Title: Therapist (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
Company: LifeSolutions Counseling Associates, P.C.
Location: IN/USA
Education: MSW, Ball State University (2020); BSW, Ball State University, Magna Cum Laude (2019)
Career History: Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LifeSolutions Counseling (2021-Present); Licensed Master Social Worker, Lykins Counseling Clinic (2020-2021); Therapist, Meridian Health Services Corp. (2020); Coach, Ball State University (2015-2017); Internship, Breaking Walls Counseling (2016); Coach, Wright’s Gymnastics Academy (2012-2015)
Sydney McSorley, Therapist (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) at LifeSolutions Counseling Associates, P.C., has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of social work.
Backed by a strong educational background, Ms. McSorley has excelled in her role at LifeSolutions, providing mental health services to teenagers and adults, with a focus on those aged 12 to 60, and helping individuals cope with trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship issues. Conducting sessions both in-person and remotely, she reviews each patient’s chart and notes to develop a targeted plan, and sees them on an hourly basis, as well as participates in continuing education to stay informed about the best therapeutic practices. Ingrained in sports from a young age, her specialization lies in the mental health of athletes.
Ms. McSorley grew up participating in gymnastics, learning discipline and dedication early on while also experiencing significant performance anxiety during competitions. In her teenage years, she met with a licensed social worker, who not only helped with her gymnastics challenges but also with various life issues; this had a profound impact on her and ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in the field. Upon graduating from high school, she attended Ball State University in her home state of Indiana, where she competed at the collegiate level, served as a student coach for a year, and was active as a leadership team member with Athletes in Action. Guided by her deep passion for sports and desire to help people, especially young athletes, as she experienced herself, Ms. McSorley pursued degrees in social work, ultimately earning a bachelor’s in 2018 and a master’s in 2020.
Launching her career as a therapist with Meridian Health Services Corp. in 2020, Ms. McSorley subsequently became a licensed social worker and was active for a year at Lykins Counseling Clinic before joining LifeSolutions in 2021. Over the course of her years in the field so far, she has had several notable achievements, such as helping a teenage girl who was initially resistant and guarded in sessions. The client would attend therapy sporadically, leaving and returning multiple times, making progress difficult. But during one session, Ms. McSorley deployed a more blunt approach, which first upset and further distanced the client but then led to an extremely open conversation through which she felt more comfortable and began to trust her social worker. As a result, the client began applying the concepts they discussed in therapy and expressed a genuine desire to make changes in her life going forward.
The experience was an “eye-opener” for Ms. McSorley, reminding her that it’s okay to make mistakes while working with individuals; acknowledging these mistakes and taking accountability, she found, can significantly strengthen rapport with clients. She attributes her success as a therapist to her formative years in gymnastics, where she first learned that when things don’t go as planned, it’s important to adapt to the situation, “get back up” and try again after experiencing failure. In addition to her regular day-to-day sessions, she lends her expertise as a member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports (ASWIS), attending a clinical group that meets monthly to discuss challenging cases and examine current issues in sports and their clinical impact on athletes.
Looking ahead, Ms. McSorley aims to expand her network by working with athlete clients and potentially collaborating with universities. She wants to utilize her clinical skills to engage with the population she’s most passionate about.