Women in Business: Lorraine Holeman creates coworking space for therapists

Lorraine Holeman is no stranger to leadership, even as she embraces new roles and new opportunities.  

Holeman owns Summit Greenville, a therapy coworking space that offers a unique environment to mental health professionals and those they serve. Along with support and encouragement, Holeman brings a wealth of experience to her role as both a counselor and a business owner.  

“I went to the United States Military Academy at West Point for college and served in the Army for five years after college as a military intelligence officer,” she says. “I loved that time of my life and that career. It was very exciting. It was very purposeful. And it was the start of me learning that I really enjoyed mentoring and working with other people in a leadership capacity.” 

Holeman met her husband at West Point. After their military service, they moved to Greenville in 2007. Holeman then earned a master’s degree at Clemson University and spent the next nine years as a counselor in Greenville County Schools before moving to the district office. After 15 years in service to the school district, it was time for another reset. Holeman had helped clients in private practice for years, seeing them in the evening or on weekends. 

“I love really helping people, love working with people in that way and getting to hear their stories and listen and be alongside them as they're working towards their own wellness,” she says. “And I knew that I wanted to do something not in isolation. I didn't want to be in an office by myself. I also really value autonomy and freedom and wanted to try my hand at business ownership.” 

More Women in Business:June Wilcox of M Judson Booksellers

With her husband’s encouragement, Holeman launched Summit Greenville in 2022. She and the other counselors who share the space have the best of both worlds.  

“I didn't want to work in a group practice because I wanted to be my own boss and business owner,” she says. “But I also know that I can do hard things with a team and with other people. Whether it was in the Army or in a counseling department in a school, if you have your people around you that are supportive, you can get through the hard work. The truth of it is, working as a mental health provider can be very hard work. The burnout rate is very high for practitioners that work in isolation, so I came up with the idea of a coworking model, where we're all our own business owners.” 

Holeman says it is a true coworking community – 12 women, all individual business owners who still have the advantage of working together as part of a team that covers many different areas of expertise and age ranges. And they have the benefit of a leader who wants to see them succeed.  

“I think I appreciate every career that I've had,” Holeman says. “When you make a change like that, you notice that who you are is a compilation of where you come from, and it's very important to remember where you've come from. I see leadership has been a big theme in my entire career, and really, in my life. I've always felt called to help people do something and encourage them, so this kind of felt like a natural fit for me.” 

Learn more about Summit Greenville, the therapists and services, and the space, including its community room, at summitgvl.com.