We were lucky to catch up with Sade Beaulieu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sade, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.

At Overcome Counseling, we work with underserved minorities. As a Black woman I know firsthand how the lack of needed resources can impact a person of color. Most minority groups may not know the realm of mental health services and therefore are more likely to seek help from their primary care providers rather than a counselor. This is something that I am passionate about because I can use my cultural background and knowledge to help reach minority groups who have been underserved and ineffectively served by mental health professionals. This is important to me because I see the need for this within my community, in which I live.

Sade, 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 Sade Beaulieu, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas and Louisiana. I am a Board-Approved Supervisor of Professional Licensed Professional Counselors (PLPCs). I am also a Board Certified National Counselor (NCC), Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), and a Certified Clinical Telemental Health Provider (CTMH). I am an active member of various professional organizations such as the American Counseling Association and the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES). I obtained my Master of Rehabilitation Counseling degree from Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC), a Bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation & Disability Studies from Southern University A & M college and currently pursuing my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Walden University. I have provided services at for-profit, non-profit, and state vocational rehabilitation agencies working with individuals with disabilities, underserved minorities, and communities who struggled financially and were unable to reach or receive services available to them.

My professional counselor identity began during my undergraduate years, as I became passionate in helping people improve their mental health and wellbeing, which led me to pursue my master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. From there, I gained guidance, mentorship, and knowledge from professors, supervisors and peers who influenced my decision in pursuing my certifications and licensure in becoming a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC), national certified counselor (NCC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Even with me accomplishing all those things I still wanted more, so I decided to pursue my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision so that I may expand my professional knowledge beyond a master level clinician.

Through my experiences as a counselor I have seen many obstacles barriers and stigmas minority groups face when seeking out mental health services. For example, the tendency of not asking for help when they need it, stopping counseling services abruptly, and their overall perception they have had with their counselor. This places them at a disadvantage and may put them at risk for higher levels of stress, depression, and lack of self-esteem. As a clinician this enables me to provide mental health services through teletherapy to those individuals who do not have access to them in their communities or unable to seek out mental health services because of a financial hardship.

I have recognized that by treating an individual’s mental health, I am doing more than just treating a diagnosis. I am treating a person that brings their own unique struggles, background, values, and beliefs. I believe counseling can help individuals accept the parts of their lives they are unable to change and focus on the parts they can change. Counseling is a personal journey that will help clients reach their goals, overcome struggles, and empower them to better themselves.

This is where the counselor role becomes important and I believe that in creating an environment in which minorities feel safe, provides an opportunity for one to express themselves and reach further into the communities they live can impact their overall health. I am also a firm believer in change, and believes it starts with passion, commitment, and service.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe that my reputation within my market was built by my previous coworkers, clients and meeting with various business partners.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of clients for me has been through several means such as word of mouth, counseling platforms, and previous clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.overcomecounseling.com/