Meet Dr. Patrie Williams | Texas and New Mexico Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Mompreneur, Owner of Tomorrow | Today Behavioral Health, PLLC

I always knew that I wanted to be a business owner and to engage in conversations about Black entrepreneurship, specifically, Black female entrepreneurship. However, I wasn’t quite sure what my business would be but I always knew that whatever I did, I wanted to provide a personal service that would help change people’s lives for the better. A few years ago, I started brainstorming and asking personal questions like ‘what interests me,’ ‘what am I good at,’ ‘when am I going to start this business’ and ‘what is it going to look like.’ After answering these basic questions, I put everything on paper and committed to following through with my entrepreneurial plans. Although I am a licensed clinical psychologist, during the early stages of my business planning, I was not quite sure if I wanted it to be related to my profession because I have many interests. However, the more I worked in the psychology field, the more I became painfully aware of the lack of representation of Black and Brown mental health providers serving the needs of Black and Brown people and their communities; I wanted to help address this dire need. As a result, I decided that opening a private mental health practice would best utilize my skill set and fulfill my lifelong mission of serving Black and Brown communities in ways that matter the most. Thus, Tomorrow | Today Behavioral Health, PLLC was established. I formed a focus group composed of family and friends and they voted on 7 different potential business names. However, I eventually chose a name that did not receive the most votes; my mother encouraged me to go in an alternate direction and emphasized the importance of being unique in both name and approach. My original slogan was ‘hopeful for a better tomorrow, today,’ but after thinking more about it and flushing out the details with my husband, who graciously serves as my business advisor, we decided that ‘Dedicated to helping each person today, find a better and self-fulfilling tomorrow’ would be a more accurate slogan and would better describe my mission of providing holistic mental health services to those in need. I am so blessed to have been able to launch my own business and I am overjoyed with the positive responses received thus far.

Tomorrow | Today Behavioral Health, PLLC is a holistic telehealth psychotherapy practice committed to enriching the lives of individuals who, for whatever reason or circumstance, may not be feeling their best. We are dedicated to helping each person today, find a better and self-fulfilling tomorrow through personalized psychotherapy sessions and individualized treatment plans. We accept clients (adolescents and adults) who are residents of Texas or New Mexico. We provide assessment and evidenced-based treatment/interventions to clients and their families presenting with general outpatient conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress management, familial stress). We are committed to providing our clients with quality service, individualized and holistic behavioral health care. We help strengthen interpersonal relationships, find solutions to specific problems, and reduce feelings of distress. What sets us apart from other mental health practices is that we offer evening and weekend appointments in an effort to better accommodate clients’ schedules. I am really excited at the prospect of expanding my practice to include group therapy! I always wanted to be my own supervisor and that desire was strengthened after seeing my friends’ private practices flourish; their success pushed me to finally take a leap of faith and start my practice. Of course, I sought guidance, filed the necessary paperwork to apply for and register a business, and worked on my eventual launch. While not difficult, the process was far from easy; I somewhat underestimated the time required to design a logo (shoutout to my mom for designing my logo), create business documents, design a website, and market my business. Launching and running a business taught me patience and permission to give myself grace. I would initially get frustrated when things did not move fast enough or when Michael presented a multitude of edits here and there, but over time I realized that in order to have a successful business, it is important for things to be in order and done correctly. I want the world to know that my brand is centered around my ancestors, family, and Mother Africa. I chose the Sankofa Bird symbol as my logo because of its representation. Sankofa, derived from the Akan people of Ghana, expresses the importance of reaching back to the past to retrieve memories and lessons in order to make progress in the future. I want my clients to know that while their past is not a determinant of their future, it’s important that they recognize how their life experiences (with both the roses and thorns) impact how they move forward.

There are so many diverse tourist attractions in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) area, which makes the metroplex a great destination for a girls’ trip. As a self proclaimed foodie, I always look for opportunities to have a sit down dinner at a restaurant where my friends and I can laugh, catch up on each other’s lives, discuss all things entertainment, and overall enjoy each other’s company. My favorite restaurant in Dallas is Aunt Irene’s Kitchen, a Black female owned business. I would take my best friend to Aunt Irene’s Kitchen and order the ‘Original Black Box,’ a Cajun seafood boil. My next top favorite restaurants are Hillstone and Truluck’s. I enjoy the ambience of Hillstone and the upscale vibes of Truluck’s. I have an eclectic group of friends and my top three restaurants definitely meet their standards and serve dishes they enjoy. Being that my friend group is grounded in African history and we all have a thirst for knowledge, our first stop (non-food related) would be the Pan-African Connection Bookstore, Art Gallery and Resource Center to shop for educational books, artwork, and tour the facility. Since shopping definitely has to be on the to-do list, what better place to go for a diverse shopping experience other than the Galleria? I enjoy shopping at the Galleria because it offers a nice balance between high fashion and daily wear. I would then take my friends to visit my good friend Gabrielle at her university office, where she is a professor.  She’s such a great time and fun spirit and I am always proud to showcase her success. Sightseeing in DFW would not be complete without visiting Reunion Tower. With panoramic views of the city, Reunion Tower provides the perfect backdrop for pictures and selfies. But you know what, above everything I listed, nothing is better than a girls night sleepover, hanging out in the living room, watching movies, eating take-out, drinking milkshakes, and having heart-to-heart girl talk. My friends and I really enjoy each other’s company and cherish our memories together because we don’t get to see each other as often as we would like. This hypothetical weeklong trip would be filled with everlasting memories from tours around the city to being indoors doing the simplest things. Most importantly, bonding and basking in our sisterhood would take centerstage.

This question is difficult to answer because I have such a great support system, which includes my parents (for without them I would not be here today), my grandparents (who have always been in my corner), family, friends, colleagues, and so many people who are rooting for my success. But for the purpose of this interview, I would like to give special recognition to my husband, Michael. Michael has been by my side throughout my doctoral program, internship, postdoc, supported me while studying for licensure, he has seen my highs and lows, and helped me navigate the strenuous process of launching a business. Funny story, I was actually studying for licensure while we were vacationing in Mexico; while I studied daily in the spa from about 8-11 a.m., he was right by my side reading a book. Michael continues to be my #1 supporter, best friend, light at the end of the tunnel and positive voice through trying times. While I know Tomorrow | Today Behavioral Health, PLLC would have been established independent of my husband, I am not sure if it would be as developed as it is today. Additionally, he deserves this shoutout because without him, I would not have my beautiful son Ezeani Denmark Ra. Ezani is the reason why I push myself so hard to succeed. I want Ezeani to see and understand that he can do whatever he sets his mind to and can weather any storms that arise. My family’s love and support are the very reasons I am successful and why I am blessed to interview with you today.