Interview with Gené Henderson | Owner | Henderson Consulting
Henderson Consulting & EAP services is the brainchild and booming life’s work of Mrs. Genè Henderson, an African American, Master Addictions Counselor, who, in 2006, founded the mental health treatment and Employee Assistance Program and services firm.
Mrs. Henderson attributes an extraordinary sum of over thirty years’ field practice to a range of addiction-related disciplines. And, she is impressively accomplished in the academic arena, having earned two Masters of Science and Art degrees, each emphasizing Rehabilitation Counseling, and attaining several hard-earned national and state certifications in Addiction Counseling.
Mrs. Henderson found the facets of addiction intriguing, and the cascading impacts of chemical dependency on individuals and their families ultimately inspired her to go into the field. Thus, she began her counseling career in 1979 in Topeka, Kansas.
In 1987, Genè moved to Colorado Springs and took a position with Penrose St. Francis’ Profile EAP department. Her distinct aptitude for the role swiftly merited her a promotion to management in 1989. Here she would, for twenty years, do an impeccable job of administering assessments, counseling, and facilitating referrals for employees with personal or work-related concerns. Alas, despite having achieved great success and notoriety among her colleagues and clients, there came a time when Gene’ began to question whether remaining at Penrose was in her best interest:
“During that time, many people, including my patients, family, and friends, told me that I needed to start my own business. I was good at what I did and underpaid for it. Penrose was making money off of me that I could have been making for myself…”
Mrs. Henderson resigned from Penrose and accepted a position with the El Paso County, Human Relations group, which unfortunately proved even less fulfilling than her previous role. After one year, she decided she had had enough:
“The atmosphere for me was stressful. It was also an environment in which diversity was not valued. I developed high blood pressure as a result. That’s when I made up my mind to start my own firm.”
After a loving endorsement of support and reassurance from her husband, Mrs. Henderson began structuring her business plan. She eventually made a rather seamless transition from corporatized mental healthcare to independent consultancy. After twenty years in the industry, she’d entrenched an esteemed reputation and was a well-known entity in the healthcare field:
“When I opened my doors on January 1, 2007, I already had eight corporate clients. Over the years, our client base consistently increased to over forty corporate clients. What sets us apart is our customer service. Our clients are very important to us. So, if that means taking a client late or after hours, we do it. You get what you need here.”
Henderson Consulting, today, is led by Mr. Aaron Henderson, Ph.D., who is Mrs. Henderson’s eldest son. The firm comprises an intentionally diverse staff of impassioned counselors whose credentialing and experience together total eighty years. “Our staff mirrors the population that we serve, which includes the military. Because mental health is taboo, people want to sit down with people they can relate to.” Accordingly, the firm has arisen a highly respected and trusted mental health provider in Colorado Springs and had administered more than 4,500 clinical sessions by the end of 2019.
Future aspirations for Henderson Consulting include integrating a branch of adolescent outreach, specifically tailored to reach children right where they are, in school. As well, the firm strives to continually administer services to an impeccable standard of excellence and integrity. Clients’ are assured their interactions from intake to discharge will always be handled by licensed, compassionate, and competent professionals, all of whom are appropriately educated and trained to drive improved quality of life experiences.
