Practical Audacity
Practical Audacity was a Chicago-based, telehealth-first group therapy practice providing gender-affirming, sex, and LGBTQ+ affirmative care to individuals and relationships from 2018 until its planned 2026 closure.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Practical Audacity does
Practical Audacity was a Chicago-based, telehealth-first group therapy practice specializing in gender-affirming care, sex therapy, and LGBTQ+ affirmative counseling for individuals and relationships across diverse identities and relationship structures, including kink- and polyamory-affirming care. Founded in 2018 by licensed therapist Rae McDaniel, the practice aggregated a team of 11–50 clinicians with specialized credentials (including AASECT-certified sex therapists) — a credential combination that was uncommon at the time in the Chicago market. The practice operated primarily via telehealth with limited in-person availability at the Kimball Arts Center in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.
The practice generated revenue through a blended payor model: in-network insurance billing with BCBS PPO and Blue Cross Community Health Plan, out-of-network billing, and self-pay sessions priced at $200, with reduced rates of $75 for intern-led sessions and $50 for group therapy. The practice was structured as an Illinois LLC, was bootstrapped with no institutional investment, and built a referral pipeline through partnerships with established Chicago LGBTQ+ community organizations including Howard Brown Health, Center on Halsted, and Live Oak Chicago.
In 2026 the practice announced its closure after approximately eight years of operation. The founder cited inflation, stagnant insurance reimbursement, and pricing pressure from AI-enabled therapy platforms such as BetterHelp as contributing factors. Patient records and ongoing care relationships were transitioned to Chicago Therapy Collective ahead of the wind-down. The closure is best characterized as a financial-sustainability exit from a niche specialty group practice that could not defend its margin structure against macro and competitive pressures.
Practical Audacity firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Practical Audacity
- Legal name
- Practical Audacity, LLC
- Website
- https://practicalaudacity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Practical Audacity was a Chicago-based, telehealth-first group therapy practice providing gender-affirming, sex, and LGBTQ+ affirmative care to individuals and relationships from 2018 until its planned 2026 closure.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Practical Audacity is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Practical Audacity business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Therapy Sessions: In-person and telehealth therapy sessions billed per session. In-network with BCBS PPO and Blue Cross Community Health Plan. Out-of-network clients pay $200 upfront and receive superbills for insurance reimbursement.
- Coaching Services: Life and career coaching services provided by licensed therapists. Coaching is paid out-of-pocket only (not covered by insurance) and can be done remotely across state lines.
- Speaking & Workshops: Educational programs and consulting services offered to professionals in mental health, physical health, and business sectors.
- Group Therapy: Group therapy sessions offered at $50 per session, providing an alternative to individual therapy for clients seeking community-based support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Per seat | Pay-as-you-go | Self-Pay / Full Fee Sessions |
| Subscription | Monthly | Insurance In-Network |
| Per seat | Pay-as-you-go | Out-of-Network |
| Per seat | Pay-as-you-go | Intern Rate |
| Per seat | Pay-as-you-go | Staff Therapist Reduced Rate |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Group Therapy |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Practical Audacity product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Practical Audacity is a gender and sex therapy group practice that delivers individual and couples therapy, life and career coaching, group therapy, and professional speaking, workshops, and consulting services. Its care model is sex-positive, gender-affirming, kink- and poly-affirming, and trauma-informed, provided by queer-identified licensed clinicians primarily via telehealth with limited in-person sessions in Chicago.
Product overview
Practical Audacity is a gender and sex therapy group practice offering a suite of therapeutic and educational services. The core offering consists of individual and couples therapy (Gender & Sex Therapy) provided by licensed clinical professionals, supplemented by coaching services, group therapy, and professional speaking/workshops. Consulting services are also offered for organizations seeking LGBTQ+-affirming guidance. The practice operates primarily via telehealth (video/phone sessions) with limited in-person options at their Chicago office location.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Gender & Sex Therapy Individual and couples therapy services addressing gender identity, transition support, sexual concerns, relationship dynamics, and LGBTQ+ affirmative care delivered by licensed therapists in Illinois.
