We recently connected with Dr. Alexandria Samuels-Ross and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dr. Alexandria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. 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.

After completing my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I began moving to different states including Indiana, New York, Connecticut, Kansas, and Missouri. My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, contracted with various hospitals within these states for 1- 2 years. I looked at this as an opportunity to grow my relationship, grow my career, network, and travel. I guess you can say I took two risks, a risk with my career and my relationship. In my relationship, our goals aligned with each other. Therefore, I was more confident in taking the risks knowing I had his support. Every time I moved I would apply for a new job. I absolutely loved this because I experienced all walks of life. I have worked in different mental health settings for 10 years including psychiatric hospitals, community-based counseling, crisis prevention residential settings for children and adolescents, intellectual disability in a residential setting for adults, and In-home and clinic-based ABA Therapy. This is actually fitting for my personality. I was always moving around and involved in different activities. I have built personal and professional relationships with people in high places. I have created many memories. I got engaged at “The View ” in New York and married at Nanina’s in the Park in New Jersey. During my spare time, while living in New York, I taught young girls to twirl batons and dance. This was my way of giving back to the youth and providing social change in the community. With the support of my husband, Charlene’s Haven 504 Foundation and Swan Magazine were born.

Charlene’s Haven 504 Foundation raises funds to support education, therapy needs, and accommodations for students with an intellectual disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Swan Magazine sheds light on the importance of self-love, mental growth, education, and wisdom. Many of my former colleagues are bloggers for Swan Magazine sharing their expertise to spread awareness. Through Swan Magazine, we share social issues that need to be addressed based on experience, as well as solutions we have used to address some of these social issues.

My suggestion about taking risks is that opportunities are not always in the state you were born. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, a place of diverse opportunities but that does not necessarily mean the opportunities are always for you. I encourage branching out so opportunities can find you, taking a leap of faith, having support because you cannot do everything yourself, and believing in yourself.

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 Dr. Alexandria Samuels-Ross. Founder of Charlene’s Haven, CEO of Swan Magazine, ABA therapist serving the Autism Spectrum Disorder Population, Mental Health SEO Specialist, and a Behavior Specialist delivering timely telehealth care in various emergency rooms across the U.S.

I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from South Carolina State University in 2012. I completed my Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2016. I recently earned her Doctoral Degree in Human Service in the Summer of 2022. I have 10 years of experience in the mental health field working in a variety of settings across the United States. My mission is to continue building the youth and to help everyone understand their past does not define them and that giving up is not an option. You lived to see another day, so make that day better than yesterday. Despite how people may remember you or how they may currently think of you, you can change and be a better person. Start with keeping positivity around you. “Good vibes only”.I changed my environment. I keep positive and supportive people around me. Sometimes, that may only be 1 person. But if that one person helps you to be a better you; then that is all that matters! Next, I changed my lifestyle. My purpose in going vegan is to be healthier and break generational health problems. The ability to convert and maintain veganism builds discipline and control over self. I proved I can no longer allow other things and people to control me. I am the captain of my soul. Next, remain open-minded! You never know where you may end up in life or God’s purpose for you. The best thing you can do for yourself is to remain open-minded, have faith, and carry on the morals and values that you have developed. I’ve traveled and lived in different places in the United States. This allowed me to experience and embrace different walks of life; teaching and serving the youth with my talent of baton twirling.

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

My journey to resilience started when I was young. Competing in National Baton Twirling Competitions and dealing with wins and losses. You had to be ready to step in front of a huge crowd despite having performance anxiety. Though I did not always win, I had to demonstrate great sportsmanship, push forward, and continue practicing for the chance to win the next competition. I applied this to my life. In 2010, My mother died while I was in college. She was my biggest supporter, coach, and best friend. I had to push through to graduate on time by focusing on our goals for me to finish college.

Once graduating with my Master’s degree, I had to be confident and strong to move to new places and interact with new people. Remember, every job is not always for you. Just learn from it and keep going! Your opportunities are not for a lifetime. Find ways to capitalize on the opportunity at the time and keep growing. The key is staying disciplined and focused on your goals.

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

Step out of your comfort zone, network, advocate for social change, and serve or help others even if it’s for free!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.charleneshaven.com
• Instagram: charlenes.haven
• Youtube: Charlene’s Haven