Meet Dr. Joi Latson | Psy.D, Mental Health Counselor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Joi Latson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Joi, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As a therapist, mother, wife, friend, sister, dog owner, and business owner finding balance was something I struggled with for a while. It took me a while to be able to separate from my therapeutic role in my personal life. People naturally find comfort in the space I hold anywhere, so I often found myself being a therapist 24/7, which was not allowing me to engage in self care. One day, I thought to myself “How can I embrace being human more?”. Then it hit me, I started labeling myself “The human therapist” to constantly remind myself that before my title of therapist, I am a human who has other life responsibilities. Doing that has allowed me to find balance in my life, and sustain it. To me balance means being able to love what I do, but also being able to separate it from my personal life. Although being a therapist is naturally in everything that I do, finding balance and separating my roles has allowed me to enjoy life, and always make sure my cup is full. Having a full cup, allows me to not just be at peace (as a whole) but fully available for my clients. Balance is more than a term for me, it’s a lifestyle.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am the Owner of Find Your Inner Joi, LLC. Which offers a variety of Mental Health Counseling & Consulting Services. I believe that every business owner no matter the type, knows the challenges that it comes with. When you own a business, you have to work hard to get the flows not only going but staying. If I can say what has helped me to be successful in my career, I would say always embracing who I am as a person. Growing up I often had to assimilate in environments like school or work where my blackness or silliness was often not approved or embraced. So, I naturally started to dim my own light. As I got older I realized, it’s who I am that people find comfort in. Embracing who I am, all my characteristics, my silliness and my natural nurturing has allowed me to always keep a full caseload. My clients choose me, because I stand out to them. So what makes me different, I make sure my clients understand that I am human just as they are, but a human that is trained and that also enjoys keeping the safe space they deserve. I am the human that will walk along side of my clients in their most difficult life journeys without judgement, because as I say “the one thing we do not have to do alone, is HEAL.” Was getting to this point easy? Definitely not, it took and still takes constant accountability and growth on my part. I have to practice what I preach, and make sure I attend to myself correctly so that I can be fully available for my clients. The thing that makes me the most proud, is that in this journey called life where I have learned to heal, love and care for myself, I have been able to help hundreds of individuals do the same. To me that’s a superpower all on it’s own.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For those that know me, know that I love to explore, experience, and act like a tourist in my own town every WEEKEND. I love continuing to make core memories with the one’s I love. Some places I would take my friend to eat are: “Pinch Miami” which is a small little hidden gem. The FOOD IS AMAZING and so are the Margaritas. One of my next fav places is Novecento! Be careful though, their Sangrias and Mimosas will take you out LOL. Another place I would go is “Little Hen” just for the experience. It is a high tea restaurant , where you get the full experience. You get to dress up, drink tea, champagne, and you have to try their CHICKEN AND WAFFLES! They were bomb. I’m an outdoors type of person, I love nature and sun. Thank goodness right, I live in Miami (city of the heat). So my favorite hangout spaces would be wynwood you can go enjoy it during the day with family, and party and catch the vibes at night. I also love going to the everglades, and taking an airboat! The last place I will recommend is Bayside Miami. You can shop, Eat, drink, listen to live music, dance, party, catch a boat ride, and even ride the Eye (Ferris Wheel). Such a great experience for someone coming to town because it is an all in one activity.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
When I look at my current success there’s two people that I have to highlight. First, there’s my husband Luciano. He has sacrificed so much for me to be where I am. He helped me chase my dreams of becoming a Dr. and encouraged me to never give up. He checked and edited many many papers from the early years of graduating with my BAS degree to recently my Doctorate degree. The whole time, he never complained. He believes in me, when at times the bigger picture got blurry. For his constant support, love, and encouragement I will always be thankful. Babe, you are the G.O.A.T, thank you. Then, there is my Mentor Dr.Davis. The oh so wonderful Mental Health G.O.A.T. It is natural for new therapist to struggle with imposter syndrome from time to time, but she helped me believe in my abilities and constantly encourages me to strive for the moon and more. She helped me to not only see my worth as a Black Woman clinician but believe it, which is something I will always thank her for.

Website: Www.findyourinnerjoi.com

Instagram: @find_your_inner_joi

Youtube: https://youtu.be/TCUOSUQcukU

Other: I also have my podcast instagram which is @Joiflix_chill