Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Ekeoba.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story to becoming a therapist is a long quest. Mental health therapy is my second career. I’m Houston, born and raised, and grew up in East End in the neighborhood of Pleasantville. I’m the second oldest of five and had a unique upbringing that combined my late father’s Nigerian culture and my mother’s African American culture. I grew up shy and nerdy with great interest in reading and writing stories. I went to Barbara Jordan H.S., undergrad at U of H, earned my MBA at UHV and started my career in Corporate HR in oil & gas, nonprofit, and hospitality industries and worked as an independent consultant. After working in corporate HR for 11 years, I decided to re-enter school for another master’s degree, Master of Education in Counseling & Development, and graduated and became a licensed counselor in Texas. I opened my private practice, The SHIFT Mental Wellness, PLLC in September 2023 to do the work I love authentically and with freedom. After 11 years navigating a corporate career, there was an internal struggle and calling to do more… impact more people. I wasn’t sure what the next move was. At that point in my life, I was a high-functioning, highly anxious perfectionist who felt stuck, which led me to seek therapy for myself. While on my personal healing journey, I discovered what was calling me, and it was to become a healer myself: a therapist. Since age 5, I was fascinated with how people thought and why they did what they did. I was going to be a neurosurgeon and was pre-med, but I didn’t have the stomach for blood, so I changed to a communications major with a business minor because I thought was another option for a profitable career. I learned a lot in Corporate HR, but I felt out of place. I was still driven to help employees beyond the scope of my responsibilities, and I was affectionately coined the “social worker.” It was also during this time I developed an interest in mental and emotional health and stigma in the Black community and it showed up in my life as a Creative. I published a book series, My Funny Valentine, in 2015 and 2018, with mental health as a central theme, and wrote an award-winning script entitled Spitting Image, about a father coming to terms with his autistic son. In 2020, I chose to invest in myself and become a therapist, and it was the best and right decision. I love what I do! Currently, I’m working towards expanding my impact and will be starting my PhD program at Hampton University in May 2024 to focus on research, writing, and developing future Black clinicians.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It wasn’t the smoothest road but that had been a reoccurring theme in my life. I grew up lower middle class, I lost my father at the age of 14, I had to figure out how to pay my way through college, I had to deal with microaggressions and racial barriers throughout my career, and I survived sexual trauma. I have experienced a layoff and basically lost everything. All of these experiences impacted my emotional well-being and self-esteem. Although I’ve had different struggles and challenges, I’m thankful to not only survive but learn how to thrive. It has helped me to develop emotional resilience and be comfortable with starting over. And definitely my family and friends have been great emotional support along the way.
We’ve been impressed with The SHIFT Mental Wellness, PLLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I opened my private practice, The SHIFT Mental Wellness, PLLC in September 2023. I chose the name The SHIFT because I view myself as someone driven by change and evolution. All things I touch, I operate with a mindset to seek out issues and improve them. The SHIFT Mental Wellness, PLLC specializes in issues that impact the emotional and mental wellness of women of the African Diaspora, such as anxiety-related issues, depression disorders, chronic stress, generational trauma, race-based stress, “Strong Black Woman” syndrome, and perfectionism. I focus on helping clients learn how to rest and relax, reimagine and regain control of their lives, and realize and rock as their dope, authentic selves.
Ultimately, my goal is to shift to the understanding of mental and emotional wellness for Black women and, by extension, the Black community. Something I realized as a practitioner and my experience in seeking mental health services is that cultural affirmation was missing. My experiences as a racialized Black woman in the South significantly impacted how I viewed myself, how I’m viewed by others, the challenges I face, and my mental wellness. Clinical methods are useful, but they were not designed with someone like me in mind. So, I ensure that my clinical practice centers the diverse racialized Black experience.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
Risk is a natural part of life. We take risks every day unconsciously. The difference is the size of the risks. Risks are necessary for evolution. The risks I’ve taken was to walk away from jobs that did not serve me. It was not the easier decision to leave what I perceived as financial security, especially for someone who grew up with financial instability. But when I look back, I don’t regret the risks because I learned that situation was tearing me down, and it was a false sense of security. I have been laid off before, and it taught me that security is something I can create. The biggest risk was starting over with a new career. I became a therapist at 39. Who does that? Me-LOL. I took a huge step into the unknown to follow purpose and intention. I had to shed the limiting beliefs I had about success and career. I was concerned about how I would be viewed and treated, but when I share my story with other clinicians or clients, they share that I inspired them to take risks and rethink the concept of career success and finding purpose. From then on, I have taken more risks such as starting a practice and betting on myself. So, if anything, taking risks is betting on yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theshiftmentalwellness.com/
- Instagram: the_shift_mentalwellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshiftmentalwellness/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferekeoba11/
