Episode 65: Solution-Focused Entrepreneurship + BIPOC Therapists [featuring LaTasha Carter]

Show Notes

Have you ever been ignored and had your future written off by others because of your circumstances or the way you look?

Have you ever stopped yourself from making bold moves because of fear, uncertainty, or thinking that the world is against you and it probably won’t work out?

OR are you someone who, no matter how much pushback comes, still can’t seem to let it stop you?

Well, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I talk with LaTasha Carter, licensed therapist, group, practice owner, business coach, author, and speaker.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Hear about the struggles and resilience of a First-Generation, Wealthy, BIPOC Entrepreneur, who got an education and built a business while raising a child as a single parent and coming from poverty.
2. Learn how to be a solution-focused entrepreneur and make bold moves for big change, whether that’s by burning bridges or taking risks with no certainty of success.
3. See what it takes to build a business and show up as a BIPOC therapist and entrepreneur despite facing microaggressions.

So, if you want to learn more about how to live out your entrepreneurial goals as well as understand the perspective of marginalized communities as entrepreneurs and in business, listen to this episode for valuable insight and personal stories that will bring these topics to life!

More about LaTasha:

LaTasha Carter is the CEO of GoldStar Counseling & Wellness Center, a division of Therapeutic Connections, PLLC, and Prolific Practice Solutions. She is an author, licensed therapist, business coach, and motivational speaker committed to the empowerment of all individuals.

She is affectionately dubbed “The Solution Queen.” In the past decade, she has helped people, in various aspects of the world, discover their inner strength. LaTasha is very passionate about social justice issues and is committed to remaining an advocate.

To learn more about LaTasha Carter please visit latashacarter.com or goldstarwellness.com.

You can also grab a copy of her book here.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

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A Thanks to Our Sponsor!

I would also like to thank Lead to Recovery for sponsoring this episode.

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Transcript

 PATRICK CASALE: Hey everyone, you are listening to another episode of the All Things Private Practice Podcast. I'm your host, Patrick Casale, joined today by my friend and colleague, Dr. LaTasha Carter. She is a licensed therapist, group practice owner, business coach, author, speaker, all the things. So, I'm really excited to have you here. 

And we're going to talk about a really important topic, near and dear to your heart, for sure, building first-generation wealth as an entrepreneur and BIPOC clinician, and really talking about the struggle and the behind-the-scenes because I think we oftentimes overlook how hard it is to get a business up and running. So, thank you so much for being here and making the time.

LaTASHA CARTER: Thank you for having me. I'm excited to talk about our discussion today.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah. So, I always like to pose to the guests that come on, like, what do you want to talk about? Right? And what do you feel passionate about? And I think that's different than a lot of people who are like, "Oh, I didn't get the questions in my email. Is this scripted?" And like, no, let's just see where it goes. 

So, you suggested a topic. And I think it's a really good one. And I want to let you just kind of take over and talk a little bit about why this is so important for you and how come you decided to choose what we're talking about today.

LaTASHA CARTER: Okay, yeah, I think that not enough conversation is going on about this topic. And so, you know, I've had significant challenges over my career as it relates to this topic being a person of color, specifically, a black woman, which some may consider a double minority. 

And so, I really wanted to just, you know, open up, be transparent, and just kind of shed some light on this topic. And I also feel like, I know that I have colleagues that may be able to relate to my experience as well. And so, I felt very much comfortable talking about this topic in this space with you. And feeling like you would really honor that and be open for this conversation whereas, in a modern environment, they really want to make sure that things are scripted, you know, don't say this, don't say that. And so, a lot of the deep work that we have to do, you know, we're unable to do because we're not able to be transparent.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, thank you for sharing that. And I think that makes so much sense. Like, if we're scripting this, we're really saying, like, we cannot go beneath the surface, right? Like, we're going to stay in a comfort zone so that, is that making me comfortable? Is it making the audience comfortable, right? Like, what is that all about? But nevertheless.

So, tell us a little bit about your journey. I mean, you have a ton going on. I've seen you speak live in conferences You're a fucking badass.

LaTASHA CARTER: Thank you.

PATRICK CASALE: And I am sure it has not been an easy journey, either, given the fact that, like you said, being considered a double minority. Tell me about the struggles, tell me about, you know, what's been going on behind the scenes.

LaTASHA CARTER: [INDISCERNIBLE 00:02:53] you know, let's see, so when I started this field, started working in this field really, one of the reasons that led me to this field was really just my life experiences. And, you know, when we look at statistics, you know, out of the teenage parent and by the age of 16, so when I began to go to college and things of that nature, I was a non-traditional student. 

