Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanika Barber.
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?
When I was about 12 or 13, I remember my cousin Lisa talking about the events she encountered while working for the Department of Social Services. Although she would come home upset at times, her engaging stories ignited my passion for social work.
I attended Leonardo Da Vinci High School in Buffalo, New York. Throughout high school, my friends and I wanted to go to cosmetology school, and I remember begging my mother to place me in the program; however, that did not happen. My high school allowed the accelerated students to take college courses, and during my junior year of high school, I began taking a Psychology course at D’Youville College. There, I started falling in love with human behaviors and cognitive thought processing.
As I finished high school, I had my first son, Jordan. A few years later, I embraced my second baby boy, Tony. I was determined not to let my circumstances and choices define my sons or me as statistics. I promised myself and them that I would go back to college when they were old enough and in school themselves. And I stuck to the plan.
I would have never classified myself as a “single parent” because my sons’ fathers were very much a part of our lives. However, as the only parent in my household, being a full-time mother, full-time employee, and part-time undergrad student was challenging. There were many days I wanted to give up, but I had two young men looking at me to set the standard of how to stick to my word and not give in despite adversities.
After completing my undergraduate program, I met my mentor, Monique Funderburk. She saw something special in me. She challenged me in areas I was not necessarily comfortable with. This was the beginning of my evolution into the woman I am today. Monique gave me my first preventive job, the first job where I obtained a set salary and benefits. This sounds crazy as I’m thinking of it, but I pride myself in never needing government assistance. Not that there’s anything wrong or
embarrassing about that, but I was fortunate enough to provide stability for my family with my hourly jobs. Once I got comfortable with my new position, Monique confronted me with a new challenge. She said, “Baby girl, it’s time for you to go back to school.” Baby girl was the name she gave me. I did everything I could to stay away from the inside of a classroom again. I even waited past the application deadline, and Monique came back to me and said, “baby girl, they extended the deadline, so let’s get this application submitted.” That was the beginning of my three-year grad program at the State University of New York at Buffalo. This is where I obtained my master’s degree in social work. Every single semester, I wanted to quit, give up and move on, but I couldn’t. My boys were now older, one in 8th grade and the other in high school, and I needed to show them to finish what you start.
And this was just the beginning.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
This journey was challenging and often lonely. A few years after my relocation to Charlotte, North Carolina, I took the leap of faith to start my business. MBS Therapeutics PLLC was born in April 2020. This was a significant risk for me as it was the beginning of the pandemic. As a startup practice, I was only seeing clients on a part-time basis, in the evenings and on weekends. My goal was to grow from a solo practice to a group practice. But as I knew, this was going to take some time to nurture and grow.
I was working full-time as a supervisor for another agency. All while developing and growing my practice. I made mistakes in the beginning with improper consent documentation and not having appropriate documents to ensure the business was covered in terms of lability and such. There were days I wanted to shut things down but getting up every day to work for an agency that I no longer cared for in terms of their culture and values did not work for me. It was time for me to learn and develop my own mission, vision, and core values that I envisioned my practice to be founded on.
I was one of 4 Black Women on the leadership team at the agency I worked for. I was often referred to as “challenging” or “rough around the edges.” I have thick skin, and I never felt the need to “fit in their box” of how I should look, speak or think, so that did not bother me. I was just me, unapologetically. This worked in my favor at times, as I was well respected by many of my team members and staff that I supervised. However, upper management felt I needed to side with them and their thought processes. I struggled with this from a clinical lens because none of the “higher up” leaders were licensed. They felt that since they have been in community-based mental health, this made them well versed in clinical perspectives and approaches. Yes, experience is great, and yes, many individuals have several degrees and certifications, but that doesn’t make them more competent than anyone else. Despite that, I pride myself on my education and drive to obtain my clinical license, even if I had unfavorable days.
In 2021, I continued to feel uncomfortable in the workplace. I began pouring everything I had into developing my group mental health practice. In May of last year, I went out on medical leave for six weeks. During that time, I began reevaluating my personal and professional goals. I struggled with the idea of having to return to work. As a loyal employee, I struggled with walking away, even though it was best for me. I continuously pushed the date back for my notice. Let me tell you; God will make a way to part you from things that no longer serve you. As I mentioned, I was out on leave, and on June 1, 2021, I received an email from the owner of the agency stating that they decided to go in a different direction and that I could return to work as a direct worker and not in a position of leadership. My takeaway is: that when the enemy had planned for my downfall, it truly became my greatest victory.
We’ve been impressed with MBS Therapeutics PLLC, 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?
I have a saying posted around my home and my office space that says, “don’t allow blind people to proofread your vision.” Therefore, this created a long and lonely road for me while starting a practice. I had very little understanding of what I needed to begin a successful practice.
I am the owner and founder of MBS Therapeutics PLLC. MBS stands for Mind, Body, and Soul. Our model is to embrace Mind, Body, and Soul throughout your therapeutic healing journey. Our home office is located in Charlotte, NC. We service clients in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Currently, we are staffed with five clinicians and one administrator. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of individuals and families by compassionately serving their mental health needs. Our vision is to deliver outstanding clinical care in a culturally competent, holistic, and wellness-focused setting that promotes social-emotional development to meet each client’s needs.
Each of the clinicians are well versed in several different therapy models. Our target population currently focuses on Black women, ages 22-36, experiencing struggles with college life, depression, and anxiety. However, we are an inclusive agency. Regardless of your age, race, sexuality, gender, or religion, you are welcome to use MBS Therapeutics as a healing vehicle.
At MBS Therapeutics, we take a holistic approach to healing and growth. Our treatment sessions are person-centered and attentive to the individual, couple, or family as a unit. We will work together to complete your therapeutic counseling needs. Using a combination of various approved therapies, the focused approach will be up to the client. We are committed to integrating an empathetic style with compatible psychological perspectives. Our viewpoint is integrated with the perspectives of family systems. Whether we include a discussion of the holistic dimension of life in our time together will be up to you.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always the one in my family that kept everyone on their toes. I was “eyewitness news.” I was the one who informed each member of any good news and, unfortunately, any bad news. Even then, you could call me the “nosey” one and the one who remembered everything and forgot nothing!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@mbstherapeuticspllc.com
- Website: www.mbstherapeuticspllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbstherapeuticspllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MBSTherapeutics
Image Credits
Photo credits: Brittany Harris of Crownd Photography