Today we’d like to introduce you to Rayvene Whatley, LPC.
Rayvene, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Thank you, I appreciate you having me.
Simplicity Psychotherapy was founded in 2014 because I missed providing individual therapy to clients. I was a coordinator at a substance abuse facility in Atlanta and was no longer able to work directly with clients as they worked through their challenges. In 2017, around the time that I’d decided to enter private practice full time, I was told by a client that I should consider focusing on Black women. I’d just begun to focus on the Strong Black Woman archetype and its impact on the anxiety and drive for achievement that many Black women experience. At first, I did not place much emphasis on the suggestion, but the more I thought about the work that I was doing, the more relevant the comment became. In 2018, I began speaking directly to the Black community, specialized in anxiety, and increased my focus on cultural gaps that exist in the therapy space. I am so grateful for this shift. I think it’s where I really shaped my vision for the business and myself as a therapist.
Fast forward to today and Simplicity Psychotherapy has expanded into a group practice dedicated to the health and wellbeing of Black folx. We are committed to helping our client’s process traumas, engage in healthy, fulfilling relationships, and learn ways to effectively manage their mental health concerns.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Overall, I would say it was a pretty smooth road being that it was not rough. I have been greatly blessed to be in rooms that allowed me to gain knowledge before I knew how I’d put it to use.
As for the practice, our growth has been steady but that isn’t to say that there were no obstacles. Perhaps the biggest challenge was determining where to find the clients that fit our mission. We like to reach the clients that aren’t necessarily talking about their struggles with others which means that traditional referral sources aren’t always the best avenue. We had to learn how to reach these clients directly which has come with some trial and error that we continue to refine daily.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Simplicity Psychotherapy?
Simplicity Psychotherapy is a private therapy practice in Atlanta, GA that specializes in anxiety, trauma, and relationship therapy. We assist clients with exploring belief systems and breaking free of limiting and rigid self-talk. Our clients often feel obligated to place the needs of others before their own needs which leads to mental health challenges based on the belief that they must suppress their experiences to be present for others. As a collective, we have a variety of specialties, real-world experiences, and genuine passion for people as the experts on themselves. Our primary goal is to help clients to live rich, full, and meaningful lives that best fit their needs and values. After all, our tagline is Have the Audacity to Be You!
As a practice, we are most proud of our work with the Black community. Many of our clients express relief in having a therapist who has access to similar experiences which allows them comfort and confidence. Our clients have also expressed appreciation for our attention to culture and its intersections with mental health. Each staff member has chosen to work in the practice primarily because of our focus on healing in the Black community. We take great pride in serving Black folx through the lens of our community while promoting the use of therapy as a tool.
We also have graduate level interns through our Counselor Intern Program who provide therapy at very affordable rates. This program is very important to our company values as it allows us to assist in training the next generation of therapists while also providing low-cost therapy to anyone who needs it. We recently accepted a Marriage and Family Therapy intern who focuses on providing low-cost relationship therapy.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Each of our therapists provides individual therapy tailored to each client’s goals and needs. Select therapists also provide relationship therapy including premarital counseling. Each therapist’s profile can be viewed on our website.
We offer a free 15-minute video consultation which can be scheduled directly through our website. If you are uncertain which therapist is trained to address your concerns please contact the office and we will assist you in finding the best fit.
If you are interested in supporting our practice, you can follow our social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook. Liking and sharing posts always helps to get the word out!
Pricing:
- Individual Counseling: $50 – $175
- Relationship Counseling: $50 – $200
- Group Therapy: $35 – $60
Contact Info:
- Email: info@
simplicitypsychotherapy.com - Website: www.
simplicitypsychotherapy.com - Instagram: https://instagram.
com/despiteanxiety - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ simplicitypsychotherapy
Image Credits
Danielle Finney of DFinney Photography, Hedley Wilson of Wilson Photography
