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

Demetria, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

While in my early twenties I had a rebellious spirit, if I didn’t think something was right I was very outspoken, brutally honest and with very little tack. I would sometimes quit a job and not have another- If I felt the leadership was wrong in their approach or displaying undermining work ethics, I would leave. From those experiences, I begin to think/know that I would have difficulty in the workplace. I came to the conclusion in my early 30’s that I needed to work for myself. I knew what I did and did not do that way I had no one to blame but me if something didn’t take place or went wrong. I knew that if I desired to work for myself I would need to get fully Licensed as a counselor. However, I attempted to take a short cut that did not work out well on my behalf because I trusted someone else to bill the clients that I was providing services to. They in turn did not have a agency provider number so needless to say I still had to do things decent and in order. Months passed and I eventually became fully licensed and begin to build my clientele. Business was good until I realized that I did not have a passion to work with kids. I had a passion to work with women. My thoughts being- If I can get the mother’s kinks worked out, she will be a better mother thus producing better children. I took a year to transition my private practice from seeing children to building a caseload with teenagers and women. During that transitional period, I worked at Valdosta State Prison as a therapist. That in itself was a challenge as I stated ten years previous that I would never go in an environment again where someone had to let me out. God has a sense of humor because HE showed me what I said that I would never do. It was a season that I had to be in. I transitioned from the prison to working mobile crisis, a job which I still have in addition to having a private practice. A lot of juggling is required to make everything work and flow so there’s not too much disruption. My advice is do this decent and in order and seek God first.

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 Dr. Demetria Hill, Licensed Professional Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, Clinical Supervisor, and Trauma Counselor. I have been in the counseling field since 1992. I started out with an internship in Addictions because I wanted to gain knowledge of how people chose alcohol and drugs over their family. I have numerous family members (maternal and paternal) which have been plagued with addiction. From there, the mental health component was added when I completed my Internship for my Master’s Degree. My niche is teenagers and African American women. My philosophy is if I can get the mothers to heal themselves and become a functional parent who holds their child accountable then that changes the trajectory of the family and the family dynamics. Less yelling, anger, anxiety, and depression. Address those childhood issues. I create and provide workshops for women which allows them a safe space to be vulnerable and heal. This in turns, allows them to unpack those bags from early childhood, teen years, and young adulthood. This also aids them because they are not alone, they get a chance to see other women who look like them and share similar experiences. If the consumer prefers, I incorporate their faith into their sessions as well.

I have written and co-authored a few books; Authentic Tales of Seven Women: The Truth of Who I AM; Taking Back My Soul: Health and Healing; Who Wants to Cope Anyway (eBook on Coping Skills); Goal Diggers…Creating and Finding Your Visions With Goals: Goal Diggers…. Creating and Finding Your Visions. The Workbook!: and Releasing Trauma in 2023- The Journal.

I am proud of the work that I do with women which allows them to have a breakthrough and become the best version of their authentic selves. The thing that I would want people to know is there is no “cookie cutter” approach to therapy, services should be individualized to the person, and find a therapist that is a good fit for you and your needs. I’m not everyone’s cup of “tea”, especially for those who do not want to pluck up “root” issues.

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

When I initially began my private practice, I was seeing children and providing outdoor and equine therapy. After about a steady year of doing so (with the assistance of my husband), I began to realize that I was not being as beneficial as I could be. Even though I may have been doing good work with the children, I was still sending them back home to the dysfunctional home environment which was causing some of their behaviors. I decided to transition away from children and begin working with African American women. While in the transition period, I worked at Valdosta State Prison, as a mental health counselor. This was a year long journey. I found my passion in working with the women and have discovered this is some of my best work. Probably in part due to some of the issues they face, I once faced and were able to overcome. I identify with these women, their experiences, and their struggles. I am their cheerleader.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Being genuine, transparent, and authentic.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Demetriahillcannady.org
• Instagram: a_workinprogressllc
• Facebook: Doc Dee Hill Cann
• Linkedin: Dr. Demetria Hill

Image Credits
Jamon WiIlliams Photography