Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adiasha Richards-Thornhill. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Adiasha , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

I started my practice Growth and Transitions Mental Health Counseling in 2016. I remember the long days I spent balancing my full-time job as a Clinical Director at a non-profit. In the mornings, on my lunch break, in the evenings, and on weekends I would spend my time creating my website, applying for insurance panels, and creating marketing materials. It wasn’t easy building a practice from the ground up with very little guidance and modeling. I was very determined and just kept pushing through. One hurtful challenge I experienced with my mentor at the practice I was trained in was retiring and in the process of her leaving and my taking over the rental space there were things done to take advantage of me. I stood up for myself but we ended on bad terms and never spoke again. I do not regret standing up for myself because it forced me to start my practice in my image and not hers. I am grateful for that. I don’t think I would have done anything differently because, despite the challenges I ultimately won, I see obstacles as detours in the right direction. My advice for those dreaming about a practice would be to evaluate your why it’s easy to want a business solely on what it looks like when it’s successful but in the beginning when things are hard and you’re not at the top you will be tested. I would also say trust yourself, yes being a business owner is a lot of risk but to win big we have to take leaps and do big things. If you want it, go for it.

I am a therapist and business owner. I am a mental health professional holding a license as a Mental Health Counselor in NY and NJ. I have been in my field for over 10 years working in various nonprofits and in private practice. I am the founder of Growth and Transitions Counseling where I supervise and manage a staff of therapists and masters level interns. I have been providing therapy since 2012. My love and specialty is in supporting people in healing from childhood trauma, I experienced abandonment trauma that had a significant impact on my life and relationships. I spent years in therapy myself toward my own healing. I see myself as a growth agent, it is my superpower. I am highly skilled in guiding others to live healthy lives through wellness. My practice is a training site for new counselors entering the field and a role that I value dearly. We provide therapy to adolescents and adults with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and trauma. I am proud of all the people I have I have been able to touch, inspire, and help on their journeys. My businesses failed in their early years, it has almost been 10 years and I am proud to have a thriving practice but mostly to love what I do daily.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Building and maintaining relationships is extremely essential to my success. I attribute some of my success to the relationships I have developed with people along the way, who have believed in me, and given me rare opportunities. I have a track record of retaining staff and I’m at a stage in my career where people seek me out to work with. That is a reflection of the connections I have made along the way. I pride myself on my integrity, openness, honesty, reliability, and passion I bring. I give people my best and most times it is reciprocated.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have had to pivot at different times in my career, most recently as I became a mother. Motherhood has shifted the amount of time I have for my business, on one hand, the foundation of my business supports my ability to give more of myself to my family. On the other hand, I had to make changes so I didn’t lose the integrity of my business. I let go of my physical office in 2023, downsized my staff, changed my hours, and let go of some insurances I previously accepted. I needed my business to reflect my new life and I had to accept that I couldn’t keep up with the demands of it as it had been in the past. It was a great decision, the practice continues to be successful and as the leader I can show up for both the practice and my family the way I want to.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.growthandtransitioncounseling.com
• Instagram: queenz_therapist
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/gandtcounseling