Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Palmwood.
Hi Erin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I started college at the University of Mary Washington, I had no idea what I wanted to major in – let alone what I wanted my career to be! I ended up double-majoring in math and psychology, an admittedly odd combination, and went to graduate school to get my PhD in clinical psychology.
With my newly-minted PhD in hand, at the height of COVID-19, I returned to my alma mater to become a psychology professor at UMW in 2020. I immensely enjoyed my time there – teaching classes, conducting research, and connecting with students are all things that I really, really love. However, I began to miss the clinical work that I had so enjoyed doing during graduate school, and I opened my own (very small!) therapy practice, Soleil Psychology, in 2023.
After six years and the birth of my daughter, with my therapy practice thriving, I decided it was time for a change. In 2026, after earning tenure at UMW, I left my professor position to work full-time at Soleil Psychology. Working for myself has been a strange and wonderful experience, and I am grateful every day for the flexibility that this job offers me and my family.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I was fortunate to start Soleil Psychology while I had a full-time position as a college professor, so the stakes were relatively low from a financial perspective. There was still a huge learning curve, though! In the beginning, it felt like every time I turned around there was a new requirement I had missed or a new question that I was unsure how to answer.
One of the biggest challenges for me early on was filling my practice with clients – networking and marketing are not skills that come naturally to me, and I had to learn them on-the-fly! Luckily, there are so many amazing resources out there for private practice owners, and I learned a ton from others who have been in my shoes.
I’m sure I will encounter more bumps in the road as I continue on this journey, but with each hurdle I have overcome, I’ve developed more confidence, connections, and resources to navigate the inevitable hiccups of small business ownership.
We’ve been impressed with Soleil Psychology, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I run a therapy practice specializing in individually-tailored, evidence-based treatment for anxiety and depression. I also specialize in treating infertility-related concerns, which is both an area of professional expertise and personal significance following my own lived experience with infertility and IVF.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
This is such an interesting question! So far, I don’t think I’ve encountered any bad luck in my business (knock on wood). Good luck came in the form of my success on TikTok, which has allowed me to comfortably fill my therapy practice and meet incredible people from all over the country. Of course, there is also the inherent luck of being someone who was able to attend college and graduate school, and who had the resources to start their own business in the first place. This is not something that I will ever take for granted.
Pricing:
- Individual therapy: $250/session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://soleilpsych.com
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.erin.phd
