Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shanice Stephenson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shanice, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Ever heard of “a little girl with big dreams?” Well, that was me. While people are typically careful about what they say because they don’t want to deter you from achieving your goals, I was fortunate to hear about the successes and failures that come with having a dream, and this is the story behind my mission.

My mission is to always stand tall, authentically, and truthfully in front of the world to advocate for the importance of mental health. Along the way, I discovered that to achieve true happiness and success, I needed to begin and end with God, who pushes and promotes my faith. While I was initially hesitant because of what I had learned throughout my educational matriculation, I have since changed my mind.

I recognize that faith and mental health can coexist, and I frequently recall the scripture: But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.- 1 Peter 5:10. This means that, while we will not be without struggle or suffering, we will eventually be built up to be restored, strengthened, and steadfast.

As a therapist, I choose to be present for my clients and provide a sense of hope that allows them to dream a little bigger and make their dreams a reality. They may stumble and encounter shortcomings along the way, but after a while (consistent therapy, employing a changed mindset: eliminating faulty thinking, and overcoming difficulties), they can experience pivotal breakthroughs.

Shanice, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am the founder and owner of Pivotal Breakthrough Counseling Services, and I frequently lead as a faith walker led by Christ. As a psychotherapist, I am committed to eradicating mental health stigma and advocating for change in difficult spaces.

By incorporating elements of faith and mental health techniques, I help women develop awareness and self-discovery through profound insight and pivotal moments. Being a therapist entails guiding women through the stresses, setbacks, and struggles of life while displaying compassion, care, and concern.

I specialize in anxiety, depression, life transitions and adjustments, relationship issues, stress, and trauma/PTSD, using an eclectic approach with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Solution-Focused Techniques, and Christian Counseling elements.

I not only provide therapy but also coaching, speaking engagements, host the podcast BreakingThrough S P A C E S, and more recently self-published SEEN: A Self-Esteem Journal for Women, now available on Amazon.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting is a necessary part of being a business entrepreneur. My entire experience as a business owner required pivoting, which is also in my business name, because things change and we are constantly learning to adjust and transition, especially with mental health.

From the start of the pandemic until now, I’ve had to pivot in business. While I don’t think this will be the last pivot I go through, this pivot enabled me to move from the uneasy position of having a small number of clients with no office space to having more than enough office space to provide a sense of safety and security for my clients to share their concerns.

While that is a more positive shift, there have been times when I’ve had to pivot and make difficult decisions, such as considering the impact on my mental health if I didn’t take a step back to practice self-care.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The most important lesson I had to unlearn concerned how I fund and run my business. Most helping professions do not serve clients for money or revenue, and because of this, I would frequently undersell myself, including my education, certifications, and licenses, to ensure that therapy could be affordable for everyone. While this is admirable, it resulted in “lowballing,” which slowed my progress toward making this a full-time income.

When I first started out as an entrepreneur I used to say, “If I could do this job for free, I would.” I would even go into greater detail about why including the significance of access to care and reducing disparities. As a business owner now, I recognize realistically I can not provide services to everyone and I am doing more of a disservice if I accept every person that desires therapy. Now I can confidently say, “My price is my price” and provide referrals for those who cannot afford my therapy services but want to connect with others who can.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pivotalbreakthroughcounseling.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/pivotalbreakthrough.counseling

Image Credits
Elton Benjamin; Davonte Green