Happy new year! My blog will likely be new to most and there’s good reason for that. It has taken me nearly two years since finishing my doctorate degree to even get enough clarity to consistently work on the many projects that I’ve had in my head, including promoting the blog. I really had to take some time to redefine the focus of my practice which meant that I had to be more introspective and self evaluative than I really had time and energy.

Nevertheless, I have purposed to re-introduce my blog. In 2009 I named my practice TLC because those were my initials (before marriage). Years later after doing some research on wellness for my doctoral dissertation I came across what it’s called in the counseling research ‘therapeutic lifestyle changes’ or TLC’s, which are the everyday changes that we need to make to maintain our mental, physical, social, and spiritual health. I would love to start my first sessions discussing wellness but most clients are coming to counseling for very specific issues and maybe in crisis so we may not cover wellness until later sessions.

My vision is helping women of color begin the healing process from past trauma and move toward wholeness and wellness. I have shifted my practice to focus on complex trauma and trauma recovery, which is often an evolving process of learning how to become whole and stay well. I know that sometimes people aren’t ready for counseling but I am hoping this space will be one that helps women learn more about the counseling process, how I approach counseling, and receive some practical information mental health and wellness and trauma education tailored to women of color and African American women in particular. My ultimate goal is for women to become more resilient and hopefully prevent more serious symptoms in response to stress. I hope you decide to sign up to receive the posts in real time but feel free to come back to check too. I can’t promise a regular posting schedule, but because of my own perfectionism know that it likely took a lot more time writing and revising it than necessary!

Welcome back & I look forward to you continuing this journey with me!