Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sosheina Whyte. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sosheina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

The year I got married was the very same year I graduated college as a Therapist- 2012. Little did I know that the exit from one institution (college) and the entrance into the other institution (marriage) would shape not just my personal identity but also my professional one. My marriage was plagued with psychological abuse. I was constantly demeaned, cheated on, belittled and told that I wasn’t good enough. I felt I was being tolerated more than celebrated as everything I did or said triggered my husband into abusiveness. Confused, I felt clueless and hopeless as to what to do to correct the situation. However, as a newly inked Therapist I tried to put my skills to work. I was empathetic, I listened actively and I used his backstory as an anchor as to why I shouldn’t leave the marriage. The optimism blinded me to the reality that “I cannot change anyone” and so I suffered. I suffered under the idea of being a failure because how can I be a Therapist and my marriage is like this? How can I be a Therapist and I am unhappy? How can I be a Therapist and not be able to fix my husband….Something is definitely wrong with me. This weighted me and burdened me. With a silenced voice I quivered under pain, thinking this was the fate I was sealed to. BUT one day, the revelation came as I crumbled under the pressure of realizing that I had a choice to make- either my marriage or my sanity- and so I chose my sanity. The choice was important but it was also urgent because my mind, my creativity and my purpose was at risk. With this I recognized that I needed to speak (or as I have coined it eventually- ROAR) I needed to awaken the roar within me and unleash it because I was never born to silenced and my power was never given to me to be restrained. It was at the point of this revelation that I gave birth to the concept of Roar Unleashed. This was now a movement, an embodiment of strength and resilience and authenticity. As a Therapist I needed not to hide or be ashamed of what was happening. Neither did I need to feel like a fraud who couldn’t help others because of what was happening at home. Rather, I needed to stand up for myself and for others who hide in the shadows because “how could this happen to me? I know better”. So in 2016, after my divorced finalized and I roared my ROAR, the defining moment of my career dawned and I moved from being just a Therapist to being the authentic, dynamic, down to earth powerful Creative Therapist who provides products and services in a bid to destigmatize mental wellness as well as help others create an active and authentic mental wellness culture (routine) in their daily lives. I now became author of my first book, Lioness Roar: Exposing the Dash 2012- 2016 and I now became Founder and one of the Directors of the Mental Wellness company Roar Unleashed- which encourages individuals to fiercely protect their minds which is their MOST valuable asset. I became me.

Sosheina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Sosheina Whyte. I am a Licensed Associate Counselling Psychologist in Jamaica. I am a Creative at heart and I am also an Educator. I got into the field of Psychology and Mental Health by following a path that seemed quite clear for me at high school. Even though, I was not sure where the path would lead to, every road I found myself on revealed passions I had deep down inside; and so being the free spirit I am, I pursued them without question. Eventually it all came together and is still coming together with every waking moment revealing my ultimate purpose. As I have come to discover, we are all multifaceted beings and so we are always discovering aspects of ourselves as we move through this realm.

As a Creative Therapist I have been blessed to be Founder of Roar Unleashed- The black mental wellness company that is Mental Wellness Redefined. Reimagined. Creatively. It offers products and services towards helping people and organizations/companies develop an active and authentic mental wellness culture. The company is poised for solving several problems:
1) The stigma attached to mental wellness that it is centered around “madness” and the idea that we shouldn’t speak of it boldly or else….
2) The fact that ambitious and productive individuals are always putting themselves on the backburner and so self care is seemingly selfish, a privilege not a right, and something that is not a priority as it can be done another time.
3) Mental wellness is boring and in order to effectively take care of our mental health it means having big plans rather than engaging in small habitual actions.
4) There is no link/relationship between Mental Wellness and Productivity in the corporations, organization and companies and so it is not a company’s priority to ensure that there is a mental wellness culture present at work.
5) The permeated culture that talking about our problems is something we mustn’t do because we should keep things private.
6) The lack of a present or adequate enough mental wellness culture in organizations and companies.
7) Individual Mental Health challenges or disorders.

The Products and Services we offer include:
1) Our Mind Priority Moments Box (This is a personally curated set of items that individuals can choose to help them on their mental wellness journey- Items include stress balls, essential oils, sensory kits and colour boards etc.)
2) We have a Mental Wellness Shelf of books. These books are written by myself and persons who serve on our board. The list includes:
1. Mind Priority: The Mental Wellness Planner
2. Lioness’ Roar: Exposing the Dash 2012- 2016
3. Bridge: The Corporate Mental Wellness Guide
4. Mending: A Brief Grief Worktool
5. Crayons and Clarity- A Colouring book for adults
6. Same Suh: Teen Affirmations- A colouring and Affirmation book for teenagers and young adults.
7. Yuh Therapist Seh Dat: Loud Talk for Silent Struggles- An encouragement tool for persons facing life challenges.
8. Connected to Corporate- A Workbook for employees who are struggling with lack of productivity, stress and disconnect from the workspace
9. Beyond the Burnout: The Blueprint- A engaging workbook for employees who are facing burnout.
10. Echoes: A Note Space- A journal notebook
11. Journey Back to Me by Avril Scarlett
12. Purpose Awaits You by Avril Scarlett
13. God Made you Special by Arianne Scarlett
14. Grab You Some Lemons: Damien Marcus Williams
15. Holding Shadows by Dr. Jermaine McCalpin

Our company also provides interventive and preventive interventions through individual counselling, consultation sessions, speaking engagements, workshops, and training on Mental Health and related topics.

