We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aminah Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aminah , we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
I love this question and if you were to ask me this a 5 years ago I believe my answer would be totally different . First off I identify as a black woman,,psychotherapist , daughter, wife, business owner and the list goes on and on! I’m Attached to a lot of things and people . Spending most of my life catering to others was and has been my job, however lately after a shift in perspective I found that I am at my best when I cater to the one person that truly knows me…. Which is myself! Self care means different things to different people and especially depends on your live, live experience and age, it may show up in different ways. Self care used to mean getting my nails done- who doesn’t like a good pedicure right? A lovely massage , or something I could do for
Myself.. But again that took time and effort even trying to schedule the nail appointment and it began to feel like a chore… all of this things are nice ? But it’s when I shifted my perspective to finally hive myself the permission to
Choose me above anything else is when I found my joy. I began to choose the things that. Nourished my soul… quiet time, meditation, and learning to be still and do absolutely nothing! I’ve spent all my life giving so much energy to all those around me, and even on my face you couldn’t tell that I was tired or about ready to give up. Today I choose to be unapologetically me which means saying no is Ok, not showing up to the party is OK, not doing what the world think I should do is quite OK. I finally see the value in myself that I wish I could have seen all along! I will now fill my up first and everyone else gets the overflow , that’s self care in my eyes and I’m
Such a better version of myself .
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
It is so funny when people ask me, well what do you do? I usually laugh inside and think about how I have answered this question over the years. To sum it up, I can do just about anything. Lol. Many years ago, my heart longed to express and perfect my culinary gifts and bake sweets and confections for people all over the world. Sounds yummy, right? Well, it was, however, my passion for helping and supporting mental wellness lead me to open my Private Practice instead. I am the Owner and CEO of Root to Crown Counseling and Wellness & Rooted Birth Collective, a private practice specializing in women’s mental health and wellness as well as providing full spectrum Doula & Parenting Support and Mentorship!
I absolutely love what I do and honored to walk with individuals working through a full array of issues, including trauma , or assisting them during the beautiful process of birthing their babies. As a mental health therapist, I am thrilled to see more people , especially black folks, prioritize their mental health and reap the benefit of therapy. I am glad the narrative around therapy is changing and many people are seeing the value of the profession.
As a Full spectrum Doula, I am glad to be a part of the solution to mitigate the high black maternal health rate here in St. Louis . MO. After birth, a postpartum person may not visit their doctor for about 6 weeks and that is when issues for mom can happen. These issues are not just physical , but mental, too. I wanted to make sure postpartum women felt supported and their feelings acknowledged and therefore began an 8 week postpartum wellness group called the “Self care Sisterhood! This group is open to any postpartum momma and will run throughout the year. Each mom also gets a copy of my 10 minute Self-Care Journal that I created for New and Expecting Mothers. Come joing us!
It’s exciting to assist people on their journey to wellness and become more “Rooted” in their lives. Yes, this is hard work, but its heart work too! On my personal wellness journey, I also have the pleasure of working with my husband, Terroll Williams, and together formed the Rychuss & Rooted Creative Wellness Initiative, which focuses on Community Wellness and Artistic Healing. With so much trauma in the world , I thought it was necessary to find a way for people to prioritize more peace and self care in their lives, thus “Rooted Sunday’s STL was born. Rooted Sundays STL is a
part of the Rychuss & Rooted Creative Wellness Initiative. This is a growing community where we gather to participate in all things creative , including Mini Wellness Retreats and workshops focused on Self-Love, healing and Connection. I encourage people to follow Eventbrite or Facebook under Rooted Sundays STL to see upcoming events, volunteer or become an ambassador! We are planning more intimate wellness retreats across the US and other countries so stay plugged in!
Root to Crown Counseling and Wellness and Rooted Birth Collective is expanding and fundraising efforts have began to secure its very own space. Super grateful for all the community support, and grateful for what the future holds.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think the most impactful three qualities that I embody is that of perseverance, patience and building relationships. I think relationship building is so important in all aspects of life and business. I enjoy connecting with people and hearing their stories, which makes them feel comfortable and trust me. I remember my grandmother telling me “You will go far in life because you have a great attitude and I’ve always felt that if I show up with a good attitude and stay grounded and kind, the world and god will take care of me. I have been able to meet wonderful people and do things that I never thought I could because I had the right attitude. Honestly , I believe that I’ve always been a patient person, and I think motherhood has helped me perfect that virtue. In life, there are many things that don’t go as planned, but its how you react to those things that create movement or complacency. I have perfected the art of adjusting, whether that means adjusting my mindset or adjusting the plan. If you are in a space where you feel stuck, take a deep breath and take a self assessment of your life; of the things most important to you. These days, we tend to move so fast that we forget what really matters. If I could tell anyone how best to succeed on their journey is to SLOW DOWN! Take chances, actually live your life and patiently know that everything you want is already within you. You just have to slow down to see it.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
Should I answer this in the role of a Therapist? Entrepreneur? Mother? I Promise not to complicate the answer. Usually when I am feeling overwhelmed, I try to pause and acknowledge how I’m feeling and know that it’s ok. I try to give myself permission to feel without judging myself to harshly. I then step away from work and take a break and engage in activities that water me, fill me up, encourage me . That could look like taking a nap, nourishing my body with good food and water, changing environments(traveling) or engaging in exercise to help clear my mind and take care of my body. I also am learning the art of being still. Stillness allows me to see things more clearly, hear my thoughts more clearly, rest my body. Many people don’t realize they are walking around with so much to build up trauma or anxiety in their body that its causing physical problems. We dont want or need that.
Did I mention that I am a mother to 5 humans? oh and a wife, so if I am overwhelmed and choose to stay in that space, it can spill over into the relationships of the people I most love. I owe it to myself and to them to take care of me first, its ok don’t feel guilty. Refill your cup first and those most important will get the overflow. !
Contact Info:
- Website: www.roottocrowncounseling.com
- Instagram: root2crowncounseling
Image Credits
Mena Darre” Photography Mena Darre” Photo & Video
