Meet Dr. Monica Thompson | Clinical Director & Founder | Therapy for Queer People of Color

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Monica Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Monica, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is a necessary aspect of learning, growth, and change for me. Taking risks is usually a scary prospect because I’m fairly risk averse, but over time I learned to push myself through the fear, uncertainty, and self-doubt. When I’ve been willing to do the internal work, I consistently arrived at the same conclusion…risk can come with amazing and unexpected rewards. Maybe things didn’t always go the way I planned, but I always learned new things about myself in the process that allowed me to grow. Opening my virtual business in 2016 was a huge risk. Not many people were offering therapy online and it was a challenge getting clients to see the benefits. Fast forward to 2020 (cira COVID-19), where my initial instincts about the value of online therapy are validated. I was able to generate an entirely new stream of income around consulting with other clinicians that were forced to transition their face-to-face therapy practice to an online format.

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?
Therapy for Queer People of Color (QPoC) is virtual Atlanta based mental health network centered exclusively around meeting the health and wellness needs of queer and trans people of color. Therapy for QPoC was founded in 2016 and was one of the first LGBTQIA2S+ organizations to focus exclusively on telemental health/online services. Long before the pandemic, we recognized that more clients could access quality and affirming services if more therapists offered online therapy. The QPoC Therapist Directory and our free Therapist Matching Service are things I’m most proud of. It’s important that we find ways to reduce barriers and stress associated with locating a dope therapist and I want to make sure we’re doing our part to facilitate those connections. I’m most excited about our expansion plans for 2021. We’re branching out into a group practice model and bringing on therapists whose skills and approach align with our mission. This will allow Therapy for QPoC to serve even more members of our community. Business-wise, I developed and shaped this organization through critical self-reflection, community building, resource sharing, helping others, and asking for help. I consulted with colleagues, did a ton of research, and followed my business plan to get where I am today and no – it was not easy. It was stressful and I encountered many roadblocks along the way, but with motivation from my community, reaching out for help, and persistence, I pushed forward and overcame those obstacles. As far as what I want the world to know about my brand/story…I’d say it’s more important to me what my brand says to my community. Queer and trans people of color meet with me and/or members of my team daily and express surprise and gratitude that we (Therapy for QPoC) exist. I am a proud Black Queer Woman and to all the beautifully diverse queer and trans people of color out there, I’d like you to know that we see you and this space was intentionally created with your health & wellness needs in mind.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
That’s tough…but I’d probably take them for a stroll around the gayborhood near 10th & Piedmont. The rainbow sidewalks always remind me of the gay agenda (LMAO) and how important it is to share good food and fun with friends. I’m partial to people-watching, picnicing, and drinks on a beautiful spring or summer afternoon in the park with friends. Restaurants that would probably make my list and/or or my partner(s) list of must haves include: Slutty Vegan ATL, Le Petit Marche, Tassili’s Raw Reality Cafe, Desa Ethiopian Kitchen, Bar Vegan, Harmony Vegetarian, Grindhouse Killer Burgers, Busy Bee Cafe, and Old Lady Gang Southern Cuisine (for all my RHOA fans), and probably Plant Based Pizzeria. Aside from that, hosting intimate game nights, at-home paint-n-sips, and watch parties with friends is more my speed. I’m consistently reminded that the people in my tribe are what make Atlanta home for me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am fortunate to have so many amazing and intelligent people in my life who’ve contributed to my success, but this shoutout is dedicated to my very first Black clinical supervisor, Dr. LaShanda Nalls. LaShanda hired me as a counseling intern during my masters degree program in 2009 at Resilience (formerly Rape Victim Advocates) in Chicago, IL. Seeing an intelligent, warm, fierce, and unapologetic Black woman in a leadership role, gave me a lens and framework through which I could see myself. I knew I wanted to be a leader someday and I absorbed so much from LaShanda about what it meant to be an effective clinician and supervisor. LaShanda is a constant reminder of why representation, especially in the workplace, matters.

Website: therapyforqpoc.com

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

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