Today we’d like to introduce you to Monifa Battle-Carpenter.
Monifa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always worked in career fields where I provided service to others. It was my legacy as a third generation educator, I was always supporting others with growing, developing and improving their lives.
I am currently working as a professional school counselor for Prince George’s County Public Schools which began August 2001. I enjoy my role as a school counselor but always felt the need to do more from a mental health perspective. After completing my doctoral studies in 2014 my interest grew stronger to support the mental health community in a different way. At the beginning of 2016, I decided to do research on how to become a licensed therapist in the state of Maryland. I contacted the appropriate agencies and took the necessary steps to begin the process by March 2017, I was working with clients (children, teens and adults) at Expanding Growth Counseling and Wellness, LLC as a licensed graduate professional counselor (LGPC) and receiving supervision to obtain my hours for full licensure.
I did in-person counseling/ therapy in the evenings because I served as a school counselor during the day. When the pandemic came in March 2020 my colleague closed the office and we began conducting all our sessions online (telehealth). My colleague made the decision to explore new career opportunities in 2021, so I had to cultivate a plan that would allow me to continue serving my clients. This lead me to opening own telehealth therapy practice which I started in January 2022, it has been one of the best career decisions I have ever made. I appreciate the autonomy of creating my own schedule, working from my home office but most of all meeting with clients from all walks. I am currently working part-time because of my school counseling career but as retirement quickly approaches I will be serving as a full time therapist soon.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road was not smooth in the beginning process of opening my therapy practice, but it grows and improves daily. The obstacles came when I had to research ways to market my practice as a solo practitioner, panel with insurance companies and maintain my practice effectively while working full time as a school counselor. The biggest struggle was becoming credentialed with insurance companies because you must wait a few months before accepting insurance from clients. This meant interrupting the treatment of the clients, which was concerning for me. I would be worrying if they would obtain services from another therapist. Hoping and praying the work we had done would sustain them during my transition.
During this time my mother began to have health challenges, which required my siblings and I to become caregivers. We had to support my mother by transporting her to doctor’s appointments, household chores, grocery shopping, cooking, etc. while supporting my own family. As a woman of faith, I continued to be consistent with my spiritual practices and lean on my support system. I was also diligent in contacting insurance agencies regularly to check on my status. I continued to research ways to market my practice in order to increase my caseload and consult with other clinicians.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Battle’s Counseling Services, LLC?
I am a licensed clinical professional counselor, and a board approved clinical supervisor both for the state of Maryland. I provide individual telehealth counseling services to teenagers and adults. I also provide clinical supervision/consultation for licensed graduate professional counselors who are working towards obtaining clinical hours to become fully licensed counselors. I specialize in grief, depression and anxiety. In my therapy practice, I use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which focuses on changing unhealthy thinking and behavior patterns in order to improve emotional well being. I enjoy reading and share my love for reading with clients by incorporating bibliotherapy as a tool to support clients on their healing journey.
In my work as a clinical supervisor, I conduct individual and group supervision with licensed graduate professional counselors that are working toward full licensure. I facilitate, collaborate, and consult with them on case conceptualization, individual/group development, clinical approaches, cultural responsiveness and communication, ethics, etc.
The work with my supervisees is inspiring, encouraging and motivating because of the robust collaboration that occurs during our sessions.
I am most proud of my work with teenagers because I admire their courage to take the necessary steps to make their lives better. I love seeing their smiles and faces light up when they have a new awareness about themselves, such as reclaiming their voice, rediscovering joy, applying healthy boundaries, techniques/strategies, etc. to accomplish their therapy goals.
I believe what sets me apart is my compassion, empathetic nature, no-nonsense approach, honesty (gentle but firm), humor, consistent collaboration and accountability. Additionally, creating a safe space with every client on my caseload.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory was going to visit my maternal grandparents. I grew up in DC, and they lived in Temple Hills, Maryland which seem far away…lol. When my siblings and I went to visit we would always be greeted with hugs, treats, gifts, etc. My grandparents were always welcoming and genuinely happy to spend time with us. They were family focused and community oriented, they opened their home often to family/friends that needed somewhere to stay, such as cousins in college, family members or friends relocating to the area, etc. We spent holidays at their house particularly, Thanksgiving and Christmas were always special for my family. My grandfather was considered the family historian, so I got to hear stories, view pictures, films and videos about my family. It was always my safe space, it was the one place in my life where I was always seen, heard and loved unconditionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.battlescounselingservices.net
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/332409
