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

Deidra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Over the course of your career, have you seen or experienced your field completely flip-flop or change course on something?

When I was much younger, I believed that success was a defined and linear path. I believed what I was taught,..Go to college, get a good job. get promoted to leadership, and retire. This reminds me of that board game titled “Life”, where everyone eventually gets to the end of the game by winning through retirement or becoming a millionaire! What I did not plan for was experiencing bullying on the job, to the point that I had to resign and look for another job. I never imagined working through a recession and losing my job due to layoffs. I also never thought that being a business owner looks glamorous from afar, but requires more work than one would imagine. After 15 years of working in an inner-city school system, I started my practice, Synergy Wellness Therapeutic Services. I started this business in 2016 because I had a passion for providing effective mental health services to children and adults. Just as my business was getting steady in 2019, I experienced many family crises. The year 2019 brought many deaths in my family and a serious illness/hospitalization for one of my children. I lost faith in myself and decided to partly shut down my business and go back to working in the field of education. After thinking 2019 was tough, I had no idea what 2020 had in store! Needless to say, I struggled to get my business back to full-time because of the turbulence going on in the world and my family as we navigated a pandemic that no one saw coming. I learned that even though my professional journey has had its ups and downs, u-turns, left turns, and pit stops, my dedication to providing quality mental health services has not wavered. I am continuing to build my business with the help of a surprising source. which is TikTok. After creating a viral video, I realized that there is a need for the public to learn more about the problems of workplace bullying. I have come full circle. My dissertation topic has now become my viral video topic and the nice that could revive my business! Sometimes, a U-turn is a blessing because timing is everything!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Deidra A Sorrell, Ed.D. I am a licensed professional counselor, approved supervisor, and school psychologist. I am the owner of Synergy Wellness Therapeutic Services, which is a mental health practice in Maryland. I got into the field of mental health because helping others was something that came naturally to me. In addition to providing therapy, I have authored several mental health-related children’s books. I am currently working on an anti-bullying guide for parents and a guided journal for teens to prevent suicide. I am also a social media content creator with a focus on providing awareness and solutions to childhood and adult bullying. What sets me apart is my tenacity, my vision, and my creativity. I am excellent at finding an open window if the doors of opportunity are closed to me. I am a former beauty queen and the crown taught me that sometimes you have to make your own opportunities to make a huge difference in the world!

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

I truly believe that success is doing what comes naturally to you, therefore it does not feel like “work”. Yes, I believe that I chose the right field for me. The problem is that society has devalued mental health for generations based on how mental health providers are paid, disrespected, and treated in the workplace. I believe that the pandemic has shown the world just how important mental health providers are. As the world navigates the shortage of providers, I hope that there will be better treatment and compensation to attract more talent into the field.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe that a good reputation is built on the old-fashioned values of integrity, respect, and consistency. The core of therapy is a trusting and strong relationship between the therapist and the client. If a therapist is flaky, untrustworthy, or just about money, clients will talk. Furthermore, if a therapist is untrustworthy, it might be unethical! I pride myself on having a solid reputation for providing these old-fashioned values that never go out of style.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.synergywellnesstherapy.com
• Instagram: @thefeisty.therapist
• Other: TikTok: @thefeistytherapist

Image Credits
Photo by Rodgers Polk Photography