Empower Black Women To Shed The Weight Of Being Strong ‒ Interview With Dr. La-Toya S. Gaines
Dr. La-Toya S. Gaines is a licensed psychologist and owner of Family Matters Counseling and Psychological Services. Dr. Gaines has a dedicated her career to empowering Black women to disrupt the narrative of the Strong Black Woman. She is teaching generations of Black women to give themselves permission to prioritize their needs without feeling guilty. Dr. Gaines is using her voice to reduce the stigma of mental health in the Black community.
Dr. La-Toya S. Gaines, Licensed Psychologist, Speaker
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
My name is Dr. La-Toya Gaines. I am the mother of two beautiful children, a son who is almost 22 years old and a daughter who is 16 years old. I’m married to my awesome partner, Eric, of over 20 years. I love traveling, reading, and attending sporting events, especially my daughter’s soccer games and track meets. I enjoy spending quality time with my closest friends and family, and you can typically find me anywhere near a beach or a body of water.
What is your business name, and how do you help your clients?
I am the founder and CEO of Family Matters Counseling and Psychological Services, Inc. It is a private group practice where I specialize in child and family therapy, the self-esteem and self-confidence of young women, and the culturally unique emotional needs of Black women.
What kind of audience do you target your business towards?
My audience consists of BIPOC individuals seeking culturally sensitive mental health services.
What are your current goals for your business?
Clinically, I am dedicated to providing culturally competent assessment and treatment. Additionally, as an advocate to empower Black women to center themselves, I am developing a 6-week intensive workshop, webinar series, and speaking platform to help shed the Strong Black Woman narrative and provide Black women the support and education to find their voice and pursue the lives they desire.
What would you like to achieve for yourself and your business in the future?
I am dedicated to developing tools and providing services that help Black women prioritize themselves without the pressures of the Strong Black Woman schema. Through my 6-week seminar, webinar series, and the myriad of speaking engagements, I seek to empower Black women to find their voice and define themselves free from the narrative of the self-sacrificial and invincible superwoman.
What is your work inspired by?
My greatest professional goal is to empower Black women to shed the weight of being a Strong Black Woman. I want to stop the generational curse of the strong Black woman from being passed down to the next generation of Black girls and women.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
I would remove the stigma associated with seeking and receiving mental health treatment in the Black community.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
In 2018, my business partner and mother were diagnosed with breast cancer. By February 2019, my business partner, mentor, and a friend had died. I was left to do a job meant for two, alone while caring for my mother. During this time, I noticed how much being a strong Black woman weighed me down and prevented me from seeking and receiving the support I needed. This experience forced me to take a long, hard look at how I was portraying an image of invincibility and strength while feeling alone and overwhelmed. As a result, I created a whole self-care plan and began to seek the support of friends and family. I realized that many of my clients shared similar experiences, and I began exploring ways to help them.
