Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Shanelle Fields. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Dr. Shanelle Fields is a native of Florence, South Carolina. Her education includes a BA in English Education from College of Charleston, a Masters in School Counseling from the Citadel Military College, and a Ph.D. in Human Services and Counseling from Capella University. For the last 18 years, she has been a middle and high school English teacher and a Professional school counselor. In November 2018, she completed her supervision to become an LPC and has opened a private practice in Summerville. Dr. Shanelle works to help others who are struggling with issues of self-esteem, grief, anxiety, and depression. Due to her love of education and counseling, she has given many presentations, speeches, and motivational messages to encourage others. Her proudest accomplishment is raising her son as a single parent, working full-time and completing her doctorate. Dr. Fields knows what it is to be in a “stuck place.” In July 2021, Dr. Fields wrote a #1 Amazon Bestselling Book entitled “I Am Enough.” This book is self-reflection and motivation for women and young ladies who are feeling undervalued and passed over. More recently, she became an International Bestseller for being a co-author of the book entitled “Women Motivated by Purpose.” This anthology seeks to motivate others to live life with purpose.
Her mottos are “Every day you have the chance to change two people’s lives, yours and someone else’s and to always remember You Are Enough! If you would like to connect with Dr. Shanelle, she can be emailed at takingthe1ststep31@gmail.com. Her practice website is www.takingthefirststep.net
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No, I don’t think a smooth road exists if you are human. Life has definitely had some bumps and obstacles. There have been struggles and trials.
I had to learn how to respond to situations without losing my cool. I had to learn it is the response to things that counts. I had to understand that everything doesn’t warrant attention. I had to be intentional about who I let take up space in my life because it affected everything else.
Being a single mother is not for the faint at heart! It requires you to parent for 2 people and to really understand and know your child (ren). Due to being the only parent in the house and having only 1 income, it is very easy to get overwhelmed and my son received some of my frustrations. Being a loving parent says that I mess up sometimes. I would have to say I am sorry for reacting that way and be able to admit my wrongdoing. Children don’t come with instruction manuals. So, it is an active every day intentional process to parent positively and to break generational traumas and cycles.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Taking the First Step Counseling & Educational Services, LLC?
I love the work I do. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, and I work with adolescents and adults ages, 11-59, in the areas of grief, self-esteem, trauma, anxiety, and depression. My niche is helping women become empowered, adequate, confident, and to feel they are enough. Through my work as a therapist, a mom, a woman, and playing many roles, I penned a motivational book entitled I Am Enough, and it seeks to restore the best version of oneself.
As a therapist, speaker, and mental health advocate, I urge my clients, as well as other communities at large to pay attention to their mental health and to ensure it is being nurtured daily, often, and much. My platform seeks to bring awareness to self-care and how we play so many roles, we often forget who we are without all the titles. I provide suggestions for self-care that don’t cost money but time and the ability to say NO to doing more and yes to loving yourself more. After all, if you don’t have anything for yourself, what are you giving your family, your job, your friends, your organizations, your life? My motto is Self-Care is a Necessity, Not an Inconvenience.
African American communities have been at a disadvantage in regards to mental health treatment. To combat this disparity, I founded The Healing Group, which is a mental health directory of mental health professionals of color across the state of SC that is growing in awareness and the number of clinicians. My thought was to let others know we are not unicorns and black clinicians do exist! Check out our website @ www.thehealinggrp.com
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The mental health industry is experiencing its 2nd pandemic, along with the Coronavirus, as the need for services have tripled in numbers. There are so many telehealth platforms that offer services, new organizations, and private practices popping up everywhere to try and meet the demand for the need of therapy and counseling. I anticipate this demand will grow even larger within the next decade, as people began to realize that nothing beats having peace in your life and life is too short to be unhappy!
Pricing:
- I Am Enough paperback – $15,00 (Found on Amazon)
- Women Motivated by Purpose paperback- $20.00 (found on Amazon)
- Check out website for consulting, presentations, and therapy sessions.
Contact Info:
- Email: takingthe1ststep31@gmail.com
- Website: www.takingthefirststep.net; www.thehealinggrp.com
