Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Edna Chism Nicholas.
Dr. Edna, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a neighborhood where 29.9 % of the residence had no high school diploma and the median household income was $24,600. Although my neighborhood was rich in culture it also brought its share of complex trauma that as a child many of us experienced inside and out of our homes. My parents and parental tribe did the best they could with what they had. One of the primary examples of this was my mother felt it was especially important for me to attend schools that were among the top-rated schools in our area. While attending these schools there were times where I dealt with several forms of discrimination and at times struggled with feelings of being treated differently simply due to being in a different socioeconomic bracket than my peers. As I grew older, I worried about not “fitting in” even in my own neighborhood there were times I was being ridiculed for just attending schools outside of where many neighborhood peers attended. This type of “not belonging” or “insecurity” was easily carried over into my career because even though that was a different environment the same premise of judgment from peers seemed to apply.
It wasn’t until I started my own personal spiritual healing journey, attended an HBCU, and began the research of trauma and the effects it has on individuals that I started becoming confident in who I am and what God purposed me to be. I started learning that conformity does not have to be my way of life and that the opinions of others had no bearing on my personal uniqueness. I began to pursue many different paths. Over the years I have gained experience working with numerous families and system collaborations across the United States. My past and current experience as a therapist, administrator, teacher, and public speaker have allowed me to work with families, groups, individuals, couples, and business entities from diverse backgrounds to ensure they meet their projected goals. I have also accrued several licensures and certifications such as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, Lay Counselor, Certified Professional Coach, and I have a Ph.D. in family therapy.
While working with individuals, researching, and even just talking to friends and families, I realized that trauma was a silent “disease” that attacks individuals from the inside out, and on many occasions, many don’t even realize that they have these symptoms. This is when I established the Authentic Counseling and Coaching Center (ACCC). I wanted people to understand that as many theorists quote “It’s not what’s wrong with you, it’s what happened to you” and that “You are not the problem, the problem is the problem. ACCC became a place of healing for people to understand how traumas can take up unhealthy space in relationships and sometimes stifling individuals in moving forward with their hopes and dreams of the future. ACCC became a place where a person could explore their trauma, learn to build their confidence, release hurts, and hold a space that was uniquely created for them to live out their dreams, desires, and purpose.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One struggle has been ensuring all individuals have access to care regardless of their race, socioeconomic status, or any other barrier or obstacle one may have. There are times where we work off the clock to ensure families have what they need to access individualized care geared toward their specific needs. On many occasions, we have pulled together our own resources to support our community. One example of this is donating school uniforms for free back to school drives. An additional struggle has been a personal struggle as it relates to matters of the heart. I know this trauma work is so important that there were times where I put my self-care second to those I was helping. Currently, self-care has become such an important part of my life that I facilitate a various training on stress management and self-care and look forward to assisting individuals to understand the importance of self-care especially as it relates to mental health.
Authentic Counseling and Coaching Center – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our focus has been that people understand that when a person works with Authentic Counseling and Coaching they understand that we believe that every individual has the key to successful outcomes within themselves. Ultimately, we believe that the person is the expert in their life, and their needs matter. Our motto is “Authentically Inspiring Real Hope to Real People”. This motto is representative of what restoration of hope can mean in healing everyday relationships among everyday people. We offer face to face, online and telephonic sessions. Each staff member is trauma-informed trained and we deal with a variety of mental health concerns individuals thrive to work on such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, substance use disorders, family conflict, stress management, parenting, grief, ADHD, and PTSD. We also facilitate trainings that consist of topics such as trauma-based care, suicide, workplace stressors, mental wellness, and personal development.
ACCC staff have varied experience in the field of therapy, but I am most proud that at the thread of each staff member is a compassionate, authentic, and overall phenomenal human being that goes above and beyond to assist others.
Any shout-outs? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First shout out goes to God because he is the center of my world. Secondly, I have truly learned it takes a village to grow a business and my entire family has rallied around me for an insurmountable level of support and guidance along with many friends, peers, and clinical mentors. My past co–workers, supervisors, and my current ACCC family have also influenced me to strive for excellence and assist my community in advocating for mental health and propelling me to create a space that destigmatizes receiving mental health services. The range of assistance I have received from people has been humbling. I am honored to have the support of people that are authentically there for me to support me however and whenever needed.
Contact Info:
- Address: 601 University Dr Fort Worth, Texas 76107 Suite 112
- Phone: 817-330-9656
- Email: dredna@authenticcc.org
- Instagram: authenticcounselingandcoaching
- Facebook: Authentic Counseling and Coaching Center
- Twitter: AuthenticCouns
- Yelp: ekchism.wixsite.com
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