Cultivate Your Essence

What Cultivate Your Essence does

Cultivate Your Essence is a privately held mental health practice founded in 2012 by Lauren Michelle Jackson, LCPC, LPC, CDVP, and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm delivers culturally responsive individual therapy, couples and family therapy, group therapy, and life coaching services, primarily serving Black women navigating leadership, motherhood, personal transitions, and identity development. Its service portfolio also includes the Becoming H.E.R Coaching Intensive and a corporate wellness vertical that delivers keynotes, workshops, and consulting engagements through the trademarked Becoming HER Framework (Healed, Evolved, Restored).

The practice operates exclusively via telehealth, licensed in Illinois and Georgia, with separate secure client portals for each state hosted on the ClientSecure.me platform. Clinical operations are supported by a practice management system that handles insurance billing and administration, and the firm maintains in-network status with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Optum/Unitedcare, Aetna, Cigna, Oscar Health, and Anthem PPO. Patient acquisition runs through a multi-channel approach: directory listings on Psychology Today and Therapy for Black Girls, an active blog and podcast, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok), and founder-led earned media in Essence Magazine, iHeartRadio, ABC, NBC, Fox, and WGN News.

Revenue is generated from per-session therapy fees (individual $130-$175, couple/family $145, group $75, intake $175-$200), tiered life coaching packages ($250 single to $8,100 for a 12-month commitment of 48 sessions), and corporate wellness consulting. The company has no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and remains founder-owned.

Name

Cultivate Your Essence

Legal name

Cultivate Your Essence

Website

https://cultivateyouressence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cultivate Your Essence is a privately held, telehealth-based mental health practice founded in 2012 in Chicago, Illinois, delivering culturally responsive therapy, coaching, and corporate wellness services primarily to Black women in Illinois and Georgia via licensed clinicians and its trademarked Becoming HER Framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6213)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Mind-Body Wellness Coaching (Holistic/Integrative) (HSADAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs (HSADAJAF), Mindfulness-Based Coaching & Training (MBSR/MBCT-style) (HSADAJAB), Mental Wellness & Resilience Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAK)

Keywords

• Mental health services
• Individual therapy
• Couples family therapy
• Life coaching services
• Corporate wellness consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Therapy Sessions: Individual psychotherapy sessions priced at $130-$175 per session. Sessions are typically 60 minutes and conducted weekly. Insurance accepted including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Optum/Unitedcare, Aetna, and Cigna.
2. Couple and Family Therapy: Therapy sessions for couples and families at $145 per session with additional costs when more than 2 people are present.
3. Group Therapy: Group therapy sessions at $75 per session.
4. Intake Sessions: Initial intake sessions for individuals, couples, and families at $175/200.
5. Life Coaching Services: Coaching services for women transitioning out of therapy treatment. Multiple commitment options from single sessions ($250) to 12-month commitments ($8100 for 48 sessions). Insurance typically does not cover coaching services.
6. Corporate Wellness and Consulting: Keynotes, corporate workshops, and strategic consulting for organizations, corporations, and communities. Services include the Becoming HER Framework for organizational wellness programs.
7. Speaking and Thought Leadership: Lauren Michelle Jackson provides speaking engagements, media commentary, and thought leadership appearances featured in Essence Magazine, iHeartRadio, ABC, NBC, Fox, and WGN News.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cultivate Your Essence is a multi-state mental health private practice that delivers individual therapy, couples and family therapy, group therapy, life coaching, and corporate wellness services to clients in Illinois and Georgia, primarily serving Black women. All clinical and coaching services are provided exclusively via telehealth through the ClientSecure.me portal, with insurance billing supported across multiple carriers, and corporate wellness engagements sold to organizations through the proprietary Becoming HER Framework.

