Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael DuBose.
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?
A neurosurgeon. A cardiologist. Erykah Badu’s background singer. These are all of the things I thought I wanted to do with my life and none of them included being a mental health counselor. I was raised by my paternal grandparents in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Evanston. My parents both struggled with addiction and my grandparents, who were both retired, stepped in to raise me. They both were a huge part of why I ultimately landed in a helping profession. Their empathy, compassion, and generosity toward their family and friends, built the foundation for who I am as a person and as a counselor. Witnessing family members struggle with mental health challenges, and those challenges either being dismissed or minimized, also fueled my curiosity for why people do the things they do.
I graduated from THE Ohio State University (O-H-!) in 2006 and planned to use my degree in International Studies to work with the immigrant and refugee population. I wasn’t able to find a job in that field and started looking at graduate school programs. I thought about what I had been hearing my entire life, “You’re a great listener. You give great advice. You’re easy to talk to.” I applied to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and was, thankfully, accepted. I graduated with my Master’s degree in May 2012 and over the past 10+ years, I have worked with various populations including children in foster care, incarcerated adults, and the elderly.
Seeing how trauma impacts people in their day-to-day lives, led me to focus on trauma as a specialty. My passion for helping others and the increased requests for counseling services during the pandemic, helped me to make the decision to transition from employee to full-time entrepreneur in private practice in March 2022.
Culturally, the stigma of mental illness in the African-American community prevents mental health services from being accessed in the ways that are needed among those that need it the most. My organization, Be the Light, works to fight the stigma of mental illness through education, advocacy, and empowerment.
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 to success as a mental health professional has been mostly smooth, but not without its challenges. Burnout among mental health professionals is very common and, I too struggled with being overworked and underpaid. The decision to be in full-time private practice was a difficult one, as entrepreneurship was not something I saw many examples of during my childhood. Being your own boss sounds great until you are in it and realize it takes time and patience to get yourself where you want to be. Entrepreneurship also taps into the insecurities of “Will people want to pay to hear me talk?” or “Will I be able to be financially stable?” and even “What if this doesn’t work?” Having a great support system, especially my spouse, friends, family, and colleagues, has been the reason that I have stayed the course throughout this difficult journey.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Be the Light was established in April 2020 and began seeing clients in 2021, due to the increase in requests for counseling services as a result of the pandemic. Services offered include individual counseling, clinical supervision, administrative supervision, diagnostic assessment, anger management, trainings, presentations, and workshops. Owner, Rachael DuBose, is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, with a passion for helping others heal from their trauma. Be the Light as an organization is most proud of its ability to provide the community with accessible resources, authenticity in service delivery, and connections to organizations that are working hard to help healing occur on a community-wide level.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My paternal grandmother, Eula Miles; my mother, Robin Whiting-Griffin; and my spouse, Michael (Mike), have played the biggest roles in my success, thus far.
Mike is my biggest cheerleader. We have been together for over a decade and married since 2015. He has supported me, nurtured my vision, inspired me to branch out on my own, helped me have confidence when I had a million doubts, and continues to have my back. He deserves so much credit for being an amazing partner, a true illustration of patience and humility, and my number-one supporter.
My mother, Robin, passed away from cancer in January 2020, after a two-year battle. I was not raised by my parents and my sadness/anger about that, even after my mother entered into recovery from her addiction, prevented me from being open to her place in my life until 2015. With the help of counseling and her patience, we were able to become very close, which is something I did not think would ever happen. In sobriety, she started her own women’s ministry that helped many women in addiction have hope for recovery. Her strength, tenacity, and her transparency motivated me to not give up during difficult times and her story motivates me to impact others.
My grandmother, Eula, passed away in April 2020 at 100 years old. She was one of the most important people in my life, my heartbeat, and she taught me so much about myself through her example of selflessness and love. She lived her life to the fullest, had a huge heart, and was a pillar in her community. She encouraged me to always, “know what you want to do and go after it.”
Additionally, my amazing network of family, friends, and colleagues have helped me stay the course and speak life into me when I need it the most.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.be-thelight.info
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethelight.info/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeTheLightLLC1
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-dubose-m-s-ed-lpcc-s-cctp-71631a22/
Image Credits
YH Images Photography
Forever Faith Photography
HandSlayedByShan
