From a young age, therapist and practice owner, Tychelle Ransom, knew she wanted to help others. She recalls how her mother tells her she has been a social worker advocate since she was a kid. “My mother always told me, ‘You have always been a giver, helping others that don’t have the ability and don’t have access to help. Be a voice for those vulnerable populations,’” says Tychelle.
A native of Manhattan her whole life, Tychelle describes her childhood as “stable”, with her mother and supportive grandparents involved in her life. However, Tychelle recalls that despite being drawn to help others, she was also drawn to situations that got her in trouble. “I was not a well-behaved child. I was expelled during the eighth grade and had to do school from home,” says Tychelle.
Tychelle remembers not taking school seriously until a significant event happened in her life. As a senior in high school, she found out she was pregnant. Suddenly she knew the value of education because she had a new sense of purpose in raising her son. She graduated high school four months pregnant and proceeded to college. Being a working student and new mother was challenging, but her drive to give herself and her son all the opportunities she could drove her to success. She completed Bachelors and Masters degrees from Washburn University, while working on obtaining her required clinical hours with the Family Advocacy Program on Fort Riley. After graduation, she gravitated towards positions in which she needed to advocate for her clients to seek their safety and welfare. In these various positions, she was able to gain insightful experiences and build relationships throughout the community.
Throughout her roles, Tychelle held to the same values and motives. “I believe that everybody deserves a chance and an opportunity to achieve their goals. The people who do not have the opportunity or have access to opportunity are the people I am attracted to, and I want to be a voice to support these populations,” says Tychelle.
With her previous experiences in mental health, Tychelle started working with a local therapy practice in Manhattan in 2018 to begin building a caseload. Dedicated to helping others and providing for her family, Tychelle also picked up another job working nights for the VA, thinking of possibly starting her own practice.
In October 2019, Tychelle recalls noticing a new door opening. Her children were growing more independent, giving her more time and flexibility in her career. It was then that she made the decision to start her business, and she began taking the initial steps to do just that.
Tychelle officially launched her practice, 365 Days, 365 Chances Counseling Services in January of 2021, starting with only a few contacts she had in the industry. At first, she was the only provider, but she added a number of part-time, contracted therapists to the practice within the last year. “The background for all our practitioners is domestic violence and sexual assault,” Tychelle explains. She adds that she hopes to specifically work with and direct services toward Women of Color. Her daughter, who is attending school to become a therapist, also plans to join her mother’s practice in the future.
Tychelle’s mindset and attitude towards new beginnings translates clearly into the name of her practice. “We wake up every morning with a new chance, full of new possibilities. A new day for new opportunities,” says Tychelle. Creating the atmosphere that helps people see these opportunities is the mission behind her business. “When I am working with clients, I’m helping them recognize that they have another lens to look through and there are other opportunities they haven’t seen or been able to access before. They’re recognizing the skills they already have.” She adds, “It’s not about all the times you fall but all the times you get back up.”
Although the demand for mental health care is high among all populations, Tychelle formed 365 Days, 365 Chances with several differentiators to help her target clients get the support they need. One of the features of the 365 Days practice is that their team is exclusively virtual. This allows them to keep low overhead and offer services to clients across Kansas, as well as Missouri and Arkansas where Tychelle is getting licensed. She says she is still working on building relationships out of state to grow client bases in these areas. Due to their format, Tychelle has worked hard to build community among her remote team. “We stay connected through an all-team monthly zoom meeting that brings us together to discuss sharded topics and announcements,” remarks Tychelle.
Another differentiator Tychelle is committed to is their brand as a “non-traditional group practice” that offers extended hours on evenings and weekends. This offering is by design, with her target client in mind. Tychelle recalls that when she was a young, single mom, these nontraditional hours would have worked perfectly for her busy schedule. “I always try to be the social worker that I would have needed,” says Tychelle. With her past experiences in mind, Tychelle searches for the people who struggled like her and would benefit from her services. “We are attracting people who need to access those nontraditional services and can access our therapy platform on a laptop, phone or tablet.”
As Tychelle continues her entrepreneurial journey, she stays focused on her future goals. “We are seeing ongoing growth, and I will be full-time with the practice in January 2023,” says Tychelle. Keeping their clients in mind, they are looking to collaborate with other agencies and programs to work together for clients and potentially apply for grants together. “If we have populations that don’t have insurance, we want to be available to them,” says Tychelle.
The practice also looks for ways to create educational opportunities as they connect with their community. “We will be doing 30–45-minute online calls open to the community to discuss key topics and help develop strengths training,” says Tychelle. She hopes that these conversations can create a sense of inclusivity and build relationships within and beyond 365 Days, 365 Chances.
The opportunity before Tychelle is significant. She sees the 365 Days, 365 Chances practice as not only unique but crucial to the Manhattan area because the practice is owned by a Manhattan native and a Woman of Color. “I am trying to promote the understanding of reaching out to individuals who look like me, the BIPOC community, and to encourage those people to seek out services and even with the disparities to know that they deserve the opportunity to pursue health and quality of life,” says Tychelle. “We are credentialed with a wide variety of insurance providers, including the state of Kansas-issued insurance, so people are not limited.”
Tychelle credits her ambition to succeed to the people in her family, her children, spouse and mother, pictured here.
Tychelle aims to fill this needed gap in the community by offering non-traditional services by a culturally diverse and competent team, and hopes to create an inclusive atmosphere for clients. “In this community, we do not have many culturally specialized clinicians, but our practitioners [at 365 Days} are able to work with diverse populations. The goal is to find a person that looks like me,” says Tychelle. To attract this diverse clientele, Tychelle leads in her brand communication about their status as a minority owned business working to support the underrepresented communities. She summarizes her mission for clients by saying, “My goal is for efficient, effective and culturally competent and professional care contributing to your mental wellness.”
Although Tychelle’s journey to entrepreneurship surprised her, her values of advocacy and passion to serve others like her continues to guide her. She sees the opportunity to open this unique practice as a full circle moment for her, demonstrating that when someone in a hard situation is given another chance, sometimes that can be a turning point in their lives. “When I graduated high school, my principal said I had messed my life up because I was pregnant. My mom thought she had lost me and did not know if I would get back on track,” says Tychelle. However, against the odds Tychelle was able to earn an education and build a successful career focused on and motivated by what she cares about most. “Starting my practice and stepping into entrepreneurship is my ‘Mama, I made it’ moment,” remarks Tychelle. “It could have turned out bad for me. In some ways, I should not be here with this success, owning my own practice. My son gave me a reason to push, a purpose in life, and I knew I had to do something to make my life work.”
Follow 365 Days 365 Chances on Facebook to be informed of their next monthly community conversation, or find them on their website to learn more about the inclusive mental health services they provide.
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