Today we’d like to introduce you to Tunisia Buise.
Hi Tunisia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Growing up, I always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. I attended Baltimore City Public Schools before matriculating into college and then grad school. I received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and returned home to work for the Baltimore City Circuit Court. It is during my employment here and being connected with someone with a JD and MSW, that my interests aligned with the social work practice.
I must be honest, my initial thought of being a social worker went to CPS and removing children from their homes. I was given a broader view of all that the social work practice entailed and agreed that it was the path for me. I like to say, “Mervo birthed me, Clark Atlanta University raised me, and the University of Maryland School of Social Work sustained me.”
Once licensed in 2015, I immediately began working for an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic (OMHC) where I serviced a diverse population regarding various clinical concerns. A year later, I transitioned into Treatment Foster Care (TFC) while maintaining part-time employment with the OMHC. In these settings, I was able to hone my clinical skills and achieved many accolades for my astounding work for those served.
While working in TFC, I became a Certified Presenter, facilitating presentations at the national, state, and local levels. I also was a Field Instructor, supervising MSW students as they completed their internship with the agency. My clinical resume continued on, as I worked as a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program Director for another agency. At this agency, I was able to utilize more of my leadership and supervisory skills to aid in the flow of the agency.
Throughout my work experience, I noticed that my passion aligned mostly with the concerns of teenage girls and women. I acknowledged that I directly understood their challenges because I was or am them. I became aware of my own mental health concerns and that I was coping with them in an unhealthy way. I would just delve into work or help others to avoid the unpleasant feelings or the reality of what I was experiencing.
In 2020, I obtained my advanced social license, Licensed Certified Social Worker Clinical. In that same year, I launched my private practice, The BUISE Foundation. Yes, Buise is my last name, but it is also an acronym that boldly represents “Building Unity In Sisterhood Empowerment”.
Since meeting with my first client on May 11, 2020, my practice has grown to full capacity rapidly. It is a genuine pleasure to be a part of the transformation that Clients experience by committing to therapy sessions with me. I have created this platform to break the stigma and to bring forth awareness that “you are not alone” I am here to address the concerns of my clients and provide them with the necessary skills to be their best selves.
I strongly believe that they already have what it takes and I am just here to help them to uncover it. The BUISE Foundation is a telehealth private practice in the state of Maryland.
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?
Smooth road?! What’s that… LOL. It has been bumpy, hilly, and with cracks. To become a therapist, one must take a licensure exam. While in grad school, I took my first shot at the graduate level exam and did not pass. I took the test a total of three times and had to pay over $200 each time.
I wanted to give up and figured that I need to just go to law school. To own my practice and to be a supervisor, I had to take the advanced licensure exam. Once again, had to take that exam three times before being successful, paying each time. I presented with so much self-doubt and second-guessing if I am even qualified based on my attempts.
I received my LLC in February 2020 but did not advertise or promote myself due to fear. I was not sure that I wanted to be the face of practice because I am an introvert/extrovert (probably the Gemini in me LOL). There were many mishaps in the preparation of my practice and during. I did not understand insurance and there were times I had to refund Clients.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The BUISE Foundation empowers teenage girls and women in achieving their best selves through individual and family sessions, consisting of a mother and daughter. The goal is to remind us that adversity or difficult experiences do not define one’s abilities in achieving their fullest potential!
We do this by providing 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 disturbing 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 in her life. Our job is to support you in uncovering the layers to retrieve the results that you seek. We tailor treatment by using interventions that are specific to the presenting concern of the client and develop Individual Success Plans for treatment goals. The BUISE Foundation is founded on respect, integrity, and compassion! 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 towards their best self.
My specialty is working with clinical concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, low self-esteem, and more. What sets me apart from others is that I treat my clients with dignity and respect. I help them in knowing that what they have been through does not define who they are. I bring forth the awareness that vulnerability just shows their humanity and does not take anything from them.
I am most proud of my commitment and dedication to my brand, which has led to its continued growth. The BUISE Foundation goes beyond the “couch” and hosts speaking engagements and sells BUISE Brand Apparel.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I am hopeful that The BUISE Foundation will grow into a group practice to meet the needs of the increased clientele. I intend to bring forth other products that will be useful in the mission and beneficial to clients and buyers. My goal is to host events that promote empowerment of women and education on mental health awareness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebuisefoundation.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebuisefoundation
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebuisefoundation
