Today we’d like to introduce you to Han Ren.
Hi Han, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Pivot Psychology Austin was founded in 2020 by Drs. Han Ren and Annie Farmer.
After being in private practice independently for several years as friends and colleagues, we wanted to build a community of like-minded clinicians grounded in cultural humility, accountability, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed care.
Our timing was clearly excellent, as we entered a global pandemic three months after signing our lease. We had to pivot in multiple ways, moving to telehealth, growing our professional community remotely, and utilizing social media for outreach. Through this process, we grew as individuals, clinicians, and business partners. Our mission and vision became clearer over time as mental health became a larger global priority and we each found ourselves in positions of visibility and leadership. Han built an online community through creating mental health content on social media centering BIPOC mental health and liberation psychology. Annie had the opportunity to speak out publicly as an advocate and survivor of sexual violence in a high profile exploitation case.
At the core of Pivot Psychology, we are committed to providing excellent clinical care that balances professionalism with humanity for both our clients and clinicians. We model the courage of vulnerability and transparency through integrating tenets of liberation psychology. We recognize the inherently political nature of mental healthcare. We hold our identities and positionality salient in all the spaces we occupy. We acknowledge the dialectics and challenges of actively working to dismantle systems of oppression while existing and operating under the rules of these systems.
At Pivot Psychology Austin, it is our mission to collaborate with people and communities through the messy process of human growth by providing anti-oppressive and culturally humble clinical care.
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?
It’s been a difficult road for many reasons. After the pandemic, it’s clear that mental health needs to become a global priority, and not just on the individual level. Systemic overhauls and structural changes are necessary in order to fund and sustain mental health needs in our community and around the world. There aren’t enough mental health providers to meet demand, and those who are in the field tend to come from positions of privilege, making it difficult for marginalized and historically overlooked populations to access the care that they deserve.
On a personal and professional level, our business was founded right before the start of the pandemic and we’ve had to pivot and adapt to the community’s changing needs and increased demand. It’s been an exercise in flexibility and patience as we’re learning to fly the plane as we’re building it!
As you know, we’re big fans of Pivot Psychology Austin. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
As a group practice of licensed psychologists, our focus is on providing excellent clinical care that integrates both therapy and assessment from an anti-oppressive, antiracist, and culturally-affirming lens. We don’t shy away from difficult and polarizing conversations related to our values, politics, and identities. We believe that the best clinical care takes into account who we are and our lived experiences, in addition to our professional training and expertise. Who we are colors how we see our clients and this essential work and this is integrated into our framework for healing.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Therapists love reaching out to each other for coffee dates and consultations. Private practice can be isolating and lonely, which helped spark the creation of our clinical community. We value being in a genuine relationship with each other through ongoing connection, reciprocity, and authenticity. This is how we show up in our networking and mentorship relationships as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: pivotpsychologyatx.com
- Instagram: @pivotpsychologyatx, @dr.han.ren, @dranniefarmer
- TikTok: @pivotpsychologyatx, @drhanren
