Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Daja Robinson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Daja, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from my drive that is greater than the very moment. In order to be resilient one must have a level of self-awareness. I often think about the bigger picture of what I would like my life to be and correlate that idea to my day-to-day experiences. For example, I expressed a desire to have alignment in my life and I then began seeing certain people and things extinguishing themselves from my life. At the same time, I noticed that I became exposed to new people and opportunities that were more challenging, but also seem to be more aligned with my desire life. I think we often times get in the mindset of wanting something but not fully understanding what it take to accomplish or obtain it. Even more so, how to maintain after we achieved or fulfilled said desire. I believe a huge part of accomplishment and success is the process of getting there, in which requires resilience. Resilience is the ingredient that helps push the plan forward even on rough days or when hope is lost. I find that my resilience has been built from challenging situations and experiences. Think about it, if life were all peaches and cream there would be no opportunity for resilience to be exercised. We all experience challenging times, but I believe those who possess resilience have a greater sense of self-awareness, connection, and confidence because they have evidence that they can be faced with a challenge and still prevail.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am originally from Newark, New Jersey, but have made Atlanta my home since 2010. I graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I earned my Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Brenau University. Over the past seven years, I have expanded by counseling career through various experiences. I worked at Grady Behavioral Health – Psychosocial Rehabilitation where I provided individual and group therapy sessions. In 2018, I was hired as a Multi-systemic therapist servicing Hall County, and later, Dekalb County. In this role I provided family therapy to families of youth on juvenile probation to address behavioral issues. After three years, I was promoted to MST Supervisor in 2021 in which I oversee a team of therapists servicing Hall and Dekalb counties. I also currently provide individual and couples therapy in private practice throughout the state of Georgia. Alongside my career development, I founded an organization called S.H.E., Inc. with my friend and colleague, SaPhenixx Adams. I currently serve as the CEO and the President of the organization. S.H.E., Inc. is a nonprofit organization that works to help de-stigmatize mental health within the African American community with the emphasizes on Black women. We recently launched our newest initiative, “For Us, By Us,” where we provide free therapy sessions to qualifying individuals. We also provide free virtual support groups quarterly. In addition, I am a doctoral student studying Clinical Psychology beginning Fall 2023.
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?
The top three qualities skills that I would highlight are resilience, intentionality, and self-compassion. All three of these qualities were formed overtime as a result of various experiences. As previously mentioned, I believe resilience is a skill that is built through challenges. We all experience challenges, but it is important that we be mindful of how we choose to deal with each challenge and not allow hard things to be discouraging overall goal or intention. One of my favorite words is intention. Intentionality has gotten me far in my career because each step or professional decision has had to align with my career goals. When I reflect back on my life, there are not many times that I made a career move “just because.” The skill of intentionality brings alignment and purpose into my life. Lastly, self-compassion. Self-compassion is a skill that I continue to work on and sharpen because as I mentioned, we all face challenges and it can be difficult accepting disappointment. Often times when things do not go as we planned we will internalize and become judgmental of ourselves, especially for overachievers. I am sure there are more skills and qualities that I can discuss, but I believe, resilience, intentionality, and self-compassion have been truly the most impactful in my journey.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parent provided me with structure. I remember thinking my mother was strict because I had friends that didn’t have as much structure or rules they had to follow. My parents required me to be active in extracurricular activities as well as academic activities outside of school. As an adult, I can see the benefits of structure and I am so grateful that my parents provided me with that. Structure as a child now offers me the advantage of being organized and focused. It’s allowed me to build additional skills such as stress management, discipline, and the ability take on difficult things. Of course structure does not exempt me from experiencing life’s challenging, but it provides assistance with maneuvering through life’s ups and downs with a holistic approach. I am appreciative of the structure my parents provided me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesheinc.com
- Instagram: @officialsheinc
- Linkedin: Daja Robinson
Image Credits
Photographer: @shotbymk
