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

Jennifer, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

I started my business as a solo practitioner in 2018. I always had intentions on expanding to a group practice in the future but that future always seemed so far off to me. I enjoyed being a solo clinician and working for myself after working in nonprofits, medical settings, and the corporate sector. However, in March 2020, everything changed when COVID hit. I quickly had to transition to a solely telehealth model instead of the hybrid model that I had grown accustomed to. I feared that my small solo practice would not survive the pandemic like many other businesses however the opposite happened. Referrals, phone calls, and emails from prospective clients skyrocketed by 120%. I could not handle the load on my own and I knew that it was time to seek help with helping others as they struggled through the pandemic. I hired my first employee in 2020 and soon hired a second. Two more employees joined in 2021 and two more in 2022. We have been growing ever since in order to accomodate BIPOC individuals seeking BIPOC focused mental health services provided by BIPOC clinicians. In 2023 the demand is still there. We have moved our office from Jenkintown, PA to a larger space in Wyncote, PA and provide services across the State of Pennsylvania. We are still growing, hiring, and developing new programs to help our cmmunitiy which is in great need for care.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Jennifer A. McPherson and I am a Licensed Professional in the States of Pennsylvania and Florida, Bestselling Amazon Author (Fiercely Speaking), Coach, Consultant, Clinical Supervisor, and Owner/ Clinical Director of McPherson Clinical & Consulting Services in Wyncote, PA. I received my Bachelors in Psychology from Temple University prior to receiving my Masters degree in Counseling & Clinical Health Psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Lastly, I also have an Executive MBA in Health from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. Prior to starting my private practice in 2018, I had experience in residential setting, inpatient setting, integrated behavioral health setting, medication assisted treatment programs. and corporate settings. The disparities that I witnessed against people of color encouraged to provide mental health in a culturally competent and trauma informed fashion. Through my practice, McPherson Clinical & Consulting Services, my team and I provided BIPOC focused mental health services that are individualized, person-centered, culturally competent, and evidenced based in order to ensure that each client receives the best care possible for whatever they may be experiencing at any point in their healing journey. I am most proud of have a team of strong BIPOC women sround that understand our mission and passion for treating BIPOC individuals.

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

Unfortunately, Black/African American clinicians only make up 4% of the mental health field. By having a BIPOC focused practice that not only focuses on services but demonstrates representation in the mental health field matters a lot to our community and does not go unnoticed by those that are seeking mental health services.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Some lessons that I had to unlearn included the theories and modalities for psychotherapy that I learned in graduate school since their studies are heavily focused on Caucasian individuals and there is minimal research on their effects on the BIPOC population. Additionally some theories and modalities are inherently harmful and/or unrelatable to BIPOC individuals but can be modified to be helpful and beneficial to those in need.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mcphersonccs.com/
• Instagram: @mcphersonccs
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/mcphersonccs
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenmcphersonlpc/

Image Credits
All images belong to me.