Meet Simone Muschett, LMSW

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

Hi Simone , 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?

Resilience is such a significant part of who I am. I was raised in a Caribbean household to a single mother who knew how to survive, and a father who is passionate about entrepreneurship and generational wealth building. Watching them collectively face adversity; but never giving up, taught me that resilience is being able to positively adapt to challenges as they come.

Watching my parents struggle was the foundation of my motivation growing up. They stressed that they wanted a better life for me, and I decided that whatever my teachers in school told me to do along with my dreams I would not be a statistic. Therefore, School became my coping skill. It kept me focused, and I was good at it. Wherever my parents could not support me, I had teachers and mentors to stand in the gap of those moments.

I endured the trauma of growing up as a black female in a low-income household, sexual assault, toxic relationships, generational trauma etc. However, the sense of belonging I felt at school protected me from meditating on those negative experiences and allowed me to strengthen my why to seek solutions to our social barriers which has led to my current career as a Licensed Master Social Worker and Non-profit, Resilient Young Minds Inc, Founder.

Now in the process of completing my 4th degree, I am honored to be a first generation college student on her way to becoming a Doctorate level scholar as evidence of the impact education has had on my resiliency. School taught me that whatever challenges life can bring, there is always an innovator who has a solution, that innovator could be you. But you will only find out if you keep pushing forward.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I like to call myself “ The Ultimate Social Worker” because I strive to utilize all my gifts and talents to provide my community with tools for maintaining a healthy mental status. Therefore, in the many things I am about to list, my personal brand remains consistent. I am passionate about creating safe spaces for trauma storytelling that requires vulnerability, fosters human connectedness and a sense of belonging. I do this in the following ways…

As a high school student who was clinically depressed and engaged in self-harm, I immediately was able to identify those traits in my students as an educator. After being reminded several times by my educator peers, “ teachers are not social workers”, I decided to pursue a masters in social work. My students showed me how the trauma baggage they carry with them is a distraction from receiving and processing their academics. So, I left education and became a School Social Worker. However, in the process I started my nonprofit Resilient Young Minds Incorporated, RYM Inc.

Our mission at RYM Inc. is to teach youth and families how to fight trauma with resilience so they can access healing and their fullest potential. Our niche program is our transformational Resilience Camp. A weekend to week long retreat that allows a set group of people to identify, process, reflect and release their trauma on a personal, professional and social level.

From meeting so many different people and hearing so many stories, I was so inspired to keep going. I felt like I was no longer alone in the world. So I decided to start a podcast! The “R Stories” podcast is a safe space for healed community influencers to share their trauma to resilience story with the hope to inspire, foster connection and create a sense of belonging for those who feel alone. My podcast is available on Apple and Spotify podcasts, as well as my YouTube Channel The R Stories Podcast via “The Ultimate Social Worker” page. I am also a therapist via my own practice, specializing in faith based child and family therapy.

While preparing for launching my podcast I did a photo shoot that got me a call back from West 38 Studios. They motivated me to get a portfolio together and I have been modeling for the last year! I’ve done NY & LA Fashion Week, Miss Fashion Global and my most recent experience is being a Couture La Rouge VIP Model Ambassador. I learned very quickly that Modeling is a platform to raise awareness about mental health and the work I do through RYM Inc. The best part of it is that modeling is my self-care. My confidence has grown and a sense of self-love came over me after my rapid weight loss from work-related stress.

In the midst of my listed experiences, I have published two books, “The Diary of A 1st Year Teacher” and “Cultivating A Resilient Mind”. The first is about my first two years teaching in NYC and the other is a self-help book that includes devotionals and RYM Inc workshop activities.

At the end of the year I will be launching my third book “ The Ultimate Social Workers Diary: A Becoming Story.” This one is more like an autobiography with the hopes to inspire and empower my community as well. I model how trauma storytelling can foster human connectedness, by sharing my journey becoming the Ultimate Social Worker I am today.

How did I remain resilient? Through my faith in God. It was always present, but I was not conscious of it until I was baptized at 27. Since then, I have taken every opportunity to share how amazing God is. When you look at me and what I have accomplished see it as an example of what God can do. I am also the singles ministry leader at Church City USA in Jamaica Queens. What I am able to do in the world, I try to give that same energy to my Kingdom family.

As for the future, I am currently pursuing a doctorate in social work to make RYM Inc an evidence based program. This will provide access to funding that will allow Resilience Camp to be accessible to everyone. To tie in my enjoyment for content creation I am aiming to turn my Resilience Camp in to a reality show to display the power of trauma storytelling.

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

The first skill I learned from home that I still apply today is 1) Maintaining High Standards for Self. Despite what the majority is doing, my mom would say; followed by my dads words “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Those foundational principals helped me to strive for the best because I am capable and I use my time wisely and intentionally. When you are not intentional with how you spend your daily, weekly, monthly and yearly time, purpose can be lost. Being involved in academics and extracurriculars is a balance that I still use today as an adult to support my mental health. Using your time intentionally, also means that you have to let go or sacrifice relationships that may stagnate you.

2) One of my mentors once told me that ” If You Are Not Making Yourself Useful then You Are Useless. This brings me back to purpose. It’s not just about going through the motions of doing what you are told, but to take initiative to offer and create solutions to improve or grow your community and beyond.

3) The third and final skill is having an Authentic Relationship with God. It sounds cliche’, however, I find cliche’ to be true. My relationship with God has taught me that I am here for a reason. Every trial I have been through was to prepare me to be the leader I am today. The mistakes I’ve made he has already forgiven me. And my value does not come from what I can produce, it comes from God. This belief system has armed me with the tools needed to be resilient through new challenges that still come as I continue to elevate to new levels of life. While also providing me with the courage to desire and pursue new ventures that will bring glory to God.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

A book I read that I believe shifted my perspective of self is “The Defining Decade” by Meg Jay. The concept of the book discusses how society sends a false message that the 20s are meant for fun; while at the same time, when we hit 30 we should have the “American Dream” which is career, marriage, house, family. Author and Psychologist Meg Jay challenges this paradigm by revealing, if you are to have a family, career and adult life together at 30, then the 20s is for foundation building and not fun.

I read this book at age 27. I had already graduated with my 2nd Masters degree, currently teaching for 5 years and started my nonprofit. I was a busy 27 year old. However, I made a sacrifice to focus on my career as opposed to creating meaningful social relationships. There were people around me that made me feel out of place because I did not desire to party over planning an impactful program. “ The Defining Decade” taught me that I used that time to develop my identity capital. At 27 I was not thinking about modeling or podcasting, however, the more skills that acquired allowed me to grow in confidence and marketability for greater leadership roles.

I started off as an educator where I acquired professional skills ( identity capital) that I am able to use today as a Social Worker. Meg Jay submits for our consideration that the 20s is the time to begin the foundational search for all the parts that make-up your “ American dream” so that you can access it in your 30s. If you are living in the space of “partying and fun” instead of building ” identity capital,” logically, your dream will not be achieved when you hit 30.

The validation in this book inspired me to keep going. And 5 years later, I still recommend that book as a reading or gift to college students who have just graduated.

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Image Credits
Professional photos taken by Wayne K Gabriel Photography Make Up By Princess Scott Sash Represents Miss Fashion Global Humanitarian Program

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