
• How does she handle her complex life?
• How can I become more motivated?
• Avoiding Perfectionism

Who is Stephanie Konter-O’Hara?

1. Stephanie is a licensed therapist in Florida and Colorado
2. She owns a group practice (WellMinded Counseling) focused on mindfulness in Broomfield, Colorado and just started another company called Konter & Associates with her sister doing billing for other businesses

How Stephanie balances her complicated life

1. She uses schedules to block out her day and make sure she’s maintaining a healthy balance of activities
2. She has friends and family who give her feedback to help her stay on track
3. Stephanie limits her exposure to work so that she can be present by turning off her phone at certain times and doing yoga
4. She’s learned to communicate well with others and let them be autonomous
5. Stephanie sets up clear boundaries so that she can stay orderly and focus on what’s most important

How Can I Become More Motivated?

1. If you don’t value something or understand why you’re doing something, you won’t have any motivation
2. Find the hidden meaning to seemingly menial and pointless tasks and they’ll become much more important
   • Find the abstract values which you think are most important. For example, connection with others, or completing a task.
   • Use the newfound value to motivate you in other tasks
3. Understand your strengths and what fulfills you the most, then use those things to your advantage
4. Protect the important things so that life feels more enjoyable

Avoiding Perfectionism

1. Stephanie has learned a number of mindfulness skills to reduce stress and allow herself to not get as worked up about being perfect
2. She stays away from multitasking and anxiety by doing one thing at a time, structured with schedules
3. She is easier on herself and judges herself less, allowing room for mistakes while still noticing what can be improved
4. Stephanie suggests that you understand your boundaries. Don’t sacrifice everything for others and know your limits.

Useful Links

• Sign up for our free email course, 9 Ways To Overcome Fear & Self-Doubt, that will guide you through our process of facing fears and insecurities so that you can feel more comfortable in your own skin
• Contact Konter & Associates and mention this podcast episode to get 10% off your billing sign-up fee
• WellMinded Counseling
• Konter Billing & Associates
• WellMinded Counseling on Facebook
• Konter Billing & Associates on Facebook

Thanks for Listening!

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Meet Nathan and Aaron

Nathan Hawkins and Aaron Potratz are both licensed therapists and clinical supervisors in the state of Oregon. They each own their own private group counseling practices and co-own a third group practice together. Nathan and Aaron have been in the field since 2004 and 2007, respectively, and have over 100,000 hours of therapy experience each. On their show, they discuss facing fears and common challenges from a therapist’s point of view, imparting wisdom and humanity to their viewers. Along the way, they hope to not only share their insights but bring some light-hearted entertainment to make the journey easier.