From Despair to Destiny:
My Journey to Becoming a Counselor
The Night Everything Changed
“Tonight is your last night here. Tomorrow Staci is coming to get you, and you’ll be living with her.”
Those words echoed through my 12-year-old mind and heart. To say I was stunned is an understatement. Still, I simply said, “Okay.” I packed what I could and went to sleep.
The next day, my best friend’s mother picked me up, and I went to live with her family. That arrangement lasted from ages 12 to 19.
Before I share more about that decade of despair, I want to remind you that the other part of my story’s title is destiny.
Living With Abandonment and Mother Wounds
That very first week, my mom came to visit me. I was so confused. The night she explained that she had signed over guardianship to my best friend’s mother, she said she no longer wanted responsibilities. She wanted to get “high” and believed I would be better off with someone else.
I thought she had ended our relationship for good, but her sporadic visits showed me she still wanted some access to my life.
My mother battled drugs and alcohol for as long as I could remember. She had finally given in, and it seemed substances had taken full control.
Throughout those seven years with Staci’s family, my mom came and went—sometimes present, often absent.
The Hidden Struggles of Trauma
As I grew older, got married, and had children, I began struggling with emotions and “seasons” I couldn’t explain.
I dealt with:
- Abandonment issues
- Depression and anxiety
- Low self-esteem
- People-pleasing tendencies
- Difficulty with identity and trust
At times, I felt so inadequate and hopeless that I didn’t want to be alive.
How Counseling Changed Everything
By what I believe was God’s hand, I was referred to a counselor. Looking back, I can honestly say he was instrumental in my healing and may very well be the foundation of why I became a counselor myself.
He gave me something I had never experienced before: permission to feel my pain.
Family and friends told me to “move on,” but this counselor invited me to lean in. Through that permission, I gained the tools I needed to heal.
Therapy taught me:
- How to label and express emotions
- How to set and maintain boundaries
- The importance of self-care
- Assertive communication skills
- How to lean into faith and community
These skills became the foundation of the freedom and healing I walk in today.
My Calling to Counseling
I earned my undergraduate degree in Social Work in 2007 and became a licensed social worker in 2011. Over the years, I worked in child welfare, addictions
counseling, group counseling, and case management.
The work was meaningful, but something was missing.
After a period of soul searching, I realized what truly lit me up was marriage counseling and women’s mental health. Remembering how counseling had changed me for the better, I knew I wanted to bring that same gift of healing to others.
In 2022, I applied to the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. I was accepted and graduated in May 2025 with a Master’s in Social Work, focusing on adult mental health.
A Career That’s Really a Calling
Counseling isn’t just a career for me—it’s a calling.
I feel deeply called to help others overcome:
- Grief and loss
- Anxiety and depression
- Dysfunction and unhealthy coping patterns
- Relationship issues and marital struggles
I bring both evidence-based therapeutic practices and my own lived experience of healing. My role as a therapist is to collaborate with clients: honoring your past and present while helping you build a healthier, brighter, and steadier future.
Your Healing Journey Can Begin Today
If you’ve been sensing that therapy is “knocking on your emotional or mental door,” I encourage you to answer. On the other side is a world of healing, growth, and joy. I would be honored to walk with you in your counseling journey.
My very best,
Brandy
