Meet Victoria Leftridge of Leftside Management in Tucker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Leftridge.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Victoria. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Richmond, CA, which is in the Bay Area. If you are familiar with Coach Carter – although I hate that reference – that’s my city. I grew up mostly with my grandma as my mom struggled with issues related to mental health and addiction. I would bounce between the two households throughout my life. I eventually was put in therapy as a child and my therapist, Theo, was amazing. Between him and some of the experiences I had with my mom, they really started my interest in psychology. I also have always had a strong social justice background. In my house, it was expected that you do community work and try to help others as much as possible. I spent years trying to figure out how to blend these two loves together.

Throughout my journey at Spelman, where I briefly dabbled in Education, and in my journey as a counselor in a community mental health setting. I recognized that I struggled with balancing work/life and my responsibilities to others in the community (basically boundaries). I had to have my personal journey with learning how to navigate boundaries and deal with the guilt backlash from that. I recognize that as a mirror with some of my clients. I primarily focus on helping Black Women, from all identities of Black Woman, there are. However, I also tend to work in communities where people are the minority. My hope is to continue with handling the issues that come with navigating the mainstream and navigating community and also honoring your needs as an individual.

Great, 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?
“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” – Right? For most people, it hasn’t. Living with my mom could sometimes be chaotic. We had really really good times and really really bad times but it was free-flowing. My grandma was very strict with rules and regulations. So I had to learn to live in that juxtaposition. With my mom, I had to learn how to survive and fend for myself some of the time and also how to be responsive to where she was at any given time. My grandmother was also a very strong figure. She wanted to make sure that I stayed on the right path and succeeded. She monetary invested in my education and extracurricular activities to keep me well-rounded for college. I became very good at compartmentalizing my experiences and learning how to get along with anybody no matter their background because I was constantly with many different types of people. I learned how to communicate with others in a way that they understand. This set me up for success later on in life and I am thankful for it.

Once I moved to Atlanta, I found it hard to find my own voice. My experience in the education system as a teacher was also a major blow to my self-esteem. It took years for me to figure out what my voice was and what I wanted for myself not necessarily what my grandmother wanted for me. It took some additional years to gain the confidence to go ahead and follow my own path to where I am today. Now I have a much better relationship with my mother and my grandmother. We have balance and boundaries and I make sure to attend to my needs first and then theirs. This all set the groundwork for who I am today and how I teach my clients rather it be individually, in workshops, or through speaking engagements.

We’d love to hear more about Leftside Management.
My company is Leftside Management. It’s a company that focuses on biopsychosocial spiritual wellness through mental health therapy, workshops, and speaking engagements. I specialize in healing trauma and create coping skills that emphasize holistic and total wellness. I particularly am focused on helping Black Women reconnect with themselves and have healthier relationships with themselves. I am most proud of the growth of my clients as they’ve been able to trust themselves and gain the skills to heal themselves. I am just a facilitator in the process and I know my role well. Having experience in multiple different areas of life sets me apart from others based on my experience growing up. I have worked in many different type of communities (LGBTQIA+, kink, polyamory, etc.) and also have personalized experience in those communities. My identity is multi-faceted and my clients tend to see themselves reflected in me. I also am just really chill and break down concepts to bite-size pieces so that everyone has an understanding.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Flexibility, intuition, and the ability to be centered in myself as I help facilitate others’ success. I have to be in me first before I can help others. I think actually the most important characteristics are that I never stop learning and I am always curious about the experiences of others and how to learn from them for myself and for them.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/leftsidemgmt2.0
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/VictoriaLeftridgeLPC

Image Credit:
Spencer Charles
Cam Mitchell

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.