Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tiera Cross, LPCC-S, LCDCIII, ECMH, CFMHE. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Tiera, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
Establishing a private practice has been one of the most rewarding things, but also one of the most stressful! When you become an entrepreneur you wear so many hats. Initially getting started I was the provider, admin assistant, marketing team, customer service, and website designer. I had to adjust to using systems that I had No previous experience with, I spent a lot of late nights creating an efficient and profitable practice, and there is still work to be done!
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?
Many of my colleagues have coined me “The All Inclusive Therapist,” this is because I approach mental health from a holistic perspective and I encourage clients to do the same. What’ sets me apart from others is that I am a substance abuse and mental health counselor, but I’m also a Reiki Master, I conduct individual reiki sessions and I attune others, helping them begin their reiki practitioner journey. Within my business I offer a variety of services and products, I have the clinical counseling side of my business and the holistic side of my business. The list of services available include: individual and couples therapy, clinical supervision individually or within a group, forensic evaluations, life coaching, reiki, and reiki practitioner training.
The list of products include: crystals, sage candles, sage smudge sticks, essential oil blends, self-care kits, reiki infused oils, Palo Santo, life planner ebook, self care journal ebook, and setting boundaries ebook.
I entered this field because I wanted to normalize counseling for family, friends, and people who look like me. In my community it was often frowned upon to seek mental health counseling, the idea that all you needed was prayer and to attend church was often perpetuated, and those who sought mental health care were often labeled and stigmatized.
I am most proud of creating a safe space for all, I want the audience to know regardless of ethnicity, race, pronouns, sexual preferences, cultural identity or any other differences, all are welcome at my practice.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was in my junior year of my undergraduate degree, I was initially a nursing major and a psych minor, I thought I wanted to be an acute psych nurse. While having a heart to heart with my mom, I realized nursing wasn’t going to make me happy, but I felt like I had to finish because I had come so far. My mom encouraged me to change my major to what would make me happy, she reassured me that it was better to graduate happy than in 4 years. I followed her advice, went to school during summer semester and completed an additional year in undergrad and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
Knowing what I know now, with all the sacrifices, long nights, intense graduate school program and student loans…… I would absolutely do it all over again! I am genuinely happy with my career choice. Assisting people with overcoming life traumas and healing the injured parts of themselves sets my soul on fire!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.passionprojecthw.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/passion.project.hw
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/passionprojecthw/