About Flatwater Foundation

Flatwater Foundation is an Austin-based nonprofit that provides access to mental health therapy for anyone affected by a cancer diagnosis — patients, survivors, family members, and caregivers. Flatwater covers the cost of therapy so that financial burden is never the reason someone goes without support.

I am a Flatwater-approved provider. If you were given my name through Flatwater, they have already confirmed that I'm part of their network and that your sessions can be covered through the foundation.

How Flatwater referrals work

You contact Flatwater Foundation and are connected with their team.

Flatwater provides you with three therapist options from their approved provider network — I may be one of them.

You choose the therapist who feels like the right fit and reach out to schedule a consultation.

Flatwater covers the cost of sessions so you can focus entirely on your healing.

If you haven't connected with Flatwater yet, visit flatwaterfoundation.org to get started.

What brings people
into therapy after a diagnosis.

Cancer touches every part of life. The issues my clients bring to therapy are as varied as the people themselves — but some themes come up again and again.

Anxiety about diagnosis & treatment

The fear that comes with a cancer diagnosis — about treatment, about outcomes, about the unknowns — can be all-consuming. Therapy creates space to process that fear without it taking over everything.

Grief and loss

Cancer brings grief even when the person is still here — grief for the life you had before, the body you're losing, the future that feels uncertain. That grief deserves acknowledgment and care.

Life after diagnosis — identity and meaning

Many people describe a before and after. Who you are now, what matters, how you see time — cancer changes all of it. Therapy helps you find your footing in a life that looks different than it did.

Fear of recurrence

For survivors, the fear that cancer will return can be just as consuming as the original diagnosis. It shapes decisions, relationships, and the ability to feel present — and it responds well to therapy.

Family and relationship impact

Cancer affects everyone in your orbit. Relationships shift. Roles change. Communication breaks down or changes completely. Therapy helps you navigate those relational ripples — as a patient or as someone who loves one.

Support for caregivers & family members

You don't have to have the diagnosis to need support. Caregivers, partners, children, and parents of cancer patients carry enormous weight — weight that's often invisible and goes unsupported.

Who I work with
through Flatwater.

Flatwater serves everyone touched by cancer — not just the patient. Here's who I see through the foundation:

During treatment

Cancer patients

People currently navigating active treatment — surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and everything in between. Therapy during treatment provides grounding, coping tools, and a space to process what's happening.

After treatment

Cancer survivors

Life after treatment isn't always the relief people expect. Many survivors describe feeling lost, anxious, or changed in ways that are hard to articulate. Therapy helps you integrate what happened and find your way forward.

The people who love them

Family members & caregivers

Partners, parents, children, siblings, and close friends. Your experience of this diagnosis is real and significant — even if the world focuses on the person with cancer. You deserve support too.

What therapy with me
actually looks like.

I bring the same approach to cancer-related therapy that I bring to all my work: warm, collaborative, evidence-based, and genuinely responsive to the person in front of me. I don't follow a rigid protocol. I follow you.

Sessions are virtual — which means you can attend from home, from the infusion center waiting room, from wherever you are. No commute, no logistics. Just a consistent, private space to process what you're carrying.

We'll move at your pace. Some sessions go deep into difficult territory. Others are about building practical tools for managing anxiety day-to-day. Many are both. What I can promise is that nothing you bring to session will be too much — and that you'll never feel like you have to manage my reaction to what you're going through.

The free 15-minute consultation is a chance to talk briefly, ask questions, and decide whether we're a good fit. There's no paperwork, no commitment, and nothing to prepare.

Book Free Consultation

Cheryl Reeley LCSW therapist Austin Texas

Questions about
Flatwater therapy.

I was given your name by Flatwater. How do I get started?

Simply reach out through my contact page or call me at (512) 641-9528. Let me know you were referred by Flatwater Foundation and we'll schedule a free 15-minute consultation. After that, if we decide to move forward, Flatwater handles the billing directly — you won't receive a bill from me.

Do I have to have cancer myself to work with you through Flatwater?

No. Flatwater's mission extends to everyone affected by a cancer diagnosis — patients, survivors, and the family members and caregivers who love them. If someone in your life has or had cancer and you're struggling with the impact of that, you may be eligible for Flatwater-supported therapy. Reach out to Flatwater at flatwaterfoundation.org to confirm your eligibility.

What does it cost? Does Flatwater cover everything?

Flatwater Foundation covers the cost of therapy for eligible clients — that's the entire point of their program. You won't pay for sessions that Flatwater is supporting. If you have questions about coverage or eligibility, contact Flatwater directly at flatwaterfoundation.org or call them at 512-553-2010.

Are sessions in-person or virtual?

All my sessions are virtual, conducted via secure HIPAA-compliant video. This is especially practical for cancer clients — treatment schedules, fatigue, and appointments can make in-person therapy difficult to sustain. Virtual therapy means you can attend from wherever you are, whenever you have energy, without adding a commute to your day.

I'm not in Texas. Can I still work with you?

I am licensed to provide virtual therapy in Texas only for Flatwater clients. If you're located outside Texas, I won't be able to see you — but Flatwater has a network of providers across their service area. Contact them directly and they can match you with someone in your state.

I haven't contacted Flatwater yet. Can I still reach out to you?

Absolutely. If you're touched by cancer and interested in therapy, you can contact me directly and we can figure out the right path together — whether that's through Flatwater or through another arrangement. You can also go directly to flatwaterfoundation.org to learn more about their program and apply.

Therapy in the wakeof cancer.