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

Kelly, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

My first therapy job after grad school was at a detox and continuing care clinic in Manhattan. I had just moved to New York City the year before and was working a full time job as a social work supervisor for an at home agency. Knowing that it was time to focus on my clinical work, I decided to look for a second job as a therapist. I found a clinic that was hiring part time LMSW therapists, that also aligned with my values and was providing services that I deeply cared about. I went through the interview process and stayed at that clinic for over 4 years, through the pandemic and up until I started my own private practice.

Kelly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am Kelly Ghweinem, LCSW, founder of Velvet Psychotherapy Collective. The collective provides individual, couples and group therapy to residents in FL, NY and Nj while focusing on being queer affirming, anti-racist, anti-oppressive and person centered. We are a boutique private practice that specializes in sexuality, intimacy, relationships, life transitions, gender identity and general mental health.

The practice started in New York City as a sole proprietorship and has since grown to a group practice to providing multi- state services. We offer Telehealth therapy so that clients have the ability to show up based on their accessibility needs.

Establishing my own private practice was not an easy task and it took several years of visualization and planning for me to succeed. From the onset of attending the University at Buffalo for my Masters in Social Work, I knew I wanted to eventually have a private practice. I started collecting information on how to run a private practice, attended trainings and webinars about how to build businesses, and scoured the internet for resources to build my practice. I knew I wanted to work with couples but it wasn’t until I was working in my first post MSW clinical job that I discovered Sex therapy. After settling on Sex therapy, intimacy and relationships being my niche, I knew I had to purse accreditation to become a certified sex therapist. I am currently at the end of my certification and am on course to be a certified sex therapist by October 2023. In December 2020, I was qualified to sit for my clinical boards and passed. This gave me the opportunity to finally open my own private practice. I started as a sole proprietor from January 2021 until March 2022. As a sole proprietor, I was able to scale my business to a very comfortable place. This led me to expanding to a group practice in March 2022 and establishing Velvet Psychotherapy Collective LCSW PLLC. This group practice would allow me to expand my business beyond myself in NY and service the queer community in NY, NJ and FL. I hired my first 1099 contractor, who unfortunately did not work out, because I did not have enough business at the onset to provide clients for her. We decided to part ways and I took some time to re-group, focusing on marketing and build clientele in FL. I hired my second 1099 contractor who has been with me since July 2022 and I have learned a lot about being a group practice founder.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If I could go back, I would absolutely choose the same profession and speciality. I believe it is a great honor for clients to allow me into their lives, share their stories with me and trust me to guide them on their journey. I have a deep sense of pride and protectiveness over my work. Clients are showing up, being vulnerable and committing to the hard work of growth and understanding. It is my responsibility to continue to grow in my knowledge and experience as a therapist so that I can show up for them, ensuring that I am honoring their journey and vulnerability.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Authenticity and honesty are core beliefs that I hold. I believe that to succeed as a therapist and as a group practice owner, one has to show up with authenticity, honesty and integrity. With clinicians that work with me, this means that I am fostering their growth that aligns with the group practice mission and values. With clients that means that I stay rooted in showing up as my authentic self and utilizing treatment modalities that are best suited for the individual client.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://velvetcollective.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyghweinem/?fbclid=IwAR2UNH9YVFfHO5tmawYQk4Y2gnzUSsBtD-GO14bpXvPP0CVZvX3nzZ0KGQU
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086584577406
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-ghweinem-lcsw-7b131bb6/