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

Alright, Alicia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

In social work, a large part of our work is the internship or placement experience. Whether you receive your Bachelor of Social Work or Master of Social work, internship/field education is the hands on learning experience that takes place. The purpose is to connect what students are learning in the classroom to what will potentially happen once they have matriculated out of school and working. My first job in the field was offered by my internship before I graduated. I was already working for the organization, So Others Might Eat, in one capacity and I interned in another. The director came to me one day during my final semester, asked if I had any plans after graduation and that they would love to keep me on. At the time, I enjoyed my work in the clinic. I was providing substance use counseling in a group setting, and individual therapy to adults impacted by homelessness and substance use. I thought wow, they must really believe in me and was looking forward to graduation even more. The expectation was that I would have my master’s level license to practice in the state of D.C. within 90 days, I had to go through an interview process as well. I still have so much gratitude as that organization taught me so much about myself personally and professionally.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I identify as a change agent. This looks like being an educator in the higher education space. I am a creative, as I write poetry and teach yoga. I am a committed to decreasing the stigma around mental health, and do so by providing outpatient therapy.

Initially, I went to school to fulfill my grandmother’s dream. She wanted someone to be a nurse and as a first generation college student, I did not know much about what major to chose from so I chose what she wanted. In was not until I was working in college, at a hospital that I discovered social work. I learned from the one working on the unit as well as my mentor at the time and knew that was a better path. Nursing felt like putting a bandaid on while social work appealed tome as holistically addressing what happens with a person. Fast forward to graduating, I decided to pursue my master’s degree because I had an undergraduate professor tell me I needed to continue improving my technical writing skills and set myself apart.

I have lived with anxiety the majority of my life, and discovered the power of yoga and meditation while living in New York. It was my practice there that encouraged me to obtain my own certification to teach yoga so I could introduce the practice to other Black and Brown spaces where they may not have access. I have been writing poetry as a way to express myself since I was a child. My grandmother submitted my first poem to Children’s Digest, and I have been writing ever since and self-published a collection of my work after being inspired by a client.

I have worked in higher education as a professor for the past 6 or so years. It is a space I enjoy because I love teaching but it is also a space that has challenged me. Depending on where you serve, there will always be policies and procedures; cultural norms and an adjustment period.

Currently I operate a group practice in Charlotte, NC called Building Endurance PLLC. While being a business owner is not as flashy as it appears, it has humbled me. The problem that we attempt to solve is providing a space where individuals can attend to their mental health and clinicians can increase their competency. Since opening our doors in 2016, we have facilitated a internship program where other social work, counselors, and marriage and family therapy students can learn how to be a therapist and how to operate a private practice.

I am proud of my ability to remain true to who I am regardless of who is in the room. I am different because I am authentic and genuine in every setting that I am in. I pride myself on showing up as my true self and hope others feel comfortable to do the same.

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 have had to unlearn is that I do not need help from anyone. I was raised to be independent and not to rely on others. This line of thinking has had me to cringe at receiving help and at certain points of my life view vulnerability as a weakness. I thought of it as being in a space to be taken advantage of. As a business owner and mother, I have had to learn how to rely on others to not only succeed but also so that I can take care of myself.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I could go back, I would choose the same profession. I truly believe this is what I have been called to do. The only thing I would change is the education route I chose. I would have been more intentional in schools and tuition as the cost of professional services and maintaining a business is a lot.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.buildingendurancepllc.com
• Instagram: @buildingendurancepllc
• Linkedin: Alicia Tetteh, LCSW

Image Credits
Brandon Grate Alvin C. Jacobs Nina Tran