Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Patterson.
Hi Tiffany, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my private practice back in 2016 when living in Dover, Delaware. I had been in the field doing a variety of relatable work and began to think maybe it was possible I could do this for myself. So I began the process of opening my practice while working full-time as director of a local mental health agency. At the time I had young children but a very supportive husband that helped me to balance all of the new responsibilities. It was tough, busy days and long nights but very rewarding. I knew eventually I would be able to make my own schedule, have more time with my children and have the autonomy to work with the clientele that I saw at my practice with the quality of care that I always envisioned. Eventually I was able to leave my job as a director and enjoyed the flexibility, clinical work and work life balance that I had with my career and family. A few years later my husband got a new job in the banking industry in Charlotte, NC and my family and I relocated to the Carolinas. Moving to the Carolinas had always been a dream of ours so we were excited and eager to get started in the new area. That came with some growing pains. The practice remained open in Delaware because by that time I had a few licensed therapist working for me. I opened an office in South Carolina where we landed and began doing the work to build my practice here in the Carolinas. I continued to work with a few patients from Delaware via Telehealth. I began using Telehealth prior to the COVID19 pandemic which helped me to be equipped with Telehealth care while many others were trying to figure it out in 2020. Currently, I still have patients from Delaware that I see today.
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?
Not always. When relocating to the Carolinas and rebuilding I think the excitement blurred the reality of what was to come. Rebuilding a private practice in a brand new area with new systems that I was unfamiliar came with many challenges. My practice took time to rebuild which led to me stepping out of full -time private practice work to working for Public Health in Charlotte. I worked full-time for a few years at the Children’s Developmental Services Agency while working part-time with my practice. It was too much to maintain full-time and part time work while trying to oversee the Delaware office from a distance which eventually led to me closing the office. Delaware is where my career really took off so that was tough. I leaned into the years working for Public Health and part time private practice work which helped me to learn more about the area, meet new people and rebound from the financial drain it took on us to relocate to the Carolinas. Again, I have such a supportive husband and he knew I wanted to return to full-time private practice work. With his encouragement and my drive, I worked to rebuild my clientele and have resumed full-time work at my private practice since 2022. I love being back working full time for myself. I see clients in person and virtually, including some of my original patients from Delaware.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Licensed Independent Social Worker-Clinical Practice. I am licensed to practice in South Carolina, North Carolina and Delaware. I provide individual psychotherapy to children and adults struggling with anxiety, depression, life transitions and the speciality area of Patterson Counseling Services, Inc is trauma, specifically sexual trauma. I got my start in sexual trauma after undergraduate school when working in a specialized unit with child protective services. While in that position, my unit was responsible for investigating allegations of childhood sexual abuse. I knew then I wanted to work more closely with this population and really be apart of supporting them from surviving to thriving which led to this being my niche. I am a Certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist which is an evidence based trauma therapy that began in the late eighties. EMDR treats many other disorders and is backed by significant and ongoing research. I am excited about a new chapter that I have embarked on which is completing immigration evaluations for Asylum, VAWA, U and T Visa Cases in addition to Extreme Hardship Waivers. This service is now being offered through Patterson Counseling Services, Inc.
How do you define success?
I define success as being individualized for each persons life. For me, success is doing what I love in my career while also valuing my time with my husband and children. With being in private practice, I can work a balanced schedule in a profitable career and have an ample amount of family time. I recently had a precious baby boy and being in private practice has afforded me the ability to spend a great deal of time with him which has been amazing. I also get to see my older children come home from school and I attend their activities all while making my own schedule and supporting the clientele that I enjoy working with in a thriving practice.
Pricing:
- 150 per session (Private Pay)
- Insurance Plans Accepted
- Employee Assistance Plans Accepted
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pattersoncounselingservices.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Patterson-Counseling-Services-Inc-61579256956277/
