We had the good fortune of connecting with Chaya Bukiet and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chaya, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After graduating with a masters of science in marriage and family therapy I went on to work in community mental health for several years. It was a wonderful experience. I learned so much from my patients, colleagues, and supervisors and would not change that for anything. When the pandemic hit all my sessions went online. At first I was ambivalent and unsure how I felt about doing online therapy but the more I embraced it the more I saw how much I was beginning to enjoy the process. Working from home came with its challenges but also had a lot of benefits. In August of 2020 my husband and I made the decision to move from New York to Atlanta. We were craving more space, greenery and an overall lifestyle change. At the time of our move we had a 3.5 year old son and daughter on the way. It was during that time that my mind got to thinking about what it would look like to launch my own virtual therapy private practice. I spent a good chunk of my ‘maternity leave’ working on the logistics such as my website, finding therapist listing sites, learning the ins and outs of social media marketing and lots of the other hard and fun things that go into launching a business. A big motivation for me what the freedom and flexibility that comes with having my own business; getting to create my own hours, set my own rates, consider the type of clients I want to work with etc. I officially launched Mid-October and it has been an overall positive experience. There was a lot to learn in the beginning (and still now!) and I am very grateful for all the support I have received along the way!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the proud founder and owner of CB Connect Therapy where I provide virtual individual and couples therapy on all things relationships and self-growth. Relationships can be extremely challenging to navigate and it’s not like we are handed a manual on how to be in one. I love getting to be a part of the healing and growing process for individuals and couples who want to learn more about themselves, better understand their patterns and behaviors, desire the tools to effectively and productively manage conflict and overall lead satisfying lives. I have spent the past few months growing a community on Instagram where I create content and engage with my followers and I have been greatly enjoying that.

When I initially launched my practice it was hard. I did not have clients right away. I felt confident in my clinical and therapeutic skills but felt extremely lost and overwhelmed with all the business-y things. I spent a lot of time and continue to spend time learning as much as I can through podcasts, articles, connecting with other therapists, and engaging in my own therapy.

My favorite part of the experience thus far was pushing myself to do a lot of things that do not come naturally and feel quite uncomfortable at times and showing myself that I CAN do it! It has also given me the opportunity to do some of the ‘work’ that I currently support my clients in doing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and spent most my life there so for me, currently living in beautiful Sandy Springs, just taking a walk around my neighborhood feels special!

Some of my favorite places to visit are city springs, as I now have 2 kids the large grassy area and nearby coffee shop makes it the perfect place to let the kids run around while I enjoy some grown-up talk and a hot beverage. I also like blue heron nature reserve which has a lovely trail and is all shaded which is good on those hot atlanta days!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is really no way I could have gotten to where I am today without the support of my family and friends. A big honorable mention goes to my husband Sam. We got married in 2012 when I was mid-way through my undergraduate program. He was there by my side through my completion of undergrad, a long 3 years of graduate school, many hours and late nights at my internship, years of weekends spent on school work and exam prep, and his support never wavered. There were many dinners consisting of hot dogs and grilled cheese, many late evenings of driving to pick me up from the train station so I would only have to take 2 trains instead of 3, and many hours of his wife sitting at the dining room table surrounded by papers and books.

We were blessed with our beautiful son Kovi as I was one semester away from completing graduate school. Between Sam and my mom helping to watch my son I was able to graduate and complete all my required internship hours. I don’t think I ever once heard Sam complain throughout any of it. He has always been, and continues to be, a huge support of my career and passions.

I also feel incredibly blessed to have wonderful parents and spectacular friends that have greatly supported me throughout my whole journey; they are truly my biggest cheerleaders and I am very appreciative of them.

Website: www.cbconnecttherapy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbconnecttherapy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbconnecttherapy/

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