Today we’d like to introduce you to Tunisia Buise.
Hi Tunisia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I have always been outgoing and very talkative since childhood. Conduct interferes with learning, which is commonly mentioned on my report cards. It paid off, though! I have two sisters and am in the middle; we are all nine years apart! After high school graduation, I continued my studies at Clark Atlanta University, majoring in Political Science. My childhood career choice was to become a lawyer. I recall writing out courtroom skits as a child.
To this day, I still watch Judge Mathis at my leisure. I graduated from Clark Atlanta University with honors and was inducted as a Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society member. I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. I returned to Baltimore after graduation and began working for the local court system as an Administrative Assistant to a Judge. While there, my discovery within my passion grew, and I would network with several professionals in the legal field. In discussing my love, I soon discovered that my passion best aligned with the social work practice. I researched because my social work knowledge was minimal, and I was still determining if that career was the best option. I was wrong. My passion fit this profession, and I began my graduate studies at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. After 2.5 years of academics, I graduated with honors, obtaining a Masters in Social Work.
I succeeded in the licensure examination a year later, becoming a Licensed Graduate Social Worker. I worked in several settings post-grad school, including treatment foster care, an outpatient mental health center, and a psychiatric rehabilitation program. Those experiences provided a clear picture of my purpose: to own a private practice focusing on girls and women. In 2020, I passed the clinical licensure exam, providing me with full Maryland licensure as a licensed, certified social worker. The BUISE Foundation was birthed in May 2020 and began as a solo practice. After a year of training and the rapid growth of the business, I decided to expand to a group practice. The BUISE Foundation now stands with four Black Women therapists! In 2024, The BUISE Foundation has expanded its reach to serve girls and women in DC. But beyond my professional achievements, the greatest honor in my life is being a mother to my two-year-old son, Bryce. He brings immense joy to my life and serves as a constant reminder of why I do what I do. I am also a proud and active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where I find a supportive community and opportunities to give back.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth road? What’s that? Our challenges help us grow and learn. I would have achieved more in those trying times. When I entered college at Clark Atlanta University, I had insufficient funds to cover my first-year Spring semester. I could not understand why my mother would send me back to Atlanta after winter break when I had over a $5,000 balance. This taught me to advocate for myself and speak with the Financial Aid office about available options. I pitched that I received all A’s in my first semester and other factors to add value to my stance. I later received a scholarship that covered the entire balance and provided a refund! Each year, I received the Dean’s List Scholarship. In business, I felt defeated multiple times and questioned my ability to be an Owner and Therapist. I needed clarification about many logistics with business, made many mistakes, lost money, and more; however, those challenges brought forth resilience and persistence. One thing I will not do is give up on myself because I am aware that the obstacles I endure are temporary, and it is up to me how I react to them.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Buise Foundation?
The BUISE Foundation empowers teenage girls and women to achieve their best selves through individual and family sessions consisting of a mother and daughter. BUISE is not only the last name of our Founder & CEO. It is an acronym that boldly represents Building Unity In Sisterhood Empowerment! The goal is to remind us that adversity or difficult experiences do not define one’s abilities to achieve their fullest potential! We provide a safe space for clients to address their clinical concerns without judgment or bias. This practice believes in a strength-based perspective, in that Clients all possess various strengths despite their traumatic or highly disturbed experiences.
The Buise Foundation believes that every woman has the innate ability to discover the best solution for their current needs, as you are the expert of your life. Our job is to support you in uncovering the layers to retrieve the results you seek. We tailor treatment by using interventions specific to the client’s presenting concern and develop an Individual Success Plan for treatment goals. The BUISE Foundation is founded on respect, integrity, and compassion! Clinicians work within their expertise and are provided supervision as needed and required. Clients are provided with the necessary skills and tools in individual or family therapy sessions with a licensed mental health professional who is prepared to assist in transforming one’s achievement toward one’s best self. We welcome the opportunity to consult with you to determine our best fit. It is essential in our practice to ensure that our competence and skill level are best suited to provide you with quality treatment.
The BUISE Foundation is a growing practice that provides mental health treatment and engaging workshops. Workshops and Conferences are facilitated to unite a collective of sisters to create a comforting, safe space where your isolated experiences become a unified awareness that you are not alone! We will continue to spread knowledge regarding mental health concerns to alleviate its stigma and bring forth awareness. It is time that we unlearn the myths of mental health and therapy!
Our Motto is: Strengthening the BETTER You to Produce the BEST You!
The BUISE Foundation is where we ENCOURAGE, UPLIFT, and EMPOWER our Sisters!
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Silence the outside news! Believe in yourself. You are the only person standing in the way of you and your success! Remember that it does not matter how many people are doing what you are doing because no one will do it like you!
Pricing:
- We accept major insurances.
- Sliding fee scales are available.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebuisefoundation.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebuisefoundation
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebuisefoundation
