We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Madelene Roserie-Hargrove a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Madelene, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea for my business came from being a stay-at-home mom (SAHM). Some people think becoming a stay-at-home mom is easy. I must say the struggle became real to care for a 20 year-old, 4 year-old, 3 year-old, and a 2 year old. The first and maybe the second year of being a stay-at-home mom it was wonderful! I got to see my second son and daughter crawl, walk, have fun on play dates, etc. As time slowly went by, I started feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities of being a mother and wife. I felt lonely because the play dates discontinued and most of my family and friends were working around the time I was available. Also, I forgot to mention the balancing act of also keeping up with the household duties, teaching, feeding, bathing and clothing the children.

In order to balance my emotions, I used journaling as a way to present my desires, concerns, worries, aspirations, visions, etc. to the Lord. Habakkuk 2:2 ERV states “The Lord answered me, Write down what I show you. Write it clearly on a sign so that the message will be easy to read. This message is about a special time in the future. This message is about the end, and it will come true. Just be patient and wait for it. That time will come; it will not be late. This message cannot help those who refuse to listen to it, but those who are good will live because they believe it.” One day when my husband came home from work, after seeing how exhausted I was, he suggested getting the kids and taking them to the park so I can get some alone time…thank you, Jesus 😀. I was alone on the couch in the living room thinking, is this it for me? I remember getting up off the couch and walking towards my bookshelf. As I was standing there, I heard a still small voice saying “study for your exam”. Now mind you, I have failed my licensing exam 3 or 4 times and haven’t studied to retake the test in about 3 years. I immediately responded back saying “oh no, not this again”. During that time, I was discouraged about the times I failed and trying to figure out how I was going to study with the kids and having only one income to take care of all the studying materials. Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV came to my Spirit “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” So I began to pray and made my request known to Him from what study materials I needed, how long I needed to study, and what day and month He wanted me to sit for the exam. Everything that happened to me that day I didn’t share it with no one and not even my husband, because I wanted to make sure it was God that spoke to me. I believe it was about 3 days later that I received a message from an unknown individual from FB asking if I have studying materials for the exam and if not, could she send them to me. I replied back and told her yes that would be helpful. She sent them to me as promised and I was so ecstatic! To my dismay, I did not have a printer to print off the studying materials, But the Holy Spirit reminded me of a printer in the trunk of my car that I purchased several years ago. I jumped up for joy and ran to my car, popped open the trunk, and there it was. I grabbed it, ran back in the house, and opened it like I received a gift on my birthday. I hooked the printer up and printed every study material until the ink ran out. I studied those materials for about a week before going back to the Lord in prayer requesting something else. At this particular time, my husband and I were sitting in the bed and I received a text message from a woman of God name Leanora. She asked me if I would like to join her and some other women to study for the counseling exam. After reading it, my mouth and eyes grew big. I hit my husband on his chest and startled him. I started telling him everything that has happened to me in the past week and now someone sent me this message. I told him I know this was the Lord! I didn’t know her, but she was an angel sent from Heaven! I PayPal her the requested funds. Immediately, I thank God and for her obedience to Him. I studied up to July because that was when the subscription expired. On the last day, I cried and told the Lord I wasn’t ready to take the exam. I instantly told myself all kinds of negative things that weren’t of God, but I was feeling hurt. I heard the still small voice again saying, “be patient and wait.” I replied back to that voice and said, “okay,” because You haven’t failed me yet. Without delay, Leanora messaged me and asked, “do you need more time to study?” I replied that I was thinking of her and I prayed to God asking for help. This time she said, “you don’t have to pay anything, I will pay it forward.” No one can tell me that wasn’t God orchestrating everything for me! I continued to study diligently through counseling exam.com. My last prayer request was to give me the month and day to take the exam. I received November, but no day. I told myself I would call the testing site and see what dates they had available then present them to the Lord. When I called, they only had one day and time available in the month of November which was November 10th. With excitement, I told the testing representative that day and time is for me, hurry up, and schedule it before someone else gets it. He laughed and said, “okay, you are scheduled”. I was grateful, happy and filled with joy to say I passed my exam on November 10th and became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Dec 2021.

