Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Pizzo and Janelle Kramer.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We both worked with primarily Medicaid clients in agency settings and realized that there was a need for our services beyond what we could provide within the boundaries of an agency. This is especially true within the fields of addictions, couples counseling, and maternal mental health. We continually recognized there are few, if any, resources for clients who are looking for the professional intimacy and consistency of private practice. After both of our agencies were closed, thus limiting the resources even more, we knew the private practice was the next step for us and our clients.
In the Summer of 2018, we started our business, and in Fall of 2018, we opened our doors. A year and a half later, we’ve created a space that provides professional intimacy and consistency that we know our clients have been looking for.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been the smoothest of roads, but our partnership has lessened the blow of any setback. Starting a business from the ground-up ebbs and flows with successes and obstacles. We struggled in the beginning with how long and tedious it truly takes to be contracted with different insurance companies. It was a separate, and surprising, struggle to figure out how to collect on claims. It took us each several months and different types of interactions to learn how to work with each insurance company.
Once we had the insurance processes in place, we could open our services to a greater population. However, we found that clients were not finding us as fast as we had hoped. A year and a half later, with continued outreach to community and online resources, as well as word of mouth from colleagues and our own clients, we both have a waitlist of clients who want to work with us.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you guys do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
The definition of interconnection is to be meaningfully related, or simply, to connect with one another. Our mission is to foster interconnections through collaborative therapy. We are a partnership of two licensed mental health clinicians specializing in addictions, relationships, and maternal mental health. We both also work with people struggling with life transitions, anxiety, depression, and trauma. We offer in-person and telehealth sessions.
One of our clinicians specializes in working with women struggling with postpartum depression and anxiety, mental health stressors during pregnancy, and relationship issues that arise with the transition into parenthood. The other clinician specializes in addictions, couples counseling, and works often with family members of those struggling with substances. In this space, family members are able to process and recognize what it means to support someone struggling with addiction.
We are most proud that we are a women-owned small business that is able to connect and provide services to a wide range of clients. If there is anything that sets us apart, it is that we are close friends first and foremost. Our relationship allows us to support each other personally and professionally. This has created an atmosphere that fosters authenticity and support with our clients.
What were you like growing up?
Janelle grew up in the suburbs of Denver. She has always been a “helper” and has found joy and comfort in comforting others. She has known that she wanted to be a mental health therapist for as long as she can remember. She has always been self-conscious yet assertive, a unique combination that has allowed her to be both direct and introspective.
Melissa grew up in Vermont. She has always had an affinity for being present and reliable for those around her. After considering many different avenues in the helping profession, becoming a therapist was an easy fit. With her own brand of humor mixed with compassion and candidness, she has channeled her therapeutic approach in all of her client relationships.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4485 Wadsworth Blvd
Ste. 203
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033 - Website: www.interconnectionscounseling.com
- Phone: (970) 823-2392; (720) 773-1104
- Email: melissa@interconnectionscounseling.com; janelle@interconnectionscounseling.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/interconnectionscounseling
Image Credit:
Brick Photo: Juli Kramer
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