When The Race Therapist Domenique Harrison, MPH, LMFT, LPCC started her professional career, she was working in community care & crisis management facilitating educational events and creating planning responses to disaster emergencies. She has always had a heart for community learning, health, & wellness.
Now, for over 10 years, she has professionally and personally helped folks build awareness, become transformed through their racial histories and identity stories, know their body-mind connection, have healthy conversations, and own the impact of their words and actions rather than their intentions.
Her mission as a race and relationships therapist is to see as many people become an expert at having more conscious and direct conversations that center their identities, connect their minds and bodies, and consider their history.
What makes your approach unique?
I provide therapy at the intersection of race and relationships, which means that folks who work with me learn how our intergenerational our histories and relationship patterns impact their current communication & connection challenges. Once we know more about our individual identities and community narratives, we can relate flexibly, grow steadily, and communicate thoughtfully with our partners, family, & peers. Everyone should be able to connect to their racial histories, relational patterns, and community truths with the learning styles that make them feel affirmed and heard.
I also use a Decolonizing, Black Feminist, Relational, and Anti-Oppressive lens.
Domenique Harrison, MPH, LMFT, LPCC
Anti-oppressive — Oppression exists in our society. Acknowledging it and exploring ways to lessen its impact on an individual, institutional, and systemic level with folks is a must.
Black Feminist — Black womxn are inherently valuable. The mental and physical liberation of Black womxn can and will lead to the liberation of all folks experiencing marginalization.
Decolonizing — Colonization happened, and we live in the aftermath of its violence, power hoarding, cultural erasure, and dehumanizing practices. Grounding folks in this truth leads to greater curiosity, critical thinking, and flexibility.
Relational — Our relationships shape who we are, what we think, and how we live. Building healthy relationships will lead to healthy and restored individuals.
We believe self care starts with self love. Name some self-love practices that are truly meaningful and effective.
- Creating affirmations and celebrating your unique physical/mental/spiritual/relational qualities.
- Identifying, Acknowledging, and Honoring the unique things you love/value/cherish about yourself.
- Learning Self Compassion and giving yourself grace for mistakes made, guilt felt, and more.
- Cultivating greater self-awareness: learning how your body & mind respond to person/places/things and how to give yourself the best chance for change and growth.
- Setting healthy boundaries
Do you believe in work-life balance? If so, how do you maintain it?
I do believe in a work-life balance. However, It requires daily dedication because, as a new solo therapy private practice owner and a consultant, certain seasons require more work than others. I am grateful that the work I do feels mission-aligned, but the first question you should ask yourself is, am I a “work to live” or a “live to work” person? Once clear on that, creating a life that leads you to do more mission/vision work or a life that leads you to explore adventure and live a big life can both be rewarding.
Currently, my work-life balance currently looks like me — having ample time during the day to devote multiple hours of walking, leisure reading, working out, and sit-down meals. It also looks like having a rest day during the week, connecting to my communities multiple times a week, not experiencing guilt for choosing to care for my health, taking rest, or saying yes to play when I need and yearn for it.
What is your proudest business accomplishment?
Starting my therapy practice that invites people to communicate more openly, live consciously, honor their identities & stories, share their needs directly, and challenge limiting individual and community norms.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
My best piece of advice is to not shy away from asking for help and strategic support. Find a supportive mentor who can come alongside you, be a sounding board for innovative ideas, and champion you, your successes, and your ideas. Doing what you love with a community of support can be incredibly rewarding.
Learn more:
Website: https://theracialequitytherapist.com/