Meet Gwendolyn Onuoha

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gwendolyn Onuoha. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Gwendolyn , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

Confidence and self-esteem is a very tricky thing. I’ve had to develop a higher level of self-esteem and confidence for several reasons. One being I am female, another being that I am an African-American female, and another being I am a dark skinned African-American female. All three of these Variables affect me in different ways. I have to work harder, but yet be subtle. I have to stand out but have a certain level of humility. I have to be firm but still portray kindness. I have to be welcoming but set appropriate boundaries and the list goes on and on. What has helped me sustain and increase my confidence through my professional journey is to know that God didn’t make a mistake when he made me, when he gave me my gifts, skills and talents it was on purpose. It is my job to find where I fit in my purpose and where I can be my best self. Becoming your best self is a journey all by itself because you have to adjust based on where you are at in your life. I look at my wardrobe and I can tell a story about the different positions that I’ve held and those were all important parts that have led me to become the professional and entrepreneur that I am today. There’s not one specific situation that occurred that brought me to this place in my life. There are several situations that build on top of each other that have landed me to where I am, and I suspect there will be several more situations that will continue to build me to the next level of where I am going. One thing I can share in regards to my skill building is I’ve encountered a lot of situations where I have had to stand out to prove myself. One thing this has taught me is to never depend on anybody else to get you where you wanna go. You can ask for the support they can deny you the support or not. But if they deny you, don’t let that be the end all .find another way! You determine how high your glass ceiling is even if it means you have to move to another house with a higher ceiling.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is Gwendolyn Onuoha. I attended Alabama in University and graduated with a bachelors and psychology in 2004 and graduated with a masters and counseling psychology in 2007. I have practice as a child therapist, adult therapist, school counselor, drug and alcohol counselor for adolescence and adults, facilitator, life coach, adjunct professor,, college level academic counselor and supervisor at a mental health facility. I am also certified to teach anger management and coparenting classes..
I had the opportunity to work solely as an entrepreneur for seven years before integrating back into the workplace in 2024. Now I juggle both business, professional and entrepreneur. I am currently seeking licensure for my LPC to go back into practicing as a licensed therapist. It is my goal to become certified and trauma therapy as well as DBT therapy to support clients with personality disorders.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

A few qualities that were impactful for me are the following: Don’t get caught up in whatever one else is doing. Run your own race and stay focused on your vision and what you’re called to do. Secondly, there is a population that is for you so be yourself. You can take notes of things and styles you like from others but it’s most important to stay true to yourself and be your best self! Lastly, get a good support system that will help you grow and thrive. Entrepreneurship, Is hard work so a support system is essential for success.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The number one challenge I am currently having is getting re licensed as a therapist. Things are not moving as quickly and smoothly as I would like and right now I don’t see an end to this process but I refuse to give up. I am continuing supervision and I trust God that all things will work out and come
Together in due time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Gracecounselinglr.com

Image Credits

Image credits to JC Penny studio