Meet Dontea’ Mitchell-Hunter | Self-Worth Therapist, Owner of Soirées In Therapy, LLC & Podcast Host of Detox Therapy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dontea’ Mitchell-Hunter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dontea’, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
The most up-to-date difficult decision that I have ever made was choosing to go towards my happiness.

You would think going towards what makes you happy would be easy. It could be challenging if you only focus on what your family, friends, partner, and society think you should do.

I knew I wanted to move away from my home base. I knew I needed more out of life. I’ve always enjoyed traveling and experiencing new cities and countries. I knew I wanted more sun in my life and restaurants that made food with love and butter. I knew I wanted to be somewhere that allowed me to pick up and go. This decision led me to pack up and move.

Moving away from family, bonus family, friends, and everything familiar. The heartache, anxiety, and depression that came up almost felt unbearable. On the other end of the spectrum, what felt exhilarating, authentic, and true was moving to a place that encompassed everything I was looking for in my life. I needed to show myself love and worth, which looked like leaving my comfort nest. I had to challenge the idea that you have to live, retire and die in one city for the entirety of your life. I have no idea what city I want to settle in eventually, and what I do know is that I want to see more before I decide. I remind myself that it’s OK that I am living an unconventional life. This quirky life makes me smile, have more gratitude, and even allows me to work from the beach since I work for myself! My online private practice (Soirées In Therapy, LLC) allows me to live wherever I want and work with women of color get out of unfulfilling relationships and recreate self-love & happiness – single or partnered.

What should our readers know about your business?
I adore my business. I am proud that I can work with women online in two states and one district (Washington, Georgia, and D.C.) and that I set up my practice to work best for my clients and me. I only see nine clients a week, three days a week, and it’s all during times of the day when I am my best self, which allows me to be my best therapist self. There are a lot of therapists that see anywhere between 7-10 clients a day. For myself, seeing 7-10 clients a day would not allow me to show up as my best self to help my clients heal through their pain. I would be exhausted and distracted. My schedule allows me to show up fresh, excited and looking forward to doing the work with my clients. The most exciting part about my business is guiding my clients during a breakthrough moment and watching them realize how they can change themselves for the better.

My business was never something that was supposed to happen. I decided to open a private practice when I realized working for others would eventually mentally break me down. I needed freedom from micromanagement and the 40 hour week work schedule. I wanted to work from 10 AM-2 PM with Mondays and Fridays off.

The road to launching my business and gaining success was not easy. Many times, I doubted my ability to have my own business, questioned if I would make any money, and doubted if I was even good enough to have a business. I overcame the challenges by having a supportive circle. These individuals always reminded me of how bright my future was, and the next level was waiting on me to take the step.

My support circle kept me accountable and held space for all of my emotions – positive and negative. The lessons I learned along the way were:
1. Connect with others who are doing what you want to be doing. I reached out to other successful private practice owners and asked how to get started.
2. Do not be afraid to pay for someone’s expertise – it will save you time and money in the future. I have joined many paid course programs and paid Facebook groups for knowledge that has changed my life and business for the better.
3. Stay true to your dream. Before COVID, hardly anyone was doing online therapy, and once COVID hit, online therapy went from the underdog to the star player. When I decided to create my private practice, I knew it would be online because I do not enjoy commuting. However, I enjoy vacationing whenever, and I needed the business to travel with me. Many therapists did not understand why I wanted an online private practice, and some even spoke negatively about my idea. I am so glad I stuck to my dream to create a “work from anywhere” business because this is what works best for me, and two years after launch, COVID hit, and private practice owners were asking me how to have an online business.
4. Know your worth. The right clients will find you.

I want the world to know that part of why I love what I do is because I’ve been there. I’ve been the woman who stayed in situationships way longer than needed. I kept relationships going because it was better than being alone. I allowed my partners, family, and friends to disrespect me because I did not know how to stand up for myself. I did not think I could have peace and acceptance simultaneously. I want the world to know that this is why I am confident in my work because I have been there, and I have been able to recreate my self-worth and find true happiness. I want women to know they are not alone, and if they need to work on this area of their life, they can reach out to me for help.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Here is my bestfriend Atlanta weekend trip lineup. Friday, we would have lunch at La Parrilla. One of my favorite tex-mex restaurants in Atlanta. We would then head over to the Atlanta beltline to casually stroll while sightseeing. Saturday, we start our day at Frogs. They have some of the best Margaritas and burritos I have ever had! After Frogs, we would head over to my alma mater, Spelman College, and shop for clothes and accessories at the bookstore. Saturday night, we would attend a live show in the city. The good thing about Atlanta is there is always a show happening somewhere. Sunday is always a chill day, as I like to slowly re-charge from the eventful weekend. We would grab a coffee from a local Black-owned coffee shop, like Urban Grind Coffeehouse, and people watch as we recap about the weekend we just had together.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Scarlett Ekeroma, Owner of Elevate Healing, LLC and Author of My Worries & Wins Journal: Guided Reflections. Scarlett has been paramount in my success. The sounding board that I need to keep me going reminds me of my worth, gifts, and all-around awesomeness. Scarlett is a fierce business owner. There is no obstacle too big she cannot work out. She sees no limit in what is possible to obtain, which is evident in her business’s rapid success.

Website: www.soireesintherapy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soireesintherapy/?hl=en

Other: Detox Therapy Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/detox-therapy/id1572306399

Image Credits
Elizabeth Zuluaga