Meet Varayna Cordell | Therapist

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

Hi Varayna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was both personal and professional. I wanted to structure my work life in a way that worked for me and not be bound to traditional schedules and expectations. I feel like I’m a better therapist when I have the freedom to move in ways that make me comfortable. But I also wanted to do therapy in a way that made sense to me. Working with clients is not “one size fits all”. Like a lot of companies, a lot of mental health organizations are also concerned with measurable outcomes. It is understandable but, to me, therapy does not always work that way. I wanted the freedom to define success with my clients instead of my employer.

What should our readers know about your business?
My practice is Clarity Counseling and Wellness offering individual and group therapy services. I’ve had the practice for 5 years and I feel like I am still just getting started. It has been a challenging and steep learning curve over the past 5 years, for sure. I see myself as a therapist first and a business person, really, by necessity. I realized that if I wanted to provide services in the way that made sense to me, I would have to learn to make it sustainable. That meant accepting trial and error and having the right supports in place. It has not been easy but challenging myself personally has, honestly, made me a better therapist. So, I am grateful.

I’m most excited about growing and structuring the practice to fit what people need. Throughout the pandemic, and the last few years, therapy has become more mainstream and utilized. I think that is great but it has changed our field a lot. I am currently focusing on two things: keeping the integrity of our field and making services accessible. There are big companies looking to capitalize on the “trend” of therapy which can end up doing more harm than good at times. It is important to me that I offer well-informed, thoughtful services that add to people’s lives.

I am excited to start offering more group therapy and workshop options as a way to increase accessibility. I think groups are particularly important currently for a couple reasons. First, they can be a bit more cost effective which is, understandably, a concern at times. They also offer safe spaces to approach difficult topics together and I think we need more collective healing right now. I recently put a blog on my site addressing some of people’s concerns about groups. I am hoping to encourage folks to give them more consideration.

I think what sets Clarity apart is a really down-to-earth approach to therapy. What does better mean for you and how do we get there? It’s that simple. Therapy can be work but I try really hard to create an experience that is the easiest, most straightforward way to feel to better. I decided to call the practice Clarity because I want people to leave feeling clear on what better means for them and how to get there. It looks different for everyone but I am proud to say that my clients often report feeling just that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Some of my favorite places for visitors in Atlanta are the Botanical Gardens, Civil Rights museum, World of Coca Cola, or shopping and hanging out on the roof at Ponce City Market. I also like just strolling the Beltline at Krog Street or other Atlanta neighborhoods like East Atlanta Village and Little Five Points with visitors. There are a few off-the-beaten-path places I enjoy as well. I love visiting the Cascade Nature Preserve. It has hiking trails that we can make as long or as short as we want and a really relaxing waterfall. Having a picnic there on the rocks is a vibe for sure. I like to do a wine tasting at Purple Corkscrew in Avondale Estates near Decatur. The experience is so personalized, easy, and homey there. It’s a great place to catch up with visiting friends. And people seem to always want soul food when they visit here so I like getting it from Busy Bee for both the food and history.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to shoutout a fellow therapist, and owner of Blue House Wellness, Anne Rice in the Decatur area. I met her right as I was deciding to start a practice and she has been an amazing support. She offers trainings and a co-working space for therapists and is brilliant at sharing information in a way that is both useful and encouraging. She’s also a great therapist herself. Working with her has really made a difference for me and lots of other therapists in the area.

Website: https://claritycounselingwellness.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarity.counseling/

Image Credits
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