We were lucky to catch up with Cheryl Reeley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Cheryl thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

Establishing my own practice was something that I never thought I could do or would do. However, as I was really allowing myself to dream big about what I wanted to do with my time, energy, education, and experience, I realized starting my own practice was a dream that I might be capable of. The more research I did, the more confident I became. I was able to tackle each hurdle one step at a time and I learned something new at every turn. I really didn’t have anyone to lean on during this process because I didn’t know anyone else who started their own practice. At the time I really thought this was a set back and meant that I was going to make a lot of mistakes, but what I discovered is that because I had to do everything on my own, and research everything, I gained confidence in myself. When someone asked a specific detail about my business, I immediately knew the answer because I was the one who set it up and made the decision to do it one way or another.
I’m so proud of where I am now. Two years ago at this time, this was my dream.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a therapist physically located in Austin, TX (practicing virtually throughout Texas and Colorado) specializing in maternal mental health. The majority of my clients are new moms dealing with perinatal mood disorders such as pregnancy and postpartum anxiety and/or depression. I also see clients who are in the middle of their journey to motherhood which may include infertility, pregnancy losses, or a traumatic birth experience. Something that sets my services apart from others is that I have experience in the healthcare field that is directly related to the specialized services I provided to the perinatal population. I worked as a medical social worker for 6 years and for several of those years I was the dedicated Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) social worker. During that time, I worked closely with staff and patients as they managed care around the journey to parenthood.
I’m very proud of the connection and relationships that I build with my clients and even those who reach out and do not become my clients. My background is in social work, so I am committed to making sure that every person who reaches out to me gets connected with the provider or services that best serve them. I know I am not the best fit for every client that comes my way, but that doesn’t mean that I stop helping them.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Building my reputation in the market was something that was really important to me as I started my private practice in Austin because I had never worked in the field here. All of my experience was in Illinois before we moved to Austin. Connecting with others in the perinatal and birth community was something that took me way out of my comfort zone. I basically sent emails to any one and everyone that I could find when doing an internet search and some of my closest colleagues now I met through these “cold emails.” I emailed doulas, lactation consultants, midwives, OBGYNs, and other therapists. I also joined the Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Alliance of Texas which connected me with other therapists, psychiatrists, and providers who specialize in maternal mental health. In order to foster these relationships, I said yes to any opportunity that came my way. One of the doulas that replied to my email almost immediately asked me to speak during her hypnobirthing class and has invited me back every time she offers the course which is several times per year. A lactation consultant group asked if I would talk to the staff about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, so I said yes to that and was able to connect with their staff as well as the administration in the group.
I make sure to be active in the groups that I am part of so that it is clear that I want to be part of the group and that I’m not just there to market myself. I want to connect with other therapists who specialize in maternal mental health so that I can refer out as needed. I know I’m not the best fit for every client, but I want to be informed about who I might be sending them to next so they can get the care they need as soon as possible.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started my private practice my plan was to specialize in maternal mental health and be private pay only. At that time, I wanted to be sure that I was in charge of everything in my business and I thought that if I accepted insurance I would have to adjust the way that I provide services to clients based on the insurance. The first 9 months of my business were going well. I had clients, not quite as many as I had hoped at that time, but the business was growing. Then a family member called me and asked if she could talk to me about a situation with an extended family member and a tragic pregnancy loss. Of course, I said yes and ended up talking to the grieving mom as well and trying to get her connected with services in her area as they were not in Texas, so I wasn’t as familiar. As I was gathering information I needed to know if she wanted to use her insurance and she said she would have to for financial reasons. I searched high and low and reached out to anyone and everyone I could think of to get her connected but there were so many barriers. Finally, I was able to get her connected with the perfect fit therapist but the therapist wasn’t taking any more clients with that particular insurance until she heard the client’s story and she said she would take her on. The grace of that therapist reminded me that I need to be accessible to the people who need these services. Shortly after that, I started the process of getting credentialed with an insurance company, I was approved and now over half of my clients are using their insurance to access services that they wouldn’t have or couldn’t have paid out of pocket for. There are so many barriers for clients to access mental health care and for me, it made complete sense to pivot my business model and plan in a way that makes care more accessible. That pivot showed me that I can change my mind. It reminded me that I am in charge and I get to make the best decision for me and my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cherylreeleylcsw.com
• Instagram: @cherylreeleylcsw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylreeleylcsw/

Image Credits
Professional photos taken by Linh Crozier