About Satu Korby

Professionally Speaking

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor – Supervisor, LPC-S, and psychotherapist in private practice in Austin, TX. I am also a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator (CDWF) - which means I completed training, consultation and am fully certified in the research and work of Brené Brown. Counseling is my second career – I first worked for IBM in high tech marketing in NYC and then Austin before going back to grad school as an adult - after my daughter was in first grade. I went back to school to get my Master’s degree in Professional Counseling in my late 30’s at Texas State University - San Marcos. Being a therapist is absolutely my life’s calling. I love to inspire people and help them accept themselves and transform their lives, which is the journey I have been on since my early 20’s.

Destined To Be A Therapist   

For as long as I can remember I wanted to help people. I was always the friend who was a great listener and considered going to college to be a social worker or a nurse. But, I was highly encouraged by well meaning family to go to college for something that would “make more money”. So, after starting out in engineering and then moving into the business program, I became a marketing rep for IBM in NYC until they moved me to Austin. While I had the benefits of a large company, I took advantage of professional development classes and then therapy to improve my life and my marriage. I also went to therapy because I knew I wanted to have children someday and did not want to make unconscious mistakes and do things as my parents did. I wanted to be the best mom I could be. It was in my own therapy work that I discovered that counseling was my calling and this is what I was meant to do. So after my daughter was born, (I left IBM and I made it a priority to raise my daughter full time as a stay at home mom), I decided to go back to grad school when she was 6 years old. I realized then that there was a reason I was not meant to go straight into a counseling program at age 18. I had to do my own work in therapy before I could help others and that is why I am very glad I waited until I was older to go back to school. It was made it all the more meaningful and effective because I had a lot of life and therapy experience behind me by then.

And after my daughter was born, in my 30’s, I realized I had ADHD. Without the structure of a job to go to, it was a struggle to organize my time and get done all that there was to do. After my diagnosis, I learned everything I could about Attention Deficit Disorder- read every book, went to counseling for it, went to the ADDA conference and met all the top researchers and the folks who had written all the books. It became clear to me that after becoming an expert on this topic for myself, that counseling adults with ADHD was my destiny. It is the area in which I would focus. Who else would understand and be able to help others than someone who has been there and knows what to do to live a fulfilling life? Some of my very best knowledge and experience come from my life experiences in addition to all the formal training I have done. In addition to my expertise with ADHD, I also became an expert on parenting - whether ADD kids or not, and with Brené Brown’s The Daring Way™. I also work with a form or therapy called IFS - Internal Family Systems, as well as EMDR.

What I do for a living I do not consider work. And I feel very blessed to have my clients trust me with their most vulnerable selves. This is what I love to do and I am the same in life as I am in the therapy office – authentic, accepting, compassionate and present. It takes courage to be vulnerable and I take that very seriously. I am honored to do the work I do, and I love going to the office to see my clients everyday - so much so that I get upset if I think we are going to have a snow or ice day in Austin! How many people can say that about their job?  

Finnish Background   

I am a first generation American as my parents were born in Finland and came here as adults. I was born in a Finnish community in southern upstate NY in the Hudson Valley. Most of all of my family are still in Finland and I grew up going there every summer, and I grew up speaking Finnish. My name, Satu, is a very popular Finnish name and also a word in Finnish that means fairy tale. It is actually my middle name because my father told my mother that no one would be able to pronounce such a different and Finnish name.  He was right – it was definitely difficult having an unusual name growing up in the 70’s. It’s cool now but it wasn’t back then.  As the daughter of immigrants, not knowing any English when I went off to school, and with my different name,(and come to find out later - ADHD), it was definitely a challenge to fit in and so I have a soft spot for helping people who feel or are different.

In My Spare Time

When I am not at work, I love to have fun! I am either singing, writing or reading or doing any number of interesting activities with my friends and family. I strive to be the best mom, friend, partner, sister and daughter that I can be. Connection and relationships are what this life is all about and I love doing anything with the people closest to me. I love the ocean; I love to travel - to all foreign countries especially Finland; singing in a choir, hiking, yoga, playing trivia, live music and theater - Hamilton was a favorite! I also love animals – especially horses and kitty cats, like the little sweet kitty pictured with me here. My daughter and I rescued her from a shelter 12 1/2 years ago.