Before the Lord approved my business He gave me a revelation: In order to help other women you have to start serving your home and do it faithfully and cheerfully without grumbling and complaining. In addition, He gave me John 16:33 NKJV saying “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Since Jesus conquered the world all I had to do was follow His footsteps. It took me serving my husband and my children the way God intended to receive my breakthrough, in which, Conquered Mental Therapy, LLC was born.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

II’m first a woman of God, a wife, a mother, and business owner and this is how I show up everyday. I’ve been providing therapy for about a decade and a lot of my experience came from the alcohol and substance abuse field. I was able to treat expecting moms and individuals who have HIV or STDs. During that time, I transitioned to being a stay at home mom and working my business via Telehealth.

My goal in therapy is solving unspoken struggles that women tend to have such as fighting against life transitions, loss of identity, self-esteem, burnout/stress, anxiety, and people pleasing. I believe God is our foundation, but the women are the builders of their household (Insert bible verse). The responsibility that women carry is significant and if we don’t learn and understand how to balance life in a way that is for filling; we can mistakenly pass down our pain and hurt, etc. to our children unknowingly which can cause generational harm. I believe with God all things are possible so I trust the plan He has on my life and my assignment to serve others.

I want people to know I love Jesus. It’s for Him that I live, move, and have my being.

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

Currently, it has been word of mouth, networking, and connecting with others professionally. In addition, I’m leveraging social media (insert social media links) to reach out to my targeted audience to increase my clientele. In the near future, I would like to utilize marketing advisers to help me to identity other marketing methods, because I’m hooked on phonics in this area 😉

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

When I reflect on my journey, I’m reminded of the hurdles and bumps I had to endure, but how resilient I have become. Motherhood and wifehood tested my strength as much as it showed me I’m nothing without Christ. All glory goes to Him! Being a wife and mother to my 4 children has its highs and lows. There are times I feel productive, I’m like a supermom and/or superwife, and I have it all together then the next minute I feel like I’m a total failure. However, having elderly parents to support is like having children all over again. I have to assist my parents with medical needs, mismanaged finances, mood changes, forgetfulness or confusion, and sometimes unexplained injuries, etc. while balancing my household needs.

One day, after experiencing a good night’s sleep, my father woke up from his bed and attempted to take his first step forward. He realized he was walking backwards and from that moment, physically, he has not been the same. I was informed by a family member, my father experienced a heart attack. During that time, I was going through different types of emotions and it was definitely a hard pill to swallow. After some days went by, my father looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “I know you have your family and kids to care for, but I sorry, I too am in need of help.” To see my father’s health decline as fast as it did I knew immediately it was another calling on my life. When I went home that day with prayer, thanksgiving and supplication I made my request known to God. I left all concerns and worries at the altar and took on the responsibility to help my mom and father with their needs.

When I think of resilience I think of a rubber band that can be stretched, fit in with needs, secure things together, but can always return to its original state when done. When I’m faced with challenges such as being a mom, wife, a support to aging parents, etc. I’m able to persevere, because I’m not walking through those difficulties alone. I believe in every season in our lives there is something that can be learned to help us either continue helping others and/or strengthen us for the next assignment. These are some things I remind myself when I’m having a hard day and I don’t want to be that mom, wife, or caregiver that God has called me to be. When God has chosen me for a particular task I try my best to be obedient. Is it easy? Absolutely, not! Because my flesh doesn’t want to have to deal with the highs and lows that are displayed in my cup, but because I want to please the Lord so not my will, but Your be done.

Here is something I leave for anyone that finds themselves struggling with a task(s) “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ Jesus.” Colossians 3:23-24.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.conqueredmentaltherapy.com
• Instagram: conquered_mental_therapy
• Facebook: Madelene Roserie-Hargrove
• Linkedin: Madelene Roserie-Hargrove MS, LMHC, MCAP

Image Credits

Photographer – Neil Lee (FB)