So fast forward, just starting getting into the human services field, you know, I really had a life of, you know, separate experiences, and where it's been a lot of discrimination, and me just trying to just find my footing. You know, some people will talk about mentorship, I was fortunate, you know, to get a mentor a few years ago, but for the most part, you know, we're in the information age. Google has been mentor. You know, being able to just do the research and find out, you know, myself. And so, as we continue to [INDISCERNIBLE 00:03:43], I'll talk a little bit more about the struggle, but it's definitely been difficult that I spent about 10 years in managed healthcare. 

And, you know, when I was working in that job, I didn't have flexibility, and I had some ethical dilemmas, I didn't really have a voice at work, you know, I didn't have authority to make decisions. And I just thought, like, "I can't continue to do this." You know, I continued to struggle to fit the mold job after job after job. So, I was like, "Okay, I want to kind of do entrepreneurship." But I mean, for obvious reasons I was very nervous about doing that. 

And coming from poverty and generation of poverty, really being fearful about how am I going to make this work, you know, I don't want to continuously be in survival mode all the time. And so, I'm grateful I'm not in survival mode at this time. But I spent several years in survival mode. And so, as a business owner, definitely, it affects your decisions. And I think that when we look at first-generation entrepreneurs, you're basically a new entrepreneur. 

So, you're not coming from, you know, a family who has business experience, so your family's not able to guide you in that way whereas second and third-generation entrepreneurs, they may have systems that are already set up for them, wealth may be inherited for them, they may be able to get more support for their families and things of that nature, whereas from first generation it's like your family made me dependent on you to make it, you know? And so, you're figuring it out, you know, along the way.

PATRICK CASALE: Sounds like an unbelievable amount of pressure too, and then throw into the mix, like you mentioned, being a new teen mom, and then trying to navigate this world of like, higher education. 

And I know I've heard you talk about this before, but it sounds like your child was really a driving force for you too, to be like, I've got to work fucking harder and harder and harder than basically everybody else that I'm around because I want to change the way that their lifestyle is going to be going forward and making sure that you can get out of that 9:00 to 5:00 grind. And I imagine like the whole, like, "Oh, charge what you're worth and work when you want." Doesn't really apply when, you know, that's very privileged, informed when we're saying those things in entrepreneurialship. So, being able to navigate that grind without the support. I mean, it sounds like it was a hell of a journey to get here.

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, definitely, a hell of a journey would probably be an understatement. I would say, you know, my son was definitely my driving force because now I was responsible for another life. And, you know, I watched my mom… you know, my mom worked two full-time jobs trying to take care of, you know, her children. And so, I was just thinking there was so many times that my mom was absent, like, I may have a spelling bee or program, she's not able to be, and not because she doesn't want to be there, but because she can't afford for her cheque to be short or she can't jeopardize her job. 

And so, I just remember thinking, like, I want to show up, you know? I want to be present, but I want to financially be able to provide for my kids, too. So, that was definitely, you know, a driving force, and then just trying to figure it out. And I think being a teen parent in my generation, that was definitely frowned upon. And then, I think people and I'm in the rural areas, so people just expecting like, "Okay, you know, you've had a baby, you probably will have some more kids, not really, you know, going to be doing anything." 

And there was not a lot of conversation going on about, "So, what are you going to do next? So, you're going to a college?" That was not the conversation that was going on. And even going, I remember even for grad school, you know, I got accepted into a few schools. And when I went to the orientation, one of the things that really led my decision in terms of the school I was going to go to was, you know, how they present an orientation because a lot of times it was like, "Well, if you think you're going to be able to work, you're not going to be able to work, you know, you have this internship requirement."

And so, for me, being a single parent, non-traditional student, you know, if I'm met on the first day with, "You know, you're not going to be able to do this." You know what I mean? That was very discouraging. 

And so, I had to really sit down and say, how am I going to make it work? We're not saying that it's easy but hard, but I don't think that, you know, they should be involved in that you're not going to be able to make it work. More so, it's going to be difficult, it's going to be challenging, but you can make it work. And so, I just really had to find a way to be able to make it work. 

And so, even with business, thankfully, my son is much older now whereas some other first-generation entrepreneurs may have younger children, but I just encourage anyone, like if it's something that you want to do, you know, find the solution. You know, find a way to get it done. Don't focus on all of the challenges and the barriers, per se, but focus on ways around that, you know, to jump over those hurdles.

PATRICK CASALE: That's great advice. And I hope that that rings true for people who are listening who may find themselves in a similar position. How did you figure it out? How did you make it work, with that being said? Like, I imagine that was very discouraging to go to those orientations and have some people just straight out be like, "This is not how this is going to work. Like, this is going to lead to failure, ultimately." Because that would be a major turnoff when you're probably-

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, absolutely.

PATRICK CASALE: …already fearful, and like anxious, and like, "I don't know what the hell I'm going to do."

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, absolutely. You know, so I was thinking, you know, with that they're like, "Okay, well, you know, for those of you who have family members, can your family member support you? And, you know, can you take out loans?" Like it was just like that easy? No, I don't have anybody that's going to give me money, you know?

