Meet Rachel Cantrell, LCSW, PMH-C

We recently connected with Rachel Cantrell, LCSW, PMH-C and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I have always had a fascination for all things mental health since I was a child. I think that came from my parents getting me involved in volunteer work at a young age and getting to be around people from different walks of life and realizing we all don’t have it the same. Through my volunteer work as a child and a teenager, I knew I wanted to do something in the “helping field” as an adult. I didn’t take my first psychology class until I was a freshman in college, but I immediately fell in love with the field and study of it. None of those classes felt like work to me. I went on to get my master’s degree in clinical social work and have been working as a mental health therapist since 2010. As a therapist, I have worked in a variety of clinical settings including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, residential facilities, children’s day treatment centers, and outpatient medical settings. I decided to leave my job at the VA clinic in town and join a small group private practice since it was always my dream to be a part of something like that. While there, I obtained my certification in perinatal mental health and realized that is where my true calling as a therapist came to light. The training hit home for me because it was the first time I realized, even as a therapist with many years of experience in the field, that I suffered from postpartum anxiety after having my son in 2019. I never received help for it but after taking the training I wish someone had pointed it out to me. I realized so many new moms suffer in silence and in isolation. When we had our son, we were living in South Dakota at the time, which was about 17 hours away from our families and any support system. My husband and I had to figure a lot of things out on our own. We decided to move to Arkansas in 2020 so we could raise our son closer to friends and family. Eventually, in 2025 I left the group practice and started my own called Bloom Therapy, LLC. I wanted a name that would help encapsulate what I was trying to offer to my community which was help growing and “blooming” through all stages of life. My goal as a perinatal mental health therapist is to build a practice that addresses women’s health issues across the lifespan. So yes, I do help a lot of women through the perinatal period, but I also work with women dealing with the issues brought on by perimenopause and menopause. My clients have expressed that I have created a safe and inviting environment where they can come and discuss the darker sides of motherhood and the things that society tells us we shouldn’t reveal to one another (such as how hard it is to raise children with a “village” and how the invisible load that most mothers carry is so incredibly draining that it is causing them to burn out). I coined a term I call “the dark underbelly of motherhood” and this is what I strive to allow my clients to feel safe to discuss and process through in my office each day.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Bloom Therapy, LLC is my sole private practice that I opened in April of 2025. I started off renting out a small office space inside a boutique exercise studio and within 6 months have moved into a new, bigger space. Bloom Therapy, LLC offers individual and couples counseling to women dealing with perinatal issues such as: struggles with infertility, miscarriages, abortion decision making, and postpartum mood disorders. I also work with women dealing with perimenopause and menopause related issues. My other client population that I really enjoy working with is college aged students that are struggling with life transition issues, depression, anxiety, or trauma. I am trained in EMDR therapy as well so I like utilizing that for my clients dealing with trauma or PTSD issues.

What I think is special about Bloom Therapy, LLC is that I started it on my own with a vision to one day be a women’s mental health issues across the lifespan type of practice. To be honest, opening a business on your own isn’t for the faint of heart and it was something I had wanted to do for a long time but I kept putting it off out of fear of failure. In the beginning while we were still getting things set up, it was hard getting by financially, but eventually everything worked out and the insurance payments started to come in. Having my own business has been a blessing because it has allowed me to be my own boss and set my schedule to where I have a great work/life balance and get to be there for my kid more than ever. I’m proud that I built such great rapport with my previous clients that all of them chose to come with me when I left the group practice. It meant the world to me that they didn’t care what the office looked like where they saw me, they were coming to see me because they believed in the work I was doing and my ability to help them. My clients have told me that my office space is very “cozy” and often feels like they’re “just talking at my best friend’s house”. My goal was to have the space not feel clinical or so upscale that clients wouldn’t feel comfortable or like they belonged there, because at Bloom Therapy, LLC everyone is welcome to be here and show up just as they are.

As far as what things look like for the future of my brand, I don’t know if I plan to expand it by adding on other therapists or mental health nurse practitioners but I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I know lots of places around the country that develop holistic women’s health centers that house therapists, massage therapists, nurse practitioners, doulas, etc and I love the idea of that one stop shop for women to have their health needs met at whatever phase of life they are in. My personal plans include finishing up a women’s health certification and taking a training about mom rage, which is a big area of interest for me in the perinatal mental health world. Again, I’m interested in learning more about these “taboo” topics of motherhood like rage, when in reality so many moms that I speak with are dealing with it. I want to do my part to help break the stigma and have Bloom Therapy, LLC be a place where we can work through these issues.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, three qualities that have helped to get me to where I am today are humility, grit, and compassion.

Most therapists feel very “humbled” in the beginning because many are struggling with imposter syndrome and still trying to get their footing in the field. I feel my first job out of graduate school, which was working in the admissions department of a large psychiatrist hospital in Memphis, TN, was super humbling and I wouldn’t trade my experience there for anything. That job also taught me how to have grit because it was such a fast paced environment it became clear early on to me that I was going to sink or swim. It’s a long road a therapist has ahead of them when they graduate because then they start on their supervision journey for their clinical license which can take 3 years. And then, once you are licensed you still have to take continuing education courses and stay on top of your game if you want to be relevant in the field. I think there can be a lot of pressure early on to find a “niche” but I think it’s important to take your time with it and really figure out what it is you’re passionate about. I worked in the field for over 10 years before I even thought about perinatal mental health. However, now that this is my speciality the passion that I have for these clients is unmatched. I wake up each day not feeling like I’m just going to a job. I’m excited and ready to take on each client and to continue learning about more topics in this area.

For those that are early on their journey, be humble, be willing to not be perfect, and to not feel like you have to have all the answers for your clients. I tell my clients that are in graduate school to be therapists that client’s aren’t always needing some big magical piece of life changing advice from you. Sometimes, clients just need someone that actually sees and hears them without judgment. Be willing to sit in the silence with them. Also, have grit because you have a long road ahead of you in terms of working toward your clinical license. Be willing to set boundaries early on, advocate for yourself and for your clients, don’t be scared to disagree with someone above you or to try something new. Also, don’t let others define your worth as a therapist. I was told I wouldn’t make more money working for myself and I’m out here proving them wrong doing just that every day. Also, don’t allow this field to jade you so that you lose your compassion and empathy for your clients. You might be the only person in their life that shows them unconditional positive regard and that can go such as a long way in their healing journey.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

I think the most impactful thing my parents did for me growing up is getting me to be involved with volunteer work at a young age. I can admit that I grew up in a privileged home. My dad was a lawyer and my mom got to stay at home with my older brother and I. We never had to worry about the lights being turned off or not having a hot home cooked meal at the end of the day. But getting me out to volunteer with Meals on Wheels and Service Over Self in the Memphis community opened my eyes to how the other half lives. I grew up in a household and family that openly discussed politics and their beliefs about issues. I was raised to not vote for candidates that only helped our tax bracket and that rather it’s better to vote for who will help provide the most help to the most people. My dad often said “we should pay more in taxes because I make more than most people” and that stuck with me because he was never out to better his own wallet, he truly voted for what was best for the most people. We may not always agree with how someone chooses to live their life, but that isn’t our choice to make, it’s theirs. I think that’s why social work made so much sense for me to choose as a career. It allows me to help others, advocate for those in need, and it allows me to keep my therapeutic work political.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Rachel.Cantrell.clientsecure.me
• Instagram: bloomtherapy870
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/bloomtherapy870
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1495990

Image Credits

Lori Alpe Photography