Rodrego Way, LPC, LCDC-Owner/Executive Director The Mind and Therapy Clinic, LLC

Black Facts.com
Tell us about your education and certification.
 I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from South Carolina State University. My Master’s Degree is in Counseling from
Webster University. I am all but dissertation (ABD) to obtain my PhD from Capella University.  I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), licensed in the States of Texas and South Carolina. I am currently pending licensure approval in the State of Georgia. I am also a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor(LCDC) in the State of Texas. As a licensed professional, I have obtained the following certifications: Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist in Sex Trafficking and  Addictions and Substance Abuse Specialist in addictions.
Tell us about your company and services.
I founded my practice The Mind and Therapy Clinic in 2021.  I specialize in providing trauma therapy for individuals who have experienced the negative impact of trauma. This includes historical trauma, community based trauma and racial trauma. I provide a cognitive behavioral approach to therapy which proves to be intricate in behavior modification.  Currently I provide individual adult, teen, and couples’ therapy. The typical age range for my clients is 15-50. We currently accept most major insurance carriers.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
I always knew from a child that I was not supposed to work for anyone but myself. Plus I have witnessed the entrepreneurial spirit in various aspects of my family. My dad’s oldest brother owned one of the few black owned farms in the state of South Carolina. His sons currently maintain and run the farm to this day.  I tried working in other fields but I just knew that there was more for me to do. My passion for people and making a change in what I saw in my community kept drawing me back. After witnessing the injustice in the criminal justice system and how therapists and psychologists played a major role in the freedom of some of the young people I served over in the juvenile justice system. My desire to become a therapist was born.  Once I got to a point in my career where I realized that I was not being compensated fairly for what I was worth, I decided to launch out on my own and  start  my practice.
What is the real value of getting therapy?
There are numerous benefits and value with getting therapy such as emotional support, improved mental health,  better self awareness, and coping skills to deal with life’s transitions. Most of all it is the opportunity to have a safe space to work through major or minor issues in your life.
How does one know when they should seek therapy?
Seeking therapy has been a taboo subject for many, especially among the black community. However, if a person is beginning to notice that they are experiencing a decrease in their ability to maintain their quality of life daily, it is probably time to start the process of seeking therapy. Additionally, after a major life changing event such as a divorce, death, accidents, and etc… seeking therapy will help individuals navigate their feelings and learn to cope with the after effects of those events.
What does success look like for you?
Success for me is being able to build a practice that can train other Black and Brown therapists to provide therapy in an appropriate manner to individuals that look like them. Also, success will come when I am able to see more fruits of my labor through multiple practices across the country.
What are your thoughts on therapy and African American men?
It is very difficult for African American men to seek therapy. One of the major issues that I have been told is that they don’t see anyone that looks like them or thinks like them in this field.  Therefore the feel that other therapists can’t relate.  Black men have been conditioned that we should suppress our feelings because they are less than a man if they are emotional. Or that their feelings don’t matter. That is why I am focused on mentoring as many black male therapists as I can.
Where would you like to see your business in the next five years?
 I would like to open two to three additional practices. I would like to share my wealth of knowledge of trauma in the Black Community from a Black Male perspective on a national level, combating the fallacy that mental health doesn’t matter.

 

About

Beginning a career in criminal justice, Rodrego set out to make a difference in his community from within the system as a Juvenile Corrections Officer. He quickly realized the best way to impact his community was not through criminal justice but through healing in the form of counseling before adolescence and adults reached the system.Rodrego went back to school to obtain his master’s degree in the area of counseling, focusing on school guidance and mental health. Upon completing his degree, he transitioned into being a therapist. After many years of working in the counseling field, he observed a common theme emerging as it relates to the social and cultural impact of trauma. Within the communities and various cultural populations, he served. Trauma was the catalyst for many of his client’s inability to maintain daily life functions on a regular basis. Having this knowledge as a base for a therapeutic approach, Rodrego decided to build a practice taking a holistic and coaching approach to restoring individuals, families, and communities that have experienced the traumatic effects of our society and its issues.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, he has obtained various certifications in the area of trauma and substance abuse, which includes becoming a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist in Sex Trafficking, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and International Certified Alcohol and Addictions Counselor. With more than 15 years of counseling adults and adolescences in the private sector, courts and educational systems, Rodrego made it his mission to help restore his clients through connection, communication and counseling.

Contact Info

Rodrego Way, LPC, LCDC

Owner/Executive Director
The Mind and Therapy Clinic, LLC
972-254-4444
Black Facts.com