So, what I was able to do, I'm going to… also, I just got out pen and paper, and I made a calendar. And I just looked at literally, like, Sunday through Saturday. And I looked at how many wait hours I had in the day. And then, I said, "Okay, this is what's going to be expected." So, I'm going to have to work, this is how many hours I can work per week, this is how many hours I'm going to need to go to school if I'm accepted because I went to a advanced standing program. And so, then I looked at, all right, like childcare, whether I was to have childcare, you know, and whether I was going to do an internship, and then, I put it on paper to see how I can make it work. 

And I went to my employer, was like, "This is what I need. Is something that you guys will support." And they were like, "All right, we're going to make it work." Because I presented this is going to be the benefit that I'm going to add to the business and this is how I'm going to be able to make it work. And honestly, I think that if I had not done that, you know, I presented it, like everything that they could possibly ask, this is how I'll do this, this is how I'll do that. And I think that that helped me them say, well, you've already got it figured out, like, let's give it a try. And so, I was able to make it work. 

But really there's no magic formula. I literally just sat down and said, how many hours? How can I make it work? I had several professors that were, you know, helpful in a sense that, you know, I'm a single parent, so here are some of the things I need to do. 

My son's survived on fast food for quite a while, you know what I mean? Electronics and fast food, if I'm being honest. But in my mind, I think that I just knew that this was a temporary sacrifice to provide a better life for us. So, you know, focused on a light at the end of the tunnel, and while I didn't have a huge amount of time to spend because I'm having to do group projects, and things of that nature, and juggle all of this, it was more so, okay, the quality of the time. So, let's do something really, really fun or let's take a vacation, and you're going to [INDISCERNIBLE 10:58], let's have a movie night or a 30-minute, you know, episode, you know that we're going to watch together and really enjoy that. I may not have two hours, two and a half hour is a lot for a movie, but just finding ways to consistently make it work because I felt like this is going to change the trajectory of our future.

PATRICK CASALE: Damn, that's big. I mean, there's so much intentionality there too, it sounds like with the quality time over quantity of time. And I have to imagine that you were just absolutely exhausted day by day if you're like mapping out every single minute of the day to make sure that you can get through the week and get all this stuff accomplished too.

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, I really don't even know how I've done it if I'm being honest. I was looking back because when I was accepted as a grad school, the program that I applied for was a distance learning program, which was about maybe some 30 minutes from me. And that program was temporarily like suspended. So, they were like, we're forwarding your application over to the campus, but the main university was an hour away, then I had to commute for a hour one way each day, so I really don't know how I done it, but I know I wanted it bad, you know? And I wanted it badly. And I felt like this is going to open up so many doors if I could just get this done, so that motivate me. I can't tell you what I wrote about, what the papers were [INDISCERNIBLE 00:12:15], I just know, like, I mean, the cliche saying they had was T equals MSW, so like if you just pass, you know what I mean? Just pass it and [INDISCERNIBLE 00:12:23]. And so, anyway, I was able to successfully do that. 

So, I'm just, you know, really gung ho for finding solutions. I think a lot of times people get so discouraged and they'll give up on their dreams because of things that happen. Like, life is going to happen to us and we can't let life discourage us from our dreams and things that we want. We just got to find a way. And we can't compare ourselves to other people because that was a big thing, too. I found that, you know, I was a non-traditional student and didn't have a lot of support, human resources, and some of the people in the cohort, and I felt like, you know, I will often think about that, but not too long because I think we can compare ourselves, you know, based on other people and their performance. And that's not, you know, a good measure. If I had to be honest, I've had people that I did go to school with or maybe who went to school, you know, earlier than me, completed their degrees much sooner than me, who may not be as far along in their careers, but they hope to be as well.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, that's a great point, not falling into that comparison trap. And it's so easy to do that, in general, let alone when you're going through school, and you don't feel like you're progressing as quickly as someone else. And you just don't know what advantages they have, right? Or what privileges or what responsibilities they don't have too, and the fact that you were able to juggle all of this, and then graduate, and then start your career, I mean, that says a lot about your character and a lot about who you are. And it sounds like you were really determined to say like, fuck this, I'm not letting this define who I am or who I'm going to be.

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, if it's something I [INDISCERNIBLE 00:13:59] I'm going to figure it out. You know, my friends are like the solution queen. Like, they call me with something and I'm just like, "All right, so this is what we got to do to figure it out." You know? 

I had a friend tell me recently, she was like, "You know what? That shit is not normal, right, for people to disagree." But I just laughed, but [INDISCERNIBLE 00:14:16] my mind, just automatic those into how am I going to make this work? 

