We recently connected with Kisha Smiley and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kisha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

I found my way into the field of Social Work by accident. I was in my first semester of graduated school to become an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor). I hated the classes I was taking and felt disconnected to the material at hand. Once the semester ended, I was on the hunt for a different graduate program. After speaking with different colleagues and doing research, someone told me to look into the Social Work field. Like most people, I assumed it meant working for CPS and taking children away from their families. To my amazement, it was so much more. I could work in the medical field, go into business management, or even go into private practice. I decided to take a chance and apply for the Social Work graduate program. One night I had a dream that I woke up, checked my email and received an acceptance letter. To my amazement, I woke up from that dream with an actual acceptance letter. Talk about divine intervention. While in graduate school, I began working at an community agency that provided mental health services to low income families. I provided therapy services to teens and adolescents that struggled with depression, anxiety, ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder or were actively suicidal. I was in that role for about 5 years. It provided me with so much experience and pathed the way for my future desires of being a mental health clinician in private practice.

Kisha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Kisha Smiley, I am a licensed Social Worker and Mental Health Therapist. I am the creator of Recommit To Yourself. It’s a therapeutic platform that promotes a positive mindset through faith, mindfulness, and forward healing. It offers content centered around resiliency, wellness, and the transformative power of journaling. Through this work, I inspire readers to persevere and recommit to themselves, their goals, and their purpose.

I am 1 of 3 therapist part of a group practice called Me Myself and Healing Counseling Services. We provide therapy services to children, adults and couples looking to start their healing journey. We also provide group therapy services to new and expecting moms who are looking to build healthy connections and gain emotional support.

I’ve created 6 journals/workbooks with topics ranging from recognizing spiritual strongholds, root causes of personal fears, self-sabotaging behaviors, irrational thoughts, and recommitting to yourself. I also discuss how to change one’s perspective regarding pain and healing. I’ve created a wellness journal that’s helps one to be mindful of their finances, eating habits, physical activity— with reflective questions and journal prompts. I also have a prayer journal for those wanting to deepen their spiritual walk.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Throughout life I’ve learned the importance of pivoting every so often, especially when your goals have changed or you’ve changed as a person. In fact, I am seeing how common it is to pivot when necessary throughout the many changes of life. If you aren’t pivoting then it means you are remaining the same throughout life and aren’t growing. No one should want to remain the same person year after year. I’ve had to pivot in my personal life to assure my actions are aligning with my values. I’ve also had to pivot in my business to narrow down my niche and specialty. I’ve had to examine my career goals in order to change the path I want to walk on. In fact, joining a group practice is the outcome of a pivot. I am excited about my new journey and all the wonderful things it brings.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

To succeed in my field, it’s vital to have balance within your work and personal life. Providing therapy to clients can take a lot from one person mentally, physically and spiritually. You have to be grounded within yourself, be good at setting boundaries and have your own personal outlet as well. As a therapist, you can’t take the risk of not maintaining your own wellness, because it could easily affect the way you practice as a clinician. Our clients rely on us to help them navigate their own challenges so we have to make sure we aren’t providing harm to them in any capacity, whether that be intentionally or unintentionally.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.recommittoyourself.com; www.memyselfandhealing.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/recommittoyourself
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@committedtomepodcast
• Other: http://tiktok.com/@recommittoyourself