Nurturing Wellness and Advocacy: Personal Reflections and Professional Insights into Mental Health, Culture, and Empowerment. Reflections written by
Joi McGowan LPC
The Healing Journey: Insights from Amani Counseling & Co.
Afraid but not stuck…
Fear can be loud, but it doesn’t have the final say. When it rises, I turn to compassion, faith, and my people—the ones who remind me that fear doesn’t own me. I’m learning that I can never fail at being me. Read more here.
If I were your therapist I would tell you…
Rest isn’t something we earn—it’s something we need to survive and thrive. Learning to rest begins with feeling safe enough to slow down, breathe, and trust that we are held. Even in a world that pushes constant hustle, we can reclaim rest as an act of healing and liberation. Read more here.
Postpartum continues
Postpartum has looked different after each of my four babies—filled with beauty, exhaustion, fear, and healing. This time, I’m learning to honor my body, ask for help, and see myself as whole again. From shedding hair to shedding shame, I’m embracing recovery with softness and strength. Read more here.
FRIENDSHIP
Friendship as an adult, especially as a busy Black woman, can be challenging yet deeply meaningful. I’m learning to quiet my anxiety, trust the love of my friends, and honor boundaries without taking them personally. True friendship reminds me that I am whole, loved, and never alone. Read more here…
This is my protest…
This is my protest… This is my everyday protest. To be in my body. To be fully present. To live, to love, to laugh, to cry, to rage, to heal, to breathe. To be fully alive in this body. This is my everyday protest…
More than a Mother… I am worthy…
More than a mother. I am more than just a mom. I have been learning to honor all the different parts of me. Working to come back to whats at my core. Understanding that my core, my purpose is what is left if I could never do therapy again. What’s left of me? There’s more than just being a mom. There’s compassion, leadership, hopefulness, joy, and so much more

