Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Day.
Hi Katie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2020, I was given the opportunity to partner with our local church to start up a small counseling practice focused on providing therapy services at a lower rate, right in our little town. This was really a unique set up with a fully invested partnership, affordable rent, and a steady stream of clients. I imagined this being a little side gig since I was also a stay at home mom to four homeschooling kids. I had no idea how quickly this would grow but I suppose the craziness of 2020 helped jump start our mission. The truth is, the only explanation for our success is that God’s hand has been guiding the way from the beginning. Since 2020, we’ve grown to more than half a dozen therapists and a sweet group of interns. We’re serving over 2500 sessions a year and nearly 60% of those sessions are subsidized through the church, local partnerships, or donations. All of our sessions are provided at a rate lower than the national average and we hope to keep our rates from climbing. We’re determined to keep finances from being the reason that people don’t get the help they need.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like most small businesses, this journey has been anything but smooth. While the logistical orchestration of Wholehearted feels so providential, it has required so much personal growth. I definitely didn’t expect Wholehearted to grow at the pace that it has and was not really prepared to become a leader. Learning to hire and fire has been really challenging for someone who preaches grace to all of my clients. Learning to manage finances and make decisions for an entire team has stretched me in ways I’m still discovering. Learning to take risks and network, putting myself and our mission on display, still gives me butterflies. Learning to say goodbye to expectations and friendships that no longer fit together has been the most difficult and the most freeing. Learning to trust others to represent, care for, and walk alongside has been a gift.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Wholehearted Counseling is a nonprofit counseling practice focused on making highly trained, professional, therapy more accessible to our communities. We don’t want therapy to feel like a luxury line item in the budget – everyone deserves to have a safe space for healing the inevitable pain experienced from living this life. Each of us at Wholehearted are passionate about the work we get to do with our clients. We enjoy it and we enjoy each other. We’re so proud to offer lower rates and see the relief when someone new realizes that they can afford this opportunity. We love when a new church or business learns about our practice and wants to know how they can get involved and how they can start sharing us with the people closest to them. We are honored to serve all of Tennessee through our local offices and our online options, especially the areas that don’t have other resources. Our therapists are constantly learning and growing themselves and their understanding of therapy to offer better care for their clients. We love helping people of all ages work through anxiety, depression, life transitions, grief, divorce, and other traumas that may be keeping them from living to the fullest.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I may be partial, but Wholehearted Counseling is special. We’re a unique group who has rallied behind a common mission. The shared ownership over that mission makes us even better at caring for the communities that we love. We’re just normal humans who have chosen to go through our own healing journeys and want to help others experience some of the freedom and joy that we know is available when given the time and space.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wholeheartedcounselingtn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholeheartedcounselingtn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WholeheartedCounselingTN/
