We were lucky to catch up with Niesha Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Niesha, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I believe that I found my purpose when I was an adolescent, and embraced it more in my young adulthood. As I always had family, friends, and random people coming to me and opening up to me about their life and challenges that they were experiencing and it continued to adulthood prior to me becoming a therapist. I originally started my career journey by wanting to be a Registered Nurse, however found myself feeling more drawn to wanting to help people by counseling them. As I seen the need of people seeking a confidant and seeking someone to help give them guidance and support. More and more everyday, that I meet with my clients in the therapy room, I feel blessed to help them and it feels right, and it feels as I am making a difference, which supports me knowing this is what is my purpose and what I was called to do.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As a licensed Trauma Therapist, I feel very blessed to be a part of my clients healing journey. I have the privilege to be able to be invited into the uniqueness of each of their individual stories, and help them to identify the emotional effects their traumatic experiences have had on them. I work to help them identify their experiences, help them to become transparent and process the feelings that they feel because of the distressing event, and then began the work towards their healing journey. I recently published by first book titled, Your Story Does Not Define You, a Healing Journey From Trauma Through Expression and Self-Affirmation. The book challenges the reader to reimagine themselves and envision a new them-not defined by the untold spoken, or written narratives of their past but empowered by their future. We can’t change our past, and our story may follow us through people, places, and things, But no matter how our story unfolds, what the plot is, or who the characters are, we can’t let it hold us hostage. The book will help the reader to learn to do the work, break the chains, and free themselves. The beauty in helping my client’s is for them to see that their traumatic experiences, is their story and it’s not them.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, I can say that three qualities or skills that were impactful in my journey are my faith and taking risks, perseverance with a bull dog tenacity, and knowing that my spirituality was my source of strength. I am the owner of two mental health private practices with employees and the journey as not been easy. As a therapist it takes patience, perseverance, being open to consistent learning, and having a strong support system. The best advice I can give someone who is early in their journey is to make sure you do research and obtain as much information as possible in what you want to do. Know your purpose, and be sure and confident that you are walking in it. Feel good about what you do, and trust the process. Sometimes you have to have faith and take risks, not always knowing the outcome, however trusting that you are doing the right thing.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Doing the work that I do, and being a CEO can be very overwhelming and mentally and emotional challenging at times. I find joy in helping and serving my clients. However there are moments when I may be dealing with my own personal stressors that I have to be honest and transparent with myself about, and know when I need to take a mental break. Taking a mental break for me is identifying my feelings, and allowing myself to shift my schedule if needed to assure that I show up as my best self for my clients and employees. Sometimes, that is me disconnecting from work to engage in self-care strategies such as, getting away for a trip, journaling, connecting with my support system, taking a week off of no client appointments, identifying things that I need to change/restructure and put things into perspective, or really using my spirituality to be my source of calm and restoration.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lifeconnections.email
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nieshadavislcsw/
- Facebook: Lifeconnect2
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nieshadavislcsw
Image Credits
Carrington Pritchett Photography
