We recently connected with Tacha Fletcher and have shared our conversation below.

Tacha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

I grew up as the youngest child of a single parent Haitian-immigrant mother. I was often called to handle many of the adult affairs which led me to learn how to navigate systems very early on in my life. Many of the qualities of a Social Worker including advocacy, empathy, and compassion came naturally for me as a young girl. However, I did not have much exposure to the Social Work field, so I never thought to myself ‘I want to be a Social Worker when I grow up’ until later on in my life.

Entering college, I had a sense of my career but not really sure how to get there. With the support of my college advisor, I was placed on the Social Work path my second year in college. From there, I went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies in preparation for Social Work school. I later pursued graduate school at Stony Brook’s School of Social Welfare. After graduating with my master’s degree in Social Work, I went on to work in various settings as a Social Worker including community-based organizations, non-profit organizations, hospitals and outpatient mental health clinics.

My early career experiences helped me to truly define my career path as it is today. I knew early on going into private practice would help me to make a greater impact in the Black community and to promote wellness through a culturally sensitive lens so that individuals, families, and communities can rise to their full potential and live life in meaningful ways.

It was once said to me “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” and that’s truly what being a Social Work has allowed me to do for myself while empowering clients to do the same each day.

My advice for young professionals who might be considering starting their own practice is to never give up! There will be obstacles along the way. See each obstacle as a gift or opportunity to reach your end goal. Lastly, create a community of support along the way.

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

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. I am licensed to practice psychotherapy in the states of New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and South Carolina. I earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work along with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies from S.U.N.Y Stony Brook. In addition, I received a Post-graduate Certificate from New York University in Advanced Clinical Practices. I am trained in various evidence-based treatment modalities including Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy and Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy.

As the Founder and Clinical Director & Founder of Wellness Tree Counseling Services a private practice located in Queens, N.Y. With over 10 years in the mental health field, I started my private practice in 2019. Our mission at Wellness Tree Counseling Services to promote wellness through a culturally sensitive lens so that individuals, families and communities are encouraged to rise to their full potential and engage life in meaningful ways. We offer an array of mental health and wellness services including psychotherapy, support groups, & Holistic Life Coaching.

I specialize in the treatment of attachment related trauma, depression and anxiety. I help Black Millennial Black women reconnect with their body, overcome unworthiness & find their inner confidence.
Within my coaching practice, I use an intuitive and holistic approach to work with eager & motivated women who aim to take actions to move ahead in their career, business or relationships. As a recognized and seasoned Mental Health Professional & Certified Holistic Life Coach, I have presented at several professional conferences and universities.

Outside of my clinical work, I am an avid advocate for Black mental health, Black maternal and infant health, women entrepreneurship and empowerment. I have previously served as a board member for Josie’s Legacy Inc.—a nonprofit organization whose mission is to raise awareness on mental illness and foster healing in the Black Community. I have been featured in Voyage L.A., PsychCentral, Living Fulfilled Podcast, Pollen Magazine, and We Buy Black.  I host workshops and events in local communities which focuses on self-care, self-awareness, and personal growth to encourage, empower, and elevate communities of color. I facilitate wellness discussion on an agency and community level. Topics include Mental Health 101, Understanding Trauma, Workplace Culture and Wellness, Race, and Racial Identity.

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

Growing up, I battled so many demons within myself that showed up as anger, hate, sadness, hopelessness, and even self-harm. Through therapy and my own process of learning to love myself, I was able to overcome these battles.

Today, I stand tall as a proud and confident owner of Wellness Tree Counseling Services  which birthed from my own journey to wellness. As a therapist, I find true purpose and fulfillment in empowering others to make sense of their emotional needs and overcome life challenges.

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

A lesson I had to unlearn is being a “good” psychotherapist meant I had to be older. When I entered the field of Social Work, I quickly recognized that I wanted to become a psychotherapist however I struggled with feeling confident in my role as psychotherapist because I was often younger than my clients, peers, and colleagues. This insecurity affected how I showed up in the therapeutic relationship with clients.

Once I was able to develop the self-confidence and overcome my own feelings of unworthiness, I recognized the healing work and transformations that I helped my clients achieve by simply showing up as authentically me and of course applying the skills I’ve learned through formal trainings

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wellnesstreecounseling.com/#
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellness_therapistnyc/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellnssstreecounseling
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tacha-fletcher-lcsw-03411b46

Image Credits
Nicole Mondestin Photography