And, I mean, honestly, some of these are trauma response, you know? It's like, how am I going to make this work? How am I going to figure this out? And so, I condition myself. And so, sometimes I have to just pause and they're like, "Yeah, maybe, you're not looking for a solution." You know what I mean? They really just want to listen to you and stop trying to solve everything. And we think about like starting a business, and being an entrepreneur, you know, thinking about being solution focused but then being met with opposition in our field. So, in one aspect is being met with opposition in the field of business, and then within our counseling field, you know, being met with resistance and opposition there as well.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, you're right. And there is a lot of opposition that we kind of run up against, and the ability to pivot and shift, and like, be adaptable, and have that mindset of like, there's got to be some flexibility or there's got to be a way to figure this out. I think that stems back, there's got to be some rooted in the trauma response, for sure. 

And then there's this resiliency factor too, right? Of like, I'm just going to figure it out. Like, there is not going to be a no, like, maybe it won't work today, but I'm going to pivot, I'm going to shift, I'm going to adapt, I'm going to edit. Like, how many times have you had to do that in your career, you know, to get to where you're at right now? I imagine that happens all the time.

LaTASHA CARTER: Numerous times, numerous times. This won't work, okay, let me pivot, let me change. Initially, when I became a clinician, so I felt like long term, I knew that I wanted to look at things from a macro perspective. So, I knew I wanted to own a business, I just didn't know really all of what that looked like. And I said maybe I'll own a health and wellness center. 

But I started as a solo practitioner, and I was still working in managed care. And so, I was working, you know, 10-hour days, and then going to work for myself. And by the time I showed up to my practice, I'm exhausted. You know, if I'm being honest, I'm exhausted. 

And so, when I let my manager and some of my colleagues at the managed care place found out that I was doing private practice, I was met with a lot of challenges because it's like, "Oh, this is a conflict of interest and you're not going to be able to do this." I'm like, "I'm not even working the same hours." You know what I mean? But was met with a lot of resistance there and just trying to figure out, and so it just really got to a place where I didn't feel appreciated. And I felt like I'm going to have to take a leap, but I was a solo practitioner for quite a few years. 

And then when I left in 2018, that's when I left, I began working for myself. I went to full-time entrepreneurship. And I had one clinician that I had supervised her in her internship, and she wanted to work towards her clinical hours. And so, like, she come with me, you know, she take the leap. And she's like, "I'm going to do that." And she took the leap, you know, a few months after I did and from that point, I was like, "Oh, I'll pick it… I've hung on, I was able to do this." So, she was telling like, you know, like [INDISCERNIBLE 00:17:15]. And then, I said, "Oh, we could do this a few more times." You know what I mean? And then this coming, group practice happened.

PATRICK CASALE: I love that. That's a great, great example of what can happen when you kind of step into that fear of the unknown too, and when you were working these 10-hour days at your managed care job and then go in your practice at night, did you notice an energy shift? Like, when I left my agency job, like my 9:00 to 5:00 and I would go to my office at night, even though I was exhausted, I was like a good exhausted because it was my space, it was my office, I got to like go do things the way I wanted to do after like, an all-day, eight hour to 10-hour shift of like being told to do things a certain way. I was just like, "Oh my God, this is so freeing to just be in my own space."

LaTASHA CARTER: Yes, absolutely. I just felt like, so yeah, physically tired I was, but I felt like proud, like, this is mine. I get to make the rules here. I get to have a voice. And there's an ethical byline of like, I don't have to do something just to keep my job. I can say no, I can say this isn't a good fit for me. So, I'm really good about doing that. And I wanted more of that. 

But there was a fear factor of, am I going to make enough money? Like, have a set salary. So, you know, am I going to be able to pay my bills? Am I going to be depending on other people? Am I going to need to make this work? Was really the hindrance. So, I set an exit date. And as time approached, it kept moving, you know what I mean? The exit date. I kept moving the exit date until I got to a place where what happened was I had a supervisor who was super supportive, but she'd been my supervisor like nine and a half years and she got a promotion. And I got a new supervisor. And it's documented in the records that, you know, I have my own business, etc. And she really just wanted to give me a hard time this new supervisor about that. I was always [INDISCERNIBLE 00:19:05] was treating a lot of anxiety and stress for me. So, I took the leave of absence. 

Now, I really feel bad to work for leave of absence, so obviously, I know what it requires. And they didn't approve my leave of absence. And so, at that point, I was like, I have given you almost 10 years, I can't take 30 days off of work? And so, I decided that moment like I'm not going back, I'm not going back and I'm like he's trying to fire me, you know, it's like you get unemployment or whatever, and they would not fire me. They were sending me letters like you need to return, so I said I'm not going back because I knew that I needed to burn that. It was like it's, you know, some people say don't burn bridges, but I didn't want that to be a safety net for me. I wanted to go out and know that you got to make it because you can't go back to the salary. 

