Rachel A. Foreman, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice. She opened Acadiana Center for Behavioral Health in 2013 and you can tell she loves helping people. I ask her about what she does and she talks about kids and young adults with emotional and behavioral issues and the difference she can make. You can find out more about what she does at

Rachel is outspoken and beautifully honest, she feels she started her life late, graduating college at 27, getting her masters at 33, and opening her business at 44, but she also knows it was all at exactly the right time. She knows who she is and what she stands for - and that’s a good place to be. Her retirement plans are some of the best I’ve heard - you’ll have to read the article to find out what they are.

What was your first job?

I sold men’s clothes in the Acadiana Mall at Silverman’s.

Describe a typical day in your life.

Wake up at 7:20. Bathe, eat something and barely make it to my office for my 9 a.m. client. See my 10 and 11, then meet my husband or a friend for lunch. Back at work for 1:30. See at least four more clients. Then likely head over to a Lady Dems meeting until about 8 p.m. Head home, hang out with my husband and son. Watch the news and get ready for the next day. Go to bed some time between midnight and one. I’m a night-owl.

What advice would you give the younger you?

I know it is frustrating trying to be what everyone else wants you to be, but hang on. There will be a time when your life belongs to you.

What event in your life most shaped who you are now?

We adopted a baby at three weeks old and he has been the light of my life. He had a psychotic break and was diagnosed with a very severe case of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder at the age of 5, which left him fighting to regain any semblance of a normal life for several years. That journey has changed me dramatically personally and professionally. One of the main focuses in my life now is treating and advocating for people with mental illness.

What values do you live by?

I believe that our mission on Earth is to serve others and to create a world we would want for our kids to live in.

What do you most appreciate?

I am most grateful for the unconditional love of my husband.

What is your favorite journey?

My favorite journey has been finding and learning to value my own voice.

Where is your favorite place to be alone?

I like to walk and explore new places alone because I can be spontaneous and go wherever the wind blows me.

What living figure most inspires you?

Yes, I’m gonna say it, Barack Obama. I admire his grace and intelligence.

What was the best advice you were ever given?

The best advice came from my mom. “If you want to know how a man will treat his wife, watch how he treats his mother.”

What book would you tell everyone to read?

"A New Earth" by Eckart Tolle.

What is the best thing about where you live?

The best thing about Lafayette is, hands down, the food.

How do you let the good times roll?

I let the good times roll by doing my favorite things; eat, dance, travel and meet new people.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

If you asked me what I wanted to be when I was a kid, you would have gotten a different answer by the week. In my senior year, I found an interest in society and human behavior that had me jumping back and forth between sociology and psychology in college. My work now heavily involves both.

What is your motto?


How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be remembered as a fearless advocate for social justice. I want to be a voice for the voiceless.

What do you say to yourself when you doubt yourself?

“It is amazing what you can find within yourself when you have to.” I typed that and taped it to my desk for many years when Matt first got sick.

What three things are vital to BEing YOU?

Courage, kindness, and love for animals.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?


What is your favorite word?


What do you collect?

Friends and causes to fight for.

What food could you live on for a month?

Boiled seafood.

What would you change about yourself?

I should learn to say “no” more often.


It would probably be Leigh Anne Tuohy in "The Blind Side." Anyone who has seen pictures of my family will understand that one.

Describe yourself in five words.

Polite, intelligent, open, intuitive, driven.

What is your idea of happiness?

At my happiest, I would be walking out in nature, somewhere cold, and exploring.

What is your favorite movie?

This was actually the hardest question for me to answer. There are so many. I was probably most affected by the John Hughes movies of the '80s, as they came out during a formative time for me. I’ll say "The Breakfast Club" if I have to choose just one.

What music defines who you are?

In high school, I was all about rock music (Def Leppard), then in college, it was dance music (Stevie B). Now, I pay attention to the lyrics and the message. I’m on a Taylor Swift kick right now.

What do you most regret?

Both of my parents died when I was in college and I wish I had thought to ask more questions. I would love to have known more about their past and people in their families. A wealth of information was lost with them.

What question do you wish I'd asked?

What do I want to do after I retire?

What would the answer be?

I want to be a professor at UL. I want to make other students fall in love with sociology and psychology like my professors did for me.

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