Hidden Gems: Meet Baaba Onyejiji, LMFT of My Journey | Psychotherapy & Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Baaba Onyejiji, LMFT.

Hi Baaba , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In college, I was an English major and fully convinced I was going to become the Black J.K. Rowling. Writing was my first love, and I always imagined building a career through storytelling. I was curious about psychology, even though I had never really been exposed to therapy growing up. My parents are immigrants from Ghana, West Africa and culturally you don’t talk to strangers about your problems. One day I decided to take a general education psychology course, and I immediately fell in love with the subject.

I remember asking my professor how I could get more exposure to the field, and he gave me advice that changed my life: he suggested I go to therapy. As a first-generation American, that idea felt foreign and unfamiliar, but I was intrigued enough to try. My college offered a handful of free counseling sessions through the campus counseling center, so I signed up. I went into my intake thinking I was there to ask questions and figure out how to land an internship. Instead, I found something I didn’t even realize I needed.

When my therapist gently asked, “How can I support you today?” I immediately burst into tears. In that moment, I realized how deeply I needed a safe, compassionate space where someone was focused on me for once. That experience was transformative. My journey into psychotherapy truly began with my own healing.

Since then, I’ve spent the last decade building a career I’m incredibly proud of. I’ve worked across a range of clinical settings, supported individuals, couples and families, built programs, opened clinics, and stepped into leadership roles. Most recently, I launched my own private practice called My Journey | Psychotherapy & Consulting Services. It has been both humbling and rewarding to turn my personal healing journey into a profession centered on helping others heal, grow, and thrive.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, although I think that’s true for most meaningful journeys. Graduate school alone was intense!!! Not just academically, but emotionally. While you’re learning how to support others, you also begin developing a deeper awareness of your own life, relationships, and patterns. Once you start recognizing what is healthy and what is not, it can be hard to “unsee” those truths. That level of growth can be both empowering and uncomfortable.

Then there is the practical side of becoming a therapist. In California, earning the required 3,000 supervised clinical hours before even sitting for the licensing exam is no small feat. It’s demanding, exhausting, and often requires people to push through financial stress, systemic barriers, cultural pressures, and imposter syndrome. So truly, shoutout to every associate therapist out there…I see you!

Another one of my challenges was learning what my own clinical voice was. You spend years studying theories, research, and learning from supervisors and mentors, but eventually you have to figure out how to integrate all of that knowledge in a way that feels authentic to you. At times, my mind felt like that scene in The Hangover where Alan is counting cards in Vegas and doing intense mental math, just theories, interventions, and self-doubt flying everywhere. It was a lot.

What helped me most was learning to quiet the noise, trust my instincts, and remember that genuine human connection matters just as much as expertise. And that its okay to take time to develop it. Making mistakes is part of being human and learning too. Having a strong support system was also essential. This work asks a lot of you, and you need people in your corner while you’re figuring yourself out in a new career. In the end, the struggles shaped me into a more grounded clinician and human.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My Journey Psychotherapy & Consulting Services was created as a love letter to anyone choosing healing, growth, and a deeper relationship with themselves. It is a space for people who have spent much of their lives caring for others, achieving at high levels, or trying to fit into places that never truly felt like home. My mission is to help them come back to themselves and discover that belonging starts within.

As a licensed psychotherapist I work with adults across California, with a special focus on BIPOC professionals, first-generation and bicultural individuals, and high-achieving people carrying the quiet weight of anxiety, perfectionism, relationship pain, family expectations, or past experiences that still linger. Many of my clients look “successful” on the outside while privately feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or never quite “enough.” My work is about helping them release what no longer serves them and step into a more grounded, peaceful, and authentic life.

What sets My Journey apart is the experience itself. I believe healing can be both transformative and beautiful. My style is warm, intuitive, honest, and deeply compassionate with moments of humor, because sometimes laughter is part of the medicine too. Clients often tell me they feel deeply seen, gently challenged, and safe enough to exhale for the first time in a long time.

What I’m most proud of is that I built something for myself! For years, I poured my heart into building clinical programs, leading teams, and creating healing spaces for others. My Journey Psychotherapy & Consulting Services is the first space that is fully mine. Where I get to pour a decade of clinical experience, wisdom, and care into something deeply personal and purposeful. It is a reflection of everything I have learned and everything I value.

I’m also proud that I did my own work. I went to therapy, sat in the vulnerable seat, and committed to my own healing journey. Because of that, I understand the courage it takes to ask for help, to face yourself honestly, and to choose growth again and again. I know what I am asking of my clients because I have asked it of myself. That allows me to walk alongside them not just as a therapist, but as a grounded and compassionate guide.

And perhaps most personally, I created this for the younger version of myself. The girl who felt too sensitive, too different, and unsure where she belonged. She dreamed big, even when life felt small. Building My Journey | Psychotherapy & Consulting Services was my way of honoring her while creating a sanctuary for others searching for the same thing: peace, confidence, and home within themselves.

What I want readers to know is this: you do not have to keep carrying everything alone. You are worthy of support, worthy of softness, and worthy of becoming the fullest version of who you are. Sometimes the greatest luxury is finally choosing yourself.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
If there’s one thing I’d love to leave readers with, it’s this: don’t wait until life feels unmanageable to invest in your mental health. So many people seek support only when they are overwhelmed, exhausted, or in crisis—but therapy can also be a proactive act of self-care, growth, and maintenance. We schedule yearly physicals, dental cleanings, workouts, and beauty appointments. Your emotional well-being deserves that same level of care and intention.

Therapy is not just for when things are falling apart it can be where things begin to come together. It can help you build healthier relationships, understand yourself more deeply, break old patterns, and create more peace in your daily life. Choosing support before burnout is wisdom, not weakness.

I also want people to know that if you’ve tried therapy before and didn’t have a good experience, that does not mean therapy is not for you. The relationship and fit with your therapist matters deeply. Sometimes finding the right therapist is a little like dating—you may need to meet a few people before you find the one who feels safe, aligned, and supportive. Please don’t let one disappointing experience stop you from trying again.

And when you do begin, be brave enough to be honest. Therapy works best when you show up truthfully; with your fears, your pain, your patterns, and the parts of yourself you may usually hide. Healing asks for honesty, first with yourself and then with the person helping guide you. If you’d like that to be me, It would be an honor to work with you.

You are worthy of support long before you reach your breaking point. Taking care of your mind, heart, and inner world is one of the most valuable investments you can make.

Pricing:

• I offer free 15 minute consultation to see if we are a good fit. If any parts of my story resonate and you woud like to work together, please shoot me an email!
• Contact: info@myjourneyca.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.myjourneyca.com
• Instagram: @myjourneypsychotherapy
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baaba-onyejiji-lmft
• Youtube: Podcast I was featured in: https://youtu.be/_E705wbgHPU
• Other: Google business page: https://share.google/ulwc0nisUJ66codGe

Image Credits
Onyecreative studios for my headshots and speaking photo is from the Pursuit of Excellence Summit I think Fisher Studio is the photographer. The rest are my photos I took on my phone