We were lucky to catch up with Liz Kent recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Liz thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.
I never imagined having my own practice. I figured with two small kids at home, I would never be able to get a business off the ground. I was working in a private practice as an independent contractor and setting my own hours and schedule and that was all going fine. But there were so many frustrations about the organization and systems in that practice and I guess my husband eventually got tired of my complaining about it. So, he bought a website domain and created me a website in secret, revealing it to me for my birthday. And that was the birth of Perissos Therapy. It took another eight months or so to leave my current practice and get set up with my own business, in my own office. And even a little bit longer to actually start getting clients. Within, two years I had maxed out my caseload and began bringing other therapists on board. Currently, I have four other therapists and an executive assistant for the practice. We have a beautiful office suite in Lutherville, MD and serve clients throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania. One of the things I wish I had known sooner is that not every coffee date or networking event is actually worth going to. Once I figured out where it made sense to invest my energy in terms of networking, I spent a lot less time wasted in Starbucks.
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 always knew I wanted to go into a helping profession. I did my undergrad degree in Psychology at Loyola University in MD and got a Masters in Social Work at University of Maryland. Initially, I worked in a special education setting, but after I had my first son in 2014, I became passionate about maternal mental health. I began to get training and network in this area and that was how my practice was born. I am now the mom of 3 and see everyday the need in our society to better support moms. As this has continued to be an arena near and dear to my heart, I have continued my professional growth in this area so I can help more moms.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I try my best to be open and available to my staff when they want to discuss clinical issues, work related issues or personal issues. I think it’s been important to consider them all a part of a team and to get their feedback and support on various ideas. I want them to feel valued and important. I work hard to respond to their needs and to make sure they know how important they are to the business.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Brene Brown’s book, Dare to Lead, is a phenomenal book on how to be both vulnerable and brave in leadership in a way that keeps teams feeling connected and heard. It requires a lot of work to be a good leader and sometimes admitting you’re wrong. I loved this book and felt like it aligned so much with my values as an entrepreneur and manager.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.perissostherapy.com
- Instagram: @perissostherapy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perissostherapy/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com › company › perissos-therapy-llc
Image Credits
Julie Linz Photography