Today we’d like to introduce you to Kanika Bell
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?
Honestly, I always wanted to do what I am currently doing. As a young child, I remember saying that I wanted a building where people could come and get better. Growing older and cultivating what “get better” meant led me to the discipline of psychology. Still not exactly sure what I wanted to do other than help people feel better tomorrow than they did yesterday; I still imagined having the building but wondered what else would take place in it beyond me providing psychological services. I majored in psychology at Spelman College, and while there, I took a class called Clinical Psychology that was taught by Dr. Adrienne Bradford at Clark Atlanta University. That was my moment. It wasn’t just the course content; it was her. I decided at that moment I wanted to be Dr. Bradford. She had a clinical practice, she taught at CAU, and she did forensic work…and she was also just an amazing woman. I remember telling her my plans to be “her,” and though she laughed at that goal (and still chuckles about it when I mention it to this day), she set out to assist me with getting into a PhD program and narrowing my vision into a workable reality. I now have a clinical practice, teach at CAU, and do forensic work, just like Dr. Bradford. I also have the building of healers I always imagined. Mental health clinicians and coaches of various kinds have worked at my business, A.T.L. Psychotherapy & Consulting Services, LLC, over the years. I am beyond grateful to live out my dream of owning a business that directly assists my community. It was not an easy climb to this point. My business partner, Dr. Gweneth Hayes, and I made a number of mistakes as we did not major in business management and had to learn those skills along the way. Honestly, I am STILL learning. Though I am doing what I always set out to do, provide therapy, consulting, assessment, and psychoeducation to individuals, families, and organizations, there has always been an additional piece with which I could not connect until recently. As plain and Pollyanna as it sounds, I have always been interested in how to create and sustain happiness. My business tends to focus on the amelioration of symptoms: how not to be depressed, how not to be anxious, etc. What if instead of focusing on what we don’t want for our emotional and psychological selves, we focus on what we want? So, I started another business with my long-term friend Maria Newport called AddJOY. We teach people how to add joy to their lives in a sustainable, consistent fashion to improve overall life satisfaction. We have been surprised with how people have taken to this once-considered lofty and unattainable goal of true joy.
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?
I knew very little about the ins and outs of business and learned some hard lessons about timely paperwork submission, keeping excellent records, and, most importantly, putting together a good team. The road was not smooth, but it was worth it. I can hear myself giving the advice I desperately needed when I began putting my business plan together. I am admittedly a visionary. I am filled with ideas! Executing them proficiently was the skill I needed to develop.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about A.T.L. Psychotherapy & Consulting Services, LLC and AddJoy, LLC?
I own two businesses in the Atlanta area that focus on emotional, psychological, and behavioral health. A.T.L. Psychotherapy and Consulting Services, LLC is a psychology practice staffed with licensed psychologists like myself, as well as licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, and professional coaches. We provide psychological assessments such as those a student may need to determine learning disorders or attention deficits, those needed in forensic settings such as psychosexuals, trauma, parental fitness, or custody evaluations, or those for adults who are just curious about their possible diagnosis. Additionally, we provide therapy to children, couples, families, and individuals for various issues. A.T.L. is also a consulting firm hired to do workshops on various topics for small businesses, large corporations, schools, or other organizations. A.T.L. is known for providing the services you cannot find easily in the city, like treatment and assessment for toddler-aged children, diverse relationship therapy, and a completely non-judgmental environment. I like to think of AddJOY as a movement. There is so much anger and negativity that permeates our daily environments. True joy sustains you through periods of sadness, grief, and conflict. If we can teach others how to reconnect with joy on a consistent basis, not only can the individual shift, but so can the world. The AddJOY podcast can be found on YouTube and all of the popular podcast outlets. Our social media presence is geared toward specifically putting joy into the algorithm, and we provide workshops, retreats, and individual coaching sessions to those who are looking to make a sustained change just to be happier, more well-adjusted, and more resilient to life’s inevitable challenges. I am most proud of being located in southwest Atlanta, now called South Fulton and being staffed almost entirely of HBCU graduates who are fiercely dedicated to social justice and providing the best services to everyone, including those who have historically been kept from receiving the kind of excellent care and professionalism that we offer at A.T.L. and at AddJOY.
How do you think about luck?
I am not sure I am a true believer in luck. I think the stars align rather purposefully. Anything that has happened, whether it was something I celebrated or lamented, was likely conspired for my own good. I have been extremely fortunate in a multitude of ways, but I am not sure I would attribute it to luck. Hard work and spiritual destiny are likely greater contributors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.atlpsychology.com/ and www.addjoy.me
- Instagram: @addjoynow
- Facebook: @addjoy
- Twitter: @addjoynow
- Youtube: @addjoy
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-addjoy-podcast/id1661724726
