Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosalind Smith Sistrunk.
Rosalind, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with supervisory designation in Cincinnati, OH. My journey began in a small town in Oklahoma and transitioned to a big city in Ohio in 1996. Mental health counseling is actually my second career. I first pursued a career in Audiology after I graduated with my Ph.D. in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Cincinnati. I did quite a bit of counseling as an Audiologist because I mostly worked with the elderly population. I would address their families’ concerns about their overall well-being, not just their hearing aids and assistive listening devices. It didn’t register to me as counseling at the time but would many years later.
Ministry has been a huge part of my life. My Dad was the chairman and Deacon of the church that I grew up in. My Mom and my siblings were highly involved also. My first taste of leadership came from my church as a youth leader. Today, I am an ordained minister and hold leadership positions at my church. When in church leadership, individuals seek you out for help and guidance. One Sunday, a couple requested that I do marriage counseling with them. I quickly encouraged them to make an appointment with the Pastor, but they insisted on working with me. At this time, counseling wasn’t on my radar. I was working for the family business and focused on ministry work. Needless to say, I was very uncomfortable with their request because I didn’t feel that I was equipped to help them. I did meet with them and assisted them in working through their issues, and they are still together today. They were my first clients before I knew that God was equipping and positioning me to be a therapist. Over several years, I received many confirmations and encouragements to pursue a career in counseling. I love sharing about God, and besides, He was guiding me in this direction, so it was important to me to effectively integrate spirituality in my counseling practice. I was accepted into the counseling program at Cincinnati Christian University and in 2016 graduated with my master’s in counseling.
When I was looking for a Christian counselor, I had a hard time finding one. I didn’t want people looking for a Christian therapist to have difficulty finding me. I am very intentional about marketing myself as a Christian therapist. My journey into private practice started in September 2016. Words couldn’t really express what I was feeling on that day. I just knew that this was where I belonged. I fully stepped into my purpose on September 7, 2016.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road was definitely not smooth. I wanted to have an office in my church because I wanted to help people of color understand that it is okay to seek counseling and have faith in God. I wanted to be a resource for the members of my church and the community. Because of the stigma associated with mental health counseling and strong religious beliefs, it has been a journey to chip away at the stigma and encourage individuals to get the help that they need. I eventually relocated my private practice and lost a few clients. My private practice was still new, and I didn’t have consistent referral sources. Shortly after, I was able to obtain some new clients. Today, I have several referral sources, which have been very beneficial to the growth of my private practice. I give all credit to God for my growth and development.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Rosalind Smith Counseling, a state of Ohio Minority Business Enterprise and Women-owned Business Enterprise, offers a unique, calming holistic approach to treating individuals and couples dealing with emotional pain and trauma.
My passion has always been relationship counseling; however, my focus has evolved over the years from focusing solely on couples to helping individuals and couples heal from emotional pain and trauma. It has been said that ministry is birth from deep pain. I have been able to use my darkest and most painful experiences in life to support and encourage others to work through their pain to live their best lives. God has given me a unique way to connect with people, which allows me to bridge the gap between spirituality and reality by creating a loving, non-judgmental environment that aids in the process of healing and supports spiritual growth.
I am most proud of my 8-week faith-based program, From Forgiveness to Healing. God divinely gave this program to me to help people move from being stuck due to unforgiveness. They learn to release the hurt and pain from their life experiences to truly experience the peace and freedom that God offers by being in a relationship with Him. I also went through the program as it was being revealed to me. I was amazed at how it showed me that I had not fully released stuff and helped me get rid of the “debris” left by my personal work. I thought, man, if this material is impacting me in this way, how would it be for other people. I then pursued putting together a pilot group. This group gave me an experience that I couldn’t imagine and feedback that validated and supported the program’s life-changing capability. I have witnessed amazing healing and restoration during the pilot and in other groups. The From Forgiveness to Healing participants have become a supportive community of believers who are eager to share their experience with the program and support those going through the program. This community was an aftereffect of the pilot group that I hadn’t planned but was gifted by God. Currently, I am focused on getting this program into the hands of as many people as possible. Words can’t really express the program’s impact on me and the participants. You have to experience it for yourself.
What were you like growing up?
I have always loved learning and sharing with others what I have learned. I’m pretty sure that I drove my siblings nuts when I was younger; I am the youngest of 5. My favorite book was Cinderella, and I had them read it to me over and over again. I taught myself how to read because I would match words from Cinderella and other books, so I was able to read before I started school. My parents say that I was ambitious and always wanted to learn. I was neat and tidy and did not like being dirty. My siblings all talk about how I liked books, wanting to know more, and how serious I could be about my interests. I have always been a creative person and loved to draw things from our Encyclopedia collection like the eye, ear, and brain, which I have worked with all of them in my career choices. My siblings’ favorite story to tell is how I created things with the pins in my mom’s pin cushion while she was sewing. It was a nice size cushion, and I could play for hours. I also loved and still love music. I taught myself to play many woodwind instruments in junior high and high school. I didn’t always know what I wanted to do in life, but the one thing I did know was that I wanted to have a positive impact on the world. I am living this out because I get to make a positive impact in the lives of my clients. I am grateful to God for my journey and what He has allowed me to accomplish in my life. I was purposed to be a Christian therapist, and I absolutely love what I do!
Contact Info:
- Email: rosalind@rosalindsmithcounseling.com
- Website: www.rosalindsmithcounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosalindsmithcounseling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosalindsmithcounseling
Image Credits
Rosalind Smith Sistrunk
Lok Photography
Lauren O’Keefe
The Black Æffect
Karen Marie Jenkins
