shoutout htx magazine feature
We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachael Reed and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Rachael, what do you attribute your success to?
One of the most important factors for us is operating out of our values. We initially sat down and asked ourselves what we wanted to stand for. We based Empower and Elevate on authenticity, collaboration, curiosity, inclusion, and transparency. It combines our values as individuals into the work we do through E&E. As we grow and align with our values, we seek to hire individuals that align with our beliefs and the company. At the core, it comes down to providing good client care and being relationship oriented. We honor transparency by helping clients get the care they need and providing different providers if we are not the best fit for someone. We want treatment to be attainable and inclusive. Our mission overall is providing an individualized and holistic approach to each client. As providers, we have a range of specialties to support the community. We have worked in multiple levels of care including behavioral hospitals, residential treatment centers, private practice, and outpatient community clinics.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Currently, our founder Rachael is working on her PhD in counselor education and supervision. As we said in our mission, we want to make mental health accessible and also want to effectively train therapists to enter the field. We hope to become licensed supervisors to support, train, and educate future therapists. We continue to explore other business opportunities that highlight our strengths as well. Potentially putting out books or courses to help further educate and support both people in the community and therapists. We hope to eventually provide additional resources if therapy does not feel obtainable for people that still need support.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of our favorite things to do in downtown Houston is to explore the museum district, and visit one of the many exhibits that are available. One of our personal values is being lifelong learners and this is a great opportunity to cultivate that aspect and learn something new. After an afternoon of exploring a cute spot for all things lunch or sweets, Tiny’s Cookies is located in the West University area. These cookies are Houston’s best kept secret and are a must if you are visiting the area. On the north side of town, Blue Door Coffee on the Waterway in The Woodlands is another great local spot for any coffee connoisseurs that are eager to try and support small businesses.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
For me personally (Rachael) I definitely want to highlight Kate Walker, my past supervisor, who provided me with a lot of mentorship. She’s one of my favorite people! She helped me develop good skills with business and running an ethical practice that aligns with your values. She’s someone who experienced adversity and preached for me to step into my authenticity. She gave me guidance in not living for other people and finding my authentic happiness. I adopted her belief of the abundance mindset that everyone has a seat at the table. She gave me a valuable perspective on the counseling field and understanding my individual purpose amongst so many great humans. I respect that she was someone who could challenge me and provide me comfort at the same time.