Our power partner Orbit360 consistently helps us bring the creative mental wellness vision to life with their dynamic video photobooth. This service paired with mental wellness creates a space of release, where walls come down and people let themselves breathe, laugh, and play. In those moments of capturing memories, participants break out of their shell, connect with others, and see mental wellness as something alive and joyful. Orbit360 partners with us in transforming activities into bonding experiences and therapeutic interventions weaving fun and freedom into wellness in a way that is vibrant, restorative, and unforgettable.

offers a video photobooth service that assists us in creating an interactive space where people can express themselves freely and creatively. By capturing these moments of joy, play, and authenticity, it reinforces the idea that mental wellness can be vibrant and engaging. The experience boosts self-esteem by allowing individuals to see themselves in a positive, celebratory light. In doing so, it elevates the creative mental wellness space, transforming ordinary interactions into powerful reminders of resilience, connection, and self-worth.

We also offer Corporate Mental Health Assessment services where we assess the current mental wellness temperature of an organization and provide recommendations on how to correct short comings by either implementing a mental wellness culture or improving the existing mental wellness culture.

What sets us apart is our creative approach. Roar Unleashed is not the ordinary company that only offers wellness products or services, we have redefined and reimagined what mental wellness looks and feels like. While most brands focus on calm or clinical approaches, ours is bold, creative, and fiercely authentic. By combining the science of Psychology with the creativity of art, play, innovation, and expressive tools, we create experiences that are colourful, uplifting, practical, and unforgettable. From corporate wellness indices to interactive planners, colouring journals, live sessions, and engaging challenges, everything we design and deliver is both imaginative and effective towards mental wellness.

At our core, we believe mental wellness is a vibrant, everyday practice of strength, resilience, and authenticity and it is this fierce, creative approach that makes Roar Unleashed unlike any other brand. We have taken a field that is often times considered dreary or intimidating and redefined it with authenticity and creativity at the forefront. Through our ethos and execution, we are breaking down fear and showing that mental wellness is an integrated part of life. It is something to be embraced, not avoided.

I am most proud of the vision of the company and how it has grown into its own over the past 3 years. I am proud of what we offer and I want potential clients to know that as a black mental wellness company we are here to help us operate in mental wellness so we can function fully and effectively in our social and occupational lives. There is greatness within us but sometimes it is quenched or silenced because of external and internal factors but once we settle into who we are and what our purpose is, we will forever shine. Our mind is our MOST valuable asset because it is the seat of our existence and the hub of our creativity and we should fiercely protect it.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Authenticity and consistency helped to build my reputation. I show up as my authentic self even in spaces and places where it may seem as though I am out of place. Now this is not always easy as sometimes looking, feeling and sounding like everyone else makes you blend in rather than stand out and this may seem more comfortable… I mean who really thinks to stand out is comfortable or easy? But the truth is once you find out who you are, show up as you all the time- consistently- and your reputation will build. You will always be seen as you and you will attract your crowd, your client, your people. These two elements helped to build my reputation because whenever I am asked for or sought after to execute a task I know what is being requested and my simple duty to my clients, myself and my reputation is to be me.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

At heart, personally and professionally, I am service provider and so all my traits align with service- being kind, caring, compassionate, understanding at times giving freely of myself. Upon starting my company I had to unlearn many lessons but perhaps one of the most profound one is the idea that having a good heart was enough to succeed in business. Yes, a good heart is powerful in service because it fuels compassion, care, and connection, but business runs on different principles. In business, you need boundaries, systems, and strategy to protect both yourself and the value you offer. It doesn’t mean you stop being kind; it means you learn how to balance kindness with clarity, compassion with boundaries and heart with structure. Transitioning from serving with just my heart to serving with both heart and structure was uncomfortable, but it was necessary. I had to learn that it is okay to unlearn and adjust because service and business are not the same, and honouring that difference helps me to thrive in both.

There are many backstories I must say but this one you might enjoy. The Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ)- of which my company is a member- was having networking mingle event for all the membership companies. At the event NGAGE Events Ja (a gamified experience company that uses social gaming to help businesses form deep connections with their audiences in an imaginative way) brought a specific competition experience to the event where as you network with others you were able to gain points and climb a leaderboard. The aim is that at the end of the event, the person who is at the top of the leaderboard would get a huge prize. Anyway, I got to work and my natural charisma had me racking up points. With minutes left in the game I was on top of the leaderboard. Somewhere in the momentum of gaining points and building network a young man walks up to me and says he doesn’t understand the game and he needs help. Being me- I stopped and assisted him- without hesitation. He kept asking questions and it took a while until he got it, but I stayed patient. After he finally “grasped” the concept of the game. He left and within minutes the game was over. I looked up at the board and I was no longer leading I was now at number 4. They announced the winner and as he walked by I remarked on his ‘inability to play the game’. He laughed and said “Business is Business” and with a sense of peacock pride went up, collected his prize and gloated. In Jamaica we would say “it bun mi yuh see” which means It really hurt me to the core.

The Lesson: He knew the game, he saw the threat and he eliminated it. Afterall business is business. Was I hurt and devasted? Yes because as a person with a servant heart- how could he not play the rules? It was in that moment I learnt my biggest lesson. Eyes on the prize always and never be distracted from your goal. Service and business run on two distinct principles and if you miss this then you are playing checkers in chess game. Begin to think like an entrepreneur or else you will always come up short.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://roarunleashed.com
• Instagram: roarunleashed
• Facebook: Roar Unleashed
• Linkedin: Sosheina Whyte JP
• Youtube: Roar Unleashed: Tribal Talk
• Other: Tik Tok: Roarunleashed

Image Credits

Teino Evans Media