My Story
Born to an unwed mother, I understand the pains of poverty and not knowing where the next meal was coming from. I know the devastation of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of people that were supposed to protect you. I know the pain of living on the wrong side of town and not living in the right house, not wearing the name brand clothes, or knowing the right people. I know how it feels to struggle to find your place in life but always feeling like a round ball in a board of square holes. I know
how nicknames like fat boy, biscuit, loaf and bubba can lower your self-esteem. But I also know the burning passion of wanting to rise above it all but not knowing how. Maya Angelou stated, “When you know to do, do the best you can, but when you know to do better, do better.”
It was not until my freshman year at a community college where the have and the have nots were on equal playing grounds that I discovered my passion and life purpose for helping others. It was at that moment that I decided not to allow the pains I suffered in life to defeat me but to launch me to reach my goals. I was the first person in my family to graduate high school and I would not quit until I broke the glass ceiling of also being the first person to graduate college with honors. When I did and finished all my requirements to be a therapist, I thought that my life would be smooth sailing. What I did not consider however was the brick wall that I would hit at full speed.
It was a week after my fortieth birthday that I would wake up in a full-blown panic attack and the life that I had once known and loved was over. The pain, struggles and trauma invaded my life like a hurricane. I was left unable to work and unable to care for myself. After extensively seeking help and being wrongly diagnosed and treated, I made a mistake. I then found myself on the wrong side of the justice system and would bare the consequences of a bad decision. Though the entire experience was devastating not only for me but also for those I loved, I had to decide; give up or get up. No matter how much everyone loved and cared for me, this decision was mine. I chose to get up.
While there are many more details I could share, my passion for helping others never wavered. I chose to use the good, the bad and the ugly of my life to fuel me to help others. I create a safe place for my clients to share their passion, to assist them in setting both short term and long-term goals to have the life they desire. It is also my honor to help my clients to come to the realization that the answers that they are looking for can be found within themselves and not others. Call me an optimist or whatever
you like but my belief that is as long as there is breath, there is hope.
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy.”
Proverbs 13:12 Living Bible
