Meet Monique Overstreet of Moknowledge in Dunwoody

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Overstreet.

Monique, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to Atlanta from Minnesota in 2012 and immediately enrolled in school for my Master’s Degree to become a therapist. A two year degree took me four years to complete.

I initially started out with the vision of being a motivational speaker until my voice was silenced after my encounter with life’s unpredictable plot twist.

I felt like I was in a boxing ring getting consistently knocked down. I had a miscarriage. I experienced dating violence for the first time ever in my life. I was left practically homeless for a few months. I endured a very tough (understatement) internship. I had cars break down or totaled out. I was laid off twice. Then I lost my father. It literally felt like I was fighting for my life and my sanity. I went into a deep depression. I feel as though I was only able to survive because I had God, my mom and my village. My village actually formed as I was going through all of those hardships.

That is how I developed the tag line, “It takes a village to be human”.

Moknowledge was derived from my first name and how I would continuously seek knowledge. I love to learn and I love talking to other people. My friends began teasing me saying, “Look at Mo dropping that knowledge”. So as you can see, it fits perfectly. My story is one of resilience and it took me a while to acknowledge this.

I was finally given the opportunity to live out my purpose when a close friend asked me to come under contract with her. I appreciate her for the opportunity to grow my business.

Has it been a smooth road?
It was not a smooth road at all. My grades were a direct reflection of what I was going through. I had to take a year off from school. I experienced a lot of trauma in a short amount of time and it began to manifest physically and physiologically. I gained a lot of weight due to the depressive state that I was in. I felt like I lost myself. I was fairly independent prior to my experiences. I had to learn to ask for help AND accept help. I had to learn what grace and self-compassion meant. I had to trust my healing process when I really wanted it all to be over. It was a dark and heavy time in my life. I am now at a point where I can say I appreciate the challenges and the lessons but at first, I was looking at God-like, “Look bruh! Lol, something has to shift!”

What else should we know?
I am a Nationally Certified Counselor working toward becoming fully licensed. Counselors have to practice under a Clinically licensed therapist for three years. I specialize in working with Trauma survivors. I have worked with women survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation. I have also worked with children in foster care, sexual assault victims, divorcees and individuals who are victims of domestic violence. I am known for my ability to help people accept themselves and stand in their truth in order to progress from victim to a survivor. I love neuropsychology and connecting how our brains are impacted by trauma. As a company, I am most proud of the moment
we are in right now. Getting our name out there and helping other people heal themselves. I compare the human experience with trauma, to Wolverine from the X-Men series. I call it “The Wolverine Effect” (currently working on a workshop for this). He heals himself after each wound that’s created. The only difference is that we usually have scars, both visible and unseen. My work as a therapist comes from a place of acceptance and the belief that we can all change despite our circumstances.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
My hope is that society begins to take mental health a little more seriously. I would like to see the stigma surrounding therapy dissolve. It’s not just for rich people. It’s not only for individuals experiencing psychosis. I personally believe if you were born, you need a therapist (lol). I also work for a nonprofit who provides counseling services in over 30 elementary, middle and high schools around metro Atlanta. We are housed in some of the toughest neighborhoods in the city. I believe we are headed in the right direction. I am also the secretary on the board of LPCA-GA and we are constantly discussing laws and policies that affect counselors. It is a constant fight for a Licensed Professional Counselors in the mental health industry to be afforded the same abilities as our counterparts. I see the mental health industry becoming more of a necessity than a option over the next ten years.

Contact Info:

• Address: I work under contract with Authentically Be You Counseling
  2498 Jett Ferry Rd Suite 205 Dunwoody GA 30338
• Website: www.moknowledge.com
• Phone: 678-935-6368
• Email: monique@moknowledge.com
• Instagram: Moknowledge Solutions
• Facebook: Moknowledge Solutions

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.