We recently connected with Ieisha Beasley and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ieisha, thanks for joining us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

Returning to Louisville, KY, after college, I found a vibrant community that gathered on weekends. Conversations often revolved around their work at a residential facility for adolescent girls in foster care, girls facing severe mental and behavioral health challenges. Hearing their stories, both heartbreaking and inspiring, sparked something in me. In July 2006, I applied for a Youth Counselor position with this agency and was fortunate enough to receive an interview.

The interview itself was a battle against anxiety and self-doubt. I’d heard firsthand accounts of the girls’ experiences – the horrendous neglect and abuse they’d suffered at the hands of their families and previous caregivers. I questioned my own ability to support them, to truly make a difference. Despite these reservations, my psychology degree fueled a desire to enter the field and begin my journey.

For the interview, I dressed in a professional three-piece suit, styled my hair, and rehearsed answers about my experience, strengths, weaknesses, and potential contributions. A week later, I received an offer, with training beginning August 6, 2006. After a year, a different calling emerged, prompting me to pursue a Master’s degree in social work. This path ultimately led to my licensure as a mental health therapist, working alongside dedicated professionals to serve these incredibly resilient children.

My 13-year tenure with the agency, spanning various roles from Youth Counselor, Treatment Coordinator, Clinical Therapist to Treatment Supervisor, was transformative. It profoundly shaped my thinking, my actions, and how I use my abilities and God given gifts to serve others.

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

My career has been a multifaceted journey, leading me to valuable experiences in diverse settings. After 5 years of providing therapy, I had a good foundation to establish a private mental health practice. On April 16, 2018, I launched Journey Mental Health Services (JMHS), where I offer a range of mental health services to adults. In particular, I emphasize and focus on the treatment and self-care needs of Black women from a socio-historical lens. My approach integrates evidence-based practices with ancestral healing methods to provide holistic care. It has been an amazing seven years!

Clients seek my services for a variety of reasons, including: anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, suicidal ideation, mood concerns, life stressors, and relational conflict. I address these needs through individual, family, and group therapy. In addition to direct client work, associate level social workers seek my services for clinical supervision and mentorship and companies seek my services to conduct trainings and presentations on various topics. In the spirit of collaboration, I actively engage in community conversations, strategic planning and offer consulting services to broadly and specifically enhance mental and behavioral health supports.

A particularly meaningful aspect of my practice is a skill-building group designed specifically for Black women with no cost to participants. This group offers participants the opportunity to learn adaptive stress management skills, practice self-care, receive psycho-education, and explore safe ways to address mental health concerns. Participants also learn about available mental health resources and develop personalized mental wellness care plans. I have been very blessed to bring this service to healing retreats for Black women in partnerships with trailblazers in this work.

In 2023-2024, I was awarded a scholarship to attend the Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy at Loyola University Chicago. This one-year residency, focused on Relational Psychodynamic Therapy, has significantly enhanced my clinical skills and provided an additional tool to utilize, especially in my work with marginalized communities.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

My most effective client growth strategy has been the tried-and-true approach of word-of-mouth referrals, coupled with facilitating workshops, presentations, and participating in panel discussions. Cultivating a reputation as an ethical, competent, and fully present therapist has been its own reward, bringing me the privilege of working with truly wonderful clients.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of my subleased office space and a transition to exclusively tele-health services. Like many of my colleagues, abruptly switching to tele-health was an additional level of complicated stress. I had loved my office, and was initially unsure how to navigate this shift. However, I was determined to maintain the high-quality treatment I’d provided in face-to-face sessions. Unfortunately, I did lose some clients due to the barriers created by the pandemic and the work itself became more challenging as the collective fear and uncertainty around what was to come created increased mental health challenges. For 2 years, I had considered closing my practice. However, this unexpected shift provided an opportunity to prioritize my social, health, and family needs. I even pursued a doctorate degree. Once I decided that closing my practice wasn’t an option I was determined to maintain the high-quality treatment I’d provided in face-to-face sessions and challenge myself to be creative with service delivery. During this time, I dedicated myself to tele-health trainings and establishing my practice as a high-quality tele-health provider. I now offer tele-health services in both Southern Indiana and Kentucky, tele-supervision in Kentucky and facilitate presentations and workshops at the local, state and national levels. I still offer opportunities for in office sessions and nature therapy, but to my surprise, tele-health is requested by 90% of my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.journeymentalhealthservices.net
• Instagram: journey_with_drbea
• Linkedin: Dr. Ieisha Beasley, DSW, LCSW-S
• Other: Linktree:
  linktr.ee/journeywithdrbea

Image Credits

thePOP.Agency

Till Forever Photography