We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chenetta Kirksey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chenetta , appreciate you joining 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.

My most defining moment was when my job ended in August 2024, and I started my practice full time in September 2024. In a short two months, I grossed my first 10k––just two months after leaving my job.

Chenetta , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Chenetta Kirksey. I’m a licensed therapist, practice owner, and author. I am a native of Chicago and moved to Dallas three years ago. I have been in the mental health industry for 12 consecutive years. My passion for mental health was established at a young age, as I often found myself questioning “why”—why certain behaviors existed, why they manifest the way they do, and what they meant. I believe I was about twelve when I first began having these internal thoughts about people and the world around me. As a teenager, I later witnessed a close family member succumb to the impact of psychosis. Ultimately, those experiences led me to pursue a career in mental health.

Today, I currently own and operate my private practice, Altered Minds Counseling which is located in North Texas. The practice, which opened in April 2023, is rapidly growing. As the lead therapist, I assist clients with a range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, bipolar depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While listening to my clients is a priority, I also challenge them. I believe this is what makes my approach unique. It is important to me that my clients become better, more insightful individuals through their process of healing.

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

When I first moved to Dallas, I received a lucrative job offer at a clinic. After a year, I was let go. I began work again 2 months later at another clinic, of which my role ended just shy of 15 months. I realized that both companies shared something in common, and that was their inability to relate to and understand the client population. Likely because their bottom line was simply numbers and cash flow. Most companies fail to realize how their process and constant turnover of therapists, re-traumatizes the clients. This drove me to start my own practice and offer something different than what I witnessed clients dealing with. I want to protect clients from this process and offer consistent services that my clients can rely on.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Meeting my client where they are; I never lead with a clinical persona or an approach in which clients shy away from. My goal is to be relatable and make my clients feel like they are talking to a trusted partner/friend.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alteredmindscounseling.com
• Instagram: amcwellnessprofessional_2

Image Credits

Istock/Shutterstock, liicensed purchase and owned by me.