We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shay Williams . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shay below.
Hi Shay, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
A defining moment for me was when I realized that I don’t do well in boxes. What do I mean by that? I see myself as a person with many talents and interest but often times there’s this pressure to be really good at one thing and to stick with that. I realized this year that that is not the case for me. I would describe myself as pretty free spirited and dynamic meaning that I’m not just a therapist, but I’m also an author, I love creating relatable content, I like to twerk on my spare time, I sing and I am a pet sitter on the weekends! I have always thought that I had to pick one thing and stick with it but I’m happy to say that I was wrong. All of my interest and talents are part of who I am and I can cultivate them and express them in many ways. I want you to know that you don’t have to fit in a box. It’s too limiting and it’s too closed in. You can spread your wings and do all those other things that are apart of who you are.
Shay, 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 work and career is focused on supporting people on their healing journey through therapy, healing from abuse and coaching. I am also a childrens book author with two books that are filled with positive affirmations for kids because their self esteem is important to!
I remember being a 1st year student at a predominately white college and was surprised by how open people were about their own mental health issues. Mental health was still a very taboo thing in the community I grew up in. I then decided to try individual counseling for the first time and I was so inspired but how much my therapist at the time helped me uncover and resolve that I wanted to do the same thing for others. That’s what led me into the field of mental health and therapy. I wanted to take the skills I learned in school to help Black and brown people address the mental health concerns that have been unresolved for far too long.
Visit my TikTok page @therapywshay for motivational content, tips and skills for healing. I also created a special TikTok page for those who are healing from narcissistic abuse seeking help and guidance with this @narcbegone I offer coaching and create content centered on helping you to refocus on growing and glowing. I’m all about building community on my social media pages, so join us!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
In my career as a therapist, I had to unlearn that I am not superhuman. As a Black woman, we are often held to an unrealistic standard of excelling even if it’s at the cost of our own health. Yes indeed I had to unlearn this toxic narrative. I had to learn that rest and restoration is my birth right. I had to learn that it’s okay to do nothing. I had to learn that being intentional about relaxing is crucial for my overall health and wellbeing.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
What helped me build my reputation within the mental health market is staying true to myself, my story and being authentic. People want something they can relate to and people want to be heard and understood. I keep this in mind when supporting my clients and creating content for my online commmunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/therapywshay