Our Story
In 2017, just one year after launching their independent private practice, Ashley and Paul found themselves facing the same challenges many clinicians experience when building a business from the ground up. With two young children at home, the line between work and personal life had become increasingly difficult to maintain. Long unpaid hours, administrative demands, missed time off, and the constant pressure of managing every aspect of the practice were beginning to feel unsustainable.
At the same time, Ashley was experiencing the exhaustion that comes with learning how to run a small business while simultaneously providing quality patient care. Every system, workflow, and process had to be created from scratch, often through trial and error. Taking a day off meant falling behind on intakes, patient concerns, and administrative tasks waiting to be addressed.
As they searched for solutions, they realized there were few options that truly supported clinicians who wanted to remain independent while still growing a sustainable practice. Hiring in-house staff introduced the added responsibility of becoming employers, while traditional virtual assistant services lacked the personalized, comprehensive support they were looking for.
So, drawing on their background as third-generation self-employed professionals, Ashley and Paul decided to create the service they wished had existed for them. They believed other clinicians also deserved a simpler, more sustainable way to launch, grow, and maintain a successful psychiatry practice without sacrificing their time, energy, or values.
Today, Emote exists to make independent private practice more accessible, sustainable, and fulfilling. Our mission is rooted in integrity, community, and meaningful support for both clinicians and staff. We believe in transparent pricing, optimizing revenue while reducing unpaid workload, and creating ethical, supportive career opportunities that allow everyone involved to thrive.
Meet your team
Amelia Palmer
Director of Practice Management
Amelia has more than 25 years of experience in medical clinic operations. She is dedicated to creating an environment where patient care, kindness, and respect are always at the forefront. She focuses on building thoughtful, efficient practices that support a positive experience for both patients and care teams. Her leadership is guided by integrity, attention to detail, and a strong commitment to open communication, ensuring that everyone —from patients to coworkers —feels heard, valued, and supported.
Outside of work, she enjoys reading, spending time near the water, and quality time with friends, her husband, and their two daughters.
Hannah Johnston
Practice Manager
Hannah has seven years of experience in medical practice management, with a strong background in training and leadership. Passionate about growth and collaboration, she values open communication and believes that honest, supportive feedback helps both teams and individuals thrive. She approaches her work with energy and a genuine desire to be a positive, reliable resource for those around her.
Outside of work, she lives in New Hampshire with her fiancé, their newborn daughter, and their pets. She enjoys reading and spending time outdoors (though not camping!). A true foodie at heart, she loves cooking—and, of course, tasting—her favorite meals with family and friends.
Rebecca Wood
Director of Recruitment and Operations
Rebecca serves as Director of Recruitment & Operations at Emote Health, where she leads efforts to attract and support high-quality psychiatric clinicians. Her work focuses on building thoughtful partnerships and operational infrastructure that prioritize clinical excellence and long-term provider wellbeing.
Prior to Emote, Rebecca was the Assistant Director for the Premera Rural Nursing Health Initiative at the University of Washington School of Nursing, where she supported programs aimed at training rural ARNPs and improving access to care in underserved communities. She also managed several federally-funded training grants and served as the Clinical Placement Coordinator for the UW PMHNP program. Rebecca earned her Masters in Social Work from the University of Washington in 2005.
Outside of work, Rebecca enjoys travel, reading, learning to play piano, singing in a community choir, kayaking, walking her two miniature aussiedoodles, and running the occasional half marathon, as well as spending quality time with friends, her husband, and their high schooler and college kid.
Ashley Cerny
Founder
Ashley Cerny, ARNP, graduated from the University of Washington in 2011 with a masters in nursing. She has been practicing as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner since 2012. After working in community mental health for three years and then as a 1099 contractor, she opened her independent private practice in 2017 and in 2018 she and her husband, Paul Samuelson, ARNP, formed Emote Health.
Prior to practicing psychiatry, the mental health field had been a through line in Ashley’s life. With an undergraduate background in counseling and psychology, her career path has provided a wide angle perspective of mental health struggles and outcomes. She has been privileged to work with unhoused women and children, developmentally disabled adults, RN in inpatient psychiatric settings and within the cognitive neuroimaging research laboratory at McLean Hospital.
Outside of work Ashley enjoys close friendships, spending time in the Northwest landscapes, planting gardens, shoveling mulch, watching birds, finding humor wherever she can, and spending time with her husband and two boys, who have taught her so much, including how to get out of her comfort zone and be a sportsball mom.
Paul Samuelson
Founder
Paul Samuelson, PMHNP, graduated from the University of Washington School of Nursing in 2006 and began his career in mental health as a psychiatric nurse in one of Washington State’s Child Long-Term Inpatient Programs, where he later advanced into a nurse manager role. After four years in inpatient psychiatry and a travel assignment at the Zucker Hillside Adolescent Psychiatry Unit at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, Paul returned to the University of Washington to complete his graduate degree.
While earning his master’s degree, Paul worked at Seattle Children’s Hospital in both the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit and Emergency Department, serving as a Charge Nurse and Mental Health Evaluator before transitioning into the role of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. In 2013, he moved into outpatient psychiatry, and in 2018 he joined his wife, Ashley Cerny, in building the private practice they continue to share today.
Paul is passionate about expanding access to high-quality mental health care in rural communities through outpatient psychiatry, collaborative care, and school-based mental health services. Since 2020, he has partnered with Pediatric Associates of Whidbey Island in a collaborative care model, consulting with pediatric providers and supporting youth who need access to specialized psychiatric care.
When not working, Paul enjoys fishing, weightlifting, skiing, golfing, soccer, tennis, hiking or just about any activity that his family members take an interest in. "Things are just more fun when you do them with someone else. I love connecting with people this way." He also enjoys thinking out of the box and problem solving in unique ways.....with a cup of coffee.