Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Tammy Young
Hi Dr. Tammy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve had a love for helping people all of my life and realized early on that people felt comfortable talking to me and confiding in me. Random people would talk to me in stores and without prompting tell me all about their lives. Though I initially planned to major in biology and astronomy out of my love for science, a single course in psychology my senior year in high school shifted my entire focus. I decided I wanted to pursue a career that would enable me allow people to feel seen and heard. I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and became a licensed professional counselor. I worked in multiple environments but found a space I loved in education. I later went on to receive my doctoral degree in educational psychology. While building services for the counseling department I directed, I met a local psychologist who was also a life coach. He saw the drive in me to motivate others and push people toward their goals and trained me in the practice of life coaching. I quickly realized that I had been doing a lot of coaching in my therapeutic style all along. It was an easy transition and one that allowed me to reach people in a new way. Life coaching for me is a way to feed into people and enhance the quality of their lives. I believe in producing change agents who will make an impact in their communities and the world at large.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I knew upon entering the field of psychology that it would be a long road ahead academically. The first job I was offered after finishing my bachelors paid less than what I made working in the mall in college. I was excited to begin my master’s degree so that I could find a job in my field that would pay enough for me to make a decent living. During this time, I also became a mom and wobbled across the stage to receive my diploma giving birth to my son just a few months later. Sometimes I would have to run out of class from what I began to call “all day sickness” and then return to finish hearing lecture. Late nights with a toddler as I worked on my doctoral degree while going through a divorce was no walk in the park either. Then about halfway into my program, I ran out of financial aid and had to take a long leave of absence while I worked on my career and adjusted to being a single mom. The field of mental health is not well-funded and that is reflected in the pay of a lot of practitioners. At one point, I worked three jobs just to afford a quality of life that allowed me to take care of my child and pay all my bills. Diving into life coaching helped balance out some of the burnout that can occur as a therapist. As someone who uses every gift I have to help others, as many people in helping professions do, it can be very easy to get depleted when there is more going out of you than is coming in. My biggest challenge was finding balance in life, and once I found it, I held onto it.
We’ve been impressed with Transcend the Bar Unlimited, 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?
My life coaching business is called Transcend the Bar Unlimited. My practice focuses on the growth of the whole self, including encouraging entrepreneurship and work-life balance. I help others to walk in their purpose and to identify those things that either push them toward their purpose or keep them from it. I’ve helped many individuals make career shifts, get through major life transitions, and develop and grow businesses. I specialize in spiritual life coaching and working with those who have been spiritually injured or need a spiritual perspective on their life journey and business ventures. The populations I focus on are women and the LBGTQ+ community. I have become known for my gifts of insight or prophesy and dream interpretation. I also do public speaking engagements where I share spoken word and poetry and educating others on living a purpose-filled life. Transcend the Bar Unlimited is all about teaching others how to overcome obstacles and rise above difficult circumstances. My goal is to help people see themselves the way God sees them and not be afraid of their own greatness. Seeing others succeed brings me the greatest joy. I provide individual coaching sessions that improve overall performance, relationships, physical, emotional, and spiritual health, as well as career growth. I also provide ADHD assessments for adults who feel like they may have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder that was undiagnosed as a child and is impacting their overall success and performance. My background in mental health and focus on spirituality allow me to see many areas of growth that other coaches may miss or neglect. As a creative, I understand the mind of other creatives and the obstacles that come along with having a multi-focused vision as well and being seen as someone who is “all over the place” instead of multi-talented.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I can’t remember a time when I was not a risk-taker. I’ve never been afraid of going against the grain or what people would think of me. I found comfort in having just a few close friends that I knew loved and supported me in addition to my family. I’ve taken both life risks and business risks. I’ve traveled to different countries, lived in multiple states, and worked different jobs. I learned to be a grant writer, researcher, data analyst, therapist, author and a life coach. As a teenager, I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. My goals never involved working for someone else for the rest of my life. I fought for that dream and though sometimes it failed, I always gained knowledge and never lost hope nor drive. A good friend of mine once told me that God blesses me because I’m willing to do whatever He tells me and never afraid to get up and go even if it means leaving everything I know behind. I think taking risks has to be balanced with wisdom. You have to know which risks make sense to take and when. Though it is impossible to know whether a risk you take will be successful or not, always gauge the value and the cost. With that being said, it is also important to trust yourself. If you invest in anything, invest in yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebarunlimited.com
- Instagram: @drtammyunlimited
