Meet Gorgeous West

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gorgeous West.

Gorgeous, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and yes I still have a very pronounced accent (lol). I attended the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, MO where I received my Bachelors in Criminal Justice (2012) and my first Masters in Criminal Justice (2014). While completing my degrees I knew working in the criminal justice field was my “calling”. My work experience within the criminal justice field was primarily based around youth and adolescents. I was passionate about helping teens find their way back on track even if they made a wrong choice. I truly believed that if the proper treatment and resources were provided at-risk youth would have lower recidivism rates and would be less likely to return to juvenile detention centers.

While working within the field, I begin to notice how the youth were not connecting with their therapist and how the therapist struggled daily with building a rapport/finding “their way in” to connect with the youth. I understood how important the therapy component of treatment was for both the youth and their family and if it was not being completed correctly than it increased the youth’s chances of re-offending. This sparked my interest to begin to research mental health and how it related to individuals in the criminal justice system. Let’s just say…I OPENED PANDORA’S BOX with my research, and I was disappointed with how disproportionate the statistics were for people of color. My heart of hearts knew that I no longer wanted to be on the criminal justice side of things and that my purpose and place was on the healing side as therapist. In 2016 I was accepted into Webster University (St. Louis) to complete their rigorous accelerated Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program. While attending this Webster, I thrived as both a student and leader within the program. I chartered and served as the first president (2017-2018) of the Omicron Zeta chapter of Chi Sigma Iota which is an international honor society for professional counselors.

Prior to graduating from Webster University I was intentional and strategic with my plan to relocate to Atlanta, GA in the fall of 2018 post-graduation in October. I connected with several clinicians via social media in the Atlanta area and began to build my connections several months before moving to Atlanta. I began my interviewing for jobs in August/September 2018 and before graduation in October 2018 I had five full-time job offers prior to relocating. At that time, I chose the position that was best for me and my family and packed up our things and drove 8 hours to begin our new chapter in Atlanta, GA.

Has it been a smooth road?
Within five weeks of my relocation and starting my new job in my career as a therapist my entire world flipped upside down. My dad suffered from a cerebral aneurysm unexpectedly that he was unable to recover from. This was a significant loss for me because my dad and I were extremely close and both he and my mom were my primary support system. The loss of my dad ignited my strength, resiliency, and motivation towards seeking entrepreneurship within the counseling field.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a licensed Associate Professional Counselor under the clinical direction of Ruby Blow. I work within a group private practice located in Duluth, GA where I provide individual counseling to adult clients in an office setting. I specialize in helping adults create healthy boundaries in order to have healthy relationships with others. My ideal clients identify themselves as “the strong friend”, “the fixers”, or the “responsible one” within their families, relationships, and friendships and focus a lot of their time and attention on others instead of themselves.

As an entrepreneur within the counseling field I’m most proud about my clients trusting me as their therapist and supporting them during their healing journey. One thing that sets me apart from others is that I’m easily relatable and I can connect with others effortlessly.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love how supportive, connected, and resourceful everyone is here. I like the fact that there is always something new and fun to do no matter the day of the week. I’m a foodie and I enjoy different restaurants and there’s so many options so that’s a definite win for me. Side bar: My love for lemon pepper wings increased to a whole new level after moving down here…lol. Traffic would be my least favorite thing but thankfully I don’t experience it to often because I have learned which sides of the city to be in during traffic peak times throughout the day. I also don’t like how fast and reckless people drive here…U-turns can happen just about anywhere at any given time.