Meet Erica Taylor Sanders

We recently connected with Erica Taylor Sanders and have shared our conversation below.

Erica, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I believe being resilient is something my family has modeled for me since I was born. Over and over again I hear my parents’ stories and the hardships they endured throughout their lives. No matter what life threw at them, they kept going. That is where my resilience comes from. I have been through my share of hurt and difficulties but I have always believed that I had to keep going. I once heard TD Jakes say that “resilience is not a trait; it’s a process.” I could not agree with that more. I had to get to know myself enough to understand what process was necessary for me to foster the strength to keep going. Like every human, I had had days where I wanted to quit trying, especially when it seemed my efforts were not yielding the results I wanted. But I found some things and people that help me in those spaces and have learned to work the process to keep progressing.

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?
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the owner of Taylormade Counseling Services. We have provided online therapy for individuals, couples, and families for the past seven years. Our practice is based in Texas, and we serve people all over the state, encouraging them to heal, have hope, and be whole. The most exciting thing about what I do is to be a part of people’s journeys as a sounding board and encourager to live their best lives as healthy and whole individuals. I also get to spread awareness about the importance of mental health and help people access quality services conveniently. This past year we launched our nonprofit 501c3 to raise money for mental health services for those who may not otherwise be able to afford them. Our mission is to remove all barriers for individuals to access the mental health services that they need; a large part is helping with the financial burden. We will have our major giving day fundraiser in September through North Texas Giving Day and are excited about raising money to help others.

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 three skills that have been the most impactful in my journey are: Relationships, Resilience, and being Real. It is so essential to build healthy relationships both personally and professionally. Those relationships have helped me stay accountable, pushed me to go for my dreams, and allowed me to collaborate with some fantastic people. Resilience is that thing that makes me keep going no matter what and is built on my faith. I believe that all things God will work out for my good and that I have hope and a future. That sustains me when my circumstances do not look like my vision. Being Real speaks to remaining authentically me in all areas. I owe it to myself to be myself and be confident that whatever is for me will not miss me, but I cannot access it if I am preoccupied with being like others. I think staying authentic has opened many doors for me personally and professionally.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am looking to collaborate with individuals who are doing work around mental health. I want to continue to spread awareness, offer therapeutic tips, and raise money for individuals to access mental health services. If that’s you I would love to chat.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photography: Tyana Danae

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