My work in the mental health field began in 1998 as a Licensed Professional Counselor. While I worked in other areas for a couple of years, I quickly moved into private practice and launched a group network that spanned four cities over a 20-year period. I have spearheaded programs helping over 17,000 individuals and families in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. As a heart teacher, I also use the personal and professional experiences I have had since childhood to connect with people on the resiliency to succeed; in private sessions and mass audiences. I've served as the mental health clinic director of Paul Quinn College, an HBCU located in Dallas, Texas, as well as held faculty positions at the graduate level at other schools.
My primary passion is to normalize mental health treatment in an effort to remove the stigma of mental health, especially in communities of color. My company held city, county, and state contracts over the years to provide counseling services to further my advocacy, ensuring people who would not normally access treatment had full access. I enjoy speaking to audiences about the importance of mental health treatment as it relates to other readily functioning areas of our lives; professional, spiritual, relationships, and with self.
I recognize that professionals and high achievers deal with the stressors of success without truly understanding the impact it has on their mental health. I am passionate about helping people understand the importance of addressing all aspects of success, positive and negative, as a tool for handling those difficult times - which are more often than not the reason people are distracted and fail to meet their goals. I assist people with understanding the difference between mental illness to mental health to create a much more accepting environment for accessing preventive care. By embracing the importance of mental health, people experience higher levels of accomplishment. Helping people understand the impact of emotionality will result in positive outcomes.
My strategy program, The Emotionality of Success, has helped thousands of professionals understand that there is more to business development than marketing, finance, and legal support. Through this program, I offer strategy planning in each of those areas as well as the interpersonal development needed to build and sustain successful businesses. Working with the overall person and not just the product or service is the key to her success when working with her clients.
The latest project I developed stemmed from my years of work with college students in private and collegiate engagement. I thoroughly enjoy talking to "emerging adults" and helping them understand that the smallest adjustments in lifestyle may have considerable impacts on their long-term stability. The book and program are solely focused on helping pre-college and college students prepare and manage the mental health aspect of their collegiate journey. She launched the program with a workshop in the Summer of 2022 and, with continued development, has released a book, "10+ Things I Wish I Knew About Mental Health in College."
Personally, I have been married for almost 30 years and we have raised a cared for a beautiful set of adults who are far more adventurous than we ever thought possible. I have been a caretaker for much of my adult life and consider it a blessing to be able to give as much as I have been given in life. My faith is in God and his amazing son, Jesus Christ, for without my belief in the everlasting, I am certain I would have succumbed to the pressures of leading a life that is of service to others. In my spare time, I enjoy creating, building, dancing, and having a good laugh with loved ones.