Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenyatta Black.
Hi Kenyatta, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I didn’t set out to be a therapist or a business owner. I set out to make rent.
Right after college, I landed my first corporate job as a contractor inside Verizon during the GTE + Bell Atlantic merger, translation: layoffs on repeat. I was the youngest on the team, balancing five-digit invoices in accounts payable, learning fast that HR protects the company and office politics are very real. One day I was so sure I was getting fired that I handed a coworker my passwords; instead, they promoted me. That was my first leadership lesson: sometimes you’re accidentally in charge.
Watching wave after wave of layoffs made me rethink everything. People had always come to me for real talk, so when Prairie View A&M launched a pilot counseling program in Dallas, I jumped. I took a pay cut to learn the work at MHMR, then trained on Timberlawn’s Trauma Unit.
In 2012, my body hit the brakes. A sudden illness landed me in the ICU, writing on a dry-erase board to communicate. I recovered over the next year. One walk, one mile, one breath at a time and promised myself I’d rebuild with boundaries.
In 2014, I did. I returned to private practice lean and intentional: anchor income through foster agencies, subleasing office space to keep overhead low, and becoming an LPC Supervisor as a third stream. I put my policies in writing, protected my calendar (daytime sessions only), and separated care from collections so I could be present in the room and keep the lights on after it.
Along the way, relationships opened doors: classmates who pushed me to master the craft, supervisors who pulled me into the right rooms, colleagues who became lifelong friends. Community has been the constant.
Today I run KBC Therapy & Wellness in Arlington, Texas. We specialize in trauma and couples work. Our focus areas include couples rebuilding after betrayal, adults healing childhood trauma, and Black women in leadership navigating high expectations without burning out.
Entrepreneurship wasn’t the plan; it was the path that gave me agency. I built a practice that fits real life. Boundaries first, then everything else.
If my story has a theme, it’s this: use what tried to break you as a blueprint. Build where you are, pace yourself, and lead on purpose.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No! LOL. My path was bumpy. Corporate layoffs, a missed GRE cutoff, and a crash-course in inpatient trauma shaped my early career. In 2012 I spent weeks in the ICU with no insurance and a year recovering. When I came back, I rebuilt lean: foster-care contracts, subleased space, and supervision as a third stream. The hardest parts were unsexy enforcing “no evenings,” sticking to admin days, and learning that friendship ≠ business fit. Those challenges pushed me to design a practice with real guardrails: clear policies, protected time, and systems that keep me present with clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about KBC Therapy & Wellness?
At KBC, we specialize in providing therapy that’s real, relatable, and rooted in compassion. I started this practice because I’ve lived through loss, transition, and change. I wanted to build the kind of space I wish I had when I needed support.
We work with individuals, teens, and couples, and we’re especially good at helping people who are high-functioning on the outside but carrying a lot on the inside. If you’re trying to keep it together at work, at home, and in your relationships we see you. Our therapists are trained, talented, and down-to-earth. We don’t just sit and nod. We listen, we ask the right questions, and we help people move forward.
What sets us apart? Our clients say it best: “Y’all get it.” We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. We take the time to understand you, your story, your culture, and your goals and then we walk with you through the hard stuff.
I’m proud that this started as a solo practice and has grown into a team that’s helped thousands of people heal, grow, and feel more like themselves again. Whether you’re just curious or you know it’s time to talk to someone, we’re here. We offer both in-person and virtual sessions, and we meet you where you are.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Start small, but start smart. Don’t wait until everything is “perfect”, that day won’t come. You’ll learn more by doing than by overthinking. Take messy action and clean it up as you go.
I wish someone had told me how lonely entrepreneurship could feel at times especially in mental health. You’re trying to build something meaningful while also holding space for other people. That’s not easy. So build your support system early. Find people who get it. Don’t isolate yourself.
I also wish I’d known how important it is to understand the business of what you’re doing. You can be the best therapist or creative or service provider in the world, but if you don’t understand systems, money, and marketing your gift won’t go as far as it could. And that’s not a mindset thing, that’s logistics.
The truth is, the early days can be scrappy. You may wear 14 hats. That’s normal. Just don’t wear them forever. As soon as you can, outsource. Automate. Delegate. Trust yourself and trust the process, even when it’s slower than you hoped.
And finally: protect your energy. Especially if you’re in a helping profession. You are the brand, the service, the voice, the face and you can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of you first.
Pricing:
- We Accept Most Insurance
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kenyattablacklpc.com
- Instagram: kenyatta.black.counseling