And so, I said, I'm not going back and I never went back, I never went back, you know? And so, I'm not encouraging people to do that. I'm just telling you what had to happen for me. I finally, you know, had this experience where I, you know, committed 10 years, and I can't take a few weeks off just for my mental health. Namely, I felt like I must be disposable. And I'm like, no, I'm going to do what is I need to do, but prior to doing that, make the decision, I literally sat down I said, how many clients do I need to see, you know, to be able to pay my bills, not, you know, be able to have profit, but to be able to pay my bills, that I need to do to make sure that we are surviving? And that's essentially where I started out. 

So, I just say that I share all of that, you know, openly, because I want to encourage other people. It's not about, hey, you're going to make six figures, you know, in your first year. That's not where I was. I literally said, how can I pay my bills? I'm not taking any trips, I'm not doing anything. But you know, freedom was priceless to me and my peace of mind. Like, my mental health was my priority at that moment.

PATRICK CASALE: I love that so much. And I think that's such a great point because, one, I love that you kind of burned the bridge, to be honest with you, because that's my personality, too [CROSSTALK 00:21:06]. But like you said, like not everyone that's listening, you know, don't do that if you don't feel comfortable doing that. But I do think that the freedom is priceless. And also, that number is really important of like, what amount of money do I need to make to pay the bills, right? Like, because so many people get wrapped up and we can go back to comparison traps of like, "Oh, I see all these people posting. My goal this year is to make $500,000. My goal is to hit 250."

And great, like, I'm all for it, like whatever amount of money you want to make, good for you. But at first, it really is about getting the fuck out of your job that is not bringing you joy and figuring it out. And the first year or two are really just like throwing things against the wall to see what sticks in survival mode. But I think it's a different type of survival mode when you're doing it for you. And when you know, like, I've worked for a place that doesn't care about me or takes me for granted, or like you said, I'm disposable. 

And once, like, that recognition, that that light bulb moment goes off, I wasn't going back either. And I think a lot of us have those moments of like, "Yeah, this is finally clear that I can't do this anymore. And what was I so afraid of? And why did I feel so indebted to a place that doesn't care about me or my well-being?" And just being able to grind it out as a business owner, knowing that, like, it's going to be hard, there are going to be like bumps along the way. But in the end, like you said that freedom is priceless.

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, absolutely. And I was recently reading a article in Forbes, it talks about that when you have small business owners or people of color are more likely to take drastic measures to stay afloat, you know, as it relates to, you know, business concern. But for myself, again, it wasn't, okay, I'm going to make six figures because if I'm being honest, I think that that would have been very intimidating for me to think about, I'm going to make 500,000 and make 100,000, or whatever, that would have been very intimidating for me. I literally just had to say, what can I make to survive? To pay my bills to make sure we eat nothing extra, but that's going to be it. And I felt that ultimately, we're going to be, like, so much more heavier, you know, in a better space, then we can only go up from there. So, it was more like a lateral move than anything. 

And then, like you said, just figuring out like, what sticks. And I found that, you know, I'm in a rural area here in the South North Carolina. And it was very difficult for me contentious build a network, you know? When you think about that, you know, as a person of color, that black female, there are certain things, a lot of inequities that you would say, and you know, as far as play, less startup capital, you know? I didn't have a lot of knowledge about how to gain resources or startup capital to start the business, have disadvantages as it relates to family backgrounds, and we have like lower profit margins, you know, less revenues than our white counterparts, even thinking about growing a group practice, we struggle with hiring. I mean, because a lot of people have a white-as-white mindset. 

And so, what that means it's like, yeah, I don't want to go to this business of black-owned business, it's probably not going to be as professional, it's probably not going to be around. So, I even struggle, even still currently just recruiting really good talent. So, I think that you know, those are things that people don't think about on a daily basis, but those are some of the things I've had to face in addition to taking that leap.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, it's so much more than just taking the leap, and obviously, I'm speaking from a place of major privilege here, and in terms of knowing what it's like on a day-to-day I never will. And I also see so many people just say network, just get out network. And in the south, right, as someone who's a person of color, going out and meeting random people in random places may not be the safest thing to do. And you know, there are lots of micro aggressions that happen too on a daily basis as well. And it's got to be this extra burden to have to carry to like, I have to break through this fucking ceiling, but I have to work so much harder than everybody else around me too.

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, that's definitely difficult. You know, well, I received an email a few years ago, before the pandemic. I received the email and it was a professional networking group here in my region. And it was some type of an event. It was kind of like a house on the top of [INDISCERNIBLE 00:25:37]. And I just remember I already had another commitment. But I thought, "I'm going to go. I've got to go because I'm just getting out here. It was my business, I got to meet people." So, I traveled some 30 minutes, I'm late. I had put on a got-to-go. I get there and there's only one other black person there. But other than myself, they're engaged in conversation, nobody really even noticed me. So, I'm trying to like interject like, "Hi." I introduce myself because I'm feeling like my business livelihood, like, the referrals are going to depend on it. 

And literally, someone's like, "So, how did you hear about this?" So it' like, "Oh, like, I got the email [INDISCERNIBLE 00:26:11]." Was like, "So, okay, another time." So, I'm speaking to someone else, introducing myself, "So, how did you hear about this? Like, how were you invited?" Almost is, you know, I wasn't supposed to be there. 

So, after a few times of that, and a few other remarks that made me super uncomfortable, I left. No one even noticed that I leaved. And I was literally in tears. And I was just like, this is supposed to be my community of colleagues, you know? And I'm at an event, I'm not noticed, then continuing to try to network, constantly being questioned about my background, my experience, my education, and other types of microaggressions. So, that make it very, very difficult. 

And so that's why I wanted to talk about it definitely on this podcast because I know other clinicians will be listening. Looking at your practice and looking at your representation, you know, are you speaking up? Are you doing any anti-racism, anti-oppression work? You know, what is the culture there? Because if you're representing clients that, you know, people of color, and you know, do you have representation? It's beyond, you know, cultural competence, certainly.

PATRICK CASALE: I'm so happy you named that. I actually talked with someone a couple of weeks ago on the podcast, Dr. Dominique Pritchett, about something similar and the representation, right? Like, it cannot be performative. It can't just be like the checkbox says, we're an anti-racist practice, like we're social justice-focused, but are you doing the work behind the scenes is really, really crucial. 

And for people of color looking for therapists who look like them, striking out and having only white faces out there on Psych Today, or whatever the case may be, can be an unbelievable turnoff. And it can mean the difference between safety and lack of safety too. And am I going to reach out to someone if I don't feel comfortable being able to speak openly, and candidly, and authentically?

And I know for like, for example, my wife who's a black woman struggles to find therapists that look like her, especially, in Asheville, which is considered a progressive area of the southeast. But like there's no diversity here. 

So thankfully, telehealth exists now, where you can see people across, you know, the entirety of North Carolina or states in general, but it really, really matters. 

And, you know, we have to also shift how we're talking, our language on our websites, our content creation. And, you know, I know a lot of clients are still not comfortable to ask on the phone when reaching out for support, like, how can you support me? What do you know about my culture? What do you know about anti-racism? What's your stance on Black Lives Matter? A lot of clients are not going to ask those questions. And I think, furthermore, that means that a lot of clients are not going to get help if they can't have access to care, especially, in safe spaces.

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, I definitely agree. You know, I think in our field, you know, one of the things we've been taught to stay away from, you know, politics. And so, what we saw over the last few years, okay, that political climate was definitely where a lot of racial tension and stuff going on, and people felt super uncomfortable about bringing that into session. But people were hurting, you know? Were feeling angry, were not feeling heard. And so, really wanting someone that could relate to what they were experiencing. 

And so, what I began to see, especially, after the pandemic, right? So, we have more people want the telehealth because people felt more comfortable, more people of color felt more comfortable, and black people specifically, felt more comfortable to say, "I want a black therapist." 

And so, what it forced a lot of agencies to do was to hire black clinicians, you know? Find some. And so, you know, what stood out to me is some agencies who habitually who did not have people of color, you know, went out and recruited token black clinicians, you know what I mean? For business needs somewhere else. 

So, if I go to a website of my colleagues and you have 17 providers, and you have not one person of color, that says a lot. I don't care if your message says, you know, anti-oppressive. If you can't find one qualified person of color, you know, if I'm black, you know, someone might look at my site and you know, a ton of changes put predominantly people of color, but it's not because of the recruitment, I mean not because I'm intentionally recruiting people of color, it's because finding diverse clinicians is very difficult being a black business [INDISCERNIBLE 00:30:19] owner. So, it's different. So, it doesn't really relate in the same way.

PATRICK CASALE: Yeah, absolutely. It is very, very true. And I think it's important more so now than ever to really take a deep dive into any sort of business's values and mission statement and do they practice what they preach? Are they really doing what they say? Are they putting out there to the world what they're actually believing in? And I think it's really important. 

And circle back to your comment about, you know, politics creeping into therapy. I mean, therapy is social justice-oriented, politics belong in therapy, right? Like, we have to be talking about this stuff. I get so sick of moderating my Facebook group sometimes when I hear therapists that were like, "I didn't join this group to be political." And it's like, well, you know, politics and therapy go hand in hand. We have to take into account privilege, and racism, and homophobia, and all of the things that happen to people of color and people of marginalized identities because that is majorly impactful to our society and to our mental health. 

And I think it's just crucial to continue to do those deep dives, and do your deep dives on yourselves, you know, do your own work around this stuff, too. Because this is going to come up in sessions, this is going to come up in business ownership, and this is going to be impactful.

