Influential Woman · Mental Health
Arlene Marie Donnelly
Mental Health Counselor, Donnelly Healing llc
Springfield, MI 49017
Her Story
About Arlene
Arlene Donnelly is a licensed mental health counselor, clinical supervisor, and practice owner with more than 13 years of experience helping individuals overcome emotional and behavioral challenges. Providing both in-person and virtual counseling services across multiple states, she specializes in the treatment of trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, substance use, and a range of addictive behaviors, including gambling, pornography, and video gaming. Throughout her career, Arlene has remained committed to delivering evidence-based care while creating an environment where clients feel understood, supported, and empowered to make lasting changes in their lives.
Arlene's path into the counseling profession was shaped by her own lived experiences. Growing up in a family affected by divorce and unaddressed mental health challenges, she witnessed firsthand how emotional struggles can influence relationships, decision-making, and overall well-being. Seeking counseling as an adult became a transformative experience that inspired her to dedicate her life to helping others heal. Before becoming a therapist, she worked in case management, assisting individuals in accessing critical community resources and support systems. Those early experiences strengthened her understanding of the social, emotional, and practical barriers many people face and continue to inform her compassionate, client-centered approach today.
In addition to providing therapy, Arlene serves as a clinical supervisor and mentor to emerging professionals pursuing full licensure and substance use credentials. She is particularly passionate about expanding access to effective treatments for OCD, trauma, and anxiety disorders through evidence-based modalities such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and trauma-focused interventions. Among her proudest professional accomplishments is building her own successful counseling practice, where she combines clinical expertise with authenticity, advocacy, and human connection. While she values this achievement, Arlene considers her greatest rewards the everyday victories of her clients—the moments when they apply new skills, gain confidence, and create meaningful change in their lives.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Arlene
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to commitment to being the best counselor I can be, through learning and authentic interactions with my clients. I believe that my willingness to learn, be open, an authentic with my clients allows them the same facilitating real relationships that foster growth and independence for the client. It is this trust that builds word of mouth advertising that mental health counseling thrives on.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When I was going to school, my mentor was amazing. She always told me to be true to who I am, be trusting in my intuition, and understand that I'm the person in the room. She said to trust in what is happening and then review it later, but don't second-guess yourself in the room. That helped me out so much in the beginning stages of therapy when you feel so much imposter syndrome.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be yourself. Most of our professional training in school is about being a professional, being a blank slate, keeping your own feelings aside. But when people go to counseling, they want a human. So when they tell you something outrageous, they don't want you to just go, 'wow, that sounds hard.' They want a response. Be authentic to who you are. If your normal response is, 'wow, that's crazy,' be that person.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in the filed right now is the lack of qualified mental health professionals. Right now, we are in the middle of mental health crisis as more people are becoming aware and educated about mental health, there is a lack of mental health professionals to treat them. With the changes to college degrees, and mental health no longer being a professional degree will continue to limit people coming into the field - increasing the mental health crisis.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me are integrity, authenticity, and compassion.
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