Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandtrice Russell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been interested in the field of counseling since I was a little girl. I was initially drawn to it because of my upbringing. I was raised in a small town in west Georgia called LaGrange where I was raised by my paternal great-grandmother and my paternal great-aunt. I was essentially abandoned by both of my biological parents due to drug addiction and prison and I didn’t really know how to navigate all of those feelings that I felt at such a young age. Like a lot of kids who are raised in the system, I allowed my sadness to turn into anger and I started acting out a lot.
I decided during my middle school years that I wanted to be a counselor because I wanted to help other little boys and girls who may have gone through what I experienced growing up. I believe it was in my 7th grade Career Connections class that I researched the process of becoming a Child Psychologist and began my path toward ensuring that I got good enough grades in high school to get into a good college in order to pursue my career goals.
I excelled in my academic career at LaGrange High School, the University of West Georgia, and Troy University until I reached my ultimate goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. My first job during high school was working with kids at my local Boys & Girls Club and my first job after completing undergrad was working as a Child Care Worker at an inpatient psychiatric facility called KidsPeace with kids who had been displaced by the foster care system. Since then, I’ve dedicated my life to helping others navigate through life using the skills that I’ve developed in academia and in my personal life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My road to becoming a counselor wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. I took a few detours on the way mainly because I was sort of clueless about the process of navigating higher ed. I was a 1st generation college student who honestly didn’t realize that I needed or that I was even capable of earning a Master’s Degree in order to become a licensed professional.
I remember hearing some of my peers who were graduating with me discussing applying for graduate programs in school counseling and community counseling during my last semester of college. It wasn’t until then that I began to realize that I needed to go further in my education. I applied for grad school at the University of West Georgia where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.8 GPA and I was denied entry because my GRE score wasn’t high enough and the program admins didn’t think that I would be able to pass the Comps or the National Counselor Exam.
My confidence was shattered so I graduated with honors and began to work in my field as a Child Care Worker at various agencies throughout the Metro Atlanta area. I eventually found myself back in my hometown of LaGrange, GA working as an Admissions Counselor for a local group home and that’s when I decided to give grad school another shot. I applied to Troy University and I was accepted into their program, but that was further delayed by a year due to being in an emotionally abusive relationship.
The following year- in January 2009, I finally started grad school and 4 long years later, I graduated after surviving being laid off from my job in LaGrange in November 2009, being on unemployment for a year and a half, then starting a new job that made it impossible for me to finish my required 900-hour internship. I eventually decided to leave that job and started working at The Bradley Center where I spent the next 4 years of my life perfecting my skills as a clinician until I obtained my full license to practice counseling.
We’ve been impressed with Unique Destiny Inc, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Unique Destiny Inc and Unique Destiny Counseling is an organization that promotes the personal growth, development, and empowerment of others through education. I specialize in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, and working with individuals who identify as members of the BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ community. I help people who want to elevate their mental and emotional well-being. I also offer valuable support through my blog, videos, events, and podcast. I’m best known for being the creator and host of the Self-Aware and F**cked Up Podcast which is a podcast that I started to address taboo mental health topics within the BIPOC community. The black community is extremely underserved and one of the least likely communities to seek counseling services. As a clinician, I thrive at bringing awareness to those challenging areas within our community and promoting therapy and self-care within communities of color.
I’m most proud of the work that we’ve done to advance awareness of BIPOC issues within the counseling community. In 2022, I had the pleasure of presenting a workshop called The Bigger Picture that focused on teaching clinicians how to work with BIPOC clients in the context of our historical trauma and the impact that the killing of unarmed Black People has on our overall mental and emotional health.
I also am proud of being about to promote self-esteem, healthy boundaries, and mental health awareness amongst the teenage population. I had the pleasure of speaking with a group of awesome BIPOC teens for the SMASH Spelman program and that was one of my most rewarding experiences in the past year.
I want people to know that we want to change the face of mental health, but we can not do it without your support. We are driven by our desire to help others and expand the reach of mental health awareness. With that being said, if you’re not in a space to pursue counseling- please check out our other offerings on our website which include: The Self Aware & F**ked Up Podcast, Margaritas and Mental Health Wellness Group, Unique Destiny Expressions- Mental Health Merch, and our Youtube Videos, Workshops, etc.
I’m also available for public speaking events on mental health and community-related topics.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a weird little person growing up. My favorite cousins would have a field day with this question about me because I used to carry around a security blanket in the form of a red towel and they really thought I was a bit slow. Looking back, I realize that it wasn’t the blanket at all, I just had attachment issues. I struggled with loving myself because I didn’t feel loved by my parents and that made me a bit mean and salty at times.
I wasn’t a bully at all, but growing up, I had to fight a lot when I was at home, but I kept it cute at school. I think I’ve always been a bit of a comedienne in that I use laughter and making others laugh to deflect from my own emotions. When I think about my life growing up, I think I mostly see the sad parts of me that pushed me to want to escape from LaGrange.
On the flip side, I was always into acting, singing, dancing, and just hanging with my friends, riding bikes, playing hide n-go seek, and doing regular kid stuff.
Pricing:
- Counseling Services – $150.00
- Speaking Engagements – Starting at $1000.00
- Mental Health Merch – $25.00 & Up
- Consultation – Up to 15 mins Free
- Margaritas and Mental Health Wellness Group – Online – Free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.uniquedestiny.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treethelpc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreetheLPC
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandtrice-russell-lpc-cpcs-90533282/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC01hz2oKClfosqpvP1zu2WQ
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-aware-f-ked-up-podcast/id1625496245
Image Credits
Tourvoisier Zachary
