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

Hi Yulonda , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

The best advice I give to clients is define yourself in the realest form. Once you define yourself, you become to recognize you have everything you need to be everything you want to be. It is then you empower yourself with the internal strength that allows you to achieve everything you want to on this journey of life.

The Background: I once had a client who husband told her he no longer wanted to be married, left the house, and stopped communicating with her. She was completely broken. She felt she no longer had a place in the world. They had been together for five years but hadn’t been married long, he was in the military, and she has recently uprooted her life and moved across the country from her family to be with her husband only to be left alone in less than a year. This client had completely lost herself. We began the process of grieving the relationship. The client went thru a range of emotions she needed a safe space to be broken. On about the fourth visit I asked her, “Who are you?” She asked what did I mean, “I am and she stated her name, her job, and who she use to be.” I asked her to journal about who she was in the purest form. I encouraged her to sit in a room with no distractions maybe soft music and a mirror she can take a look at herself here and there and define who she is without judgement with the understanding there will be good and bad. The client came back two weeks later and we began to work.
The Benefit: What she realized was she had completely lost herself and stopped seeing herself as this woman who was healthy, whole, and intelligent woman. It was at the moment she wrote something along the line as when I became his wife I gave up me, my dream job, and immersed myself in his culture. She stated trying to define herself was very hard for her as she no longer could see herself outside of the trauma she had experienced. The defining herself went on for a few weeks as it was complex and a defining moments the therapeutic process.
The Result: Empowered to heal recognizing he didn’t get to define her complete existence and recognized she deserved better. She also saw herself as the woman she has become and the woman she is becoming as this chapter in her journey has redefined how she defines her strength.

Yulonda , 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?

Life is a journey filled with unique experiences for everyone. I believe your journey that is your story that makes up your life to be lived in your uniqueness. Because of this It’s A Journey Counseling, LLC was birth.

It is my goal to provide therapeutic services to individuals, couples, and family systems of diverse backgrounds helping them to identify their problems, rewrite their story, and work toward achieving healthy and whole relationships through integrative therapy techniques.

I am honored to be part of my clients unique journey by helping them navigate the intricate chapters of their unique story. Together with the client I help them write their story expressing their true emotions using integrative systemic therapies. It is my passion to assist the client effectively communicate through true emotions, help navigate life realizing and using their own strengths, while empowering them to live their best life. I believe people have the power to live their journey happy, fulfilled, and mindful of every moment.

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

I am a retired military officer. I retired after 20 years of active service. I would have served more time in the military however due to medical reasons I had to pivot into a discontinuous career transition. Although, I knew what I wanted to do after my military service I had a few more years I wanted to serve. This was a huge change of life and career transition for me and my family. I loved serving my country and wouldn’t change anything about the time I served.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I will choose my profession over and over again. I am working in my true passion filled life. I love helping people. When I look back on my first career I was successful because I invested in people. I took time to explore their strengths, talents, and weaknesses. I assisted them with strengthening their weaknesses, encouraged them to use their talents, and encouraged them to see their strengths and how to build on them to be the best that they can be.

My current career allows me to help people realize their true selves while using their own strengths and empowering them to live a passion filled life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://itsajourneycounseling.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsajourneycounseling/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsajourneycounseling
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yulondawashington/

Image Credits
Noah Portraits, https://noahphotography87.mypixieset.com/new-page-4/