Today we’d like to introduce you to Colette McLeod
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
For me:
If you ask my family, what I do professionally just makes sense. I’m a licensed therapist by training and have lived a life of supporting the healing of others.
If you ask my friends, that I teach and facilitate workshops makes sense. Periodically called ‘Doctor,’ The Professor, and “an old soul” from the age of 7 years old, it seemed like an inevitable – and thoroughly enjoyable – part of what I’d contribute to the world.
If you ask the people who have engaged with me how I do what I do, they would say my mind works in a very unique way. My vision is expansive. And I do well with taking a lot of information and structuring it into something that makes sense. From large external concepts, like learning programs, applications, and literature to large internal concepts like integrating modern and ancient medicine to support healing within the mind, body, and soul.
If you ask me, the gifts that were naturally present plus what I’ve been able to acquire have been paired with learning how to quiet the noise of the world and really be present with my own inner voice and guidance far beyond me. And it’s made me who I am.
For the program I’m representing:
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor by trade and have been in the field for over a decade. A dear friend of mine – Diazina Mobley – is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been doing this work for over 20 years. We didn’t meet in a clinical setting. We met in heart and soul-centered community. Over the years we noticed a couple of things.
1. Was our heart to support other mental health professionals because we are so needed.
2. Was our gratitude about what has kept us within the healing field for 10 and 20 years.
3. Was the desire to let other mental health professionals know… there is another way! Burnout, self-sacrifice, and unending turnover do not have to be our stories.
In what has become a staple of our friendship, Diazina and I got together one day and really visioned into something that we had never seen before. We envisioned creating a program – for all mental health professionals – that was centered around our wellness and well-being. A program that didn’t just talk about there being another path but provided navigation through facilitations, providing resources, and creating a community that solely focused on mental health professionals attending to their own wellness and soul work. Deeper still, we wanted to make clear our right and responsibility to wellness so we did not frame it as ‘professional wellness for the sake of the people we serve’. That is a beautiful by-product but we are very keen on that not being the intention. The intention is to support mental health professionals caring for themselves so they can give from a place of overflow.
As I’ve mentioned, we believe in visioning into solutions and opportunities that we haven’t seen before. So we also visioned having a scholarship for qualified supervision that we could offer to Registered Clinical Social Worker Interns, Registered Mental Health Counselor Interns, and Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Interns. This scholarship covers 2.5 hours of supervision per month for up to 2 years. It gives Registered Interns who are receiving supervision within their jobs a place they can work through what they need to without concern of how it may impact their jobs (their supervisors are often the ones signing their paychecks). The scholarship also provides financial relief for Registered Interns (like myself) that must pay for qualified supervision out of pocket. Many people don’t realize, after graduating with our Masters Degrees we are required to complete a minimum of 2 years Qualified Supervision prior to becoming licensed. (For reference the average cost of this supervision out of pocket is about $10,000. This is separate from any student loans that may be due.)
Anyhow, after visioning into it and discussing it, we had a moment where we expressed this program potentially being too wild to submit. At one point “there is no way they pick us” was said. We shrugged and wrote the proposal anyway. After completing the process including an in person pitch presentation, received funding from AdventHealth for the initial 3-year pilot!
It has been incredible. The number of people who express having come alive and feeling reinvigorated is heartwarming. From the webinars to the retreats, it offers space for people who are often caring for others to care for themselves. The reviews and surveys, the phone calls and emails, communicate a deep breath and relief that there is another option out there. And that there are people who do this work long term and still feel connected to it while being empowered and supporting wellness within their own lives.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Most things have been really smooth. Our facilitations, having some kind sponsors who have helped us keep costs down, awarding around half of our scholarships. Those things have been fairly smooth.
I’d say the most difficult thing is spreading the word. In this day and age, there is so much information and so many scams out there. When folks don’t know to look for us because they don’t know a program, a community like this exists then it can make it difficult to spread the word and to let people know we are here. It’s a real program. Our first week or so in operation included a comment from a licensed person that actually warned others to be careful as our program and scholarship could be centered around getting folks into a contract for some kind of labor. It took both Diazina and I off guard. I think it speaks to the environment that mental health professionals are used to as well as a lack of wellness centered community within our discipline.
We aim to meet people in-person and get into the rooms so they can see us and ‘feel’ us in a sense. We are here. We are real. And we’ll continue to provide a space for mental health professionals to prioritize their wellness.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
There is much to be said here. Colette McLeod (LMHC) and Diazina Mobley (LCSW) – the co-creators for the GO! Mental Health Initiative – are Licensed Clinicians and Qualified Supervisors who operate their own business and organization respectively.
GO! Mental Health Initiative (GO! MHi) is a program of Gifted Ones, Inc a non-profit located in Longwood, Florida. Gifted Ones was founded by Diazina in 2008 with a mission centered around supporting visionaries in getting their innovative solutions into the communities they are meant to serve. She has experience in a number of clinical modalities and is best known for her ability to engage with others and bring them into community. We call this “gathering hearts.” Her ability to gather hearts and support visions coming to life is what sets her apart.
Colette is the sole proprietor of Colette McLeod Counseling and Consulting Services where she supports individuals, groups, and businesses in aligning their productivity (actions) with their soul-centered values to increase know-how, connection, and internal satisfaction. She is known for being clinically trained, intuition powered, and spirit-led. Each service and offering includes modern and ancient practices that support others in deepening into themselves and connecting with what is true. Most of the people who find her are looking to better understand themselves on a soul-centered level and are often going through transition in their life (i.e. job shift, break up, moving, age related, health related etc.). What sets her apart is her ability to take big concepts and make them digestible and practical. Check out her website and socials for more!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve historically not viewed myself as a risk taker but when I look at what the word means, I’d say yes. I take risks pretty regularly. I believe in doing what scares me. It’s how I’ve been a Keynote speaker at a local conference. I was asked, and frankly pretty terrified, so I said yes. The same is true regarding how I began looking over an entire region within a major hospital system and presenting webinars and workshops. An opportunity presented itself, and afraid, I said yes. In my late teens, I convinced myself that my fear wasn’t allowed to make decisions when it came to new opportunities. I’ve stuck with that commitment that I made to myself ever since.
Even the decision to go into my business full time has been a risky decision. There weren’t physical dangers within any of these risks but there are surely emotional dangers present. After all, if I really bomb at something that will impact my reputation and a poor reputation would impact the success of my business.
So generally, I consider risk to be a necessary part of growth – just as much internal and external. Externally, risk allows for professional advancement and opportunity. Internally, I find risk is something that supports us in better knowing ourself. For me, this knowing highlights the strength of some of my practices. That I can feel fear as it relates to risk taking but not allow it to drive my decisions or behaviors is something I’m deeply grateful for.
Pricing:
- $0 Webinars and Retreats within GO! MHi are free of cost due to generous sponsors. Join us!
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558478940119
- Other: https://forms.gle/RCF8ChVUy7myDrFJA
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