Start Anew Counseling, LLC

03/30/2026

I am thrilled to be one of the panelist for this event. I will be speaking on true importance of prioritizing your emotional and mental wellbeing. Get your tickets today!

03/15/2026

Yesterday was exactly what my soul needed.

Lately, I had been feeling emotionally heavy, because sometimes life just gets loud. We spend so much time plugged in to conversations, responsibilities, television, music, social media, and simply being available to others. It can become incredibly become overstimulating.

So I decided to give myself something I often encourage others to do: space.

I packed a blanket, grabbed a few snacks, brought my book, and spent hours outside just feeling the sun. No rushing. No notifications. No expectations.

Just presence.

I allowed myself to slow down, breathe, and enjoy nature. Let my feet settle in the grass. And in that stillness, I could feel my nervous system settling. The heaviness lifted in a way that only quiet moments with yourself can do.

Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is unplug from everything else so we can reconnect with ourselves.

If you’ve been feeling emotionally overloaded lately, consider this your reminder: it’s okay to step away for a while.

Your mind deserves rest. Your body deserves calm. And you deserve moments that are just for you.

03/15/2026

Yesterday was exactly what my soul needed.

Lately, I had been feeling emotionally heavy, because sometimes life gets… loud. We spend so much time plugged in to conversations, responsibilities, television, music, social media, and simply being available to others, and it can quietly become overstimulating.

I gave myself something I often encourage others to do: space.

I packed a blanket, grabbed a few snacks, brought my book, and spent hours outside just feeling the sun. No rushing. No notifications. No expectations.

Just presence.

I allowed myself to slow down, breathe, and enjoy nature. Allowed my feet to settle in the grass. And in that stillness, I could feel my nervous system settling. The heaviness lifted in a way that only quiet moments with yourself can do.

Sometimes the most healing thing we can do is unplug from everything else so we can reconnect with ourselves.

If you’ve been feeling emotionally overloaded lately, consider this your reminder: it’s okay to step away for a while.

Your mind deserves rest. Your body deserves calm. And you deserve moments that are just for you.

03/06/2026

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend a Thursday evening! 💫

Thank you to the Students Advocating a Stronger Sisterhood (SASS) organization at the University of Memphis for inviting me to your tea party to speak about mental health. It felt so good to be back at my alma mater!

The vibes were relaxed, the conversation flowed, and honestly, we probably could have talked for a few more hours. This was such a fierce group of young women, and I’m grateful to have been a small stop on their journey.

Truly a great evening! 🫖💬💛

03/06/2026

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my Thursday evening!

Thank you to the Students Advocating a Stronger Sisterhood (SASS) organization at the University of Memphis for inviting me to your tea party to speak about mental health. It felt so good to be back at my alma mater!

The vibes were relaxed, the conversation flowed, and honestly, we probably could have talked for a few more hours. This was such a fierce group of young women, and I’m grateful to have been a small stop on their journey.

Truly a great evening! 🫖💬💛

03/02/2026

WARNING: Using AI for mental health advice is compromising your intuition and independent authority.

I'm not one of those people who is frightened by future advancement. I have found AI to be extremely helpful in increasing my productivity and decreasing work tasks.

HOWEVER.. I've noticed an increased trend in individuals beginning to use AI for mental health advice. Some of the apps such as tend to take a more logical stance, while others seem to be a bit more flexible.

No matter the approach, often these responses can trigger:
-Increased paranoia..one begins to search for evidence to support the answer provided by AI. Ex: AI says you are being mistreated by your family, so you begin to scan for signs of mistreatment..even when none exist. Some of the AI apps have a tendency to jump to conclusions and make assumptions about a situation without having all of the facts.
-An increase in cognitive dissonance. AI (taking a logical approach), has determined that you are "reading too deep into a situation" causing you to second guess yourself and overthink. You hold two opposing beliefs, which trigger stress responses.
-A decrease in conflict resolution skills and increased dependence on the app. One begins to rely on AI for advice, thereby, reducing self reliance.
-Biased advice and suggestions. As a provider, I am able to tell immediately when someone is giving me a portion of a story that makes them look and sound good. AI only provides responses based on the information YOU give. Which tends to be heavily biased.

A good therapist does not seek to "tell you what you need to do." Instead, they help YOU tap into your own power and intuition so that you can take the best course of action for YOU.
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02/10/2026

Think twice before choosing that “low-cost” health insurance plan.

With rising health insurance costs, many people are opting for plans with high deductibles, with sometimes $3,000 or more. What does that actually mean?

Until you pay that deductible out of pocket, your insurance may not cover a single dollar of your care.

Here’s a real-world example:

Sally has a $3,000 deductible plan.
• $200 is deducted from her paycheck every month
• Each doctor visit costs her $150 out of pocket
• Labs and additional services cost extra

By October, Sally has paid $2,000 out of pocket and can no longer afford to keep going to appointments. However, insurance continues to deduct $200 per month from her pay.
By the end of the year:
• The insurance company collected $2,200
• The insurance company paid $0 toward her care
• Sally’s total cost was $4,200

High-deductible plans can be a good option if someone is anticipating a major surgery or medical procedure. Otherwise, they often shift the financial burden entirely onto the patient while insurers continue to profit.

Bottom line: A lower monthly premium does not always mean a lower overall cost. Read the fine print, ask questions, and consider both your healthcare needs and your finances before choosing a plan.

MentalHealthMatters

01/08/2026

Please check out my feature with MemphisVoyager Magazine! ❤️

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lakenya Humphrey. Hi Lakenya , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today? I did not know exactly […]

12/17/2025

Built this practice one session at a time..

45,850 therapy minutes.
917 appointments.
102 clients who trusted the process.

Grateful for every person who chose themselves and allowed me to walk alongside them. This work matters. 💪🏾 Thank you!

Start Anew Counseling

11/29/2025

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRpqeSuEWAA/?igsh=Z3ZqNHUwM2dkb2xy

07/12/2025

The look of tired (mixed with satisfaction), after wrapping up my LAST day of a 6 month Internal Family Systems (IFS) training! I’ve learned SO much, and wait to incorporate these tools into my work as an official IFS Level 1 trainer. Though I’ve loved it here, there will be no more programs for me for a while!😆

06/12/2025

Life seems to be moving fast these days! Seems like I was JUST celebrating my acceptance into the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women in Business Program. Now today, I paid it forward by assisting in interviewing prospective candidates for the next cohort. Grateful! ☺️💕