Meet Rachel Gustafson | Psychotherapist

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

Hi Rachel, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I feel as though the most important factor behind my success is allowing myself to be true to who I am. There are several traits that I have that others sometimes see as “weird” or different. Instead of shrinking myself to meet other people’s expectations of who I am, I’ve learned to take up space as my full self. This includes my queerness, neurodivergence, expressive facial expressions, loud laugh, Taylor Swift fanaticism, and so much more. The more I let myself lean into the things that make me unique, the more I learn to love these things about myself, even if others deem them as “too weird.”

I find that my authenticity invites the person sitting with me for therapy to be the most authentic version of themselves, which I see as my greatest professional strength. In a field that can sometimes feel clinical or detached, I’ve found that being fully human is actually what makes the most room for healing. I always hold in mind that the person sitting across from me may be carrying shame, guilt, or other forms of discomfort that make their struggles feel even heavier. My greatest success comes when I can create a space where clients feel safe enough to embrace every part of themselves, and that starts with me accepting all the parts of myself.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a psychotherapist working in private practice in Marietta, GA. I graduated with my PsyD in clinical psychology about three years ago and recently transitioned to private practice after working a full-time, salaried position for the early years of my career. I have specialties in working with LGBTQIA and neurodivergent people, especially folks working through anxiety, trauma, perfectionism, and spirituality concerns. I can’t even emphasize how much I love what I do. I love getting to know people, hearing their stories, and witnessing transformation.
There’s very little about getting to where I am now that has been easy. Five years of grad school was incredibly difficult, especially with half of that being through a pandemic. What a lot of people don’t know is that the work doesn’t end there. I had this idea in my mind that once I had the diploma, life would be a breeze, and that’s not what happened. The licensure process has been grueling for me and is something I’m still working towards, so I’m still fully supervised by a psychologist until I get through this last hurdle.
When I got to a dead-end at my 9 to 5, I started thinking about what kind of work was the most meaningful to me and where I could use the strong skills that I know I have. It’s important to me to give accessible and affirming therapeutic care, and with the current sociopolitical climate, it made the most sense to me that I transition to private practice, where I can manage my own caseload and have autonomy over the type of care that I provide.
I could talk about the challenges of making this transition all day, but I think one that I really want to highlight is the level of self-doubt that I felt going into a new setting where I had so much control over my work. I had been in more traditional work settings before where I felt like professionalism was questioned. Now, in my new job structure, I had to give myself reminders that my work is effective, and that my colleagues and friends who truly know me believe in the work that I do. I found myself falling into a similar trap that I know many other young professionals fall into; I felt like just because of my years of experience or other things that I viewed as “less than” made me unqualified, even though it was never true. It was so helpful for me to find spaces where I could be open about my self-doubt with people that I trusted so that I could be affirmed and reminded of my strengths. At the end of the day, I believe in myself and the work that I do, and it’s so important to me. But I’m also human, and I’m so glad to have people who remind me of my worth when I don’t feel it as much.
My hope is that I am seen as sincere, genuine, and affirming to my clients and all others that I work with. I am deeply passionate about social justice for all humans and commitment is central in my therapy work. This is one of the most important things I want people to know about the work that I do. I may not hold every lived experience, but I strive to hold space with intention, humility, and a deep respect for those navigating marginalized identities and systemic inequalities.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I cannot emphasize enough that Marietta Square is the best place to bring folks from out of town. The farmers market, the shops, everything. I love it all. I also have friends who have discouraged me from dragging them to Wing Cafe and Taphouse in Marietta because I love it a little too much—but if I’ve got a fresh batch of out-of-towners? We’re going. Preferably on a Wednesday for music bingo. If we’re going to downtown Atlanta, the possibilities are endless. I love Frisky Whisker Cat Cafe, catching shows at the Fox Theater, browsing whatever art festival is happening, or finding a new antique mall to walk through.

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?
It’s hard to narrow this question down to one, or even just a few people who deserve credit for the support I’ve been given. Moving into private practice was a big and scary leap of faith for me, and honestly, I didn’t expect it to happen how or when it did. Dr. Steve Perlow, Dr. Gerald Drost, and the rest of the clinicians and staff at Powers Ferry Psychological Associates have been absolutely amazing in helping me get my footing throughout my transition and giving me all the professional support I need. Beyond that, there’s been so many other supervisors, colleagues, and mentors in professional circles who have helped me form my professional identity. I’ll never be able to express enough gratitude to those folks, but I carry it with me daily, even when it goes unspoken. Finally, my move into private practice brought on a whole new layer of appreciation for my family, friends, and chosen family. I feel so grateful to have an amazing support team in my corner.

Website: https://Rachelguspsych.com

Instagram: Rachelguspsych

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rachel-gustafson-35b362165/

Other: https://atlantapsychologist.com/dr-rachel-gustafson/