Courtney Cusack, Psy.D..
1. What's your practice focus and what kind of clients knock on your door ?
Clear View Counseling Center (CVCC) serves Annapolis & Maryland, offering individual, family, and couples psychotherapy across all ages. Our team addresses a range of issues, including mood and anxiety disorders, relationship challenges, LGBTQIA+ matters, play therapy, and trauma. Located near the Naval Academy, Fort Meade, NSA, and D.C., we frequently support military personnel and their families. Our commitment is to tailor treatment to each patient's unique needs through collaborative care.
2. Tell us about yourself.
In grad school, I was selected for a coveted training program at McLean Hospital, a Harvard teaching facility. It was there where I found my passion for working with trauma survivors. 15 years later, I still love what I do. The impetus for establishing the CVCC stemmed from a gap in my community: the need for accessible, affordable, high-quality mental health care. It is both a privilege and an honor to contribute to my community through the ongoing development of my practice.
3. Tell us the story of a patient who you are most proud of helping.
Selecting a single patient as the one whom I am most proud of helping would be an impossible endeavor. My favorite patients to work with tend to be the toughest nuts to crack. I find particular gratification in working with individuals who present with complex trauma. Being entrusted with their innermost struggles and witnessing their transformation into healthy, successful individuals is an honor and a privilege and the most deeply rewarding aspect of my job.
4. What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a practitioner in private practice?
Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is crucial. We all enter this field because we want to help others, but we can become ‘The Giving Tree,’ if we are not careful about prioritizing self-care and personal time. I founded the CVCC in 2015 based on the essential need for mental healthcare providers to be able to set their own hours, cultivate a caseload in which they are passionate, and practice either in-person or virtually in an effort to prevent the burnout of caring, quality clinicians.
5. What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a private practice today?\
Top 3 tips I would give someone getting into private practice is:
- If you build it, they will come.
- Demand for mental health services is the highest it has ever been due to the aftermath of the pandemic and people are in need more than ever.
- Define your goals, determine your niche, and don’t forget to create a community of colleagues for support and to avoid isolation.