Today we’d like to introduce you to Molly Cook.
Hi Molly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Sure! I’m a mental health therapist specializing in trauma and the founder of Onward Therapy and Wellness in Dallas, Texas. I’ve been working in the mental health field for about 10 years in various capacities, but when I first started my journey, I can tell you I did not intend to be where I am today – a trauma therapist and business owner.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin, and during my undergraduate education gained an understanding of the broader sociological and social justice issues we’re facing collectively. I was (and still am) particularly outraged by the criminal justice system and disparities in health across race and socioeconomic status. I went on to pursue my master’s in social work also at UT Austin to better understand how change and transformation actually happen on an individual level. I wanted to learn how I could be a mechanism for change for others. Naively, I was not thinking that it would be through providing therapy directly.
My hope was to use this education to help me make change on a macro level. Throughout my education, I was thrust into settings which afforded me opportunities to learn clinical skills. My first role as a social worker was in the state jail setting, working with individuals who had multiple drug-related offenses. The program was designed to reduce the recidivism rate by supporting their transition from incarceration into the community. This was my first professional encounter with the lack of adequate support for marginalized populations trying to make it. It was also when I began to understand more concretely how traumatizing it can be to exist as a person in a marginalized group. It was maddening to see how social policy restricts access to healing and recovery support for many who have experienced trauma.
I continued onward in my process, following my interests, learning more about mechanisms of therapeutic change, the neurobiology of trauma and addiction, and therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) which are showing tons of promise for sustainable healing and restoration.
Fresh out of school burdened with student loan debt, I took a job at an inpatient hospital in the psychiatric intensive care unit and continued to see much of the same trends. I also noticed the way in which our Western medical model pathologizes oppressed groups and perpetuates illness while claiming to heal.
A move back to North Texas moved me into working in inpatient addiction treatment, where I transitioned to a leadership role and noticed nothing different in terms of unsustainable and unethical processes and standard practices. Gaining insight into the business operations, I started to see how the business and financial structure of medical agencies can end up having detrimental effects on those seeking care as well as those working for the agency as employees providing direct care. I saw wonderful, kind-hearted, driven people chewed up by unsustainable business strategy. I was working more and more hours, trying to figure out a way to support my team and improve outcomes for clients in treatment. Ethical dilemma after ethical dilemma, I reached a point of compassion fatigue and burnout. It was clear to me that I needed to make a drastic change.
Engaging in my own personal reflection and therapy process confronted me with the realization that I needed to build a business with ethics as the foundation. A few trials and tribulations later, Onward Therapy & Wellness was born.
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?
I certainly wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, but it’s been an epic adventure! One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced has been confronting my own stuff…my own trauma, and the defenses and survival mechanisms that no longer serve me. I’ve learned that it’s pretty much impossible to lead clients farther than I’ve gone myself when it comes to healing and recovery. Being willing to do my own work and operate as a fellow traveler has made me a better clinician and a more effective leader.
Giving myself permission to be a specialist was a struggle as well. There were (and sometimes are still) lots of negative messages rattling around in my head about my own ability to be a “good” trauma therapist. Allowing myself to call myself a specialist opened up channels for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Onward Therapy & Wellness is a group of like-minded professionals who provide a variety of services aimed at helping people heal from trauma, addiction, and other mental health issues. Our foundation is ethical, restorative, and sustainable practices at every level of the business. In fact, a core part of how we actualize our mission is by prioritizing our staff. Taking care of the providers who make up the team is the best way to achieve scalable impact and sustainable wellness for those we serve. We believe that healing is possible and that everyone has the power to heal. We resist the notion that a mental health diagnosis is a life sentence or that it’s impossible to build a rich and fulfilling life in the aftermath of horrible or traumatic experiences.
I’m most proud of the amazing people who make up the team at Onward. They’ve each got incredible stories and have unique perspectives. I love to witness how each person on my team has in their own way transformed their struggles or pain into something rich and healing for themselves and others. I am so inspired by each of them. It’s because of the team that Onward has a life of its own now. It’s not “my business” anymore but belongs to the collective, and that’s an incredible dream to realize.
We offer individual therapy & wellness coaching, couples and family counseling, and group therapy. We also offer yoga and massage services to assist with integration of mind, body, and spiritual wellness. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to healing, so our service offerings continue to grow to support all paths to recovery and to meet each person where they are, wherever they are in their wellness process.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is probably best reflected in the following statement. If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. I’m unsure of the origin of the quote, but it’s proven true time and time again throughout this journey.
Pricing:
- $130-210 – Individual Therapy
- Sliding scale pricing available. We accept most major insurance carriers for individual therapy.
- $65-110 – Massage Therapy
Contact Info:
- Website: onwardtherapyandwellness.com
- Instagram: onwardtherapyandwellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onwardtherapyandwellness
- Other: http://mndbdy.ly/e/5731533