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, I definitely agree. I think even when we've look at our marketing, you know, writing our biographies, and really feeling that… I remember a time that I felt, you know, very difficult and I understand even now there's a power dynamic shift that, you know, I am my own boss, you know? So, I do own a practice, or prior to that, you don't have tattoos, so can I have my tattoos, you know, visible or not? You know, what kind of things can I celebrate or can I have visible when you go out here, when you see me out at the grocery store, you know? It might not be nice for black business, but it doesn't mean that I'm, you know, anti-anything. But okay, and then looking at groups that I network work with, if I know a clinician, you know, that is competent, and that can do something, am I going to refer you? Absolutely. And I'm going to get to support, you know, other clinicians and other clinicians of color because I understand that there is not a lot of representation. 

You know, it's super important to not be afraid to do that, not being afraid to speak up and to advocate, and then, being more mindful about what might be offensive. Because when we're looking at your advertisement, people are writing their biographies. You know, sometimes people of color feel like they have to put all of our accomplishments on there, our education, just to seem credible when it's not really necessary, you know? You know, honestly, is a degree really indicative of being a good student?

PATRICK CASALE: Absolutely. And I [CROSSTALK 00:32:56].

LaTASHA CARTER: …pass exam [INDISCERNIBLE 00:32:59].

PATRICK CASALE: I [INDISCERNIBLE 00:33:01] but it's not. I mean, and that's so true, like proving your clinical competency, proving like, yes, I do have a degree, yes, I do have training, yes, I have to go this extra mile. And it kind of circles back to what you were saying about going to that networking of people asking like, "Well, how did you find out about this? Like, how did you end up here?" And imagining so that on the flip side, that a lot of white counterparts are not having to be asked those questions or answer those statements and not being put on the spine in that way. So, a really important topic, and one that needs to be continued to be talked about. 

Now, I want to just highlight some of the cool stuff that you're doing because you've shared a lot of your journey today, and a lot of your resilience, and your fucking strength, and your courage, and your ability to just figure it out. You have published a book, you've speak at conferences, I know that you and I are speaking at a conference in Mexico in a few weeks. You have a group practice. I mean, you're doing a lot. So, can you talk us through like, starting to grow that business and really tapping into these passion projects too, that the things that you're really, really, really energized by?

LaTASHA CARTER: Absolutely. So, I'm really energized by helping develop other clinicians, you know, whether it be… like your journey may not be my journey, but if you're finding that you're at a stuck point, you know, really need some encouragement, needing a solution, we can sit down, kind of map that out. So, that's one of the things I have a lot of clinicians that have transitioned from coming in mental health going to private practice, and talking a little bit about some of those differences when it looks like helping clinicians grow as far as their diagnostic skills, things of that nature, a lot of social justice issues and I advocate about that. Growing their group practice is something I'm planning to continue to expand, you know, with the group practice, but I'm very selective in our process. I'm not doing mass hirings. I mean, I'm really spending time to get to know individuals, are they a good fit? Do their values align with my values? Is what's important, it's not so much about just scaling to make money because people can scale to make money temporarily. But you know, I'm looking for retention, you know, building a community here, and to be impactful in the community that I'm living in, you know, and to expand really beyond that, you know? I'm going to say it's outside of the U.S., those are things I'm passionate about.

I'm super family-oriented. So, I have two granddaughters, and I am building a legacy for my granddaughters to break the generational [INDISCERNIBLE 00:35:26] so they can be second and third generation, you know, entrepreneurs, and so those are things that I'm super passionate about.

As far as my book, my book is an interactive self-help book. And that's available on Amazon. And, you know, to get that off my website. I'll share that information a little bit later. But doing the work, each chapter has a reflective question and it's really to help individuals to let go of the past and discover their inner strength, what that looks like. And in that book are really a lot of my personal life in there. And it's first time that I was really so vulnerable with the public about things that I have experienced. And so it was very liberating for me because as a clinician, and as a [INDISCERNIBLE 00:36:01] clinician, I felt like I was in this box, you can't disclose this, and you can't disclose that, don't share this, even though you may have experienced the same thing. It's like you can't. Well, you don't want to overshare and all of that. I was in this box. 

And so, when I wrote the book, I was like, yeah, I'm just going to put it out there, I don't care what you know about me, I don't care. This is that thing, this is how I overcomed this. And if you're interested, you can get the book. You know what I mean? Do the work. So, it was very liberating for me. 

So, now at the space that I'm in, Patrick, when people, you know, ask me to speak, or a retreat, or whatever, or even want to book me for consultation, I really try to see is it a model of my values? I'm not driven by money, you know, and I'm just [INDISCERNIBLE 00:36:37] just looking for an [INDISCERNIBLE 00:36:48] or prestige, or any of that. If it doesn't align with my values, I don't [INDISCERNIBLE 00:36:52].

