Today we’d like to introduce you to Keneisha Newland-Brathwaite.
Keneisha, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started working in social service field in 2002, specifically working with children who were removed from their biological parent(s) care due to neglect or abuse. Through this encounter, I realized that I was able to connect with children and families through an emotional level and truly be effective at helping them cope and grow in a difficult situation. I wanted to truly understand the workings of the mind and human development, so I enrolled in a Master’s program at Long Island University to study psychology. Later, I enrolled in another Master’s program, this time with Touro College School of Social Work because I wanted to learn more and connect with my clients on a different level. Through this experience, I was able to broaden my horizon and work with individuals in the homeless population, advocating for their housing and safety as well as with the Veteran male population, helping them learn coping skills to manage their addictions.
Through my employment, I simultaneously grew to manage a team that services youths in the community, by providing resources and access to people/places/things that normally would be out of reach. I continued on to work with children ages 7-14 who resided in a group home, helping to rehabilitate and reunify them with their family or find them a forever home. From this, I transitioned to working in a charter school with students ages 5 to 10, helping them to learn, identify and utilize coping skills. While in these various employment stages, I worked part-time in outpatient clinical settings, honing my clinical craft.
In 2019, I took a leap of faith and opened my own private practice, Serenity, Courage & Wisdom Counseling LLC. Through this platform, I predominately service clients through a virtual platform conducive to clients. Since then, I have continued to aid not only students and families in a school, but teens and adults in my private practice as well.
Great, 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?
Life is not a smooth road, if it were, the rewards would not be as sweet. Working two, sometimes three jobs, isn’t smooth. Definitely not with the populations I’ve served. There are times where you second guess yourself the choices you make, the advice you give–whether they are grounded in clinical skills or not. There are days where your family time is sacrificed because you have commitments to your clients. There are moments where you wonder why. However, as I stated, without these opportunities, the rewards would not be worth it.
Serenity, Courage & Wisdom Counseling – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Serenity, Courage & Wisdom Counseling provides individualized therapy, where I specialize in depression and anxiety disorders. We were founded in 2019 and have seen a steady growth in our clientele. Through recommendations along with our public listings, clients can successfully begin to start their therapy with us. As we target depression and anxiety, we are known for using a Christian approach with most clients, providing a non-judgmental atmosphere that is greatly appreciated and respected.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Proudest moment has to be the ability to see clients make big and small milestones. That is where I see value.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.serenitycouragewisdom.co
- Phone: 973.916.7842
- Email: bookings@serenitycouragewisdom.co
- Instagram: keneishabrathwaite
- Facebook: Serenity, Courage & Wisdom Counseling LLC
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