Hidden Gems: Meet Meredith Riddick of Harmony Therapy Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Riddick.

Hi Meredith, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Working in a Residential Treatment Center for Eating Disorders in 2007 was my first “real” job after graduate school for counseling. In those 2+ years, I learned so much and yet had so much else to learn! In 2009, I opened a private practice and have been in and out of various aspects of that practice since. 2017 was a big year for me as Hurricane Harvey hit Houston (where I was practicing at the time) and one of my offices flooded. I was still working on expanding a group practice and let’s just say I was unprepared for what it would take to recover from that with both my personal and professional lives. That being said, it opened a huge opportunity for me to test out virtual (telehealth) sessions, so once the pandemic hit in 2020, I was already at least 50% virtual and operating out of both Texas and Virginia. I pared down my practice back to a solo practice after that and became 100% virtual. Now I am licensed in 6 states and make Colorado my home with my husband and daughter.

Through it all, helping families and individuals navigate treatment for eating disorders, anxiety, trauma and relationship concerns has been a constant. Clients never cease to amaze me with their resiliency, strength, and insights. I’ve also had the pleasure of seeing a more comfortable side of clients through virtual sessions as the convenience allows them be in a familiar area in their homes, offices or even cars at times (parked of course). It is through this relationship that I experience the most learning in my career, for which I am humbly grateful!

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?
No it has not been all that smooth. First, starting out in private practice is scary – wondering if on the business end of things you can make a living. Of course what that really means is “will clients trust me?” “will they come back for follow up sessions?” “am I charging too much or too little for what I provide?” “am I providing something valuable?” And all of those questions where self doubt can creep in.

Fortunately I made it to the point where I signed a longer term lease in an office building and just worked worked worked over the next 5+ years. Then came the next big challenge – becoming a supervisor and hiring my first employee. I found this more challenging than I realized and essentially grew faster than what my business really allowed. There were so many aspects of supervising new therapists that I really enjoyed, and yet managing a counseling group practice from an employer standpoint had its challenges, especially when I needed to work a full caseload to pay the bills. I was stretched way too thin.

The hurricane hit and that was even more of a stretch, but it is within the next few years that I grew the most in trying to build and exercise newer muscles in adaptability and flexibility.. It was a relief in some ways to eventually go back to a solo practice and even though the work is still there, it is something I look forward to.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Harmony Therapy Group is actually now just a practice of one…me! I have been a therapist almost 20 years and I thrive especially on helping young women and young at heart women develop healthier relationships with food and their bodies, grow in self confidence and ego strength, practice healthy communication skills whether it’s with a partner, family member or boss and also learn to adapt and be flexible for those who really struggle with perfectionism (disguised as anxiety, worry, not being able to “turn it off” at night, etc).

I think what sets me apart from others is a combination of many years of education, learning, certifications, etc…so I always tell clients I have lots of different tools in my tool belt, but primarily it is through a warm and collaborative relationship where the most growth can occur. I can both validate your feels and experiences AND challenge you to think in different ways or build more self awareness in the same session.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think AI is going to make a huge shift in the industry. I think many will begin using various apps and technologies as a personal therapist and for that, I say go for it if it truly works for you! I’m not sure it will replace the growth that can happen with human to human connection, but I’m also open to it if it does work well for most. It is my hope that the industry can use AI to help supplement the work we do to help our clients and not shy away from it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.harmonytherapygroup.com