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

Hi Marlee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

As a mental health therapist, I make a it a habit to never offer advise. It’s often my clients who teach me the most! I often had clients (most who identified as Black) who would open themselves up to me in session–all in an effort to process their pain and uncover new more healthy ways of living. One day, a client finished his session and as he was leaving said, “I wish I didn’t have to button up after I leave here and act like everything is ok.” He said, “I wish I could just walk out of session, see someone and be like–‘you know what my therapist told me today?'”

This was the first moment I considered mental health as a communal goal. With these few words, my client opened my eyes to the possibility of community oriented, intergenerational healing that happens outside of the therapy office.

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

Hey there! I’m Marlee, the founder of Reviving Roots Therapy & Wellness. I started this cozy little mental health practice back in August 2019 because I truly believe in the power of decolonized mental health and trauma healing. As a trained mental health therapist, I’m all about providing relational cultural counseling services that prioritize the unique needs of my clients.

I earned my master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College, where I had the incredible opportunity to study and practice under the guidance of the Institute for the Study and Promotion of Race and Culture (ISPRC), led by the amazing cultural researcher and psychologist, Janet Helms. With about 10 years of experience in the mental health field, I’ve had the chance to work in just about every capacity you can imagine: mental health case management, crisis hotlines, college counseling, and school counseling.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and George Floyd was murdered, things took an unexpected turn. Suddenly, my waitlist grew to over 100 people seeking support for mental health issues related to the pandemic and the social uprisings. What struck me the most was that over 90% of those on the waitlist were self-identified black individuals who specifically wanted to work with a black provider. It became clear that the black community was struggling to access culturally healing mental wellness services during this crisis.

This realization disheartened me, especially considering that less than 5% of mental health providers actually represent the black community. It became a pressing issue for Reviving Roots to find solutions that better served the greater black community. That’s why we created “The Flourish Fund,” a donation-based initiative that offers free and reduced-cost therapy to black community members. In 2020, we raised over $8,000 through this fund, but there’s still so much more work to be done.

At Reviving Roots, we believe that serving the community means listening to the community. So, we conducted market research through surveys and interviews with community members. What we discovered was eye-opening: the black community is four times less likely to engage with mental wellness services when they need them the most because there are very few services that cater to our unique healing needs. When we asked what services would best meet their needs, participants consistently highlighted three key factors: they wanted wellness services from practitioners who shared their racial identity, who practiced through a liberation-focused (decolonized) lens, and who were financially accessible.

The unfortunate reality is that services offering these three attributes are rare to come by. That’s why we’re determined to bridge the accessibility gap for the black community. We’re expanding Reviving Roots Therapy & Wellness into an integrative wellness space that offers culturally responsive, liberation-focused, socially distanced, and financially accessible wellness services exclusively for the black community.

So, if you’re looking for a safe, inclusive, and warm environment to address your mental health needs, we’re here for you. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done so far, but I’m even more excited about the future. Together, we can create a space where healing and growth thrive.

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

Word of mouth! I have been working in the mental health field for 10 years now and it seems like all of my new clients have heard of Reviving Roots through a friend of a friend. We’re so thankful to have built up the confidence and support of the community through our therapeutic work.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I started looking for a space for Reviving Roots in March 2020. While everyone was hoarding toilet paper, I was looking for sofas and decor to make my office feel safe and comfortable. To say I was in denial is an understatement. When it became apparent that we were going to be staying at home for awhile, I had already paid for a lease that the landlords would not release me from. I paid for six month of rent that I could never use!

In 2022, when it felt like things were getting more settled, I found a space to start enacting my vision. We were to be in the basement of a house with two small rooms (one for therapy and one for massage), along with a small studio. We were excited to start, and then a few months before we were set to offer services, the building was sold to a new owner who was changing the use of the space. So again, we had to pivot.

Now in 2023, Reviving Roots has found a beautiful home on the third floor of an historic building. Our space is a both enormous and cozy at the same time. After 3 years of planning and failing and planning and failing, we finally have a space to call home.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.reviving-roots.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/revivingrootswellness
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/revivingrootstherapy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reviving-roots/