Product overview

Cultivate Your Essence is a multi-state mental health practice offering a comprehensive portfolio of therapy and coaching services primarily for Black women. The core service lineup includes Individual Therapy, Couple's and Family Therapy, Group Therapy, and Life Coaching—all delivered through both in-person and Telehealth modalities. The practice also offers the Becoming H.E.R Coaching Intensive (online or in-person) as a structured coaching program aligned with their proprietary Becoming HER Framework built around three pillars: Healed, Evolved, and Restored. Additional services include Corporate Wellness Services for organizations seeking mental health support for their employees. Services are currently delivered exclusively via telehealth across Illinois and Georgia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Therapy One-on-one psychotherapy (talk therapy) where a trained, licensed professional helps individuals work through personal issues and manage symptoms influencing well-being. Sessions are typically 60 minutes, conducted weekly, and priced at $130-$175 per session. Available via telehealth to clients in Illinois and Georgia.
• Couples and Family Therapy Psychotherapy addressing the behaviors of couples and family members and how these behaviors affect individuals, relationships between family members, and the family unit as a whole. Priced at $145 per session with additional costs when more than two people are present. Available via telehealth in Illinois and Georgia.
• Group Therapy A form of psychotherapy in which a group of clients meet to describe and discuss their problems together under the supervision of a licensed therapist. Priced at $75 per session and delivered via telehealth to Illinois and Georgia clients.
• Life Coaching Support services designed to help clients maximize their full potential and reach desired results, with goals identified, accountability provided, and encouragement offered throughout their journey. Targeted at women transitioning out of therapy treatment, with multiple commitment options ranging from $250 single sessions to $8,100 for a 12-month commitment of 48 sessions. Insurance typically does not cover coaching.
• Becoming H.E.R Coaching Intensive A structured coaching intensive program (online or in-person) designed as a breakthrough experience for women who have been too busy to prioritize healing and growth. Centered on the proprietary Becoming HER Framework with three pillars: Healed, Evolved, and Restored.
• Corporate Wellness Services Organizational consulting and wellness programs for corporations, businesses, and communities focused on mental health and employee well-being, particularly addressing the needs of Black women in leadership and corporate environments. Includes keynotes, corporate workshops, and strategic consulting engagements delivered through the Becoming HER Framework.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Blue Cross Blue Shield (Illinois)coreOthersInsurance provider accepted in Illinois, including PPO and Community Health plans. Clients can use insurance benefits for therapy services.
• Optum/Unitedcare HealthcoreOthersInsurance provider accepted in both Illinois and Georgia for PPO plans. Enables insurance coverage for therapy sessions.
• AetnacoreOthersInsurance provider accepted in Illinois for HMO and PPO plans. Clients can use Aetna benefits for therapy services.
• CignacoreOthersInsurance provider accepted in both Illinois (HMO & PPO) and Georgia. Enables insurance coverage for therapy sessions.
• Oscar HealthcoreOthersInsurance provider accepted in Georgia. Clients can use Oscar Health benefits for therapy services.
• Anthem PPOcoreOthersInsurance provider accepted in Georgia. Enables insurance coverage for therapy sessions.
• Psychology TodayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTherapist directory listing that drives client referrals. Listed as a trusted client and discovery channel for new clients.
• Therapy for Black GirlsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerReferral directory specifically serving Black women seeking therapy. Listed as a discovery channel for potential clients.
• ClientSecure.mecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform used for client portal, scheduling, and secure communication. Separate portals for Illinois and Georgia clients.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Open Path Collective: Open Path Collective is a non-profit therapist referral network offering reduced-fee therapy sessions. It is comparable as an adjacent referral ecosystem that channels demand for affordable mental health services and overlaps with CYE's sliding-scale offerings.

Emerging players

• Shine (Inkwell): Shine is a mental wellness app and content platform originally built for women of color, offering daily content, community, and coaching. It is comparable to CYE in audience focus and wellness content/community model, though delivered via mobile rather than 1:1 therapy.
• Sesh (Two Chairs): Sesh is a digital mental health platform focused on group therapy and community support. It is comparable as an emerging player exploring group-based mental health delivery, an adjacent format to CYE's group therapy offering.

Broad incumbents

• SonderMind: SonderMind is a multi-state teletherapy platform matching clients with licensed therapists across specialties. It is comparable as a broader incumbent in the licensed therapist telehealth space that competes for the same clinician and client pools as CYE.
• Talkspace: Talkspace is a leading telehealth therapy and psychiatry platform with insurance partnerships and a national clinician network. It is comparable as a scaled incumbent in the same licensed-therapist, telehealth, insurance-billed mental health category that CYE operates in.
• BetterHelp: BetterHelp is the largest direct-to-consumer teletherapy marketplace with broad therapist rosters and self-pay subscriptions. It is comparable as a dominant incumbent in online therapy that competes for the same consumer mental health demand.

Direct peers

• Hurdle Health: Hurdle (formerly Henry Health) is a culturally responsive mental health provider specializing in care for Black communities, with licensed therapists delivering teletherapy. It is comparable to CYE in mission, target demographic, and telehealth delivery model.
• Therapy for Black Girls: Therapy for Black Girls is a directory, podcast, and mental health platform connecting Black women with culturally responsive therapists. CYE is a listed provider on this directory and targets the same primary audience with overlapping culturally responsive therapy and coaching services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CultivateYourEssence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cultivateyouressence
• Instagraminstagram.com/cultivateyouressence
• TikToktiktok.com/@cultivateyouressence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cultivate Your Essence