We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Carolada Gilbert. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Carolada below.

Carolada, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk that I have taken has been across the trajectory of my career that has lead me to business ownership. When I started my career I had plans of eventually becoming a therapist but I never suspected I would become a business owner. While in college, around 2007, I started working as an intern under a Case Manager at a juvenile justice facility. After graduation I eventually started working as a Family Reunification Worker and then a Non Profit Case Manager. Upon graduating with my Master’s Degree I started working in the hospital system.

By 2017 doors opened up where I started work with the Veteran Affairs Medical Facility. Now, many would say this is top tier in a social work career, the pay and areas for growth the sky’s the limit. However, something was still missing that is when in February of 2021 I made the decision to seek out a therapist that could mentor me. By June 2021 I started seeing clients and then by November of 2021 I decided to do therapy full time and leave my job at the Veteran Affairs. The journey of becoming of become a therapist and now starting my own practice has been a walk of faith. Not having a job to rely on for benefits and having to follow a set of organizational norms but having to create your own, has been hard. This journey has taught me a lot about my capacity to learn, create, develop, and stretch beyond my known capacity.

I am now running my own private practice apart from anyone else. I am navigating speaking engagements, workshops, and providing therapeutic services. I am still learning and growing, and some days I want to give up but at the end of the day the peace I have following my dreams is worth it!

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 am a innovator in mental health. I own Serene Counseling and Wellness a practice that provides mental health and wellness services. I provide mental health counseling services, mental health workshops and I am available for speaking engagements. I specialize in treating individuals dealing with Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma. My expertise is in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. My goal is to help them achieve their personal goals of mental and emotional wellness. I currently have a journal on Amazon that people can utilize along their mental health journey. I am working on a guided journal and sleep hygiene cards.

Additionally, I have partnered with two women and we have started Ziva Therapeutic Spa where we provide self care, restorative, and relaxation services to promote physical, emotional and mental well being. I am passionate about connecting with clients and individual who what to improve their overall well being. Healing is multifaceted you can’t focus on one area with out tending to other areas in your life whether it is mental, emotional, physical or spiritual.

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 but I would added more specialties. I would stick with my Bachelor in Psychology but in Grad School I would have taken classes to get a school social work certificate. I started my social work career in the hospital system but it would have been nice to work in the schools, make an impact in the school system…and to have summers off!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Entrepreneurship is something that people tell you is hard, is easy, is something you have to prepare for, is something that will stretch you, etc. However, until you are in it and start your own journey you don’t appreciate the ups and downs, successes and failures. I branched off as an independent therapist in November of 2021 and I am just now seeing the results in the clients and income I want to see. Now everyone’s story is not mine. But I feel this show my resilience because my income took a big hit, my faith in myself and my abilities too a hit. Walking in I had this expectation of success in 3-6 months, but that didn’t happen. When you have bills behind because your savings ran out, when you aren’t getting clients, when you are dealing with questioning your abilities and the risk you took it takes a toll on your mind and emotions. There were times I wanted to give up and sometimes I still do, but my faith, my husband and friends help to push me to see the growth and remind me of my goals. It is easy to continue on a known path but to forge a new one takes a lot of crazy faith

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.serenecounselingandwellness.online
• Instagram: @serenecounselingandwellness21
• Facebook: Serene Counseling and Wellness