We recently connected with Lakeya Mitchell and have shared our conversation below.

Lakeya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Have you ever met “perfect” parents??? Well I want to introduce you to my perfectly imperfect parents. They may have been imperfect but they were perfect for me. I would like to say my life was full of joy but it wasn’t. Life was hard sometimes sprinkled with lots of love. My parents loved me through every hard time. My parents were both “hustlers.” I get my resilience from them. Resilience the ability to bounce back. Life has knocked me down a few times but when you have parents who embody resilience then you know, when you are knocked down you have to get back up. No matter how many times you may fall. My parents taught me rejection was a part of life. They never said rejection isn’t painful but it’s not necessarily bad for me, if anything, it’s actually better for me. I look back at the times I was rejected from something and how I eventually found something better. Now, I completely understand and accept rejection as a stepping stone to some thing better. The biggest thing my parents did right was teaching me to live through my mistakes and Never Give up. For 10 years I was working to open my private practice. In that time there were several situations that made me want to give up due to feeling defeated or overwhelmed because of failure. My parents showed me with failure comes persistence. Persistence is developed and learned through hardships. If you never fall down, you can’t learn how to get back up. Each time we pick ourselves back up and forge through, we get a little bit stronger and more capable of achieving our ultimate goals. Through resilience, persistence, failure, and rejection my parents pushed me to one of my greatest victories owning Transfigurations Counseling.

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

Hello, my name is Lakeya Mitchell. I am originally from Tampa, FL. but Savannah, GA is home. I graduated from one of the greatest Historically Black College and University (HBCU’s) Savannah State University receiving a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and a Master of Art in Professional Counseling from South University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and owner of Transfigurations Counseling LLC. I currently hold my License Professional Counselor license in three states, GA, Texas, and South Carolina. I provide mental health counseling in all three states. Last Month, I was listed as best counselor in Savannah GA in 2022. This is my second award where I was honored as one of the best counselors in Savannah, GA . In addition to running Transfigurations Counseling, I am the Behavioral Health Manager for Fetter Health Care in South Carolina. I am certified in crisis interventions and suicide prevention. I served as a Suicide Counselor for 8 years. Additionally, I have an extensive background in HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. I have worked in every facet of behavioral health. At Transfigurations Counseling, we develop effective plans to help adolescents, adults, couples, and families work through life’s many hurdles. We are here to assist you with all your counseling needs. As the founder and CEO, I am committed to providing a life-changing experience to each client who is dealing with trauma, addiction, anxiety, abuse, depression, PTSD, marriage challenges and family challenges. At Transfigurations counseling, we are all about promoting Self Love. My specialties as a therapist are Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Trauma, Anxiety and Depression. I believe in giving back and volunteering which has led to my active membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. My heart’s desire is to help remove the Mental health Stigma and promote wholeness.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After graduating from South University, I struggled with passing my licensure test. This made me question so much about myself. Many times I felt defeated. The last time I didn’t pass my test, I took some time off to pray and seek GOD. After about a year and a half, I started studying for my test again. However, this time I was surrounded by help. I began studying and scheduled my test three days after my birthday. For my birthday, I planned a trip to Hilton Head with some friends where we celebrated passing my test before I even took the test. I had faith! I believed the time was right! We prayed, fellowshipped, rested, and pampered ourselves. The following week, I took my test and passed after failing the test several times. Everything happens in God’s timing!

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

Training is great but the most helpful tool for succeeding as a therapist is the gift of counseling. Every therapist should have a therapist. As therapists, we hear about difficult, sometimes traumatic experiences each day from our clients. As well as managing our own personal problems, we must guide our clients to a place of healing. Having a therapist helps us to make sure we are practicing what we teach.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.transfigurationsllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transfigurationscounseling/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/counselingneeds
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakeya-mitchell-lpc-855a25101/
• Youtube: Transfigurations Counseling, LLC

Image Credits
Photography taken by Aubrey Bryant and Shots by Somi