Exploring Life & Business with Marquita Myrick of Whole Heart Counseling, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marquita Myrick.

Hi Marquita, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story began in a small city, Hammond, Louisiana. I was born and raised there and encouraged to attend college out of state because I was told I needed to leave home to really experience growth. I arrived in Boulder, Colorado, in the summer of 2001 before my 18th birthday. It was there where I’d begin to experience depression, anxiety, homesickness, and culture shock. Growing up in an African American family, I was told to dismiss my doctor’s advice to seek counseling from a professional. Thankfully I didn’t listen, and two months after engaging in counseling on campus, my parents began to comment on my growth and more positive outlook on life. It seemed like overnight I had become a more positive person. I was crying less, getting re-engaged with my coursework, and all of a sudden, my problems seemed solvable. That experience left a desire inside me to learn more about the counseling process. How does one heal? How could talking to someone have helped me? What is the secret to helping someone overcome depression and anxiety? I began to seek those answers after graduating with my bachelor’s.

In the summer of 2007, I was accepted into a master’s program in Denver, Colorado, and I began studying to become a counselor. After graduating with a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology in May of 2011, I found employment and began what I thought would be a joyful experience. I soon learned that the process to become a licensed counselor wasn’t what I had read about in the student handbook. From that point, I held multiple roles in various organizations and experienced career burnout three times in the counseling field. When pregnant with my eldest child, I welcomed the opportunity to take a break. During that break, I embraced the idea of using my skills in a different way. I went on to have two children, a girl and a boy. The process of becoming a mother, having space to heal my burnout wounds and figure out how I truly desired to present in the world led me to give birth to something else–a coaching business. Today I run a private practice counseling business, Whole Heart Counseling, LLC. I’m also the owner and CEO of Marquita Myrick Coaching. Both businesses allow me to help people in different ways. It brings me great joy to add value to the lives of others, using my natural and clinical talents.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the challenges were overcoming burnout, managing my anxiety during certain stages of my work as a counselor, and believing that I could diversify my options as a therapist. I sat on the idea of creating a coaching business for almost four years due to fear. I feared what family and friends might say and how my colleagues might view me. I feared both success and failure. In addition, I’m a stay-at-home mom by day and counselor/coach by night. Being a dedicated mother brings its own host of challenges to include the need to get creative with self-care, manage fatigue, and time to foster my creativity. I continue to manage my “mom guilt” in healthy ways and am thankful for a supportive husband because it’s not always easy syncing our schedules so that I can get my work done in the midst of motherhood. There have been medical challenges to navigate, Imposter Syndrome and the frequent voice that says, “It has to be close to perfect before you release this!” These are all things I’ve learned to dance with over the years. Perfection doesn’t exist, and if it did, that would likely take the fun out of the journey!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Whole Heart Counseling, LLC?
I specialize in helping women heal from depression, anxiety and trauma. In addition, many of my clients are first-timers who seek my services for life transitions, relationship conflicts, self-esteem/confidence issues and to help them manage the challenges of motherhood. I’m known for being down to earth and as my clients say, “real.” I believe what sets me apart is that I’ve been on the other side of the chair and continue to seek my own counseling when needed. My experience of having gone through depression, anxiety and low self-esteem allow me to have a greater level of empathy for my clients. My clients get someone who truly understands what they’re going through and can walk with them on the path of healing. Brand wise I’m most proud of my creativity as it relates to marketing my services. I use popular songs combined with video marketing that incorporate themes related to the reasons people commonly seek therapy. I want readers to know that when they seek services with me, they aren’t getting a cookie-cutter experience. I encounter people who’ve either never had a counselor before or had a bad experience in the past. They need to know that with me, they’ll get professionalism and a down to earth approach in the therapeutic relationship. Many of my sessions are interactive, engaging and incorporate laughter when appropriate. A client recently said, “I feel at peace with you.” That is the experience I want more people to have in therapy. Non-biased, gentle and therapeutic support catered to the individual’s needs. In my counseling business, my clients typically start experiencing results within 1-4 sessions, which means they don’t spend years attending therapy weekly. A running joke in my family is that I work myself out of a job. Many of my clients drop-down to “as needed” sooner than they thought possible. Those are usually the clients who show up ready and willing to do the therapeutic work. I show up with an equal desire to help them access the best version of themselves.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Yes. It’s interesting because there’s a saying that many families are one paycheck away from a financial crisis. I believe this to be true when we think of mental health as well. Many people are one week away from having a mental health crisis, and when trying to survive a pandemic, no one is immune.

Pricing:

• $140 (50 min Counseling Session) (6 Week Group Coaching Program; Becoming H.E.R.–Healed, Elevated & Restored-Call for pricing)

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.marquitamyrick.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marquitamyricklpc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marquitamyricklpc

Image Credits
Erin Elizabeth Media