Alexandra Jacowitz, 37, cofounder and clinical director
Ellen Jacowitz, 70, cofounder and assistant clinical director
Park Slope Therapy is a mental-health private practice in Brooklyn, New York. The company was founded in 2019 after Alexandra, known as Ali, finished her clinical psychology doctoral program and obtained her license. Ellen, a licensed social worker, was ready to leave her role at another private practice.
Today the duo and their team of four provide support for couples, children, and millennials facing burnout. Last year they booked six figures in income, which Insider verified with documentation.
What inspired Ali to follow in her mom's footsteps and pursue a career in mental health
"Growing up with her, we had a very psychologically minded family," Ali said. "I don't think I realized how it was embedded in the structure of our household until I was older."
Ellen said that as a mental-health worker, she made vulnerable and honest communication a consistent part of Ali's upbringing.
"Ali was raised to question people's behavioral styles," Ellen said. "It was just the culture of our family to always be talking about it, and when you talk about things, you keep a lot of the anger and frustration out of your family."
Why they work so well together
While the two have different specialties, they said their complementary skills, interests, and personalities make them such good partners.
"That balance is the best thing that you can do," Ali said, adding that her mother's experience running a business combined with her personal passion for psychology was the collaboration needed to launch the company.
"If there was somebody else like me partnered with me, I think I would burn out, because there would be no yin and yang — there would be no white space for my dark space," Ali said.
Their best piece of advice for other mother-daughter duos
"The core of the relationship has to be a good one," Ellen said. "When you run into roadblocks, you have to know how to resolve conflicts and keep going."