Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrienne Wise, LPC,CCTP.
Hi Adrienne, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
On the surface, I am an international keynoter, emotional wellness expert, and trauma-informed care specialist. I have over 15 years of professional experience in the behavioral health industry. I am now on a mission to impact audiences and train individuals, corporations, and organizations worldwide on how to eradicate stigma around mental health, and build resilience, compassion, and mentally and emotionally healthy workplaces and environments. But, beneath the surface, I come from a family of diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health issues inclusive of substance abuse and unfortunately, some who do not believe that they have challenges, which only made things more difficult for us. So that is the source of my inspiration to want to work in the mental health field.
Interestingly, I originally wanted to be a singer, and discovered I had a “voice” when I began singing and performing professionally for audiences when I was 10 years old. However, I began to develop other ways to use my “voice” to heal others.
I have always enjoyed training and educating people about mental health or mental health-related topics. Many of my clients shared how I was able to reduce their stigma around mental health because of how I am able to normalize thoughts and feelings, and basically find a common ground with them. So, I learned I had many versions of a “voice” and it’s through singing, speaking, training, and being a therapist and all of this is with a purpose to heal and not feel ashamed of the challenges that one may have.
Alright, 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?
In 2012 I tragically lost my father to a drug overdose (but was labeled as a heart attack; another example of family denial). I was a key person at my job and despite my grieving, there was a lack of understanding of my inability to work, therefore, I decided to leave that job. Thankfully, I have had wonderful job experiences since then, including in 2019 when my mother had a major stroke and I became her caregiver, my employer was completely understanding and supported me for months until I was able to return to work.
However, some of my colleagues over the years have not been as fortunate, and I have noticed that there was a trend within leadership in not knowing how to see or deal with their staff as “people first”. This led me to the passion of not only public speaking, but also just being a guide for current and future leaders on how to develop stronger businesses by ensuring that the foundation, from policies and procedures, to service delivery, are trauma-informed.
We’ve been impressed with Wise Choice Counseling and Consulting Services, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Wise Choice Counseling and Consulting Services is a counseling and consulting practice. We specialize in Leadership, Emotional Wellness, Trauma, and Trauma-Informed Care. We are planning to launch a virtual group practice for counseling services sometime around mid-2023. This service will work with the entire lifespan as young as 2 years old and up. As for the consulting side, I help individuals, teams, and businesses build a resilient and compassionate trauma-informed leadership foundation. We also provide training and workshops, and I am an international speaker.
Most proud of: Certifications: Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Featured on Total Praise Radio News Media Outlet, several publications such as Daily Journal, Nebraska News, and Tap-In Magazine, and of course Voyage Baltimore!
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is a thing of perception. I feel as if “Success” is defined by the goals an individual sets for themselves. An 18 year old unranked tennis player losing in the semifinals of the US Open, will view their tournament as much more of a success, than a 33 year old world number 1 who loses in the finals, even though they made it further in the tournament, and will earn more prize money than the 18 year old. One of the most common statements I make is “count your wins” and this is no matter the subject, the size, or the frequency. At the same token, as we see with the tennis example, there is an instance in life where what would be considered a win or success for one person, is considered a loss or a failure for another. So as they say, “Perception is Key”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.
wisechoicecounseling.com - Instagram: @wise_choicellc
- Facebook: wisechoicellc
- Twitter: @wise_choicellc
- Youtube: @adriennewise
Image Credits
Myron Fields
