Community Highlights: Meet Shekinah Lee of Purposed Joy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shekinah Lee. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Shekinah Joy Lee MEd, ALC, NCC is a native of Miami, Florida, and has been in Birmingham, Al since she was fifteen. She always had a desire to be a counselor. However, achieving this dream did not come without its challenges.

After losing her father at age seventeen and dropping out of college two years later, Shekinah knows all too well the challenges of grief and loss of purpose. It wasn’t until enrolling at Miles College that she was able to regain focus and truly pursued her potential.

She completed her BS in Secondary Education with honors and vowed to assist as many as she could in the process of developing purpose. She went on to graduate with her Master’s in Counseling from the University of Montevallo and shortly after became a Nationally Certified Counselor. While pursuing her Master’s at the University of Montevallo, Shekinah started her career as a high school teacher.

Inspired by her students, Shekinah went on to create Purposed Joy. A self-care-based business and platform dedicated to de-stigmatizing the conversation around mental health through radical self-care-based activities and programs.

When it comes to her methods of practice, Shekinah knows that it is imperative to facilitate an environment for emotional, mental, and spiritual growth for each individual client.

She does this through strengths-based methods that empower the client towards their own success. She believes that each client already has the tools for their healing, she’s just there to help locate them.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
“It is clear that college is not for you. You should drop out and explore your options”

I was in my second year of college and had barely passed the semester for the second time. I went to my school advisor to seek guidance. The direction he provided was to give up. He implied this journey was too hard for me. it was time for me to quit. I believed him. I had no one in my family to ask or consult for a second opinion. My father, who was my biggest cheerleader, had passed just two years before my mother, a nurse herself, could not understand why her honor roll student was having such a hard time in college. I walked out of that office that day believing that I was destined to fail and carried that idea with me for two years. I even attempted to go and pursue my associate’s at a community college. The anxiety alone caused me to fail those classes as well.

At the time, I didn’t realize I was still grieving my father’s passing. The trauma of not being successful in college led to a crippling fear of failure. I didn’t need to drop out, I just needed to see a therapist. I needed someone to walk me through my healing process. I needed to be in the presence of someone who was in tune enough to know that I still had a purpose and ability despite my current scores. These disparities are things that plague my community every day. Hopeful teens and young adults turn into apathetic adults because at a young age someone blew out their light. So, how am I here, two degrees later, writing an article to represent my business and story? It’s simple, PURPOSE! It trumps all obstacles every time. It is my hope that through our services we can help clients unlock that same potential.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our goal is to provide different wellness tools to help participants get to their best selves. We do this by providing hands-on activities, events, blog posts, therapy sessions, videos and other resources in the area of self-care and mental health. Resources and activities to be provided are based off of research and theories proven to improve mental health wellness. For example self-care worksheets, affirmation cards, low-risk assessments, Self-Care Saturday Brunch, Self-Care group sessions via zoom and Self-Care Saturday Live events. If you find that you are in need of some one-on-one attention, feel free to schedule a session with me! I now offer virtual therapy sessions under the supervision of Dr. Jetaun Bailey!

We aim to encourage others to declutter, refocus and get a hold of their most authentic version of themselves. It is our belief that if we can help individuals cultivate purpose, they will consequently cultivate joy! Our platforms include Instagram, Facebook, our website purposedjoy.org and YouTube!

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
It can happen ANYWAY! This business, my degree, even my purpose, flourished in the midst of a pandemic! With the right tools, you can get through anything! Let Purposed Joy show you how!

Contact Info:

• Website: Purposedjoy.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepurposedtherapist/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxZcU4E7VjXER3JP2yRcxVg?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
THS Productions Carey Fountain