Meet Dr. Tiara Watford | Licensed Mental Health Therapist, Author, and Business Owner

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

Hi Dr. Watford, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
The most important thing I have done as a parent that has significantly impacted my child was advocating for her. Raising a daughter on the Autism Spectrum requires continuous advocacy, whether at school, in the community, or sometimes within our own family. Some children on the spectrum are nonverbal, and parents need to be their voice. Standing up for what’s right and fair treatment positively impacts her overall well-being. I am her voice, and it takes a particular parent to hear what a child cannot say.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I own two mental health practices: Polished Pearls Counseling and Coaching Services, PLLC based out of North Carolina, and Inspired to Grow, LLC based out of Virginia that provide people from all walks of life with the comfortability to address their mental challenges, gain tools to cope with their mental challenges and work towards to mental healing. I genuinely enjoy making a difference in the lives of others and within my community. When you do something that is your passion, it does not seem like work. Helping others has been a skill instilled inside me since a very young age.

To get where I am today, it took a lot of education, of course. But most importantly, investing. I knew how I wanted my businesses to flourish and the saying it takes money to make money is certainly true. I attended educational seminars, training, business coaching and identified which areas of my team are needed to help each business grow. But overall, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to run a business. There are still days where I struggle with trying to balance it all. Being a mother, multiple business owners, dating, and maintaining a social life is a lot. The greatest lesson I learned as a business owner is an importance of taking breaks and knowing my limits. Self-care is essential, and you indeed cannot pour from an empty cup. Methods that I utilize for self-care are therapy (yes, I am a therapist who has a therapist), establishing and sticking to business hours, scheduling time off, and knowing when to say no.

One important aspect that I want the world to know about my business is that you can reach any goal you set regardless of where you come and what obstacles you face in life. As you’re getting your life back on track (I like to call it polishing your pearl), you’re simply putting the shine back into your life. Although our journeys are different, I want the world to see me as an inspiration and say if this woman can do it, so can I. That is the message behind both of my businesses. Taking care of your mental well-being is a top priority, and we as people have to normalize taking care of our mental health. Mental health is just as important as physical health.

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.
Places that my best friend and I would enjoy visiting in the city would most definitely be the beach, spa, winery, outlet malls, and possibly take a quick road trip to Busch Gardens for a time to act like kids again.

I enjoy going to the beach because the sound of the ocean is very relaxing and peaceful. The spa is our favorite thing to do for facials, massages, and just overall relaxation. Wine tasting is the adult version of grabbing ice cream. A girl’s day/week is not completed without SHOPPING. Whether it’s window shopping, bargain shopping, or simply spoiling yourself because you work hard, it’s fun, and it’s needed at times. I love amusement parks because you have time to let your hair down and have FUN.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The person who encourages me the most is none other than my daughter. The person who has pushed me the hardest to reach this point in my life is my daughter Mariah who rocks the Autism Spectrum. She bounces back from anything despite various health challenges, hospitalizations, doctors’ appointments, medical tests, medication changes, and uncertainty. My daughter is my reason in life, and she encourages me to go after everything I desire. Being her mother changed my life tremendously, and I would not have it any other way. I genuinely believe that we were selected for this journey for a particular reason, and we shall ride this wave together. Mariah is the co-founder of our nonprofit organization MariAHBILITY, Inc., an advocacy organization for individuals with various intellectual, developmental, mental, and physical disabilities.

Website: www.ppccs.net www.getinspiredwithtiara.com www.inspired2grow, org

Instagram: @_getinspiredwithtiara @polishedpearls_ccs @inspired2growtherapy

Facebook: Dr. Tiara Watford, LCSW

Image Credits
Jordyn Ari Jeanita Castille Jermaine Vaughan