We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dr. Cherlette McCullough. Check out our conversation below.
Dr. McCullough, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think so many people are secretly struggling with feeling like they’re not enough, constantly comparing themselves, battling silent guilt, and carrying unspoken grief. They smile, perform, succeed on the outside, but inside they’re questioning their worth, their choices, their relationships. Some are mourning friendships that faded without closure, others are exhausted from pretending to be strong. Many are overwhelmed by the pressure to keep it all together and don’t know how to say, “I’m not okay.” They keep going, but deep down, they’re tired. Not just physically, but emotionally, spiritually, mentally. And they don’t say a word because they don’t want to feel like a burden.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Cherlette McCullough, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, speaker, and founder of Center Peace Couples and Family Therapy. At the core of everything I do is a mission to help high functioning women heal, breathe, and reconnect with themselves, their purpose, and their peace. I specialize in helping women break cycles, set boundaries, and navigate life’s hard conversations through a lens of faith, resilience, and emotional wellness.
Right now, I’m curating something deeply personal and powerful, BREATHE, an exclusive, luxurious retreat designed for women who are ready to reset, exhale, and be poured into. It’s not just a getaway, it’s an experience. A space for real healing, intentional rest, and curated joy. Everything I’ve walked through, trauma, loss, love, faith, leadership, has shaped this offering. BREATHE is where mental wellness meets luxury and where strong women come to be supported, not just celebrated.
This isn’t just my work, it’s my calling.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a shy girl who felt everything so deeply. I watched more than I spoke, but I noticed everything. I wanted to be accepted, but I didn’t know how to fully show up. I was gentle, curious, and always thinking. I carried big feelings in a small frame and didn’t have the words to explain them. I’ve spent years unlearning the pressure to be what others expected and relearning how to just be me.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding when I healed from the shame of my struggles. I stopped letting silence have the final say. I reframed my fear into vulnerability and started sharing the parts of my story that people would never guess I lived through. I found strength in being real, not just resilient. I realized my healing wasn’t just for me, it was for the women who needed to see someone who looks whole but isn’t afraid to talk about what it took to get there.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies my industry tells itself is that therapists have it all together, all the time. That we don’t struggle, we don’t break, we don’t need help. Another lie is that vulnerability makes us less professional. The truth is, some of the most powerful moments in the therapy room come from being human, not just clinical. There’s also this unspoken pressure to keep everything polished, when real healing is messy, layered, and sacred. We can’t keep preaching authenticity while hiding behind perfection.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
What I understand deeply that most people don’t is that healing doesn’t always look like joy right away. Sometimes it looks like grief, silence, setting boundaries, or walking away from everything familiar. Healing isn’t a straight line. It’s layered, it’s lonely at times, and it requires honesty that most people aren’t ready for. I’ve learned that peace often costs you something, and that’s why many avoid it. But once you taste real healing, the kind that reaches your soul, you stop settling for surface living.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.orlandorelationshiptherapist.com
- Instagram: Cherlette McCullough
- Linkedin: Cherlette McCullough
- Facebook: Cherlette McCullough
