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

Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My mom was honest about tough topics. She was a single mom raising 5 children with no help from the fathers. She cried, she yelled, she cursed, she pushed me beyond measures I didn’t think I could reach. Witnessing her tenacity but also her vulnerability has been and still is life changing for me. She did not hand me anything and as an adult I have a greater appreciation for this than I had as a child. It instilled in me a superb work ethic, not only for companies, but for myself. I would like to believe that if my mother had the means, she would have gotten me counseling. Lack of resources led me to become an accessible counselor for my community.

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

I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, FL.  I am the youngest of 5 children raised in a single parent home. While in middle school, I struggled with depression and thoughts of suicide. There were things going on at home that I could not tell other family members about, but I felt comfortable telling some school officials about. The way in which they handled my information and me as a person will always stick with me. They were kind, empathetic, understanding, and professional. It was at that time I realized that I also wanted to be a safe space for people to come and share their stories. I decided in middle school that I would become a therapist. The rest is history as I was surrounded with unbelievably supportive people who informed me of the best route to take to get to my goal. I excelled in sports and academics in high school. I earned several academic scholarships. I completed my undergrad degree in psychology at the University of Central Florida, and went on to complete my masters in clinical mental health counseling at Walden University. I now conduct individual counseling for my own private practice, as well as employee assistance program counseling for CVS Health. In my free time I research topics such as human trafficking, domestic violence, violent offenders, and other realms of trauma. I create group and individual activities that incorporate evidence based interventions to address mental health concerns. I am currently writing a book for rising clinicians about the things I wish I knew while I was in grad school. I am also heading a project called ‘Dear Mama’, which takes a look at intergenerational trauma between African-American mothers and her children. I am  a content creator for continuing education, trainings, and provide speaking engagements upon request.

Most of my clients present with some form of anxiety, depression, and underlying trauma or traumatic experiences. I provide a space for my clients to give a home to the feelings they have held onto sometimes for 40 to 50 years. I am most proud of my decision to transcend my own trauma, anxiety, and depression. I now use my experiences to help others travail through some of life’s hardest times.

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

After completing my bachelors degree in psychology, I worked for the state of Florida for about a year. The wage was low. The work was endless, and I felt stuck. I took a job at a brokerage firm and worked there for seven years. It was in no way related to psychology, but obviously paid more. I was able to use my skills learned in psychology and life to navigate this new role and made the best of it. With money saved from this job, I was able to move to a new state that had more opportunities for people wanted to be commensurate wages in the human services field. It was quite a pivot and early on I regretted the amount of years I veered off my path.  However, what I learned in that seven years has helped me manage my finances as an employee and a business owner.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

If I could go back, I would definitely choose the same profession, but I would have taken a path to being a psychologist. There is not a lot of research on persons of color and mental health. This results in the field having to use interventions created for who do not match our demographics. These interventions are often used to address things that may not be the same culturally, demographically, or geographically. As a psychologist, you can conduct research, usually paid, and present arguments to employ new interventions or practices. It is still possible to do it in other roles however, there may be obstacles that psychologist don’t have to face given their credentials, training, and access to various clientele and mental health arenas.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://journeyjoggers.wixsite.com/website
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chelly_chel_50?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellednewton
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC-vhXnQgVTaEo3yI8MCYPQA?fbclid=PAAabo_kkut7ddO6DmfxXIF5yRpzhWjk2DZh_fnkwagsQDO639AcunE4Wd_tw
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/michelle-newton-charlotte-nc/755658