Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Arease Edison.
Dr. Arease, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My freshman year of college at Fresno State, I spent a summer in Sacramento, California with an aunt, two cousins and an uncle who had a group home. I worked at the group home this particular summer and it changed the trajectory of my life. One day, I was asked to take my cousin Alicia to an appointment, I knew she struggling with depression and engaging in self-injurious behavior at the time.
I took her to the appointment and waited close to an hour for her to come out in a cozy waiting room. She exited the room and a lady followed her out and handed me a card. I looked at the card and saw L.M.F.T. At the time, I didn’t know what these acronyms stood for, but I knew that day, I wanted to become a psychotherapist to help girls like Alicia. This is where my journey began. After undergrad, I moved back to LA and I worked at a group home with adolescents with severe emotional disturbances. This work was challenging but I learned the skills needed to work as a helper. Over the years, I worked in community mental health and held various positions. I’ve worked with many populations (inmates, parolees, youth sex-offenders, foster care youth, the chronically mentally ill, etc.) which resulted in moments of fulfillment but, I always knew there was an entrepreneur in me. I developed a business plan for Edison Family Counseling Center (EFCC) in 2018 and realized how unfamiliar I was with business; while I was an effective therapist I didn’t have a knack for business. January 2020, I was at a spa with a friend and it was impressed upon my heart to step out on faith and start EFCC. I went home and created a new business plan and worked diligently on obtaining a contract with a prominent mental health plan. Five months later, EFCC was awarded our first contract and we opened the doors September 1, 2020.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Starting EFCC has been a beautiful journey. Challenges will always be there, but when you see them as opportunities for growth, they feel more manageable. I really believe that God’s favor and grace have been on our side since our launch, granted we are still in the infancy stage of development. One challenge faced has been changing my mental model. Changing my mindset from employee to business owner has been of a bit of a transition, requiring me to see through a different lens. My husband, Greg Edison is our Co-Founder, my financial backbone, constantly reminding me of the bigger picture. Service based business is very different from product based and after all, the price-tag for emotional wellness can be costly. Although dexterity for businesses does not come natural to me as the CEO, I have been blessed with board members who fill in the gaps. Our board is comprised of four African American men; Gregory Edison (Co-Founder), Eric Lane, Dawaun Lucas and Bryan Doster. These gentleman provide operational support and business oversight that makes EFCC’s growth and development easier. The biggest challenge currently is working a full-time job, seeing clients for EFCC, being a mother to a 14-month-old and a wife… in addition to making strides to grow the practice. It can be taxing, but by the grace of God, I have a supportive husband, mother-in-law, friends and family who support this vision.
As you know, we’re big fans of Edison Family Counseling Center, Inc. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
EFCC is a professional counseling center that provides mental health services to members of the Los Angeles community. We exist to ensure individuals have access to quality mental health services, should services be desired. We distinguish ourselves from other providers in that we are a black-owned small business and we apply a private practice philosophy to community mental health. Providing excellent service to each client we see. We believe clients should have access to providers who see them for who they are, separate from their issues and be treated with respect. We are a resource to the community, here to provide community resources to those in need and to provide support to others as they go through various life transitions. Our core values are excellence, healing, wholeness and personal truth. Our brand is simple, every member …”Healed. Whole. Well.” It’s our hope for every person of our community.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We would like to help increase awareness of mental health issues that permeate our communities. Emotional and psychological issues don’t just go away, it takes intention to heal from broken places in our lives. We can’t put bandaids over emotional and behavioral issues; that require stitches. We want readers to know that if you are struggling with emotional or psychological issues, you are not alone. You can make a choice to seek out professional help. Psychotherapy is a process that all can benefit from at some juncture of life. The therapeutic process is merely a professional relationship that affords one the opportunity to slow down long enough and check in with our authentic selves, in a way that is meaningful. What happens in psychotherapy can be life changing if clients are open to the process. Though the idea of psychotherapy may be intimidating for people of color, know that there are culturally competent clinicians who are able to meet you where you are. We have been long taught to just push past and ignore our issues. We want to challenge our readers to take the time to consider how your overall level of functioning can improve if you are intentional about talking to a person that can help you heal. I love the work that we do, I know therapy works and I know that we can be healed, we can be whole and we can be well. Remember, the most difficult time is often the one we give ourselves. Be well!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.edisonfamilycounselingcenter.com
- Instagram: Edison Family Counseling Center
- Other: (310) 853-2758-office
