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

Rae, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

At the beginning of my career as a therapist, I felt fraudulent. I would sit at a networking event, listen to the years of experience my colleagues had, hear their stories about navigating community mental health settings, challenges of growing their own businesses, their background in psych. And I thought “What am I, AN ACTOR, doing here?” There was an element of being out-of-sorts.

When I found my footing, I realized that being an actor is not a flaw. In fact, it is the thing that makes me a great therapist.

While a lot of the therapeutic industry is focused on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I found myself drawn to more emotional and physical modalities. I noticed that I was able to pick up on micro-expressions in my clients, that I could fairly accurately name their emotional state and highlight subtle shifts in them. Somatic work became a key player in my daily sessions, and I quickly realized my strength in working with people who had found safety in intellectualizing rather than experiencing their emotions.

So I leaned in. I used my sensitivity, the very reactivity that had been engrained in me through the Meisner Technique training in my graduate acting program, to notice my clients deeply. This noticing allowed us to bring things to the surface, which we could then address using techniques I’ve trained in with my Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree. I leaned in even harder when I decided to create my own practice, Curious Things, to foster deep therapeutic exploration in conjunction with creative expression.

Having a former clown as a therapist definitely isn’t industry standard. But when I have a client wanting to change their life and runaway to the circus – well I know this is an option and not just a metaphor.

Rae, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I always wanted to be a performer. At 5-years-old I began wishing on every birthday cake to be a “famous actor, singer, or dancer.” When adult me began working as a professional actor and performer in regional theatre, it wasn’t a wish that got me there, but hard work and passion. Life as an artist is beautiful, fierce, frustrating, rewarding, and at times incredibly discouraging. When the 2020 pandemic lockdown hit, I lost all my gigs overnight. The theatre industry shut down, and with it, I found myself without the thing I had attached my identity to.

As the pandemic rolled on, I realized that the way I had been working wasn’t sustainable. I also recognized the need for better mental health care for artists, and a more stable income and working situation for myself. So I returned to school virtually and began my journey towards becoming a therapist with the goal of serving performers and artists.

Now, I am sitting nestled in my new office in the heart of Baltimore. I find myself surrounded by art I’ve created, vintage furniture my spouse and I sourced, and bright sunlight streaming across my desk. It’s quiet now, between therapy sessions. And I am in awe. This space, Curious Things, has been shaped for the misfits and the makers. Those who feel they never quite fit in or are driven to create in this life. Five years ago I would not have dreamed this, and certainly little-me didn’t know to wish for it. It’s an honor to sit here, listening to the stories of my clients unfold, helping them untangle the meanings and sort through the feelings.

I’ve been a story-teller, and now I’m a guide. They compliment each other beautifully. This is my brand, the curious and sacred.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

I’ve never had an abundance of financial security. As I navigated my way through graduate school (part two, this time for Clinical Mental Health Counseling) I was living pay-check to pay-check, working side-gigs to make my way through. After one year of work post-school, I found myself looking at opening my own practice.

So how did I do it? Well, I financed as I went. This may be a risky strategy for some, but it was my option. I qualified for a 6-month no interest business credit card which I knew would carry me up-front as I got started. Fortunately, I started with a full caseload of clients, so I knew I wouldn’t be digging myself into debt and could pay off the card quickly once established.

The primary factor in opening my business was finding the right office. I needed something financially attainable in the Mt. Vernon area of Baltimore. I began scouring the streets (literally, I was walking and driving around looking for an “for rent” signs) and ended up finding an excellent location.

Here’s where my creativity and play came in. I absolutely love designing and renovating spaces. Local spots like Second Chance and a variety of vintage, antique, and second-hand shops became my go-to for furnishing my office. I found so many beautiful vintage pieces with their own story and history. Bringing them into the space created the warm and cozy environment my clients deserved. Not everyone will have the time to spend doing this, or the skills to paint the office and build things that my spouse and I were capable of. But if you can, this is a great way to save money. I put in a month of sweat-equity then began transitioning my clients into the Curious Things space.

Starting small, finding the right space, trusting my skills and creativity, and knowing I had the clients to sustain the business all allowed me to fund my own small business.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Honestly, finding this career as a therapist was a pivot. Opening my own practice was a pivot. Moving to Baltimore was a pivot. Nothing in my life has happened the way I planned or envisioned.

I think what has helped me most is taking time to invest in understanding myself. This happens through curiosity and play. When I lost all of my work as an actor I was forced to ask myself “Who am I outside of this identity?” and what I learned was that I am so much more than one career title could ever sum up.

I am creative, a deeply feeling person, I have sadness that stretches for miles, I am good in a crisis, I am queer, neurodivergent, and othered, I am smart, wounded, silly. I am too much to categorize neatly in an article. And while it’s too much to list here, it is just enough for me to build from.

What comes next for Curious Things and my career in five years? That I don’t know. For me the certainty isn’t in the plan, the certainty is in my ability to pivot. To grow where I’m called and try my best to create a space to hold community and invite in others to explore and do the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://curiousthings.org
• Instagram: @WeAreCuriousThings

Image Credits

Emma Mattson