Today we’d like to introduce you to Moniek Richardson.
Moniek, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As I think back on how I started, I feel like I have been a social worker since I was born. I have always had a passion for helping others. I always had to work a full-time job while going to school so I had an opportunity to see real time what I wanted to do once I finished college. I remember being in nursing school, at the same time working in a hospital, and I realized I didn’t want to be a nurse. I wanted to be a social worker. I wanted to know what was happening with people, what they were struggling with. I just sat at the bedside and listened to them talk. I found that was my place. I could identify with the feeling of needing direction and someone to talk to. I remember being a young child who dealt with depression and not wanting to be in my environment. Having to be independent at a young age taught me resilience and to depend on myself. I had a vision of the life I wanted, I just had to figure out how to get there with little guidance.
When I was in undergrad, I went to counseling/therapy for the first time. I was close to the school nurse and she saw me spiraling, and made the suggestion for me to go see the counselor on campus. It changed my life. I have always had a strong will to fight. I believe that is what kept me going. Therapy taught me how to process my past so I could be ready for my future. I feel like my past struggles allow me to connect and identify with clients. I have been in their seat. I have felt the same pain and raw emotion they bring in every session.
I graduated from Aurora University with an undergraduate degree in Social Work. I then went to Loyola University Chicago for my masters in Social Work. I also completed an MBA in Healthcare Management at Colorado Technical University online. I am currently pursuing a PhD in Social Work with a specialization in Crisis, Disaster, and Intervention. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Georgia, Illinois, & Colorado. Over the last 15 years I have worked in healthcare in various settings. But I knew that wasn’t enough. I started my private practice in 2017. My vision has always been to bring wellness and mental health together. I also wanted break the stigma in some way around mental health in the black community. I started seeing clients part time while still working at a local hospital. Life changed when I found out we were pregnant with our son in 2018, and in 2019 I decided to leave the hospital to focus on my practice full-time and being a mom. Since then I have been seeing individuals, couples, and groups for counseling, writing and presenting continuing education workshops for social workers, and working with companies to assist in developing wellness and mental health programs. Over the past 3 years I have been able to pour my heart into my practice. It has allowed me to be creative in how I reach clients. It has provided me the platform to educate others on the importance of taking care of your mental health.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No it has not been smooth. There are many challenges going into private practice. Building my client base was a challenge, specifically with mental health and the stigma centered around it. There are still a lot of people not comfortable with talking about or examining their own mental health, much less actively trying to protect it. Being a minority woman, who comes from a community that is resistant to acknowledging and examining mental health, it made starting a mental health practice that much more difficult. I had a comfortable job at a well respected hospital and it took me a while to have the courage to step out on faith and follow my calling. Once I took the step the next challenge was connecting with clients and building their trust. It was difficult to get them to understand they needed to do the work.
FitLife Wellness – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
There are not many black therapists who understand how to relate to marginalized populations. Having that perspective arms me with an empathy that, while not unique to me, is not as common in our profession as it should be. So when clients come to see me they know that they can be open and honest and share their vulnerabilities with me in a judgement free space.
FitLife Wellness, LLC is a private counseling practice dedicated to helping clients reach and achieve fulfilling and balanced living. I provide in person and virtual/online counseling and therapy. The therapeutic focus is on the mind, body and spirit. I take a wellness approach. I think what sets me a part if my healthcare background that I am able to blend with mental health. I think clients like that I don’t have a traditional approach and I focus on what tools they already possess.
I see clients ages 18 and older. I specialize in health, weight loss, life transitions, life coaching, anxiety and depression, and grief counseling. I work to empower my clients. I help them take ownership by helping them develop the tools they need to work through and manage their issues. I am most proud of being able to reach people and change their view of mental health. When people talk about mental health, it often comes with a stigma that I break daily.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as achieving or accomplishing goals. For me, I feel like I am successful when I can see progress and movement in what I am pursuing. I am always setting new goals and trying to make progress so success for me is ongoing. I also see success in the lives I am changing. When I see their growth, it lets me know I am doing something right.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2751 Buford Highway NE Suite 700
Atlanta, GA 30324 - Website: www.fitlifewellnessllc.com
- Phone: (404) 807-2770
- Email: info@fitlifewellnessllc.com
- Instagram: @fitlifewellnessllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitlifewellnessllccounseling/?ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
JAS Photography (professional photo)
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