First, I am in recovery. I consider anyone who works daily to find peace and freedom from past issues “in recovery” because the healing journey never ends. I believe it is important to live a balanced life, meaning you must create a recovery plan and work at it daily.

Most people look at me now and see someone who has it together…. Well, for a very long time, this was not the case. To get where I am today, I had to turn my entire will over to God and ask for help from others. Yes, I had to ask for help, which I had never done before, especially since it involved trusting others.

In 2010, I was sick and very tired of carrying around so much hurt, anger, and pain, so my journey into recovery began. I worked very hard in therapy, prayed constantly, asked for help from others, and followed the plan I was given….no questions asked. My journey was arduous and tough… and I cried a lot, but I stuck with it, and something amazing happened; I began to let go of my anger and heal. You see, I had to get out of my own way to begin healing.

The second part of this story involves my education and experience. Although I left school in the 7th grade, when I left home, I attained my GED (many years later) and entered Itawamba Community College. After two years, I was accepted into Mississippi University for Women (MUW), where I worked extremely hard to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. I graduated at the top of my class with a master’s degree in Community Counseling. For several years, I worked as a therapist with children, adolescents, and adults in a community mental health center. In 2015, I became fully licensed,