OUR STORY

A letter from Gary…

I almost quit in 2011. Two semesters from graduating, I sat across from my advisor explaining a list of reasons why not to finish my studies to become a therapist. As all great counselor educators do, she listened with empathy, affirmed my concerns and then firmly said — “no, you’re not quitting.” I was dumbfounded. I could not understand why graduating with a counseling degree meant more to her than it did to me. Four years later, I randomly saw her at a counselors conference in Virginia. I walked up to her and said, “you may not remember me, but I just want to say thank you.”

Fast forward to 2017, my wife and I uprooted from Virginia to make a new home for ourselves in Waco, Texas. With no intentions of owning my own practice, I began researching local group practices to join. With all of my searching, there were zero African-American males in the greater Waco area practicing as licensed therapist. Just to give some perspective, Waco has a population of approx. 256,000. This statistic isn’t just a problem, it’s a public health crisis. Little did either of us know that sitting in my advisor’s office and not quitting would prepare me to fulfill a need that not only Waco faced, but many other communities around the country are faced with.

In closing, I just want to say thank you! Our family appreciates you taking the time to visit our website, hear our story, and potentially utilize our services. It’s because of your support that myself, Brittney, Anastacia, Justice, Mercy and Gia continue to advocate, and push for healing and change in our community. We hope you enjoy connecting with us via our website. Don’t forget to purchase your merch before you leave. Shirts, mugs, stickers, masks, they are all convo starts. And every convo had can be the convo that gives way to someone starting their healing journey in therapy.

Our plan is to turn this spark into a flame, ‘preciate you for helping us do that!

-G

A letter from Brittney…

Hi. One can only guess why you’re here visiting. But regardless of why, you’re here now, and for that we want to say thank you! Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to explore areas that are muddled with controversy, stigma, and questions. Gary and I often wonder what it would be like to be subject matter experts in easier areas, but we’re not. We’re here. Called here. And unapologetic in these spaces. Why? Because we care about people. We care about relationship. We’re living with purpose. And we want to see wholeness in heart, mind and soul—ultimately resulting in wholeness of relationships.

Did a first year graduate student that was “good at listening to people” starting his journey to get a degree in Counseling think that a third year law student with hopes of “advocating for the voiceless” think that their journeys were perfectly suited for walking hand in hand? They never saw it coming. But here they are, 10 years of marriage, four children, and two clinics later. Offering both proactive education and responsive treatment. Take a look around. We hope you recognize the value of our heart and skillset as much as we do in one another.

Warmest regards,

-Britt