We’re looking forward to introducing you to Elizabeth Harring. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Elizabeth, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What is a normal day like for you right now?
I wish I had a normal! As a person that thrives on routine I have the vision of a structured day. As a solo parent to a 2 and 4.5 year old I have learned that nothing is ever “normal”. My kids might wake up sick, (which happens more than I ever knew was possible) and that will shift the entire day. I will scramble to explain again to my colleagues that I have to adjust the schedule, or that they will hear chaos in the back of the zoom call. This used to leave me mortified, embarrassed. An overwhelming sense that I was failing at my work, that I was unreliable, or that I didn’t have it together.
Yet, this year I leaned into the enormous sense of gratitude that I have for the ability to tackle each moment as it comes. The art of “going with the flow” is newfound and not natural for me.
So, normal might be holding a team meeting in the car, doing billing at 2am, sending voice to text emails as I tackle parenthood; and I am so lucky to get to do it all.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Elizabeth Harring. I am a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland and Washington DC. In 2018 I pooled my love of providing therapy, with my desire to identify gaps and areas of need, and threw it into a super cute office in the Hamilton neighborhood of NE Baltimore.
My business is Chesapeake Behavioral Health Services and it started as a private therapy practice, providing affordable and insurance accessible mental health services to adults and couples in the Baltimore LGBTQIA+ community. We have grown into a group of 12 mental health therapists virtually serving the state of Maryland. Covid took our office but it gave me the pivot point to virtually connect with clients in areas of the state that may not have accessible queer affirming care.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
The values and beliefs we develop in childhood are so powerful and influential. So many of us spend adulthood unlearning, rewiring, or adjusting those core thoughts to better align with the people we have become. I believed in childhood that you have to follow the steps of the ladder to do well. Be quiet, keep your head down and work hard. I was taught that only certain jobs or fields of work were “successful” (ie law, finance, business)
When I got accepted into New York University to obtain my masters in social work my father said “you’re going to pay that much for a social work degree?”
I did. and It was worth it.
I also didn’t work the ladder. I weaved a spider web of experiences helping different vulnerable communities. I spoke loudly and relentlessly about policies that didn’t serve our clients or practices that were outdated. I have found the utmost success in the smallest moments of helping others. I have built beautiful connections with colleagues who’s work I admire, and I have reframed the idea of what “doing well” means.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I don’t think anyone can feel the deepest joy of success without experiencing suffering in some form. I have encountered multiple setbacks in my business and in my life. When I am faced with a big challenge I first like to react egregiously and emotionally from my heart. I allow for all the feelings, cursing, and expressions. Then I regroup and look at it again with a structured and focused mind and get to problem solving.
I went through six rounds of IVF and multiple losses to have children. The heartbreak in every one of those moments built my character, my resilience, and who I am as a parent.
My business had near catastrophic funding loss after an insurance data breach in 2024. I saw the possibility of losing everything I built, of letting down employees and clients. The panic and chaos of those moments taught me what I truly value in my company-integrity, resilience, and honest communication.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Social work is a flawed field. Rooted in white supremacy in its origin, and struggling with its role in social justice in its present. I think the biggest lie is the avoidance of those facts. If we are to adhere to ethics of service we have to decolonize the work.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What false labels are you still carrying?
Back to those childhood beliefs….I carry the idea that there is always more to do. That I have never done enough, or that it isn’t good enough. Take this as your reminder that rest is not a reward! It is required.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cbhtherapists.com
Image Credits
Brixton and Brenna Coppola-Millner
