Hidden Gems: Meet Michelle Worley of Great Oaks Therapy Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Worley.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Becoming a therapist has been quite a bit different than what the media portrays. I learned that, like most other things, the hard way. As a child, I had a lot of interests. I remember in kindergarten wanting to be a trash truck driver. Then, in high school, wanting to be an architect. My first major in college was photojournalism. To say I really had no idea what I wanted to be is an understatement. And the learning curve was steep for me. I finally landed on studying psychology because the human spirit and helping fellow humans have always fascinated me. So, I pursued that and obtained a graduate degree in Family Therapy, and began my career in residential programs working with teens.

In my 30s, I had the fortunate (or unfortunate?) opportunity to be casually diagnosed by a fellow clinician as having ADHD. “Have you ever considered that you might possibly have ADHD?”, he asked. My first response was, “Ummm, no. That’s not right.” Remember the last part of the movie “The Sixth Sense?” I won’t spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it. I’ll just say that was a moment where my “life flashed before my eyes” and I realized a lot about myself. Many different interests, difficulty following through with any of them, challenges keeping up in school, impulsivity, struggling grades. It all made sense.

That was a really important moment for me. One where I stopped judging my failures and started looking for the strengths in my neurodivergent mind. And it opened up a whole new world for me. The realizations that came from that insight brought all sorts of changes. At that point, I was already contemplating starting a private practice. ADHD can bring such challenges to business owners, but it can also bring beauty, creativity, and flexibility. I lean towards the positive in life and this was no different (#enneagram7). Little did I know how challenging, rewarding, and beautiful these last six years would be. And I wouldn’t change that for the world.

A little about me personally: I have been married to my husband, Jason, for 21 years. We have two children, Will and Charlotte, and a miniature dachshund named Bowen who pretty much runs the household. I love good food, authentic relationships with my favorite humans, the Enneagram, overusing exclamation points, and board games.

A little about my practice: I opened Great Oaks Therapy Center in July 2015. Though this did come with blood, sweat, and so many tears, the collective of therapists I am honored to be surrounded by is such a reminder to not give up. Great Oaks (GOTC) is currently comprised of 21 therapists at every different stage of training. From graduate student interns to pre-licensed therapists, to licensed therapists, and now even supervisors! One of the most important parts of GOTC is our LAUNCH program.

The Launch program aims to develop, prepare, and equip graduate student interns, pre-licensed therapists, and even licensed therapists to enter the private practice world healthy, competent, and creative in three main areas: professional, clinical, and personal. The therapists at GOTC are the real deal. They are kind, compassionate, generous, hilarious, and real. The most real of real. They are human. And they remind one another and myself on a daily basis that it’s ok to be human.

None of us are immune from struggle, therapist and client alike. I believe that reminder is what makes GOTC truly unique. And I couldn’t be more proud.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey to group practice ownership has been one that has spanned the vastness of emotional experience. Starting in my early years of education, school was hard. That difficulty didn’t stop once I hit college. In fact, I failed out of college three times! I mean, full-on being asked to leave the program, kind of failure. That experience stopped me in my tracks for a long time.

Once I worked through the pain, I bravely leaned in again. I met with the board of my university (Friends University) and asked to be accepted conditionally, assuring them that I was ready this time. And they gave me another chance! Finding the sweet spot of attending a smaller college along with the major that fits with my personality and passion was exactly what I needed.

The challenges didn’t stop with school. There have been many obstacles. Women entrepreneurs get messages in many forms that business ownership is not for us. Society says we should follow, not lead. I’ve been encouraged by so many women around me that that is just not true and that we don’t have to settle into positions where we follow.

There is room for us in business ownership. I’m proud to be an example of that for women and the neurodivergent community alike. From self-doubt and discomfort to courage and self-compassion, building a business has not been all that different from the overall experience of being human. Despite the obstacles and challenges, here’s what I know for sure so far:

I believe that all of us are worthy of a human experience that includes connection, safety, and self-compassion. All of us. Every. Single. One. My desire for every single human who steps into GOTC is that they’ll be heard, seen, and feel one overarching truth: That they are worthy of connection and have been since the very beginning.

There is room for us all.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Great Oaks Therapy Center?
As the owner of Great Oaks, it is my desire that as you enter this space you experience feeling welcomed, cared for, and safe. And that, when you are ready, you come and sit with one of us, knowing that as you do you will be greeted by another human who sees your inherent worth and desires for you to see the same in yourself.

Great Oaks strives to connect fellow humans with therapists, whether that is one of our therapists or another therapist in the community. We understand that there is plenty of need in our world and only desire that you find the connection that you are looking for. We offer a wide range of session fees to meet you where you’re at.

Our therapists are trained in many different modalities of therapy. We’re here and ready to help when you’re ready!

And for our fellow clinicians embarking on the private practice world, let us help! In addition to training our GOTC team, we also offer cohort-based training to those wanting to grow and develop their private practice outside of Great Oaks. If you’re interested in joining, our next 6-month cohort will begin in January 2022!

Pricing:

• $40-$60 Graduate Student Intern
• $60-$150 PreLicensed or Licensed Therapist
• Current Promotion for Couples & Families 10 Session for $100 Total

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@greatoakstherapy.com
• Website: www.greatoakstherapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatoakstherapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatoakstherapy

Image Credits
Anthem Photography