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

Extriara , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

Anchors are said to be ideal for safety and stability and one of tne many blessings I had growing up was the privilege of having anchors in the form of parents. Let me be clear my parents were not perfect people, they were much too young to be parents but did their absolute best to provide stability for my siblings and I. One of the perks and sometimes downsides of having young parents is that you learn to be independent at a very young age. My mom has been known to say that as a kid I never asked for permission to do anything, I simply made a decision and politely informed her later. While her recollection of said events are different from mines, what I can acknowledge as an adult is that I felt safe making decisions because I knew that no matter the outcome I had an anchor, that would keep me from drifting off too far and if needed would provide me with safety.
My parents gesture of love has been the thing that has inspired and empowered me to take chances and not be concerned about the outcome because in the words of Renita Weems ” you can endure almost anything if you have an anchor”

Extriara , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a provide native of old Atlanta raised oh the old fourth ward community. I started my career as a social worker in the non profit sector where I worked for 10 years. If I’m being honest I had absolutely no intention on becoming a therapist, as mental health was a very touchy space for me that I did my best to avoid. However, in every space that I worked in I would encounter people who looked like me who were experiencing significant challenges in the interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships that were caused by mental health challenges. Five years ago after lots of prayer and encouragement I decided to take a chance and start my own mental health practice, Lavender Grove Psychotherapy. I founded Lavender Grove to provide a safe space for Black Women from the holy to the hood to be heard and to heal. Lavender Groves mission is to ensure that Black women who are worried, overwhelmed, sad and ashamed can recieve the support they need to manage the debilitating effects life stressors that exaccerbate mental illness. Lavender Grove provides therapy to individuals and families as well as facilities Women’s Empowerment Groups and Yoga therapy.

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

My formula for establishing a brand and sound reputation is to be authentic. When engaging with other professionals and clients, I always show up as my authentic self. What I’ve learned is that in being authentic you develop deeper and more rewarding relationships.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

My Model for succeeding as an entrepreneur can be demonstrated using the following acronym: P.U.S.H

Preserve , Until. Something, happens

Simply put, continue on the course until something happens

Contact Info:

• Website: Lavendergrovepsychotherapy.com
• Instagram: @lavendergrovepsychotherapy
• Facebook: @lavendergrovepsychotherapy