Today we’d like to introduce you to Umeka Wright.
Hi Umeka , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story really started with a heart for helping people feel seen, supported, and whole. I have always been drawn to work that allows me to serve others, especially in spaces where people are carrying pressure, responsibility, or expectations that they do not always know how to talk about.
Over time, that passion led me into the mental health field and eventually to founding Making It Wright Counseling & Consulting. The name is personal to me, of course, because Wright is my last name, but it also represents the heart of the work. It is about helping people make things right within themselves, their families, their mindset, and their emotional wellness.
My journey has included many different roles. I am a therapist, educator, mental health advocate, wife, mother, and leader, and First Lady within my church community. Each of these roles has shaped the way I serve and the way I show up for people. Professionally, I serve as the Director of Student and Employee Wellness for a local school district, and through my private practice and consulting work, I support athletes, high-achieving performers, educators, leaders, and families. A major part of my work focuses on helping athletes and performers understand that their mental health matters just as much as their performance.
I got to where I am today through faith, consistency, education, and a lot of real-life experience. I know what it feels like to balance family, leadership, purpose, and personal growth. Because of that, I do not just approach therapy from a clinical lens. I approach it from a human lens. I believe people need safe spaces where they can be honest, build resilience, and learn how to prioritize their mental wellness without shame.
Making It Wright has grown from an idea into a brand and business that allows me to educate, counsel, consult, speak, and advocate for mental health in meaningful ways. My goal has always been to help people understand that healing is possible, growth is possible, and you do not have to lose yourself while trying to show up for everyone else.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it has not always been a smooth road, but I can honestly say every season has helped shape who I am today.
One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to balance all the different roles I carry. I am a wife, mother of six, therapist, educator, wellness leader, business owner, and First Lady within my church community. Each role is meaningful, but each one also requires time, presence, and emotional energy. There have been seasons where I had to learn how to pour into others without forgetting to care for myself.
Another challenge has been building a business while still serving in full-time leadership. Making It Wright Counseling & Consulting did not happen overnight. It has taken consistency, faith, patience, and a willingness to keep showing up even when the process was slow. There were moments when I had to remind myself that purpose does not always move fast, but it does move forward.
I have also had to grow through the pressure of being a high-achieving person myself. When you are used to showing up for everyone else, it can be easy to carry expectations quietly. That is part of what makes this work personal for me. I understand what it means to lead, serve, perform, and still need space to breathe.
They also made me a better therapist and advocate because my understanding of mental health and wellness does not just come from a textbook. It comes from real life, leadership, motherhood, faith, service, and learning how important balance, boundaries, and support truly are.
As you know, we’re big fans of Making It Wright Counseling & Consulting. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Making It Wright Counseling & Consulting is a mental health and wellness brand created to support high-achieving performers in strengthening their mindset, navigating pressure, and creating balance so they can thrive both in performance and in life.
Through compassionate counseling, consulting, speaking, education, and intentional wellness practices, we provide the tools, clarity, and support needed to help individuals build resilience, restore confidence, and sustain success at a high level.
A major part of my work focuses on athletes and high-achieving performers, but that also includes leaders, educators, executives, creatives, and anyone who is constantly expected to show up, perform, produce, or lead. I am known for helping people understand that success and struggle can exist at the same time. Many high-achieving people are praised for being strong, disciplined, and driven, but they are not always given space to talk about pressure, anxiety, burnout, identity, confidence, or the emotional weight that comes with carrying high expectations.
What sets Making It Wright apart is the heart behind the work. I combine clinical support with real-life understanding. My approach is shaped by my experience as a therapist, educator, wellness leader, mother, wife, First Lady, and advocate. I understand mental health and wellness from both a professional and personal lens, and that helps me create spaces where people feel safe, supported, and challenged to grow.
Brand wise, I am most proud that Making It Wright has become more than a counseling practice. It has become a platform for mental health awareness, education, advocacy, and meaningful conversations. Whether I am working with a client, speaking to a team, presenting to educators, consulting with an organization, or creating content online, the mission remains the same: to help people prioritize their mental health, protect their peace, and learn how to thrive without losing themselves in the process.
I want readers to know that Making It Wright is for people who are ready to grow, but also need a safe place to start. We offer counseling, consulting, speaking, workshops, and mental health education with a special focus on athletes, high-achieving performers, families, schools, and organizations. At the heart of the brand is the belief that success should not cost you your mental health.
What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are centered around growth, impact, and expanding the reach of Making It Wright Counseling & Consulting. I want to continue building a brand that helps high-achieving performers, especially athletes, leaders, educators, and executives, understand that mental health is not separate from success. It is part of sustaining it.
One of the things I am most excited about is continuing to expand my work with athletes, including cheerleaders, dancers, and other high-achieving performers, along with the organizations that support them. Whether they are on the field, court, mat, stage, or in leadership roles, high-achieving performers often carry pressure that others do not always see. I want to continue providing counseling, consulting, workshops, and mental health education that helps them navigate performance anxiety, burnout, confidence, identity, and life balance in a way that feels real, relatable, and practical.
I am also looking forward to growing as a speaker and consultant. I want Making It Wright to continue entering rooms where conversations about mental health, leadership, wellness, and performance need to happen. Whether that is with schools, teams, churches, businesses, or community organizations, my goal is to create spaces where people feel informed, supported, and empowered to take care of themselves.
Another big part of my future is completing my doctoral journey December 2026. My dissertation focuses on the mental health effects of competitive sports on college athletes, specifically around anxiety, depression, and burnout. This work connects deeply with my purpose and continues to strengthen the way I serve athletes, performers, coaches, and organizations.
Overall, I am looking forward to continuing to grow Making It Wright into a trusted mental health and wellness brand that offers counseling, consulting, speaking, education, and resources for those who are constantly expected to perform, lead, and produce. The vision is bigger than where we are now, and I am excited about what is ahead.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.makingitwright.com
- Instagram: MakingitWright
- Facebook: Making It Wright Counseling
- LinkedIn: Umeka Wright- https://www.linkedin.com/in/umeka-wright-m-a-lpc-89995255/
- Twitter: Makingitwright_
