Meet Sandtrice Russell

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sandtrice Russell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sandtrice below.


Hi Sandtrice, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I honestly feel like the circumstances under which I entered this world forced me to become resilient. I was born in the midst of the crack epidemic in the 80’s and much of my resiliency was shaped by the environment that I grew up in.

I was raised in a small town in Georgia called LaGrange and I grew up on the eastside of LaGrange in the Calumet Park neighborhood. Like many of those who were from my hood, we grew up poor and had very little to work with in terms of financial resources.

I lived with my paternal great-grandmother and paternal great aunt, who were both on fixed incomes. We survived off of my grandmother’s SSI check, my aunt’s disability check, and food stamps. My mom was in prison during my critical years and my dad visited often but was living his life and navigating through his own struggle with addiction.

After my first-grade year at East Side Primary, the schools in my local area were consolidated and I ended up getting bussed from my neighborhood to a predominantly white area of LaGrange with children from different socioeconomic circumstances. I think this is when it really hit home for me that I was different, and my circumstances were not the norm.

I always excelled academically, but it was instilled in me from a very young age that I had to get all A’s in school so that I could go to college when I was older like my cousin, Shani. At a very young age, I associated academic achievement with being able to have nice things and make it out of the hood.

Growing up I had quite a few mentors that helped me along the way and assisted me with manifesting some things in my life. I mostly participated in activities at church, and I’d say that my faith and relationship with God has been a huge part of my resilience as well.

We didn’t have a car in my household growing up, so we pretty much walked everywhere. This limited my ability to participate in after-school activities and sports, which pushed my focus towards getting a job as soon as I was old enough to get a work permit. When I became a teenager and was finally able to get a job at age 13, I literally walked to work at the Boys and Girls Club and later Golden Corral in order to be able to financially afford certain luxuries for myself.

I honestly don’t think that I would be as resilient as I am if I was born with a proverbial silver spoon in my mouth. I don’t think that I would have worked as hard, and I likely would have given up the first time that I faced an obstacle. Struggling to make it out of the hood, hearing what people from where I’m from couldn’t do, and having those close to me tell me that my dreams of going to college weren’t attainable, all pushed me to fight to get out of the “Trap” that is Troup County Georgia.

I always tell people that I have a master’s in science, but I’m also a Master of the Streets because I had to truly start from the bottom and without God, my faith, and pure determination to not be a statistic, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

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?
I’m a licensed professional counselor in Georgia and Texas who specializes in treating people who are having difficulty with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and relationship issues. I also pride myself on providing a safe counseling space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to express themselves in therapy. I’ve been in the mental health field for 19+ years and I have a deep love for helping others.

In addition to my role as a therapist, I’m also the host of the Self Aware & F**ked Up Podcast, a mental health podcast that focuses on highlighting taboo topics in mental health and destigmatizing therapy within the black community. I began the podcast back in 2020 as a way to increase awareness of mental health and speak to the black experience with common mental health disorders. I also explore topics related to abuse, sexual assault, complex trauma, and neurodivergence. Season one was cut short due to Covid 19 and the show was rebooted in 2022.

Self Aware & Fucked Up has two seasons that are available on all major Podcast streaming sites and we cover a variety of topics related to mental health awareness. One of my favorite recent episodes focuses on shame and guilt and body image. We are currently gearing up for our third season which will be dropping in Spring 2024.

In 2024, I’ll be re-launching the Margaritas and Mental Health Wellness Group for BIPOC women who are seeking a safe space to discuss mental health within the BIPOC female community.

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?
Being focused, determined, and adaptable to change have been the key areas that have impacted my journey. For me the focus element drives it all because if you aren’t giving attention to your dreams, then it’s difficult to manifest them. I remember hearing a sermon many years ago that was preached by Bishop Dale C. Bronner during which he gave an acronym for the word F.O.C.U.S (Follow One Course Until Successful). This changed my life in such a meaningful way because at the time I was all over the place. I wanted to do plays, I wanted to be a rapper, and I wanted to help people- but I never gave the right amount of focus to either.

In perfecting my craft as a helping professional, I made the choice to go back to school to obtain my master’s degree and I focused on helping people. I later had the opportunity to explore my artistry in other ways, but I knew that I needed a good foundation to fall back on. I was determined to excel regardless of which course I followed and in that I learned to be adaptable to change because change is inevitable.

I would encourage anyone who is just beginning their journey to set some short and long-term goals for themselves in terms of where they want to be in five or ten years. Identify mentors in your field and be open to learning from others. Last but not least, don’t compare yourself to people who have been in your field for 5, 10 or even 20 years. You likely won’t measure up which can lead you to feeling inadequate and wrestling with imposter syndrome. Focus on perfecting your craft, giving yourself grace, and being the best version of yourself at your current stage in your career.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m interested in connecting with people who have a unique mental health journey or people who are interested in sharing their expertise in the area of mental wellness, social work, social justice, or any other mental health related topics.

I’m gearing up to begin recording season three of the Self Aware & F**ked Up Podcast and if you’re interested in being a guest and helping to spread awareness related to mental health, please shoot me a quick e-mail at treethelpc@gmail.com or visit the uniquedestiny.org website.

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Tourvoisier Rashad Zachary, Jade Varner

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