We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Josephine Harris. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Josephine below.
Dr. Josephine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
One of the most important influences in my life was my mother. She would often say the most powerful thing you can do in life is decide based on what God has for you. Eight years ago, I decided to pursue a Ph.D. at Walden University. I was fraught with fear, mostly because I had completed my master’s degree three prior. However, I knew this decision would be a defining moment and significantly impact my trajectory. I also know that if I could do this, I would show my children that anything is possible.
After all, I did it while being a mother, caregiver to my father and grandson, and working full-time as Victim Advocate. After my mother died, I thought I had lost my best friend, encourager, and inspiration. The pain was immeasurable, and the loss irreplaceable.
In retrospect, these two defining moments have made me a more resilient, focused, and agile leader. This is mainly because I knew what constituted a defining moment and how to move forward. Defining moment is when you are urged to make a pivotal decision or experience something that fundamentally changes you. Not only do these moments define us, but they have a transformative impact on our views and behaviors. Moments are defining and will force you to ask “WHY,” often challenging your beliefs or norms and forcing you to behave differently.
These moments revealed my character and allowed me to excel and clearly see something. I realized my defining moments, and moving forward, I became resilient and embraced adversity. I viewed these moments as an opportunity to learn and grow and not let them make me stagnant. I acknowledged my fear, which helped mitigate the potential paralyzing impacts and quickly recalibrate, and created an action plan that was the road map to be successful. Think about it; we all can define our defining moments. Will You, like I did?
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Modern-day superheroes are not the ones we familiarize with motion pictures, but rather the quintessential professionals, gifted with a sharp sense of servant leadership, willing to show up greatly; in the lives of those who need it most. Yielded to this profound ethic; is the multifaceted advocate, Dr. Josephine Harris.
Dr. Josephine Harris is a military spouse, a Mental Health Expert, an International Bestselling author, a 12X Times #1 Amazon bestselling author, 5 X Times International Bestselling author, Regional Vice President (Western area) of the HERpernuer Network, philanthropist, behavior analyst, serial entrepreneur, and Co-Founder of KEYZ Investments LLC; she is also the Founder of Calming Minds LLC, a multidimensional coaching practice, that helps clients connect with the mind, body, and soul, by way of inspiration, facilitation, coaching, and other dynamic mechanisms. Bringing a vast portfolio of uncompromising skill sets and certifications to her practice within the realms of Addiction Counseling, Intervention programming, Domestic Violence, individual and group psychotherapy, and many more, Dr. Josephine Harris proves herself to be an ideal collaborator. One of the many reasons she has earned great respect from those she serves. She also graces the stage with well-known speakers like Les Brown, Cheryl Wood, Che Brown, Cynthia Bailey, Robbie Montgomery, Shawn Fair, and Trevor Otts.
Dr. Harris’ mantra is simple: She is inherently committed to emboldening women, particularly military spouses, facilitating for them all an opportunity of hope. Whether through transformational messages of professional or personal growth, Dr. Harris was born to encourage, motivate, and empower women of all cultures.
Dr. Josephine Harris backs a fantastic portfolio with great regard for higher learning. She has attained a Ph.D. in Psychology, a Post-Master Online Teaching Psychology Certificate, a Master of Philosophy in Psychology, an M.S. in Psychology, and a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration. She is certified in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), as well as a Psychology Professor at Bates Technical College. She is an Internationally Licensed Psychotherapist, proudly serving the Seoul Counseling Center in South Korea since 2018.
Dr. Josephine Harris has been a staple in the professional vernacular of mental health advocacy and several other philanthropic-driven platforms. She is a Member of the Board of Directors at SafePlace Olympia, which advocates for survivors of both sexual assault and domestic violence; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Psi Chi Member; the NAMI Association, CHADD Association, CHADD International, American Psychology Association, American Counseling Association, Addiction Counseling Association, Phi Sigma Theta National Society; and the Applied Behavior Association.
Though recognized on various platforms for her outstanding abilities, Dr. Harris considers her greatest accomplishment to have been her contributions as the International Coordinator for Seoul, South Korea, where she developed and implemented the Applied Behavioral Analysis Services (ABA) program, receiving more than 90% positive post-program evaluations, while having also developed instructional coaching materials and facilitated clients, with mental health illness. Dr. Harris also developed and presented the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) program related to trauma/stress within the military community.
Dr. Harris’ philanthropy is inspired by a famous quote from the late Maya Angelou, that states:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said and did but never how you made them feel.”
When Dr. Harris is not out advocating for those in need, she is a deeply appreciated member of her communal body and is significantly loved by family and friends.
Dr. Josephine Harris. Visionary. Advocate. Servant Leader.
Connect on Social Media:
www.facebook.com/JosephinelHarris
www.instagram.com/drjoharris
www.linkedin.com/in/dr-Josephine-harris
Website: www.calmingmindsllc.com
Website: www.drjosephineharris.com
Blog: https://healthymindsandhearts.wordpress.com
https://payhip.com/COACHDRJOHARRIS
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
“As a military spouse, I can say that she experienced some of the most amazing places in the world, such as Hawaii, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, China, and the Bahamas. It’s been a completely new experience for her, and Dr. Harris believes she learned a lot along the way and adjusted to the unfamiliar cultures and diverse backgrounds.”
I had been to unfamiliar places and experienced some culture shocks, but she gave herself more perspective on life outside American culture. As a military spouse, I believe life experiences and trying new things have opened doors to new beginnings for me. For example, I had an opportunity to complete my internship in South Korea as a Psychology Major and continue to pursue my dreams: being a person who empowers, inspires, and encourages others to live out their passion. Live out your dreams, and don’t give up!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Change is an evitable fact, and as a military spouse, I have been trying to transform myself into the military community. However, change is challenging work.
As a military spouse, my role in helping my service member fulfill the mission often serves as a silent support system for my service member and the broader military community. I often lost sight of my priorities and identity as I took the helm of the home. I strive to maintain or achieve emotional well-being. Still, the emotional toll of deployments, and TFYs, that is, change of duty stations, which permeate the entire family, can be challenging to manage and continuously changing jobs. As a military spouse, I had to unlearn a fixed mindset to a growth mindset to activate the military system and not fall into an emotional roller coaster.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.calmingmindsllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjoharris/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJoHarris
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-josephine-harris/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrJoharris5
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/dr.josephineharris1563
- Other: https://linktr.ee/drjoharris www.drjosephineharris.com
Image Credits
Derricius Breon