We were lucky to catch up with Kamil Lewis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kamil, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was the decision to go to graduate school. From childhood, I’d always wanted to be a lawyer. I envisioned myself as a high-powered attorney for decades and made educational and professional decisions that supported that vision. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I worked at two different corporate law firms as a law clerk before ending up in the legal department at a large media company. For me, becoming an attorney represented stability, prestige, and predictability (not to mention the money). When it came time for me to pursue my law degree, it never felt quite right. I talked to plenty of attorneys at the firms I worked in, I did my research, I discussed it with my parents, everything to help inform the decision.

Eventually, I decided to go in a completely different direction and pursue my master’s in clinical psychology with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy. I reflected on what was most important to me, not just what I would do every day, but what I wanted my life to look like. I realized how important fostering and maintaining significant relationships is to me, and how fascinated I have always been with the human condition and what makes people do the things they do. While this decision felt right in so many ways, I was terrified to leave my full-time job which had a predictable income and growth trajectory, to transition to a full-time student, racking up a significant amount of student loan debt. Especially in a field I never pictured myself in, especially when my friends and community were starting to progress in their field, and I’d be starting over. This went completely against the plan I’d set for myself all those years ago.

Ultimately, even though I was scared and unsure, the risk paid off in a multitude of ways. I get to do what I love every day, I make an impact, I live a life that is aligned with my values, and I get the opportunity to educate others. I feel immensely proud of myself for all of the hard work that came along with this risky decision, and I wouldn’t have changed anything at all.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the mental health field after making a career change and going to graduate school to get my master’s in clinical psychology. Ultimately, I pursued licensure and am now a licensed marriage and family therapist. I am now an executive at a private practice called The Expansive Group which is sex therapy private practice that specializes in supporting clients who are queer and have intersectional identities.

As a therapist, I specialize in sex therapy and focus on the intersection of race and sexuality. I work with clients who are exploring their relationship to sex, pleasure, and identity. I’ve worked with clients struggling with everything from navigating opening up their relationships, to exploring kinks and fetishes, to curiousities about masturbation, to gender identity. I especially love working with Black femmes navigating their relationship with sex, pleasure, and identity. I love talking about sex and deconstructing shameful messages we receive about our relationship to sex, our bodies, interests, and developments. I’m extremely authentic as a therapist, encouraging my clients to do the same. One of my supervisees once called me “ruthlessly casual, in a good way”, so that might tell you a bit about my general approach to my work. I find that this helps folks become more comfortable approaching a topic that is largely considered to be taboo.

I’m so proud to do work that destigmatizes sex and sexuality, and the opportunity to make people feel seen and heard, attending to the most tender parts of themselves. I also love the team of clinicians I work with, witnessing them grow and learning from them constantly. I’m obsessed with what I do and am always thinking and dreaming about it, truly.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Absolutely not. I have never been truly fulfilled in any job I’ve ever had. No matter how challenging it gets, regardless of the emotional demand, I always leave my sessions feeling deeply connected and proud of the work I do. The decision to become a therapist has been the most transformative and rewarding decision I’ve ever made.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Passion is definitely essential to being successful in this field. On the days when you feel burned out or drained, having a passion for the work and your clients is helpful in maintaining your drive. You also need passion to cultivate your own caseload, in some cases, do your own marketing, and generally constantly keep learning to keep up with the developments in the field.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kamillewis.com
• Instagram: @kamil.lewis
• Other: business website: theexpansivegroup.com podcast instagram: @safewordpod business instagram: @Theexpansivegroup

Image Credits
Roux Ali