- Coaching Services
Companies that use Practical Audacity
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Practical Audacity technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Practical Audacity partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Chicago Therapy CollectiveminorClient records from Practical Audacity are being securely maintained by Chicago Therapy Collective following the practice's closure. Chicago Therapy Collective assumes responsibility for safe storage and maintenance of records per Illinois law and HIPAA protections. Former clients can request records through [email protected].
- Howard Brown HealthminorReferral resource recommended to clients who may need sliding scale, lower fees, or sooner care than Practical Audacity can provide.
- Center on HalstedminorReferral resource recommended to clients seeking free and low-cost mental health resources in the Chicago area.
- Live Oak ChicagominorReferral resource recommended to clients seeking sliding scale or reduced-fee therapy services in Chicago.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Practical Audacity competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Talkspace: National virtual therapy platform accepting insurance and offering subscription-based online sessions. Competes with Practical Audacity for the same insured, telehealth-preferring client base.
- BetterHelp: Largest online therapy platform; explicitly cited by Practical Audacity as a competitive force compressing pricing and demand. Comparable as a therapy provider, though scaled nationally and delivering fully digital.
Emerging players
- Open Path Psychotherapy Collective: National nonprofit network of therapists offering reduced-fee sessions ($30–$80). Comparable as an alternative lower-cost therapy access model targeting price-sensitive clients.
- Prism Therapy Collective: LGBTQ+ affirming therapy practice network; comparable as a community of queer-affirming clinicians serving overlapping client populations around gender, sexuality, and relationships.
- The Trevor Project: National nonprofit providing crisis intervention and mental health support to LGBTQ+ youth. Comparable as a specialty LGBTQ+ mental health provider with overlapping client segments (teens, families).
Regional players
- Howard Brown Health: Chicago-based LGBTQ+ health organization providing mental health services among other care. Comparable as a regional LGBTQ+ affirming care provider and a referral partner named by Practical Audacity.
- Center on Halsted: Chicago LGBTQ+ community center offering counseling and mental health programming. Comparable as a Chicago LGBTQ+ focused support services provider and named referral partner.
- Live Oak Chicago: Chicago therapy practice offering sliding-scale and reduced-fee services. Comparable as a regional Chicago therapy provider and a named referral partner for lower-cost care.
Others
- Alma: Therapist-network platform providing insurance billing, credentialing, and practice support to independent clinicians. Comparable as the infrastructure/enabler serving many of the same small group therapy practices.
Direct peers
- Chicago Therapy Collective: Chicago-based therapy group practice; the entity assuming Practical Audacity's client records post-closure. Operates in the same geography with comparable outpatient mental health services, making it the closest direct peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Practical Audacity social profiles
Digital presencePractical Audacity financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Practical Audacity leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Practical Audacity funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Practical Audacity M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Practical Audacity
What does Practical Audacity do?
Practical Audacity is a gender and sex therapy group practice that delivers individual and couples therapy, life and career coaching, group therapy, and professional speaking, workshops, and consulting services. Its care model is sex-positive, gender-affirming, kink- and poly-affirming, and trauma-informed, provided by queer-identified licensed clinicians primarily via telehealth with limited in-person sessions in Chicago.
Is Practical Audacity a public or private company?
Practical Audacity is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Practical Audacity founded?
Practical Audacity was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Practical Audacity based?
Practical Audacity is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Practical Audacity make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Therapy Sessions are the primary driver. The others are coaching Services, speaking & Workshops and group Therapy.
Who are Practical Audacity's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Talkspace and BetterHelp. Emerging players are Open Path Psychotherapy Collective, Prism Therapy Collective and The Trevor Project. Regional players are Howard Brown Health, Center on Halsted and Live Oak Chicago. Alma is listed as an others. Chicago Therapy Collective is listed as a direct peer.
Does Practical Audacity have an API?
No public API is recorded for Practical Audacity.