PATRICK CASALE: I love that. And I love the intentionality behind that. And I hope that a lot of people can really operate from that perspective because I think that leads to longevity in career too, and more fulfillment if you're aligned with your values in terms of how you move through the world, not just professionally, but personally. And I think it makes a huge difference in terms of who you connect with, the type of energy you're putting out, the type of energy you're receiving, and then, the things that you accomplish in life, too. And it makes a big difference when you can stand behind it and feel really proud about it and have integrity behind it too. So, I really appreciate that perspective a lot. 

For our audience that's listening, do you have any wisdom or tips that you haven't shared already, for anyone that might find themselves looking to, you know, go through a system that isn't always designed to work for people who are people of color, like schools, grad school programs, things like that, who might be in a similar situation that you found yourself in, you know, when you started your journey?

LaTASHA CARTER: Absolutely, I will say, you know, find your tribe. Your tribe is out there. You know, it's taken years to find my tribe. And I'm so grateful to connect with you, Patrick, and so many other colleagues that I don't feel like I have to kind of feign who I am. I just need to authentically be myself by finding my tribe.

I think, also too looking at universities to say, you know, is this where I belong, right? And if I'm going to be realistic, okay, we may not be considered, when you identified you might not be considered the majority and there are some times that, you know, things can be a means to an end. 

So, it's like, maybe I have to go through this training. I couldn't find a training to have more representation et cetera, but it's necessary for me to advance on my career. So, I'll do that thing, I'll attend that training, you know? But then do I want to be a change agent? Maybe I could change in the future, but for right now, this is a decision that I have to make. 

But if you find yourself into… so, sometimes we got to do what we got to do until we can do what we want to do, you know? And so that's touched on some of the things that I've had to do. If it's, you know, starting a business, and then thinking about what you may, you know, be realistic about in assessing, what are some things you may face? You're in a rural area where, you know, there is not a diverse population, what type of clients? Are you going to be serving marginalized communities or not? And then what that looks like. Are you ready for the pushback that you may get, you know? Do you have resources? What can you access? So, being able to start with some of the challenges or the problems in mind to think about, you know, what could I possibly experience, and then focus on some of the solutions or at least some resources. 

You don't have to do everything by yourself, you know? So, if you could reach out for support. And like I said, if you don't have a mentor, you can't pay for a coach, I've used Google, for a lot of my… the information I have has come from extensive hours of research on Google. Now, I'm not saying that, you know, one thing or another, you have to kind of weed through it and see, you know, what's reputable and what's not? What's accurate, what's not, you know? Looking at all the outliers. 

But you can do it, I just want to really, you know, encourage people, wherever you are, that could be something that you want to do. If you want to be a business owner, you want to start a project, you want to pursue your dream, whatever it is that you want to do, you can do it. And if you don't do it, let it be because you tried it and it didn't work. But don't let it be because you never started and you never attempted

PATRICK CASALE: Love it. Really, really powerful advice. I love that reframe too of, you know if there isn't representation, but that has to get done. Know that you can come back and change it in the future or work on changing in future because I think that's a really important piece. Like, sometimes, unfortunately, you know, there are just limited options. And it sounds like that's a great reframe to just be like, I'm just knowing that I have to get through this thing, and then I'll circle back and focus on how to make a difference in the future because I know this has to happen. And I really like that perspective a lot. 

Do you want to share a little bit about where people who are listening can find more about what you're offering in terms of coaching? In terms of your products? In terms of your book?

LaTASHA CARTER: Yeah, absolutely. So, you can find a lot of information on latashacarter.com, and it will be my coaching, and the books, and the products that I have. And then separately goldstarwellness.com, and it's my private practice. My information will be available there as well, that you can look me up, message me if you don't find what you're looking for, I'm super accessible, reach out to me. 

And then as far as the packages, like I have packages that are already set, and then, I have packages that are customized according to whatever someone's need is because some people are going to need a little bit more intensive coaching than others. So, just reach out to me and you know, we'll figure it out.

PATRICK CASALE: Love it. This will all be in the show notes for everyone listening so that you can reach out to Latasha and get coaching. You can find more information about what she's got coming up in the future and different opportunities to work together as well. 

And I want to just say thank you so much for making the time. I'm really grateful. We've become friends and colleagues over the last couple of years and I'm looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks. 

LaTASHA CARTER: Thank you, me too.

PATRICK CASALE: And to everyone listening to the All Things Private Practice Podcast, new episodes out every Sunday morning on all major platforms. Like, download, subscribe, and share. If you would like to find more of what I'm offering in terms of retreats, coaching programs, podcast episodes and information, our upcoming products or offerings you can go to allthingspractice.com. Join the All Things Private Practice Facebook group. Doubt yourself, do it anyway. We'll see you next week. Thanks, LaTasha. 

LaTASHA CARTER: Thank you.