Community Highlights: Meet Lesley Kellogg of Prism Wellness PLLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lesley Kellogg.

Hi Lesley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I failed Organic Chemistry twice in college. Now I am a licensed and nationally certified psychotherapist and group practice owner. In 2007 I had 100% certainty that I would graduate from East Carolina University with a nursing degree. I had taken as many allied-health courses as Apex High School offered, had been to nursing preparation camps, and loved shadowing nurses to learn more about the career. A year into college, I realized that I had been drawn to nursing due to the ability to create a relationship with patients as I worked with them. And I had little motivation for the classes that I felt didn’t help contribute to the relationship (cough, Organic Chemistry, cough). While exploring a possible shift in majors, I also went through a family issue that caused much pain, fear, and resentment. After returning from a stint on tour as a hairstylist, my older sister developed a cocaine addiction and alcohol use disorder. Within a few months, she had 2 DWIs, flipped her car, and was arrested. To this day, I am beyond grateful that the judge permitted my sister to choose to go to rehab instead of serving a non-rehabilitative jail sentence. Family Weekend was when the family members of the person in rehab would come to learn about addiction and family dynamics and participate in group therapy. I was always the “sensitive” one in the family, so part of me was excited about having a space to share how I felt and hear the experiences of the other family members. Another part of me was terrified—what if this turns into an absolute shit show? The group family therapy sessions were exhaustive but necessary. Nearly everyone cried, some people yelled, and some heard gut-wrenching apologies. I was proud of my sister and everyone else in that room who was willing to be vulnerable, voice their needs, and take ownership of any wrongdoing. I remember asking a question in the group, and the therapist looking at me and saying, “Wow, you could do my job!” The next week, I went back to school and met with my advisor to change my major. After I changed my major, I never looked back.

The therapy field is challenging, humbling, and gratifying. I also obtained my Master’s in Substance Abuse and Clinical Counseling from ECU and have interacted with clients in various settings since graduating in 2014. In 2020, I opened my Prism Wellness PLLC practice in Cary. I was excited to open a private practice that operated based on the values of holistic care, maintaining healthy relationships with community members, and providing trauma-informed care. Prism grew from just me to welcoming 4 other psychotherapists. We now have 5 full-time therapists, an admin extraordinaire, and a medical biller. We are also currently hiring to help meet the needs of continued referrals.

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?
Being a practice owner and a psychotherapist has reinforced that it is a skill to be able to ask for help and the importance of always being open to self-growth. I founded Prism in 2020 at the height of COVID while also planning a wedding. Graduate school does not prepare you to be a business owner, and the internet is full of conflicting advice. I was grateful to have friends and fellow business owners willing to share their valuable time with me and help me succeed. Asking for help was not easy; I sometimes felt guilty when asking for guidance. Owning a business looked glamorous to me, but in reality, it is riddled with non-stop decisions and never-ending adaptation. It put a microscope over any insecurities, and I decided to confront them head-on when ignoring them was no longer an option. Being responsible for the paychecks of others gave me the welcomed push to look closer at my patterns, relationships, and goals. I would not have succeeded in creating the practice I am now proud of without the help of those practitioners, my husband, my family, and my friends.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Prism Wellness is an outpatient therapy practice located in Cary, NC. Wellness refers to an individual’s overall health, and a holistic approach is important to practitioners at Prism. Therapists at Prism operate under a trauma-informed lens when working with individuals who want to find their full potential. Each therapist at Prism has their sub-specialty, including addictions, military, grief, anxiety, family dynamics, and child/family work. Prism stands out amongst other practices in the Triangle because it is a smaller practice that takes time to get to know its clients. The goal of many clients is to “feel better,” and practitioners at Prism work collaboratively with clients to define what this term means to them. Modalities and approaches such as EMDR, DBT, CBT, and psychoeducation are used to assist people in understanding barriers in place that may be impacting their life and how to reduce or improve their relationship with them. Many clients request referrals for trauma-informed massage therapists, registered dieticians, genetic testing, medication management, yoga/mindfulness practices, and other integrative care professionals to work on exploring wellness. Prism works hard to maintain relationships with other wellness professionals to provide appropriate referrals.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck is an interesting thing—I see luck often as a set of circumstances or the result of choices we don’t fully know about. I had the privilege of attending schools that attracted teachers who loved their jobs and had a true desire to teach. Being raised in a system that valued education helped me identify my skills so I could have confidence in knowing somehow or another, I would be able to find a career that embodied those skills. I am also grateful to have found a team of therapists and support staff who have similar values and represent themselves as a Prism member authentically.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PrismWellnessNC.com