You Be You Counseling (YBYC) was inspired by and is centered on a quote from Fritz Perls that emphasizes the importance of honoring the authentic identities of individuals and relationships in the counseling and supervision processes. As with any process where change and growth are the intended outcomes, taking the first step can be challenging. However, more often than not, the end result is one in which individuals experience growth toward a more authentic version of themselves.
I do my thing and you do your thing.
I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
And you are not in this world to live up to mine.
You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.
If not, it can't be helped.
- Fritz Perls
One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.
- Abraham Maslow
I earned my PhD in Counselor Education and Practice with a cognate in multicultural supervision and practice from Georgia State University. One of my most cherished moments during this journey included being selected as an NBCC Minority Fellow. My licenses/certifications include Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Georgia as well as National Certified Counselor (NCC), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and Board Certified in Telemental Health (BC-TMH) through the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).
My 15 years of clinical experiences intersect with higher education and I have had the pleasure of serving as a counselor educator and administrator while concurrently operating You Be You Counseling. Historically, I have also worked in a number of clinical settings including IOP and college counseling.
My research and professional interests have focused on LGBTQIGE+ individuals in counseling, counselor education, and supervision. More specifically, my publications have included explorations of sexual and gender expansive identities and experiences of minority stress as well as coping and burnout. I am a Past-President of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE; formerly known as ALGBTIC), a national division of The American Counseling Association (ACA).
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