Today we’d like to introduce you to Regina Harris.
Hi Regina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began my career as an educator. It was a passion fostered in my to help children by my mother who was also an educator. I began this journey with the understanding that I would be an educator as a long-term career option. I loved the opportunity to mold and shape young minds and I felt that was my calling. I found myself, however being more to my students than just an educator. I was connecting with them on different levels. I built a bond and genuinely wanted to know about their lives outside of the classroom. I knew that in order to get my students to thrive in the classroom, I needed to build a relationship with them. I was welcoming my students daily by asking them about their personal lives and what life was like for them on the weekends and what they did outside of school. I was guiding my students and teaching them problem-solving skills, resiliency and learning how to put themselves in other people’s shoes. This was very rewarding for me and I enjoyed empowering my students to learn those life skills that they needed beyond academia.
I also worked with their families to help build that emotional connection and also help parents to understand their child on a more intimate level. I wanted parents to be advocates for their children so I needed to bridge this divide outside of teaching. I went back to school and got my master’s in counseling and immersed myself as a counselor helping students and their parents become advocates for themselves. I taught children skills such as self-esteem, empathy, resiliency and social/emotional awareness. I created school-wide programs built around a wide range of life skills as well as taught parents the necessary skills to help them connect more emotionally with their children. As the journey continued, I noticed that more and more children were struggling with mental health issues. There was a crisis in our schools and school counselors didn’t have the resources or the support to help meet these needs. I decided to get the necessary training to become a licensed professional counselor. After receiving my licensure, I found that I was able to effectively support my young clients within the school setting. I went into private practice as a therapist so that I could have the platform to help students, their families and other adults struggling with mental health issues.
I now have my own thriving private practice working with clients from all diverse backgrounds providing mental health therapy in a wide range of specialties such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief/loss just to name a few. This journey has been one that have have learned so much about myself and I am always striving to grow and learn so that I can provide the highest quality service that my clients deserve. I know that this is the path help me to fulfill my purpose in 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?
This journey wasn’t an easy one, and I was met with some growing pains, but it is one that I would not change for anything in the world. It had to endure some ups and downs so that I could grow both personally and professionally. The road to fulfillment and purpose is never a straight path but one that has twists and turns. Those twists and turns included challenges that were hard at times to overcome, but persistence and perseverance paid off. The challenge of consistently working with young clients in the public schools was one of the biggest for me because the needs were so great, but the lack of support and resources made me even more steadfast to create my own opportunities to help my clients. The intensive and grueling licensure process was another challenge for me. I actually almost gave up on getting my license to practice therapy. The continuous push from my family and friends, as lots of praying gave me the motivation I needed to push through. I am so happy that I didn’t let those obstacles stand in my way. Those challenges have made me the therapist that I am today. I empower my clients to never give up and don’t let the twists and turns of life throw you off.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Unalome Journey Counseling. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The name Unalome is a Buddhist symbol that means the journey to enlightenment. I love this symbol and its meaning because it reminds us that the path we travel in life isn’t always straight, perfect or even in the right direction. Our path to enlightenment and awakening is filled with missteps, lessons to learn and tribulations. This message has parallel similarities to our therapy journey as well. Many clients struggle to make the decision to seek therapy and along the journey, there will be missteps and lessons to learn, but I encourage clients to embrace this process and enlighten themselves about their lives and how they can be empowered to grow, learn and become the person they desire to be. I help clients move towards living an empowered and meaningful life in a way that aligns with their identity and values. I practice with openness and honesty and I empower my clients to show up as they are. , I place great importance in meeting clients where they are and create a safe and non-judgmental space for clients to explore and work toward growth and healing.
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which is a highly effective therapy that is used for a wide range of problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and various other mental illnesses. The core principles of CBT are based, in part, on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking, learned patterns of unhelpful behavior, and clients can learn better ways of coping with these issues thereby relieving their symptoms and becoming more effective in their lives… I also utilize Mindfulness-based therapy which incorporates strategies to help clients become more aware of internal thoughts, feelings, and emotions, as well as external surroundings and situations, without automatic responses such as judgment or stress. Mindfulness therapy also teaches clients to train their mind to fully attend to what’s happening, to what you’re doing in the present moment, and the space they’re moving through.
I offer clients the opportunity to trust the therapy process and all that it has to offer. I want them to learn and grow at their own pace while gaining the necessary tools they need to navigate life in the most productive and effective way they can.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Purpose, Commitment, Persistence, Optimism
Purpose is why I do what I do in the first place. My purpose in this life is to help others and empower them to see their own purpose and potential.
Commitment to my clients and the therapy process is so important to me because the two go hand in hand. I commitment to holding my client’s hands by guiding them through the therapy process and empowering them to learn and grow along the journey.
Persistence: Every successful person has experienced failure—multiple times and in multiple ways. What separates them from the rest isn’t that they fail less; it’s that they persist more. When faced with a setback—even a large one—I don’t let it stop me, I keep looking ahead.
Optimism: I am always optimistic about my client’s growth and their future on their therapy journey. We are partners together on this journey and I am always positive about the work that I do to offer my clients the hope they need to continue their journey.
