Taniek Gentles, Clinical Director and CEO of TAG Inspires, LLC in Glenside, has been directing a full-time private therapy practice since 2015.
A licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), Gentles was the practice’s only clinician for its first four years. Today, she oversees 10 clinicians, four offices within her building at 309 W. Glenside Avenue (Cheltenham Township), and clients from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
“In 2019, I hired two other therapists and we serviced roughly 40 clients out of one office. In 2021, I brought on two additional clinicians. I’ve been adding clinicians since,” she said.
A licensed sex therapist as well, Gentles said TAG Inspires offers individual therapy, family therapy, couples therapy, and sex therapy. Her specialties include sexual disorders, discrepancies in sexual desire, diverse relationships (ethical non-monogamy, open relationships, swinging, etc.) exploring sexual identities, premarital/marital counseling, infidelity and other common relationship issues.
The group practice also hosts virtual sessions for groups and services clients daily through in-person and virtual sessions.
“We also do a lot of community events as well, including a back-to-school drive where we give away 100 bookbags to K-12 students. We’re currently doing a Hurricane Melissa relief drive,” she said. “Our mission is to be able to service marginalized communities and provide affordable services. We accept most insurances and provide pro bono therapy and a sliding scale for those who do not have insurance and pay out of pocket.”
TAG Inspires contracts with nearby universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and Jefferson University, through which students on their way to becoming professionals in the field are able to intern.
Gentles, a resident of West Oak Lane and a former manager of a local nonprofit, said she came to Glenside through colleagues’ recommendations.
“I had no ambitions to run my own private practice, but an office was available and they recommended that I open a space. The lease was cheap, so I decided to go for it,” she said. “It’s been wonderful to see it expand over the years. I now do private practice full-time.”
Gentles holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Lincoln University and a Masters of Family Therapy Degree from Drexel University. She is an Approved Supervisor through the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and an honorable member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women-PA Chapter and serves as an adjunct faculty at Drexel University.
For more on TAG Inspires, LLC, you can visit their website and Facebook page.
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Photos: TAG Inspires