Perez Therapy, LLC History
- Felix A. Perez, LCSW
- Jun 28
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 1
By: Felix A. Perez, LCSW, CEO of Perez Therapy, LLC
La versión en español estará disponible pronoto.
I started my private practice in my home office in 2014—more than a decade ago. Hard to believe! Back then, my practice was part-time, limited to evenings and weekends while I worked full-time as a behavioral health executive. I followed in my mother's footsteps, who worked as a bilingual social worker providing in Eastern North Philadelphia, working with fellow Latinos and other communities of color. In fact, both my mother and I worked at Congreso, a local community nonprofit, and were both SCOH social workers (IYKYK...and not at the same time, but still).
In 2019, I made the leap to private practice full-time, leaving the nonprofit world behind. By January 2020, I had built a full schedule and decided it was time to rent a formal office.
Then, in March 2020, I signed the lease to our building on Allen Street. March 15th was my lease start date.... just one day before the city shut down for COVID. I was devastated. What a waste! An office for in-person sessions during COVID?! 🤦🏻♂️
I reread my lease, hoping for an out. How do you "Force Majeure" anyway?? 😒
At first, the pandemic was a major setback. Half my client appointments disappeared as people adjusted to a new reality. Juggling building costs, a reduced caseload, while also managing my individual crisis in this world crisis, our Perez Therapy offices were not initially opened with warm reception. For months, I saw people in the office, but on my laptop. Going to the office was an escape from just being at home, and a reason to leave the house during those many, many months of isolation.
But this window, right? It sold me.
My massage therapist temporarily moved into the office downstairs, which helped me with managing the rent during this chaotic time. We both wore masks and I even used those plastic face shields for a few sessions...wow, 2020 was wild.
But as time went on, telehealth therapy became more widely accepted, and the demand for therapy skyrocketed. While some people fussed about plants and sourdough starters, I decided to build a business and make the most of this beautiful new office space. So...welcome to my sourdough starter! 👨🏻🍳 🥨
On December 28, 2020, I officially incorporated Perez Therapy, LLC. I labored for months over the name. Nothing felt right. All the names I could think of felt contrived. A good friend joked, "What about Felix A. Perez & Associates" - a mouthful.... no, thanks! The truth is, a part of me felt worried about using a Spanish surname, and whether people might be dissuaded from the practice, as a result. No one questions "Smith Consulting" as a company name, I thought. I also realized the name "Perez Therapy" was my dog whistle to folks of color, "you are welcome here." Years later, someone on staff gave their appreciation for the company name, saying that it was my way of "taking up space." It was, and what felt like "settling" on a simple name, felt more like an empowering act.
In June 2021 I hired my first therapist, a wonderful artist and art therapist. For a couple of years, we started off small, only with a few part-time therapists.
In January 2024, we took a major step forward by joining the Medicaid network. My work as a social worker and therapist has always centered on serving those with the greatest need.
Company Mission Statement
Perez Therapy's mission-work is providing high-quality, accessible mental health care while fostering a supportive and enriching workplace for our providers. Grounded in social work principles of service, social justice, competence, and diversity, we strive to meet the needs of our communities through affirming and culturally competent therapy.
All are welcome at Perez Therapy. Our providers are highly skilled professionals and can work with a variety of people and issues. But our mission-work focuses on communities of color, queer and trans individuals and families, ensuring language access for Spanish speakers, and supporting our providers with strong clinical supervision and guidance to help them thrive.
Perez Therapy Missions
"We do Mission-Work"
So your mission is mission? Yep, it is!
Perez Therapy seeks to not just be a practice of good quality providers, but a practice that is rooted in social work principles of service, social justice, competence, and diversity. So, to that end, our practice and the providers who make the practice
In-person therapy: we want people to have the opportunity to connect, but in person. While virtual therapy is virtually the same as in-person therapy (YSWIDT), in-person therapy gives you the power of space and in those times when you just need a hug, it gives you that too.
Training new clinicians: everyone starts somewhere, but here our mission is to make sure that new therapists get the right support and training to give the best care.
Diversity and Equity:
Communities of color: we uplift Philadelphia's diverse communities and are proud to be a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).
LGBTQIA+ individuals and families: our providers have inherent understanding of queer and trans life, as many of our providers are also members of the community. We are waiting approval of our certification as an LGBT Business Enterprise, LGBTBE.
Spanish-speakers: Spanish-speaking therapists with skilled training are difficult to achieve, and Spanish is spoken in 11% of Philadelphia households according to the US Census. Perez Therapy hopes to support Spanish-speaking providers so that they can provide Latinos with quality clinical care.
Medicaid: your family income should never prevent you from receiving quality care. So we want for folks on Medicaid to have access to good providers.
Perez Family
How can I give the history of a company with my family name, without also talking about my family? ...ya know?
So, please, allow me to gloat.
I'm so fortunate to come from such a loving and accepting family. My love, respect and appreciation for them only grows over time.
The mission-driven work we do at Perez Therapy is rooted in values my parents, Ruth and Felix Perez, instilled in me. My mother, Ruth, demonstrated the power of empathy and community building. My father, Felix senior, taught me the power of organization, strategy, and resourcefulness. He's also the most compassionate man I know, and remains my example on how to live life as an honorable man.
Next Steps for Perez Therapy
Expanding from being an out-of-network provider to being a commercial has allowed us to reach more people while also growing our team. Today, we have 13 therapists at the practice—and we’re hiring more in the coming months. Looking back, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come. And looking ahead, I’m excited for what’s next!
