We were lucky to catch up with Natalie Alexander LPC recently and have shared our conversation below.

Natalie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

At 31 years old, I had an Undergraduate degree in French linguistics, I was recently married and working full time at a local Dental office, as a dental/hygiene assistant. I was told that I should not have children due to a recent diagnosis of Cardio0myopathy (fancy word for “weak heart.” Miraculously, at 36 years old, I was pregnant with my second child when my OBGYN Dr. Jacqueline Sylvester an Entrepeneur whose mission was to empower African American women to also become Entrepeneur, asked if I saw a future in Dentistry. My answer included several examples of how easily strangers approached me to share their personal stories and problems. And how with ease, I offered empathy, and helpful solutions. Moreover, I shared the story of my family of origin in which my younger brother battled drug addiction and my immigrant parents were dedicated to providing the life that they didn’t have. My heart was moved to understand the intricacies of families and relationships in the midst of a marriage within which I was experiencing difficulty. Doc then inspired me to follow the necessary steps in order to achieve the credentials needed to fulfill my purpose of healing families. By the time I was completing my Internship, I was pregnant with my third child. My marriage was still challenging. The defining moment occurred during my performance evaluation. I was interning at a moderate security facility for adjudicated Juvenile boys. My supervisor told me that I was a gift to the facility and offered me a position as case manager. She was right! The way the residents responded to me was remarkable. They trusted me. They connected to me. One young man came back to the facility years later to tell me that he was in college and pursing his dreams. In noticing how the boys responded to me, I decided to open a Private Practice to extend my services to families and couples.

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?

Becoming a therapist happened in response to the spontaneous healing interactions that I had with strangers. I know myself to be a healer, and Empath, a Lover of people. Relationships are paramount. I am aware that fulfilling relationships are the undercurrent of happiness, Therefore, I offer a safe empathetic environment in which my clients can experience the freedom to feel, express and brainstorm the needed solutions to life’s quandaries. During the Pandemic, my caseload grew exponentially with couples that experienced infidelity and desired to work on their relationship. During that time, I finetuned my skills as a therapist and currently walk with my clients towards a healed place, having brought awareness and education in the context of healthy relationships, Relationships that promote peace and heal childhood traumas. What separates me from others is the insight that I have gained regarding masculine and feminine energies, and the influence of emotions in the context of communication. Providing such insights to the couples and the families that I serve is invaluable. I am most proud of the miraculous success rates with the couples that I serve., who then have referred their friends to me. I understand that members of the African American community are not inclined to seek therapy. Therefore, i host live events and futility discussions that address such topics as “men have feelings too!” The purpose is to educate and encourage healthy relationship skills, relationship to self and significant others.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Other than training/knowledge, what is most helpful in succeeding in this filed is self-care, and self-healing. Many times, therapists approach this practice with only what the books tell them. While it is unethical to include personal experience in the therapeutic relationship, it is paramount to understand that personal healing helps in the creativity and clarity of brainstorming solutions to the presenting issues. In the way the hurt people HURT people, Healed (heading) people also HEAL people.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I was neglected as a child. Not because my parents were unloving. It was because they were doing what they thought was best for me. Working. As such, I learned that I needed to be available to help and heal EVERYONE that I met. Consequently, I thought friendships consisted of me rescuing people. As a result of the resentment and rejection that ensued in my early adulthood, I learned the value of boundaries and the process of finding, making and keeping friends,

Contact Info:

• Website: www.butterflyinstituteofwellnes.org
• Instagram: @nataliealexanderlpc
• Facebook: Natallie Alexander
• Linkedin: Natallie Alexander
• Twitter: Natallie Alexander
• Youtube: Natallie Alexander
• Yelp: Healing Grace Counseling Services

Image Credits
Hair and makeup by Messiah Marcial Photos: Eric Jordan- jordanviision.pixieset.com