Meet Akiva S. Harris, MS, LPC | Licensed Psychotherapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Akiva S. Harris, MS, LPC and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Akiva S., we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I think for most psychotherapist going into private practice is the ultimate goal. As such it certainly was a goal of mine, however it was a long-term goal. When I started my practice, I had only been practicing for 5 years. I say only because 5 years does not seem like a long time especially considering the entire lifespan. Unfortunately, the business side of this field is not addressed in most graduate programs so I lacked understanding in all that would be involved in starting a private practice. I was under the impression that I would need to save tons of money that I could live off while building my practice. I essentially thought it would be a huge financial undertaking that I thought I needed time to prepare for. However, what happened to me is not uncommon in that circumstances caused me to jump headfirst into starting my practice. I primarily worked in substance abuse treatment prior to working for myself, and while it’s still heart breaking to say, that industries main concern was their bottom line instead of helping sick people get well. I had 6 different jobs in 5 years because the practice and policies I witnessed and experienced just didn’t sit well with me. Outside of the joy of helping people, unfortunately my experience when I worked for others was primarily negatively. The straw that broke the camels back for me was being unjustly terminated from my then employer for speaking up against their practices. Being fired put me in a bad space emotionally, and financially. It was in that moment that I said I can no longer do this, and I decided to step out on faith and start my practice. I was collecting unemployment benefits when I started my practice. I didn’t have a dollar saved at all.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are all individuals and what I believe sets me apart from others is that I live life being my authentic self. I create my own lane and I stay in it. I don’t try to be like or emulate any one else, do I learn from others? Yes of course, but I am authentically me. I tell my clients all the time the best tool I bring to any session is my authentic self. I’m relatable to my clients because I am a human being first. Therapy doesn’t have to be stuffy, sterile, blah! My clients and I have fun together, we laugh together, all while doing the work. I’m very gifted in knowing how to give my clients exactly what they need, when they need it, even if they don’t always like it. I got to where I am today in my business by being very intentional! That’s something I learned the hard way, when I was working for others I realized that I was not being intentional and not moving with purpose. After being fired I committed to living an intentional life. From that moment to this, everything I do is intentional. I start each year with making a vision board and yearly goals for myself and my business. I refer to my vision board and goals list to get myself on track. Given the life I’ve had, there is not much I consider to be hard because I have had to overcome so much. What I know for sure is that everything can be figured out and things always work out for my greater good. When I experience challenges and unforeseen events, I do whatever is necessary to figure it out. I believe in me and my ability to figure things out. A most recent lesson I’ve learned is that you don’t know what you need until you need it. As a business owner things sometimes shift and there have been moments when I’ve said to myself, “why am I just figuring this out?” And the answer is, because I haven’t experienced it before and I didn’t know I needed to change this thing, or do that thing, because I didn’t need it before. What I want the world to know is, if I can do it, anyone can do it. The cards were certainly stacked against me. The unfortunate truth is that the world we live in doesn’t want people like me to succeed. In fact, the world we live in is set up for me to fail, trust and believe all the factors were present. I was born to and raised by drug addicted parents, I lived in poverty, I was a teenage mother, I am a woman, and I’m black. My life could have easily taken a different route, but God! I know that where I am and who I am today is nothing but God’s grace. I know that my ability to help people is a God given talent and I am doing what I was sent here to do. As such I am being blessed for it. My intention is for my life to be an inspiration for all little girls who like me and come from similar circumstances. The name of my practice is Beyond Limits Mental Health & Wellness, LLC. I chose that name on purpose because I want everyone to know that they can push beyond all limits that were placed on them. We all can be unlimited!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a Philadelphia native, we would have to hit spots that are all things Philly. I would take my friend to South Street and Penn’s Landing. We would tour the Art Museum and run up the steps like Rocky! We would eat cheesesteaks, pretzels, and tasty cakes. I love nature so we would go for a walk/hike in Valley Green. We would check out the night life scene in Manayunk and Old City. There is so much to do and we would have a great time.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Aww man, I hate to sound cliché but there are so many people who deserve recognition in my story as no man or woman is an island. This is my second career; my first career was in the mortgage servicing industry and my background is in business. Deciding to go back to school for my graduate degree in counseling was an extremely difficult decision! I had many sleepless night and countless conversations with people seeking validation to take the leap. One important conversation was with my sister Sakina, because she always told me I should be a therapist. I attended a workshop facilitated by my friend Da-Nel that gave me the courage to enroll in school. While I was in school, I could not have completed my internship hours if it were not for my then supervisor Lee Anne, as she allowed me to work a flex schedule. Once I started my internship, I had an unfortunate experience and my internship supervisor, Rhea pulled strings to find me another internship site. Once I decided to start my practice, I had conversations with friends and colleagues who were already in practice who gave important advice. I spoke to Jennifer, Beth, Sonia, and my former therapist Latrice. My family was so supportive and my biggest cheerleaders! I couldn’t have done this without all of them. My children were older when I went back to school, so mommy duties relaxed a little. My sons, Shamar and Shawn are my world and my motivation. My cousin Zach was one of my biggest supporters. I literally could go on and on!

Website: www.beyondlimitsmhw.com

Instagram: @beyond_limitsmhw

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akiva-s-harris-ms-lpc-83771a36/

Facebook: Beyond Limits Mental Heath & Wellness, LLC

Image Credits
Ray Fearon Salima Mercer