Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Piercey, LCPC.
Hi Matthew, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been a caring person and that meant that I helped a lot of my friends through things when I was younger. In undergrad I found that my interest piqued my curiosity in psychology and that led me to pursue a college path that led to counseling. When I first got started in the field of psychology the initial job that I found was listed as psychology but ended up being a personal assistant in the community to adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. the job was very interesting to me at the time and it ended up being a great window into the lives of what people in that population dealt with on a daily basis. farther down the line as my career in psychology progressed, although I had worked in different organizations and settings I found myself working again at a similar organization doing behavioral modification and support planning. I was extremely lucky to work under the supervision of a Psychologist who was dedicated to not just modifying people’s behaviors but trying to help improve the quality of their lives and providing them real psychological support. when I became fully licensed as a professional counselor this storied background in the disability community drove me to continue providing supports in therapeutic settings. the experiences that I had working at these different agencies and organizations definitely molded me to be a person who was willing to work with a broad population of clients and investigate things from many different angles which I believe made my therapeutic style more holistic and very person centered. the experiences I had at these support organizations also colored my clinical perspective and encourages me to look at the entire person which includes their support networks and their environment. I was very happy to be able to offer mental health therapy services to people with disabilities as part of running my own private practice. It really makes me feel good to be able to open up the doors and serve people that are sometimes overlooked or who have a hard time finding providers that are willing to take them. I feel like I am committed to working in my community to serve as many people as possible including all ages and needs and accepting insurances that others don’t such as Medicaid and Medicare.
Through my time in nonprofit agencies I was exposed to the hardships that people faced and many traumatic situations which led me to investigate different varieties of trauma treatment and settle on trying to treat people from a body centered perspective which now includes things like EMDR, biofeedback, and neurofeedback.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I feel like part of my answer to this question would be similar for many businesses because it would be related to the changes that came with the pandemic. trying to launch a private practice or any kind of business during the global pandemic was a major challenge. There was a running internal debate about whether it was worth the costs to maintain a physical location. This year we finally decided to address the growing need for people to meet in person as opposed to online telehealth platforms and establish a physical business.
The other major obstacle or challenge that has often been present in my mind is the Effort to be mindful of my clients health care costs while also being able to manage business expenses. trying to make sure that my clients can feel like they are getting a quality service at a reasonable price and battling against the insurance companies on the back end to make sure that we are reimbursed for the services we provide. most average people in the community are not aware of how fee for service business works and there are many times where we have to wait to get reimbursed by companies that sometimes take months instead of weeks to pay out.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are an outpatient mental health clinic that provides both virtual telehealth services through the computer as well as in person clinical services. we serve all age ranges and all abilities. we do individual counseling as well as counseling for families and couples. We see people for common concerns such as anxiety and depression as well as helping people deal with grief or loss and significant traumas. we have tried to specialize in helping people process the concerns or issues that bring them in both mentally and physically. there is a very strong brain and body connection that runs through all forms of struggles that people deal with and we hope to people work through those issues what am I providing emotional support as well as helping them express things on the way that works best for them.
We are a small mental health clinic that is hoping to expand in the near future. we are dedicated to providing competent and creative services to our community and we believe that people should be able to access mental health in a way that works for them both financially and emotionally so we can create treatment plans that work for just about everyone.
I am also proud to be an approved supervisor for Licensed Graduate Professional Counselors in Maryland which has given me the opportunity to share my passion for special communities and populations with practitioners who are just getting started in the field. This helps share skills and knowledge that may otherwise not be readily available.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I think everybody should know that in some ways it’s easier than you may think to start a business, but in other important ways it’s also very difficult. there were some things that I found out in the process that surprised me because the idea of starting a business seems like a huge undertaking and realistically most of it is filling out paperwork, understanding the regulations that impact your business, and submitting it to the right places which of course includes paying a fee. It is a time consuming task that requires dedication and time. I think if someone wants to open their own private practice they should know what they will need to do in terms of state requirements and legal expectations but they shouldn’t feel like that would hold them back from being able to create the business that they want to see. I know when I first looked at signing a lease to have a physical office space it felt very scary and uncertain but sitting in that office now comes with a lot of pride and it feels like progress. I would advise people starting out that they shouldn’t let fear stop them from following a dream.
Pricing:
- We accept most major and public medical insurance
- We also offer sliding scale
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ourplacemd.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Our-Place-Counseling-Services-LLC-61553888142884/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-piercey-99ba23346/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OurPlaceMD
- Other: Email: info@ourplacemd.com
