Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiana Frazier.
Hi Tiana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story begins at the end of my sophomore year of college in 2011. Like many college students, I had no clear idea of what career path I wanted to pursue. I was quickly running out of time, having already completed all of the general education courses available to me without declaring a major. It felt as though no career path truly fit. With only hours left before I needed to register for the next semester—before classes filled up—I came across a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in marriage and family education. The course descriptions immediately caught my attention, so I enrolled in a class called Marriage.
That following semester, the course was taught by a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and everything clicked. For the first time, I felt clarity and certainty about my future. I knew I wanted to become an LMFT.
My desire to become an LMFT was partially driven by a yearning to help others, but if I’m being honest, it was also deeply personal. I wanted to understand how to be a mentally healthy person and how to build a stable, lasting relationship. Divorce had heavily impacted my family. Out of more than a dozen extended families, I only knew of two nuclear families, and in one of them the parents were never legally married. My immediate family was no exception—my parents divorced when I was very young. Ironically, at the time I decided to pursue this path, I had never been to therapy myself, nor did I personally know anyone who had. Despite that, something inside me knew this was the right path.
I went on to graduate with my B.S. in 2013 and began working in a program where I facilitated couples sessions and taught relationship skills to expectant couples preparing for the transition into parenthood. I loved the work, and it further solidified my passion for the field. In 2017, I applied to Texas Woman’s University and was accepted into their outstanding Marriage and Family Therapy program. During this time, I experienced profound personal growth. I began attending therapy myself and actively applied what I was learning to my own life. It was also during this period that I realized I wanted to work with both individuals and couples with relational concerns in a private practice setting.
After graduating, I began working in a group private practice in 2020. While there, several clients shared how difficult it had been for them to find a Black therapist. I heard this repeatedly, and I, too, became increasingly aware of the lack of Black representation in the field. Not only were there few Black therapists in the DFW area, but there were also very few Black-owned private practices. Feeling both called and empowered, I decided to create the space I saw was missing. In 2021, I opened You & Me + Therapy, and I have been in practice ever since.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My path was neither smooth nor linear. From the very beginning, it was marked by confusion and anxiety about how to choose a direction at all, followed by setbacks and disappointments along the way. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I applied to an extremely rigorous, COAMFTE-accredited (Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education) master’s program at Oklahoma State University. This accreditation represents the gold standard in Marriage and Family Therapy education. Each year, the program receives hundreds of applications from across the country and admits only seven students.
Although I advanced to the final interview stage as one of the top twenty applicants, I was not selected. While I deeply valued the program’s accreditation and reputation, I left the full-day interview with an unexpected sense of unease. At the time, OSU was the only COAMFTE-accredited program in the state of Oklahoma, where I was living, and there were no nearby accredited programs in Texas. Although I could have applied again the following year, I also knew the program did not feel like the right fit. Having recently gotten married, relocating far away to pursue another accredited program was not a realistic option, and I felt stuck.
Just a few years later, Texas Woman’s University obtained COAMFTE accreditation, and I was accepted into the program. However, as I began learning more about mental health and healthy relationships, I was confronted with a painful reality: my own marriage was deeply unhealthy. As I attempted to address concerns within the relationship, multiple affairs and ongoing deceit came to light. Despite my strong desire to save the marriage, my husband was unwilling to attend couples therapy or make meaningful changes. Ultimately, we separated and later divorced.
This setback was the most difficult of all. One of the primary reasons I pursued this career was to break the cycle of divorce in my family. I felt devastated and overwhelmed with self-doubt. How could I help other people’s marriages when I couldn’t save my own? It was during this time that I sought therapy for myself and learned one of the most important lessons of my career: therapists need therapists too. I also learned that I did not need to have a perfect marriage—or be a perfect person—to help others. What mattered was my willingness to grow, to reflect honestly, and to seek support when needed. From that point forward, I knew I would not allow divorce to define or limit my ability to be an effective couples therapist, nor would it prevent me from building a healthy relationship in the future.
Another major setback came in the form of COVID-19—though at the time, I had no idea it would eventually lead to unexpected professional growth. I graduated in December 2019 with plans to take my LMFT licensing exam in March 2020. After months of intense preparation, testing centers shut down just three days before my scheduled exam due to the pandemic. Around the same time, I was furloughed from my job. The timing could not have been worse. At the end of March, I was moving from Denton, Texas to a more expensive apartment in Dallas, believing I would soon be licensed and financially stable. Like many Americans, I was suddenly left waiting with no clear answers about when I could return to work or complete my licensure process. I ultimately had to apply for unemployment to survive. Beyond financial stress, I was also carrying deep fear and anxiety about the very real health risks of COVID-19.
While waiting for the state to reopen, I received temporary assistance and was finally able to take my licensing exam in July 2021. A few months later, I obtained my license and began working as a therapist. By the end of 2021, I was hired by an in-person group private practice. While the experience was initially positive and provided valuable learning opportunities, the pandemic had fundamentally shifted the mental health landscape. COVID-19 opened the door to telehealth, creating new access points for clients—and new possibilities for therapists.
Recognizing both the demand for virtual therapy and the lack of Black-owned private practices, I began building my own practice on the side. What initially felt like a setback ultimately became the foundation for growth. While COVID delayed my licensure and disrupted my plans, the changes it brought allowed me to successfully and quickly launch and grow You & Me + Therapy—creating a practice rooted in accessibility, representation, and meaningful relational work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
You & Me + Therapy is a female- and Black-owned private practice dedicated to providing thoughtfully tailored therapy for adults navigating a wide range of relational concerns. Our mission is to help clients build stronger, more fulfilling relationships through compassionate care, evidence-based strategies, and practical tools that create real change.
What we are known for is our specialized focus on relationships. While we work with individuals, our approach is always relational at its core. We believe that healthy relationships are the foundation of a meaningful, connected life. Whether you are working on your relationship with a partner or with yourself, we are committed to equipping you with the insight, skills, and support needed to cultivate lasting growth, emotional well-being, and authentic connection.
What truly sets You & Me + Therapy apart is our commitment to representation, intentional care, and tailored treatment. We recognized a significant gap in the mental health field—particularly in the lack of Black-owned private practices and limited access to culturally responsive care. Our practice was created to be both clinically excellent and identity-affirming. Every client is met with warmth, respect, and a treatment plan that reflects their unique story rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
You & Me + Therapy offers virtual therapy to individuals and couples (18+) in Dallas, Texas and all across the state of Texas. Our services include Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy and Marriage Counseling, Premarital Counseling, and Group Counseling.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To me, success is living in alignment with my values and my purpose in life while making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youandmeplustherapy.com
