Built to Serve: Veterans, Families, and the Broader Community
True Joy Counseling is a full-service mental health practice founded more than 10 years ago by Licensed Mental Health Counselor Joy Makela. They offer therapy to individuals, couples and families. Located near several military installations in the Florida Panhandle, the practice serves a large population of veterans and military families alongside the broader community.
Makela had a vision to create a mental health practice centered on compassion, efficiency and accessibility. She recognized the need for tools that would simplify workflows and allow the team to focus on delivering exceptional patient care without administrative obstacles standing in the way.
Searching for Simplicity and Efficiency
Before opening True Joy Counseling, Makela worked in a traditional practice with cumbersome, inefficient workflows. Scheduling, billing and documentation were fragmented, creating unnecessary stress for both providers and patients. That’s when Makela decided to create her own practice allowing her the flexibility to be more efficient.
“I knew there had to be a better way,” Makela said.“ We needed systems that made the work easier, not harder.”
Building with Office Ally from the Start
Shortly after launching True Joy, Makela discovered Office Ally. Impressed with what they saw, the True Joy team quickly implemented three key solutions:
- Clearinghouse software for electronic claims submission and insurance management
- Practice Management software for scheduling and patient management
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) software for clinical documentation and patient records
Office Ally established a strong foundation, and today it remains a key partner in supporting the practice’s operational excellence and continued growth. The team experienced streamlined workflows and operational clarity, which allowed them to focus more fully on patient care and continue building their practice with confidence.
“Office Ally was easy to set up, easy to use, and incredibly affordable,” said Financial Manager Dana Allen. “It just made sense.”
Growing with Confidence
As True Joy Counseling expanded, Office Ally continued to support the practice’s growth without adding complexity. When Katie Kagan joined the team as Operations Manager, she immediately recognized the strength of the system.
“Scheduling, billing, reporting — it all flows together,” Kagan said. “It’s intuitive. You don’t need a tech background to figure it out.”
For Armani Perry, Patient Care Coordinator, who joined the team as an intern, Office Ally’s user-friendly design made onboarding smooth and stress-free.
“I felt comfortable navigating the system almost immediately,” Perry said. “It gave me confidence to focus on supporting our patients.”
Simplified Workflows, Stronger Patient Focus
Since implementing Office Ally, True Joy Counseling has achieved:
- Streamlined insurance claims and faster processing
- Reduced administrative workload across the team
- Simplified onboarding for new staff
- Improved patient scheduling and access to care
- Enhanced financial predictability and reporting
Most importantly, the practice’s mission remains intact. Instead of being bogged down by administrative work, Makela and her team can focus on providing compassionate care, especially to the military families who rely on their services.
“Office Ally gave us something we didn’t realize we needed: peace of mind,” Makela said.
Looking Ahead
Today, True Joy Counseling is thriving: serving a growing community, expanding services and welcoming new staff members with confidence. Office Ally remains a trusted partner, empowering the practice tostay agile, efficient and patient-focused.
“Having a reliable system from the beginning set us up for success,” Allen said. “Office Ally made it possible for us to grow without losing what matters most.”
A Partner for Every Stage of Practice Growth
True Joy Counseling's experience demonstrates the value of using the right tools from the beginning. With Office Ally, they've not only streamlined their workflows but created a strong foundation for sustainable growth. Whether you’re starting a new practice or scaling an existing one, Office Ally solutions make it easier to focus on what matters most, your patients. Discover these solutions today:
- Service Center
Your Claim Copilot™ — a web-based clearinghouse portal to check real-time eligibility and submit claims to any payer, improving cashflow. - EHR 24/7®
Customize workflows, boost productivity, manage patient charts, order labs, and e-prescribe — all in one intuitive system. - Practice Mate®
A web-based practice management system to schedule patients, verify insurance, manage accounts, and easily store documents.
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