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

Hi Lovely, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have worked in multiple social social services settings all but not limited to counseling/therapy, residential treatment, schools, juvenile courts, hospitals and hospice for over 15 years. I discovered the barriers that individuals from marginalized communities face when trying to access services and mental health support. Follow up can be confusing when referred out after leaving the settings discussed . Without knowledgeable support some patients give up or stress is increased trying to navigate the system. My business partner and I saw the need and wanted to be that support to communities who do not always have a voice.

In many instances I have been the only Black therapist on the team and I often receive an significant amount of referrals requesting a Black counselor. In my experience Black and other marginalized communities often request providers from similar backgrounds. Many of my clients indicated they were thankful for not having to re-explain or “make sense” of their stories and I”m thankful for being able to understand “where they were coming from” in order to help them heal.

This helped to recognize the need for a diverse team to help marginalized communities heal. Our goals has been to have diverse practitioners from various backgrounds who are non-judgmental, and who can recognize and address their biases, with the goal of having excellent treatment outcomes. We see the impact of disproportionately worse mental health outcomes in marginalized communities, and we wanted to help. In addition to counseling, I wanted an agency of providers who support and advocate for all individuals through community collaborations and who are passionate about providing therapy and support that empowers.

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?
What makes me proud is officially opening and monetizing our business after years of not really providing services because of worry or fear, but glad we now realize that we are doing this for those in need and that we can do this. It was not easy because being a social service provider, learning the “business/administrative” side of services was a huge pivot, We had to learn to become more assertive in our requests for pay when contracting because we would often come across individuals who did not want to pay us or who could not pay and it is difficult sometimes to say no to those in need. There were a lot of times we provided support for free which affected our practice, however, we now have a great system in place, sliding scale fees for those in need, we are glad to have overcome this challenge.

Discovering the Bigger Picture and its clinical team are based in Arizona, we notice how there are a lot of out of state providers here, but we are knowledgeable about the community and its resources and that makes us proud.

We bring a wealth of knowledge to the counseling setting. Our counselors have supported and advocated for individuals from all walks of life. DBP works with the whole community, nonetheless, we often support marginalized communities recognizing that there is sometimes a stigma with seeking mental health support. We understand that individuals are seeking culturally responsive mental health providers, and it is the responsibility of providers to understand how discrimination and the events happening in public are impacting these clients. We need to recognize it and deliver trauma-informed care and address trauma. Our non traditional therapies like Gaming therapy and Performance Mental Health have piqued the interest of several potential stakeholders and we are proud of that.

My providers and I already have a community presence, we have been informing individuals of our services. We have good relationships with the hospitals, churchs, schools, and nonprofit organizations in the community, so we often volunteer to speak on panels or educate their staff when experiencing barriers or needs resources. We are also opened to partnering with schools, churches, Boys & Girls club and other community organizations to provide groups – we are open to meeting individuals where they are at.

We are assessable, our team has grown and we are now accepting new clients. We can admit new clients right away, I’ve heard that there has been wait lists at a lot of agencies, and I have also heard that there has been issues with provider engagement. I encourage individuals to give us a try. Even though we are a small private practice we are accepting Optum/UHC, Aetna, and Several EAP health plans. Others insurances are pending so please call and we will let you know if we accept your plan, sliding scale fees are also available.

We understand addressing the social determinants of health can get us a long way towards better mental health outcomes for our clients. Our counselors have a holistic and integrative approach to address “The Bigger Picture” to support the client in reaching their therapeutic goals.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m not originally from AZ so a lot of my favorite spots have been introduced to me by family and friends my husband is from Maryvale and he always says May Garden restaurant is a hidden gem.

When they Arrive, they will get off the plane and hang out at Sugar Jam in Scottsdale, there we will have brunch and listen to a live DJ, eat good food all within a lively environment. We will most likely go to a bowling or top golf in Glendale following a walk through Westgate.

Sunday we will have to go to my church Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Phoenix or Emmanuel C.O.G.I.C.

I love Harkins Estrella Falls theater in Goodyear, they have reclining seats, I love movies so we will have to go see a movie. First Friday is great to hang out and see beautiful art from local artists. We will stop by one of the local sport arenas, my husband is a Suns and Cardinals fan and we attend the games frequently. The Science Center and Urban Air are good events for the kids. Arrowhead Mall is a good place to shop. The Biltmore has great restaurants so we will for sure go there sometime throughout the week. My husband and I enjoy playing tabletop games and Tabletop Wargamers store in Goodyear off of Dysart and McDowell is a great Friday night game spot, the owner and players who come in are amazing.

I’m kind of simple, I enjoy family so I’m typically home and when I do socialize I enjoy a game nights with friends.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to:

To God Be the Glory for what He has done and for what He is continuing to do in my life. My husband Dauntae and 3 beautiful children for their constant love and support on this entrepreneurial journey. My mother Lynette and father Dwight for their love and lessons they have given me throughout my life that I pay forward daily. My business partner Brittany Poole for always having “my back” and for helping to bring our vision to life. Desmond and Shalmeka for your love and encouragement. Dr. Omolara and the Melanin & Medicine team for mentoring me and providing praise, direction, and encouragement when I wasn’t sure if being an entrepreneur was for me. Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and church family, Women of Worship (WOW) women’s ministry, Women of Purpose women”s ministry -all who have all been instrumental in my spiritual growth and supported my business. There are countless others who have provided me with the tools and encouragement (Tiara, Renee, Anthony) that has helped me get to this point, if your name was not mentioned just know you are all appreciated. Winters -Black Fatigue book helped to increase my knowledge and perspective with the issues that affect Black America. Also, the Knarrative and Knubia community for expanding my understanding on various topics and for providing a safe space to dialogue and is critical to my studies.

Website: www.biggerpictureaz.com

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lovely-poole-lmsw-3202566b

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088030027125&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Logo created by Blayke Poole (My business partner’s son he’s 17)

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