Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Nicole Benton.
Hi Dr. Benton, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider, State Certified Chaplain, Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor, and author that attended Paine College, Liberty University, and Restoration Theological Seminary earning a B.A. in Social Psychology, an M.A. in Professional Counseling, and a Doctorate in Theology. I have traveled domestically and internationally while serving in the United States Army as an Administrative Specialist. In addition, I do motivational speaking, event hosting, advocacy, and media arts projects for trauma-focused mental health, prison reform, and human trafficking awareness.
I have worked within the government, public, and private sectors since 1997 in evangelism, counseling, corrections, and social services. My career experiences include working with the Department of Juvenile Justice in youth detention centers and the Department of Family and Children Services as a Child Protective Services Investigator and Field Practice Advisor, Federal, State, and County Correctional Facilities, and Hospital Emergency Rooms. In addition, I have worked in various social services agencies and churches providing management, case management, training, consulting, and counseling services for individuals, youth, families, and businesses.
I own and operate (3) Companies and a Non-Profit (Wholistic Mental Wellness, LLC, NNK 4 L.I.F.E., LLC, The Helpers Company, LLC, and Mental Wellness Reconciliation, Inc) all dedicated to mental health and wellness. My goal in Wholistic Wellness as an Integrative Mental Health Professional is to provide products and services for the mind, body and spirit. As a mental health practitioner, I found the need for a more holistic approach to preventing and healing serious mental health issues. I’ve learned over the years that the mind, body and spirit have to be in line with one another for complete wellness.
Over the last (7) years, I developed three companies and a non-profit for the same purpose but with different approaches. Wholistic Wellness is for products and fitness services geared towards wellness for the mind, body and spirit. NNK 4 L.I.F.E is for professional counseling and life coaching. Reconciliation Movement is a 501c3 non-profit outreach platform to bring awareness to communities in the areas of mental health, prison reform, human trafficking advocacy and overall wellness in recovery from trauma. Last, The Helpers Company (THC) is an educational service that provides assessments, education and guidance for the use of Marijuana for Mental Health.
My passion for healing and developing purpose in others also led me to become a chaplain in order to assist others in their growth spiritually. My book Seven: Sin, Character & Responsibility is a look into a way to change the foundation of unwanted behaviors from a spiritual perspective. The book is a series that started with my dissertation (Theory), the next book has my (Testimony) in how I survived sexual and medical trauma, in addition to exposure to poverty and violence. It is my hope that all people seeking holistic wellness and a work/life balance will heal from their past, find passion, and walk in purpose in life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Truthfully, no it has not been a smooth road. Many of the obstacles were rooted in a lack of business knowledge. I started all of my businesses out of passion. I didn’t have financial backing, not did I understand the concept of what a business plan needed to have. I’ve been working business since 2007. I made things work with working knowledge, with what I had financially, and what I could work for. Living paycheck to paycheck. I sacrificed my life the last 24 years to provide services to people that needed and wanted help by filling in the gaps of the system from a grassroots perspective while obtaining all of the necessary credentials to further our reach and increase our ability to sustain.
The other struggle was and still is getting community buy-in. People have been let down so much that they don’t believe in getting assistance to learn and grow into being self-sufficient, they only believe in what they can get. I go into more detail about this in my book and how we struggle with human nature to make the decisions necessary for growth mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Mental Health was not always a popular subject, it has become more talked about since the pandemic and crisis incidents regarding shootings and gun violence. However, I’m hoping to gain the resources and find more opportunities and platforms to provide more “Edutainment” (Education/Entertainment) to communities around the world in the near future to make Mental Health more accessible to rural areas, integrate mental health resources into various public events, and to give people alternative options to traditional mental health services (i.e., alternative medicine, fitness & nutrition approaches, and Professional Biblical Counseling/Life Coaching).
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are an umbrella of wellness products and services to include a private mental health practice (NNK 4 LIFE) that works through our non-profit (Reconciliation Movement) to provide outreach services in regard to mental wellness and human services. We are a holistic practice that also offers faith-based professional services, wellness education, and alternative medicine services, resources, and education. We believe in providing a safe, educational space for new learners in human and social services, in addition to mental health and substance abuse by providing community services to fill what we believe is the need gap in trauma awareness and mental health. We provide virtual services and in person in Monticello, Conyers, Riverdale, and Lawrenceville, GA.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
The things that make me happy are simple: God, Mental Health, and that my family and friends are thriving in life! I have spent my entire life seeking knowledge to help myself and others out of mental bondage from past hurt, betrayal, and toxic relationships. I thrive off being a better person each and every day! I enjoy learning more and more about myself and how to help others help themselves. The only other happiness for me is the beach! 🙂 Nature always brings me closer to God to reflect on all things good and bad. The beach gives me a chance to rest, relax, and reconcile everything going on in and around my life.
Pricing:
- We Take Major Insurance for our Counseling Services.
- We have a Sliding Fee Scale for Affordability.
- We have affordable Life Coaching Services for across the World.
- LIFE Book Series ($10-$40) Books and Workbook
- Individual and Group Services (Counseling, Life Coaching, Psych0-Education and Counseling Groups) ($25 to $250)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ww4mh.life
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ww7life/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwmindbodyspirit/
Image Credits
ALM Services, Inc (Clinton M. McCoy) The Photo Shop
