We were lucky to catch up with Brittney Autry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brittney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

The decision to open my own practice was a huge risk for me! At the time, I just learned that my dad was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, for which there was no treatment or cure. In addition, I had just gotten married and learned that we were expecting our first child! I was also working at another practice and things were going really well, so it literally didn’t make sense to leave! After learning about the type of care and support that my dad would need during his hospice care, I knew that I would be unable to continue at the practice in the way that the owner needed me. It was at that point that I made the terrifying decision to open my own practice in a virtual capacity, so that I could be present for my father, my clients and of course, my new addition to the family! I chose a day and put it on my calendar to make it official. I then called the owner of the practice and made a plan to slowly transition over the course of two months! I set these aggressive goals because I knew that if I put it out there, I would rise to the occasion and make it happen. In August of 2022, I did just that! I opened my own practice on my own terms and each of my clients came with me! I was overwhelmed with excitement, fear and gratitude! Now, that I’ve been in business officially a little over a year, I’m so proud of myself for taking the leap and choosing bravery over fear! I am excited to announce that I will be welcoming a new therapist to the team this fall!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Dr. Brittney Autry Cole. I began my academic career in psychology, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s from Howard University. I started my career working as a program manager at charter school for pre-kindergarteners and found myself spending more time with the kids than the adults! I knew I didn’t want to continue in that fashion. I made a huge leap and moved to Chicago and started working in education, which lead me to pursue a Master’s degree in Social Work. I obtained my degree in 2018 and immediately began as a trauma intervention therapist at a hospital based intervention program. I loved working with my clients, despite the challenges of the role and knew I had found the best of both worlds: therapy and youth empowerment. After being there for a few years, I started thinking about what I really wanted. I took an “Eat, Pray, Love” type of trip to Bali all by myself and spent time in solitude for a week. After I returned, my vision was clear. I wanted to help Black women and girls heal from their pain and thrive in their lives. I started hosting focus groups with friends and learning about the unique needs of Black women and girls. I then purchased my LLC and decided that I would start Cent(HER)ed Collective, a mental wellness social enterprise focused on closing the mental health gap for Black women and girls. I began by hosting women’s circles, then women’s retreats and now, I provide therapy. We also sell socially conscious merchandise, such as t-shirts and aromatherapy candles. As we continue to grow, we will offer expand wellness opportunities for Black girls and continue to work to improve the lives of women on their path to self-actualization!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think what has helped build my reputation is my consistency as a therapist. I show up with my clients and I am attuned to their needs. I constantly think about the best ways to support them and seek out resources to better myself as a clinician. I approach my profession as a student, so I am focused on my learning and knowledge acquisition. I also believe that practicing gratitude and remaining humble has helped me. I know a lot for sure, but I don’t know everything and I’m clear about that. I make sure that I partner with clients to empower them and let them know that we are working together on the path to healing. I don’t have all the answers by any means!

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I would definitely choose the same profession. I would in fact choose it sooner. I always thought of social workers as the people who take people’s kids. I never knew of the range of potential offered in the field and I am so excited and grateful for the ways in which I am blossoming in this field. I love professional variety. I would surely struggle if I had to do the same thing everything. This field has allowed me to explore so many aspects of myself and support people in so many ways, I couldn’t imagine being in another field!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.centheredcollective.com
• Instagram: centheredcollective
• Facebook: centheredcollective
• Linkedin: centheredcollective
• Twitter: centher

Image Credits
Ceily Moore took all of the images attached