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

Cerrissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

Much of my work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner is illness based. Every day I prescribe medications and provide therapeutic interventions for people with mental illness and psychiatric conditions. What I found is that when people leave my office, they interact with the systems that either sabotage or help to facilitate their mental health. I got the bright idea that I could partner with community organizations and begin providing education to promote mental health awareness & sensitivity. In this way, we are helping to improve mental health outcomes and reduce disparity. In 2018, I went to a church’s vacation bible school to talk about depression. It was my first engagement. I was very nervous. I simply read the signs and symptoms of depression from a notecard and opened the floor for discussion. From this ten-minute talk, a young African American boy disclosed to the congregation that he was being bullied at school. Apparently, it was also the first time his mother had heard this information. There were lots of tears and affirmations between this child & his mother. It was on this fateful day that I fully surrendered myself to community work of bridging the gaps between mental health and community organization. That is how MyNDSpace™ was born. Since then we have worked with faith-based organizations, healthcare systems, k-12 schools, government agencies, colleges & universities, pharmaceutical companies, etc. The work continues.

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

Dr. Cerrissa Hugie is a native of Hollywood, SC, a small town located outside Charleston, SC. She has been married for 15 years to the love of her life, Tracy Hugie, with two bonus children Jordan and Savana. She is the proud mother of twins, George-Angelo & Eliza-Jane. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Master of Social Work degree. She began her nursing journey in 2013 as a practical nursing student at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. Then, she obtained a second Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina. Lastly, Dr. Hugie obtained a Master of Science degree in Nursing and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Hugie is a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, author, speaker, educator, organizational consultant, and mental health advocate with a wealth of knowledge and experience in diagnosing and treating a wide variety of mental health and psychiatric conditions in patients of all ages. She is most passionate about trauma-informed care, emotional wellness, reducing mental health disparities, and creating a culture of mental health awareness and sensitivity. She works diligently to help bridge the gap between organizations and mental health.

She is the author of Cultivating & Creating Healthy MyNDSpaces™: 9 Strategies to Emotional Wellness & Personal Growth. She is the founder & CEO of MyNDSpace Mental Health Education & Consulting, LLC. MyNDSpace™ provides mental health workshops, training, & consulting for government agencies, corporations, universities, K-12 schools, community-based programs, faith communities, nonprofit organizations, and mental health professionals. In January 2022, MyNDSpace™ recently launched a mental health practice in Charleston, SC providing medication management, addictions services, psychotherapy, family, & group therapy. Using her professional training and experiences, she advocates for a holistic biopsychosocial approach to mental health, which requires that we compassionately consider our full selves – the mind, the body, the spirit, and the environments in which we live, work, and play. Dr. Hugie was recently named among Harbour Club Future Leaders Class 2022. She was also awarded Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Forty Under 40. She is the first African-American female psychiatric nurse practitioner to launch her own practice in the city of Charleston. For more information, visit www.myndspace.org. For booking email [email protected].

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

My husband Tracy of 15 years has been my biggest supporter and backbone throughout this entire journey. The man will literally agitate me to growth. He is the one who encouraged me to leave my job in customer service to pursue passion and purpose. I always say that he saw me before I saw myself. He said I was a doctor from the very beginning. He has worked 16-hour days so that I could focus on school. He has cooked countless meals, and 11 times in one year driven me 8 hours to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN while I slept after working a night nurse shift. He currently cares for our beautiful 2-year-old twins so that I can be fully present to build MyNDSpace™. He is the only person who has sacrificed with me to see our dreams fulfilled. He has wiped my tears, encouraged me, and been a sounding board. There just aren’t enough words that could express the incredible kindness he has shown to me over the years. We are a powerful team and together there is nothing we cannot accomplish together.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In July 2019, MyNDSpace™ was officially established. I was speaking and consulting separately from my full-time employment as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. In January 2022 when I launched the clinical practice, the demand of trying to do both became more than I could mentally and emotionally handle. Meanwhile, I am still a wife & and mother of toddler twins. After just 2 months, I made the decision to resign from my full-time employment on March 12, 2022, and go ALL in. I had never intended to be a full-time entrepreneur and I certainly didn’t believe my time of resignation would happen so soon. How did turn out you ask? In 6 months, we have grown to 10 employees including 2 therapists and we are in the process of onboarding other clinicians and staff members. We have had the privilege to serve nearly 800 patients across the state of South Carolina. There have been numerous challenges and it’s been overwhelming for my team and me. The demand on my family is intense. The need for mental health services is so great, but what a beautiful process of serving, learning, and growing together. I am the first female African-American psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to launch her own mental health practice in Charleston. The story is still being written.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.myndspace.org
• Instagram: @myndspacesc
• Facebook: @MyNDSpaceSC
• Linkedin: MyNDSpace™ Mental Health
• Other: Dr. Cerrissa Hugie on Linkedin @drcerrissahugie on Facebook & Instagram