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

Ebony, appreciate you joining us 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?

I discovered that I wanted to work in the counseling field at a young age. I distinctly recall a 5th grade assignment where I wrote a song about wanting to be a therapist. My aunt, a retired social worker, would take me to a center where she volunteered with at-risk youth. I was both humbled and excited about this experience, which sparked something inside of me. After completing my undergraduate education at Emory University, taking time to work in field, and obtaining my graduate degree from Georgia State University, I determined that I wanted to establish my own psychotherapy practice. I worked at community agencies and local government while working toward my counseling license. During this time, I met a social worker, who has since become a close friend. She provided encouragement and helped push me to start my own practice. Then, another colleague and I began discussing our plans of starting our own practices. In July of 2013, Rapha Counseling & Coaching Services was born. Rapha is a Hebrew term that means healing. This was an intentional word choice, as it aligns with the goals of my practice. What would I have done differently? 1. Not move to another state while working toward obtaining my counseling license. State laws vary, and the move set me back a year or so. 2. I would have started my practice sooner.
Advice: The best advice that I received and would share with others is to enjoy the journey. Don’t focus too much on the desired outcome, but enjoy each step of the process.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I initially wanted to become a counselor after noticing many of my grade school friends coming to me for advice. I had no expertise at this age, but somehow they trusted me with their secrets and sought out my advice. Currently, I am a licensed therapist who provides counseling services to individuals facing many challenges. Most of my clients are African-American, millennial, females struggling with depression, anxiety, and life transitions. However, my practice is inclusive of all demographics. Prior to the pandemic, I began providing clinical supervision, which has replaced therapy as my passion. This involves training and developing masters-level counselors who are pursing the licensed professional counselor credential. My favorite part of both therapy and clinical supervision is being an active participant in the individual’s growth and progress. Seeing clients move toward their goals and making positive changes is very fulfilling. Helping counselors in training develop their skills and improve their self-efficacy is what motivates me to continue in the field. I am most proud of listening to wise counsel and achieving my goal of having my own therapy practice, which is now over 10 years old.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As a very caring and solution-focused person, I had to recognize my own limitations. I am a natural helper and try to resolve issues as swiftly as possible. In my field, I have to work at the client’s pace and not my own. I had to realize that it is more helpful to collaborate in problem solving instead of attempting to fix another person’s problems.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Providing quality services while maintaining integrity and high ethical standards has helped the most with my reputation. Most of my referrals come from client and professional recommendations. So, it is very important to be a trusted resource.

Authenticity is very important, as well. By expressing genuineness in sessions, clients feel more comfortable opening up and sharing their concerns without fear of judgment. I practice from a strengths based perspective that encourages and empowers clients as they work through their various emotions and life challenges.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.raphaccs.com
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Rapha-Counseling-Coaching-Services-100054474849387/

Image Credits
Maria Jara, RF Visuals- God + Therapy pic only