We recently connected with Tamilore Odimayo and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tamilore thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share an anecdote or story from your schooling/training that you feel illustrates what the overall experience was like?

During my Master’s program in Counseling, I remember my Professor would always tell us, “Trust the process”. Initially, the statement was met with frustration because of all the work we had to do. Now, as a Doctoral level clinician, I truly trust the process. I understand that the process was less about academic knowledge and more about experiential knowledge. In my ten years a therapist, I have learned a lot about people, society and what needs to change as a result of trusting the process. I have also learned that a tree does not grow overnight.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Dr. Tamilore Odimayo. I am a Licensed clinical professional counselor and certified drug and alcohol counselor. I love two things; writing and counseling. I am also a self-proclaimed mental health advocate and do so by providing expert witness testimony in court and spreading awareness via podcasts and radio interviews.

I became a Therapist because I realized it was a way to create change on a microscopic level. I believe in holistic empowerment and I empower individuals based on three main principles; Being yourself, Living with Intention and Trusting your instincts. With these three principles, I have been able to help my clients overcome depression, anxiety, toxic relationships, and coach them towards being the best version of themselves.

I am a self-help author and fictional author. I have authored eight books: Olivetti Trilogy, Diary of a Psychopath, Game of Confessions, How to be a Mental Health Savage, Relationship Code and Cheat Code. A lot of the contents of my books revolve around mental health and how to manage symptoms. I am a story teller and utilize a lot of story telling in my practice to guide people towards change.

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

Before the pandemic, I had a rough instinct to get into the private practice business. At that time, I was working for a rehabilitation facility, but did not find much fulfillment in it because of all the restrictions that came with company policies. When I asked friends and family about moving into private practice, the general consensus was “Don’t do it. You won’t get consistent income.”. I held off for eight months and finally took the plunge towards private practice when the pandemic hit.

It was the “wrongest” time to do so or so I thought, but I had to trust my instincts. I went from a consistent income to fear of being broke and homeless. Ironically, my fear was useless and my instincts were right! In my first week of private practice, I saw ten clients. In my second week, I saw thirty-five clients. There was an ironic surge of people needing to see a therapist during the pandemic and I never had a shortage of clientele. Right now, my practice is booked three months ahead.

Looking back, I understand why I had a nagging inclination to start private practice. Since then, I have more time for self-care, more time for hobbies, more time to promote my books, and more time with my podcast “Mental Health Savage”. I am growing the brand and love everything about the process.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy in growing my clientele is being myself. In 2020, I met a psychiatrist who explained to me that though as mental health professionals we are taught several principles and philosophies, we need to adapt our own voice. I went through a long journey of figuring out what type of Therapist I wanted to be. Soon, I realized that my clients had a more positive reaction when I just chose to be myself. I adopted a philosophy I tag as the BLT approach (Being yourself, Living with Intention and Trusting your instincts). I use this philosophy in every counseling session because I believe that one of the biggest sources of human despair is having to “pretend”. We as humans have been conditioned to wear masks to “blend” into our environment. What happens after a while is that the mask becomes uncomfortable. For instance, in my book How to be a Mental Health Savage, I met a man who made six figures in a job he hated. This gentleman struggled with severe depression. After some sessions, I asked him what he really wanted to do with his life and he told me he enjoys fixing cars. Well, now he earns less than $25 an hour, but his symptoms of depression have disappeared because he is now doing what he loves instead of what his father expects. The next point I used is “Living with Intention”. At every given point in time I have to be intentional about everything I do and I encourage my clients to do so as well. Every month, I create a synopsis of the kind of clients I want and tailor my ads towards that. The last point is trusting my instincts. In therapy sessions, I am not afraid to focus on what my instincts tell me to focus on. Sometimes, it seems random. But by the end of the session it makes sense. For instance, I have taught my clients that they have the power to discern if a particular friendship, career or situation will beneficial to them if they are able to polish their understanding of instincts. These are the tips I have used to grow my clientele in a nutshell.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tamitalks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamiodimayo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TamiloreOdimayo
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tamiodimayo