Today we’d like to introduce you to Kemba Mason.
Hi Kemba, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
For many years I knew my passion was to assist couples who are dealing with difficult issues, but fear kept me from truly doing what I felt God was calling me to do. This transition would require me to not only complete my undergraduate degree but also a graduate degree. I was a 37-year-old wife, mother of two, and working full-time in the dental field for over 13 years. My initial though was before I could even dive into this new career path, I have to complete approximately 4 years of undergraduate and 2 years of graduate schooling in addition to a 1-year internship; no way! As I began praying about it, all I could hear was God saying, “not your will, but my will,” and that’s when my journey to become a licensed therapist began! I understood that I had to continue being a wife, mother of two and work full time, but the difference was that I had to have faith in God as to how this was going to work for me and my family. It wasn’t an easy task, and I found myself feeling depleted many nights. What kept me going was my faith in God and the support of my awesome husband and kids. At times I wanted to quit, I felt it was too much. I didn’t have it in me, after working all day, to come home and write another paper or take another test! When I had those days, and believe me, I had plenty, my husband would look at me and say, “You got this” and “We are so proud of you.” My family was my motivation; I wanted to show my children that it’s never too late. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Psychology in three years, and right after, I received my MA in Professional Counseling in two years! After completion of my internship and successfully completing my board exam, a few months later, I was able take on the title of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate! Currently, I have my own private practice located in the Wake Forest area. As a couple/marriage therapist, I have the honor of helping couples heal from their traumatic experiences. I specialize in affair recovery, intimate partner betrayal, and relationship repair.
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?
There were many challenges along my journey. One of the biggest challenges was questioning my abilities, the well-known case of imposter syndrome. I wrestled with feeling incapable, which brought along a lot of fear and anxiety. Self-doubt and feeling incompetent controlled my productivity. Ultimately, this kept me from being the therapist I knew I could be, and most importantly, the therapist that God called me to be. I have to admit, at times these distorted thoughts still continue to reveal themselves. Presently, I’ve grown to understand that these feelings aren’t facts. I don’t discount the realness of what I’m feeling in that moment, but I do understand that these feelings aren’t reality. I also had to figure out how to balance being a wife, mother, friend, full-time employee, and student, opening a new practice, and taking care of self. My initial plan was “no plan.” I told myself, of course, I could balance everything, “I’m a superwoman!” After realizing I had nothing to give to the most important people in my life, my husband and children, I had to decide, do I want to continue wearing the “superwoman” badge of honor or do I want to have the capacity to properly invest in what’s most important to me, my family. So, I began to create balance in my everyday life by understanding what is important and what isn’t; this allowed me to game plan where I need to invest my time and energy and learning how to say “no.”
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
As a couple/marriage therapist, I have the honor of helping couples heal from their traumatic experiences. I specialize in affair recovery, intimate partner betrayal, and relationship repair. Having a healthy marriage is the foundation of creating a healthy family dynamic. My goal is to help couples find strength to endure the pain, learn to acknowledge losses, wrestle through forgiveness, and finally build hedges around their renewed relationship. What sets me apart from others is that I focus on healing rather than teaching couples a new communication skill. I believe couples have to first understand on a deeper level what truly brought them to therapy. After understanding takes place the couple can then begin the healing process. Finally, upon healing, they are now able to grow a healthy relationship. Not perfect, but healthy. I tell couples all the time we are the relational examples for our children. If we’re presenting a healthy relationship, they can then grow up and create their own healthy relationships. This is how we can impact the world! This is one domino effect that I am proud to be part of!
We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking.
My view on risk taking is that it’s scary and I don’t like it. Who wants to be a part of the unknown, not me! But I also understand that without risk, you lessen your chance to reach your full potential. For me, I had to truly rely on my faith in regards to taking risk. I was so afraid to take that leap and open my own private practice. I felt like that was for the “go-getters,” the “driven beyond measure” team of people. I’m a therapist that just wants to see clients. For me, risk-taking had to consist of what God believed I was capable of, not what I felt I was capable of. If that was the case, I’d probably still be in the dental field where I was comfortable and getting a steady paycheck. Opening my own practice would mean the success and/or failure of the practice was all on me. In order for me to take this risk, I began to think about the many examples of God showing me that he has always been by my side through this entire journey. That’s when I recognized I’m not in control; he is. I also had the support, and at times tough love, from my husband and kids, when I got into my head with thoughts of “I can’t do this.” So, my perspective is still the same, it is scary, and I don’t like it, but I refuse to allow that to control me from reaching my fullest potential.
Contact Info:
- Website: kmasoncounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kmasoncounseling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masonkemba
