Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Phillips.
Hi Kayla, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I remember I was a first-year college student and my Introduction to Psychology course was the only class that taught me about myself and others around me.
Psychology instantly grabbed my attention and became an area of study I easily and diligently pursued to the highest degree. Serving as a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia, allows me to help others understand themselves and make sense of their behaviors.
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’ve had a few struggles throughout my educational journey. As a graduate student, I experienced a lot of microaggressions and witnessed many racist incidents while on campus. Being a member of the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association helped me connect with other students like myself and build a solid support system during that time.
I remember being in graduate school and thinking everything would be easier once I graduated. However, after graduation came licensure and that was a whole other beast. The licensure requirements, costs of exams, the application process, the additional fees…it’s a pretty rough uphill journey for a newly graduated, unlicensed psychologist. It became easy to doubt myself and my degree for not moving through the steps as quickly as I thought I would.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia. I am in private practice with my fiancé, Dr. Je Ajayi. He is a board-certified psychiatrist and together we own and operate Connected Minds LLC – a virtual mental health clinic. We provide diagnostic assessments, medication management, and therapy to individuals aged 13 and older. We accept most insurances and offer out-of-pocket rates. We have a diverse staff of medical providers and therapists available to see clients during the week, on weekends, at night, and during the day. All of our services are virtual so clients can attend their appointments with ease, wherever they please. Our goal is to provide caring, convenient, confidential, culturally informed, collaborative care to our patients. New patients are welcome to schedule an appointment by calling us at 678-383-9532 or emailing us at scheduling@connectedmindsllc.com.
I do maintain a small caseload of therapy clients but spend most of my time serving as the Clinical Director and overseeing the daily operations of the clinic. Outside of Connected Minds, I also serve as a Clinical Supervisor at Georgia State University’s (GSU) Counseling Center. I am very passionate about supervising and mentoring the new generation of psychologists. As a Black, female, psychologist it is my passion to advocate for women and Black individuals seeking mental health treatment. As a supervisor, I can play an intimate role in the training of our junior colleagues. If I can touch 50 supervisees, they can touch maybe 100 clients and 50 of their supervisees, and so on. Together we can make mental health treatment better for minorities.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I like to think psychology is for lifelong learners. As psychologists, we should always be evaluating the latest research and trends in the field to provide the best quality of care and advocacy for others. That being said, I hope the field continues to learn, research, and serve as a scientific resource to the community and government.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.connectedmindsllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectedmindsllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Connected-Minds/100085671948989/
