Meet Desireé Marion of Full Circle Wellness & Counseling, PLLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Desireé Marion.

Hi Desireé, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Desireé Marion and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist located here in Raleigh, NC. The story of how I found my way to Raleigh from the West Coast begins with a piece of paper, that my father told my brother and I write down our short-term and long-term goals on. I remember writing down the vision I had for my life and part of that vision entailed me attending college across the country, pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, becoming a therapist, and starting my private practice. What I didn’t know then is just how meaningful that piece of paper was going to be along the way.

Growing up, I often took an interest in Social Studies classes and enjoyed learning about humanity, relationships, culture, and community. I enjoyed learning about these concepts so much that eventually I signed up for AP Psychology my junior year of high school. My teacher inspired me to continue my studies in this field. So, when the time came, I recalled the piece of paper that mapped out my vision, and I applied for colleges on the East Coast. My freshman year I attended Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT as a Psychology Major then transferred the following year to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

My journey continued as I found ways to further immerse myself into the field through an internship at a Crisis Resource Center, where I supported families in need of shelter, helped clients to complete and file restraining order documentation, and facilitated support groups for both children and adults. I then applied to volunteer in a Psychology research lab on campus, and enrolled in both counseling skills and human development and family studies courses to further explore the career possibilities in the mental health field. It was then that I realized I wanted to specialize in Marriage and Family Therapy.

In May of 2015, I returned to the West Coast to attend graduate school, where I studied Marriage Couple and Family Therapy at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Graduate school was a journey in and of itself! It is my belief that in most therapy/counseling programs not only are you learning to hone in your clinical skills, YOU are also your FIRST CLIENT. Understanding your own psychology, relational skills, family dynamics, and intersectionality is a part of what we call Self-of-the-Therapist work; and it never stops as you continue your clinical work in the field.

After grad school, I worked in community mental health, where I facilitated mental health services to children, teens, and their families. As a community mental health therapist, I was required to conduct therapy in schools, homes, hospitals, juvenile correctional facilities, and at times in my own car. This may sound unorthodox from the typical depiction of therapy. You know, that stereotypical movie scene? There’s a therapist sitting in a chair, their glasses have been slid down their nose as they pensively scribble on a notepad occasionally asking, “How does that make you feel?” as their client is lying down on a couch. That was not at all what I was doing.

Community mental health was an opportunity for me to pour back into communities that did not have equitable access to care and resources. I wanted to continue to find ways supporting marginalized communities, while also holding onto to the vision I had written down for myself as a child on that piece of paper. It was then that I decided it was time to take a step back and re-evaluate how to realign with my dream.
I decided to return to North Carolina in 2019 for a reset, only to experience more setbacks than steps forward. I like to believe that things are always working for our good. I overcame a series of challenging transitions while transferring my therapy license to North Carolina from Oregon and navigated professional spaces that were misaligned with my vision. What helped me to stay grounded during this time were my family, friends and colleagues as well as being connected to two of the most amazing mentors and clinical supervisors I have had the pleasure of working with. Just as I was ready to throw in the towel and head back to the West Coast, their unwavering belief in my resilience helped me to finally move out of my own way and to allow the goals I wrote down over a decade ago to guide me toward launching my online private practice in August of 2021. I could not have done this without Divine Timing and the encouragement of those in my corner. I am excited to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Full Circle Wellness & Counseling, PLLC. It’s almost as if everything has truly come full circle.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Looking back, I would say that I have learned it is so important to believe in yourself. Often times I have allowed the narratives and expectations of others to impact the belief I had in my own abilities. One of my favorite motivational speakers, Lisa Nichols says, “If they cannot handle your light, don’t dim your light. Hand them some shades.” I learned that I could not live my life trying to please everyone else and that it was time to stop allowing others to project their own fears onto me.

Even with this lesson, it has been a challenge to get here. Many therapy programs do not provide training on how to run a private practice, let alone how to sustain a business. With the help of my supervisors, colleagues, and my AWESOME mother, I have been able to navigate the bumps in the road with a bit more grace than I would have without them. My mother, being a small business owner herself, has supported me in learning more about the ins and outs of creating a thriving business. I’ve also learned the importance of cultivating community in this field by networking to develop one’s own personal and professional circle. I have been able to not only pour into their lives but have received support and guidance on the clinical and ethical considerations that would go into establishing a private practice.

In addition to their assistance, I leaned into as many resources as I could find through social media, webinars, podcasts, and articles to support therapists in building their private practice. I still find myself encountering areas to grow in, but I have a phenomenal group of folks I regularly consult to help me along the way.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Full Circle Wellness & Counseling, PLLC?
Full Circle Wellness & Counseling PLLC offers Telehealth services to clients throughout North Carolina. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I specialize in working with teens (14-19), young adults, couples, and families, helping folks navigate relationship challenges, identity development, managing depression and anxiety, and grief and trauma.

Full Circle Wellness & Counseling, PLLC is a space to explore inner core beliefs and previously held narratives. It is also a place to learn how to tell your story differently to increase fulfillment in your relationships with others and yourself.

For many, this is the first time speaking with a mental health therapist, and the challenge has often been de-mystifying and de-stigmatizing the notion of receiving help. Together, clients and I re-story the narrative of “what happens in this house stays in this house” and begin to validate the need for intergenerational growth and healing. As a BIPOC therapist, my intention with Full Circle Wellness & Counseling, PLLC, has led me to improve access to care in areas where representation and equitable resources are lacking. I am most proud of the networking and partnerships Full Circle Wellness & Counseling, PLLC has made in the community with several non-profits and local therapists to expand and integrate mental health resources throughout the Greensboro, High Point, and Raleigh areas in North Carolina. Through these partnerships, we will continue cultivating programs and spaces that offer more access to quality mental health support.

What were you like growing up?
I believe that this profession was a Calling in my life. Growing up, ‘Empathy’ was like my middle name. I was known as the one who “gives good advice” in my friend groups, even though advice-giving is not what a therapist does. One would often see me at recess helping my peers to problem-solve or giving them space to vent.

If I wasn’t at recess trying to be a therapist, I could be found running around in my grandmother’s backyard with my brother and my cousins, exploring nature together or playing video games with my older brothers. I loved to read, so I have many memories of settling into the couch or laying on my bed and escaping into a good book after coming home from the library. I also enjoyed writing poetry and plays; some I even volunteered to present at my church. Looking back, I now see how theatre had become an outlet for me to learn how to use my voice during times when I didn’t have the skills to do so. Today, uplifting voices to be heard in spaces where they are otherwise silenced is what motivates me to create actionable change in my community. Full Circle Wellness & Counseling, PLLC’s mission is to create opportunities for authentic expression, embodied connection with oneself and others, and to empower folks to share their story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fcwcounseling.com
• Instagram: fullcircle_wc