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

Keshia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents are truly a blessing. They taught me about love, having a passion for something, the value of hard work, and how to be a decent human being. Growing up, with five other siblings, I never felt like I lacked anything. My parents did a great job in nurturing my interests, even when they had to work extra hard to make it happen for us. Being able to explore my interests as a child, gave me the confidence to pursue all of my other goals, including my career. It also gave me the confidence to move around the country to reach those goals. Above everything else, they have always supported me, even when they did not fully understand the end goal.

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

I knew I wanted to work in mental health since high school. I saw a movie called “A Beautiful Mind” and was hooked. Along with that there were all the other crime and psychology shows out at the time. Since then I focused my training on forensics and psychology. I received a B.S. in Psychology from Georgia Southern University and an M.A. I’m Criminology from the University of West Georgia. While there I also interned for the Assistant District Attorney and became even more excited about my future. While obtaining my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in Sacramento, California, I allowed myself to gather experiences from even more areas (e.g. school psychology, jails, private practice, hospice, etc.) I also had a concentration in correctional psychology. I currently provide therapy and mental health evaluations at a private practice setting, and enjoy it very much. It has its rough days, but I cope by practicing self care. I have also branched off and started a TikTok for mental health education and tips @drkeshiamprince. It’s great that so much information is readily available and I want to contribute to people getting accurate information that could benefit them. I have also started a luxury candle line which focuses on how smell is processed in the memory, in order to illicit positive emotions or memories. It was created to make you feel good and it is called Cele Mireya. The line actually started as a coping skill for myself and became a business.

I am committed to helping others become more aware of their blockages and learning better ways of moving forward in their lives. I believe I offer authenticity when providing services. One thing I learned when in school was that I didn’t have to put on “a doctor hat.” To show up as myself, because it allows people to feel comfortable. I feel I connect more with my clients because of it. I also practice from a multicultural perspective and am able to help people process and gain insight by being open and working with them where they are. Though I typically operate from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) framework, I incorporate several different methods and focus on a person centered approach. I also speak Spanish so I am able to reach a wider demographic.

I am proud of my ability to keep going with the same eagerness to help others. I have my rough days, but I have found my passion and I am glad that I did not allow myself to quit in my pursuit in getting here. I am also proud of the connections I have made and the people that I have helped. All of that makes this worthwhile. Additionally, I am proud of myself for my desire to keep learning and finding more ways to be of service. To also having the awareness to check my own biases and learn different things about myself in this process.

This new phase of my journey will look more like educating and speaking on mental health topics. I have always had a passion in helping and teaching, so I’m excited about this new phase.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A few years ago I moved to New York City. I lived in the Bronx and loved it! So much culture, and the people were so interesting if they had enough time for a conversation. NYC is very busy but I understood it and I felt like it would be home for a few years. I moved there because I actually received a job offer pending licensing. However, I did not obtain my license prior to the start date and had to take another job in a slightly different field, because I was not qualified to work in the previously offered position. Working in mental health in NYC is different, because you can’t work on a temporary license if you have already applied for the actual license. So I obtained a position working for a residential facility providing behavioral services to clients, and the plan was to take the licensing test again and find employment in private practice. About a year after I moved to NYC, I was offered another position at a private practice pending licensing. I scheduled the test after putting in my notice for the other position, and the pandemic hit and all testing centers shut down. I was unable to take the test, so I would not meet qualifications to take the offer, and I no longer had a job so I decided to move back to Georgia, where I was offered the position I am at currently and without the same restrictions as NYC. Though it ended my time in NYC more quickly than I had expected, it worked out for the best. I was able to meet amazing people while in NYC and I am working at a place that I love.

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

I think the journey with my licensing has been a story that demonstrates resilience. The purpose of the license is to practice independently, so until I obtain the license I am under supervision. However, I have taken the test before and not passed. It does not mean I’m not a good clinician, but it is difficult not to doubt yourself after failing. Obtaining a license will allow me to explore more areas in my practice and that is important to me. Even though I can do what I love now, with comfort, it is important for me to be fully licensed. So I will continue to reach for that goal.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drkeshiaprince.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/kissofprince_?utm_medium=copy_link
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/keshia-m-prince-psy-d-36308672
• Other: TikTok https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdSN3FA7/

Image Credits
Tobías Smith