Hidden Gems: Meet Brittany Talley of Rise Counseling and Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Talley.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I started my Rise Counseling and Consulting counseling practice in March 2019. I work primarily with youth of color who live in predominately white areas, attend predominately white schools, or live in mixed-race families. I also supervise, train, and consult other therapists and local agencies/businesses. During the pandemic, I was receiving more referrals than I could handle. It was essential for potential clients to refer them to another therapist of color. To build a network of therapists of color, I contacted Megh Chakrabarti, a local Social Worker/Advocate. Together, we started a database of therapists of color in the KC Metro that eventually became Color Collective KC (www.colorcollectivekc.org). We have over 70 therapists on our list.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been fortunate! Great mentors and therapist community colleagues are always ready to answer my questions or help me work through issues. Like many therapists, I experienced the stress of the pandemic, not just in my own life but through the lens of my clients. I work primarily with kids and teens, so moving through being locked down and remote learning, we had to get creative! I started utilizing walk/talk sessions at local parks as an alternative to virtual sessions. Another more obvious struggle is walking through our current socio-cultural landscape with youth of color. They’re experiencing all the usual things teens go through puberty, relationships, and identity development, and they’re often faced with a community and society that sends them messages of being “less than.”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us more about your business.
I am a play therapist who specializes in working with youth of color. I am also known for my training on Intergenerational Trauma, Parenting, and Accessing Mental Health Care. I’m most proud of my work with other therapists of color in our area and Color Collective KC (www.colorcollectivekc.org). I also provide virtual event consulting for local agencies/businesses looking to make the most of virtual conferences/training! I’m proud of my ability to take lessons I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) and share them with others.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
I am fortunate to have a supportive partner and family so that I can do anything I’d like to do for my business. Make sure you have support! Also, feel free to try another way. One of the best things I did was restructure my practice to take fewer clients so that I could spend more time on training/consulting.

Pricing:

• Initial Assessment: $110
• 45 Minute Therapy Session: $90

Contact Info:

• Website: www.risecounselingkc.com
• Other: www.colorcollectivekc.org