Meet Tameika Cheek | Therapist

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

Hi Tameika, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Once I decided to pursue a career in the mental health field, I knew I wanted to go into private practice. In order to do this, after completing your Master’s degree and passing the state board exam, you still have to work a minimum of 2-3 years under fully licensed clinicians, receiving monthly supervision, before you can practice on your own. So, I was well-informed that the process would take time and dedication. I’m always thinking ahead, and I knew that work life balance would be very important to me. I knew I wanted to become a mother, a very present and active mother. I wanted and needed flexibility in my career and work schedule in order to achieve this. I knew this would be possible as an entrepreneur. I knew that starting my own business would provide the opportunity for me to truly enjoy the work that I do as a psychotherapist, but not being bound to it due to many constraints that I had when working for others. I could work specifically with the clients that I aligned best with, working less hours, but making more money. This was and is very important to me. My thought process behind starting my own business with all of this in mind, was that it just made the most sense. It would fill my cup of creatively, professionally, provide work life balance, and I could make a good living to help afford the growing family and life that my husband and I planned to have.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I started my solo private therapy practice in 2016 and I expanded into a group practice this year – Tameika & Co.. Therapy, LLC. We’re a modern therapy practice, for modern women. What sets us apart from many other practices is that we’re young women who help other young women work through common women’s issues, so we get it. We understand many of the difficulties our clients are going through, firsthand, because we may have experienced them as well. There’s no love like self-love, so we’re heavily focused on helping clients to improve self-love, self-esteem, and self-care. The lack of these are often rooted in many issues our clients present with. I’m proud that I’m actually doing this. I decided I was going to become an entrepreneur and have a successful practice, and I’m doing it. I’m proud that I can bet on myself. I show up for myself, my contract therapists, and my clients. I am proud and excited to see the growth and progress of my clients. Setting and reaching career and business goals excite me. When I feel stuck or faced with a challenge, I reflect on how far I’ve already come, as a reminder. of my capabilities and for motivation. Being a business owner isn’t easy but I got to where am today by continuing to believe in myself, positive self-talk, healthy work boundaries, passion, drive, being flexible and open to pivot when necessary, and being open to receive constructive criticism and feedback, I’ve been learning the biggest lessons in my transition from private practice to a group practice. You have to take risks, invest in your business, spend money to make money, and also hire help and outsource if you need to and can.. It’s likely the best way to reach new levels and heights. What I’d like the world to know, specifically women who desire to become business owners, is that if I can do it, you likely can too, The world needs your creativity and talent, so go for it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d definitely have a spa day one day. Woodhouse Spa is one of my favorites. I love Avalon in Alpharetta for causal shopping and dining. My faves there would be ice cream from Jeni’s Ice cream, lunch or dinner at Rumi’s Kitchen, or pizza from Antico’ Pizza Napoletana. Maybe we’d check out the High Museum of Art and ride the Ferris Wheel. Over the course of the week, we’d go to Ponce CIty Market, the Beltline, and The Shops at Buckhead. We love to get dressed up for dinner, drinks, good music and good vibes, so I’d take them to Eclipse Di Luna, The James Room, and/or hangout at Drawbar at The Bellyard Hotel.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
God, my husband, my family, my friends, my contract therapists, and my clients. Shoutout to all of them! I’m grateful to have had a vision for my business planted within me, and the necessary drive, discipline, motivation, support, and confidence that’s needed to become a successful business woman. Faith and prayer, along with action has been a huge part of this journey. Shoutout to my husband because he has been on board with me starting my own practice from the very beginning. I’m very confident in my capabilities, but he may have me beat. I know that he believes that I can do any and everything I set my mind to, and I love that for me.. Without his support, starting my own business would have been very challenging. My work ethic has allowed him to be confident that I’d be successful at starting and maintaining a business. We made plans for me to quit my corporate job to pursue my business full-time. He was supportive and all in. You could say he’s been my silent business partner, in addition to my life partner, because he’s definitely been invested in many ways. My family has always been encouraging and happy to hear about my growth as a business owner. Shout out to my dad because he’s definitely helped to finance websites and business photoshoots in my early years as a business owner. I have amazing friends and we have very motivating group chats! Many of my friends are fellow entrepreneurs as well. We encourage, uplift, and support one another’s business endeavors when feasible. I’m lucky enough to have a close friend who is also a therapist who owns and runs a group practice. We started our businesses at the same time in 2016 while still working full-time corporate jobs. We were accountability partners in our early stages of starting our businesses and years later she is still supportive and shares knowledge and resource with me. It’s all love and no competition. She’s a blessing to me and my business. My contract therapists and my clients are the real MVP’s. I’ve expanded into a group practice and have great therapist working under my supervision. There’d be no group practice without my therapists who believe in my vision for my business and want to work with me. I’m also extremely grateful for my clients. There’s thousands of therapists and practices they could choose from, and they have chosen to work with me or therapist within my practice. I would not be a successful business owner without them.

Website: www.tameikaandco.com

Image Credits
Photos of me taken by Kelley Raye