Dayton Wellness Collective

This May, the Dayton Wellness Collective is thrilled to add a new face to our crew – Emily Underwood (Counselor, LPCC)!

Hi Emily! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you started your practice?

Hello there! I’m Emily Underwood, a mental health therapist and the owner of Deep Sage Therapy, my private practice in Beavercreek, Ohio.
My career path hasn’t exactly been a linear one. In my early twenties, I felt pretty lost, unsure of which direction to take. It’s funny how we’re often expected to choose a career before we’ve really had the chance to know ourselves. Many of my family members worked in medicine, so healthcare felt like the safe, practical, and familiar choice. I earned my bachelor’s
degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign before completing my Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I worked in a variety of pharmacy settings, none of which I felt particularly passionate about.

What did you feel passionate about?

Since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by people. I was always the person quietly observing, noticing the little things, and wondering about the stories, experiences, and emotions that shaped who people are beneath the surface. I’ve always wanted to understand not just what people do, but why they do it. In my late twenties, I began my own therapy journey as a client, and it changed my life in ways I had never expected. It was the first time I’d experienced the kind of space to become truly curious about myself. As I began to reconnect with and accept parts of myself I’d learned to quiet, something unexpected happened – I found myself imagining what it would be like to be on the other side of the room. I could picture myself as the
therapist—listening, connecting, asking questions, and working alongside people as they made sense of their lives. I remember thinking to myself, Wait… I can spend my days doing this? It felt less like discovering a new career and more like recognizing a part of myself I’d somehow overlooked.
For quite a while, I chalked it up to being a missed opportunity – as though I’d found the career that fit me too late. Then COVID-19 hit, which really allowed me to reflect on the choices I’d made in my life. I found myself asking some big questions: What was motivating my decisions? What fears had been steering me? Would I be content years from now if I never gave this dream
a chance? Was I making a huge mistake? Was I risking my family’s financial security? Would I even enjoy being a therapist once I got there?

Those are some really big and overwhelming questions to be sitting with as a busy Mom of three in the middle of the pandemic. How did it feel starting that journey?

Starting over was scary. I questioned myself constantly. There weren’t any guarantees, but I decided the uncertainty was worth exploring. Little by little, those fears gave way as I moved through graduate school, clinical training, and the experience of working with clients. I earned my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2023, spent nearly a year at a group practice, and then took another leap by opening Deep Sage Therapy.

Starting over must have been incredibly challenging, especially after having gone through a doctorate of pharmacology. Do you feel like it was worth it?

Today, I feel incredibly grateful for the work I get to do. Having experienced the impact of therapy in my own life, it’s an incredible privilege to now hold that space for others—to laugh with them, sit with them in their pain, celebrate their growth, and witness their own journey of self-discovery.
I still work occasionally as a pharmacist at a local hospital, and I’ve come to appreciate that every chapter of my journey has shaped who I am. I wouldn’t be the therapist I am today without all of it—the uncertainty, the risks, the detours, and everything in between. Looking back, my path may not have been linear, but maybe that’s okay. Maybe it’s the messiness of life that brings us back to ourselves. And when we understand ourselves more fully, we can begin making choices that feel more aligned with who we truly are.

Tell us about your new project – the Wellhouse Collective?

The vision for The Wellhouse Collective began with a simple belief: wellness is not one-dimensional. Our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being are deeply interconnected, and meaningful healing often requires attention to the whole person.

Through The Wellhouse Collective, I hope to create a collaborative space where individuals can access a variety of supportive services that nurture different aspects of wellness. While Deep Sage Therapy is the foundation of this vision, the long-term goal is to bring together a diverse group of practitioners—including therapists, psychiatrists, bodywork providers, physical therapists, yoga instructors, and other wellness professionals—to create an integrated community of care.

I envision The Wellhouse Collective as a place where people feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to explore what wellness means for them. A space where traditional mental healthcare and complementary wellness practices can coexist, where practitioners collaborate, and where individuals can find resources that support them through every season of life.

The Wellhouse Collective, LLC currently serves as the umbrella for this vision, and I am excited to grow this concept thoughtfully over time. My hope is to create not just a place for services, but community centered around connection, healing, and whole-person care.

You can catch Emily at our Dayton Wellness Collective events or feel free to reach out to schedule a free 15 minute consultation or inquire about being part of her Wellhouse Collective at 937.807.4293