We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tyanna Evans. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tyanna below.

Hi Tyanna, thanks for joining us today. 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?

“Some people are leaders and others are followers. I’m okay being a follower, my contributions are just as significant.” This was my response when my husband suggested I open my own business at the age of 27. Business ownership was never a dream of mine. I liked the work did and my clients felt they were being helped. Why change? Well, we all heard the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But after taking a closer look at where I was, I realized that the system was failing not only me, but most importantly, the clients that I served. I wanted to expand and be able to work with diverse groups of people, couples, and families. I no longer wanted to be limited to who and how I provided treatment. I wanted more of a role in the day-to-day decision-making process and more autonomy.

After several weeks of frustration, self-doubt, and fear, I made the ultimate decision to open my own mental health private practice. Undergraduate and Graduate school did not prepare for business ownership at all. I literally had to research, teach myself, and learn from others who were willing to provide some guidance. This finally led to Evans Counseling and Consulting opening November 2017. As a solo practitioner of this new business, I worked part-time after my 9-5 job, 4 days a week. This meant that I worked 11-hour days, but I did it with a smile because I knew I was building something very meaningful to me and for my current and future clientele. After a year of riding the learning curb, many calls for appointments, and declining appointments because my limited availability, I knew it was time to resign from my employer, pursue my practice full-time, and expand so I could touch many more lives. This was even scarier because I was leaving what I knew to be consistent, familiar, and predictable for me. I was venturing out into group practice and hiring other counselors and therapists to help make this dream, which I never knew existed, a reality and help even more people get to a healthier state of mind. My practice grew from 1 to 7 employees within a year and I can honestly say, that my team is a group of phenomenal professionals. I love the office cohesion and teamwork, and each individual has something very unique to offer in our line of work.

We aim to normalize seeking mental health treatment. It should be just as normal as going to your doctor for a check-up. It doesn’t mean you are “crazy,” it means that maybe you are at a point in your life where you need a little more support or need an unbiased soundboard to process some of your thoughts and actions. Counseling is for EVERYONE!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As the Founder and CEO of Evans Counseling and Consulting, we provide mental health diagnostic assessments and counseling for individuals with depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, adjustment and transition issues, workplace/compliance issues, and stress management. We also provide group counseling, couples counseling, mental health awareness and education, and immigration evaluations for those who are seeking to change their legal status.

Evans Counseling and Consulting assist agencies with cultivating a supportive and inclusive work environment for all of their employees through Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion trainings and educational workshops, consultation for employee development, and are consultants for underrepresented groups. We provide LMSW and LPC-A supervision to provisional counselors and therapists pursuing full licensure in South Carolina. And we are proud to announce that we recently obtained certification from the South Carolina Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification, received runner-up in the 2022 Free Times Best of Columbia counseling category, and featured on WIS 10 News.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

It has been a rather interesting road to starting Evans Counseling and Consulting, especially with having little to no business knowledge beforehand. Learning the mental health insurance policies, regulations, restrictions, and billing process was discouraging at times. It isn’t exactly an easy system to navigate.

There are several mental health practices that do not accept insurance because of the difficulty, denials, and reimbursements, but I realize the importance of keeping that an option for people, who otherwise, wouldn’t have access to mental health treatment. There was a lot of trial and error and swear words along the way. Many moments when I considered going back to familiar environments. However, I was determined to prove to myself that I could do this with the right support, continued education, and professional career coaching.

Building my clientele came with its own set of challenges. I was met with rejection and false promises often from potential referral sources. It is true that for every “yes” there are a thousand “nos.” You start to feel defeated and question if you can even do this. I preserved by trusting the process and releasing the fear of the rejection. Once you change your outlook on how you view a situation, it is no longer scary or intimidating. I continued in my attempted contacts and for those who did not respond, I viewed it as their loss. I had to know, within myself, that what I was building was something great and if they did not want to be a part of it, then were insane for passing up this opportunity. That shift in my mindset changed everything.

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

Understanding that at any given moment you may need or be required to pivot or move unexpectedly. In the medical field, things rapidly change- rules, regulations, approved services, diagnoses, interventions, and etc. How you operated and what worked yesterday, my not be relevant next week. You must be fluid and ready to adapt to nearly any situation to have a successful business. Learning does not ever stop. Building relationships never stop. These are the things you need to maintain longevity as a counselor and a business. Business ownership comes with its highs and lows, but it can certainly be worthwhile, so it is important to remain positive and be steadfast.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.evanscounselingllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evans.counseling.consulting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TyannaECC/
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tyanna-evans-msw-cctp-lcsw-lisw-cp-s-2b43a8153

Image Credits
Aaron D Smalls Photography