Meet James Woods, III | Mental Health Advocate & Program Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Woods, III and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
Ever since I was a child, I knew that it was my purpose to care for people. Through my experience in public health with focuses in areas like opioid abuse, infectious disease control, drug therapy management and behavioral and mental health I was awarded the opportunity to find my passion. The end goal for me is to develop my own private practice as a licensed mental and behavioral health professional, targeting demographics that are lacking the fundamental resources necessary for living a healthier life. I am currently working on my Masters of Social Work degree at Clark Atlanta University, and will continue my education to earn a PhD so that I can provide the space and opportunity for those who feel overlooked, unheard and unseen. By the end of my career, I want to be someone who is known for fighting for the rights of others and creating spaces that are inclusive and safe for people who felt like they didn’t have a voice because of their circumstance or undeserving of privileges because of the color of their skin, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In my career as a mental health professional and working in fields such as substance abuse and infectious disease counseling, I feel as though my life experiences have helped me succeed in practice. I am proud to say that I am most excited about being able to sit with my clients and not only understand many of their situations, but I can empathize and relate to them. This ability helps me to better connect with clients, friends, etc. It was not an easy road getting to where I am today. It took me much longer to graduate with my Bachelors in Public Health with a concentration in psychosocial behavior because I had to provide for myself and my family. Which made getting accepted in my masters program more meaningful. I was able to overcome many challenges by adapting the practice of meditation and surrounding myself with people who I can rely on to be open and honest with me in regards to life decisions, relationships, etc. I’ve learned that I cannot control everything and that patience is the key to everything. All good things come to those who wait. I would love the world to know that I have come from a space where I was once grocery shopping in the dollar store and had struggles that most people couldn’t imagine. But through self reflection and creating a circle of supportive friends, I was able to grow into the person I am today with the goals of being much more.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
In my experience in Atlanta (5 years so far), I’ve had the great time exploring the city with friends! Let’s say my mom comes to town to visit, I know exactly where I’d take her. My favorite or go-to spots to eat are definitely Tacos & Tequila, brunch at Pancake Social and when I need to kick back after a stressful day one of the many lounges in the city. I’d take her to a few fun places like Puttshack, SpinArt, Andretti’s or even get interactive and play laser tag at Main Event. And you can’t forget the many restaurants and shops at Ponce City Market would prove to be a great time for shopping and engaging conversation while we people watch.

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?
Throughout my journey both professionally and personally, I have learned so much about myself. It wasn’t until I read the book “Eat, Pray, Love” (which also became a movie) that I actually started to look at things differently as it relates to my growth as a person. The book essentially taught me that I have to actively participate in the manifestations of my own blessings. Once I found what made me happy, I could never allow anything to change or alter it. More importantly, I learned that I had to do what I needed to in order to maintain that happiness. I learned that I had to make a continuous effort to keep pushing in a forward motion and learn to love everything about myself in the process. Once I understood that I cannot control everything at every moment in time, life started to become easier. It is still a process for me because I fear the unknown and failure. But the one thing I took away from the story is that failure is just a window that closed, I have to find the door thats wide open. And sometimes that takes time.

Instagram: drwoods2u

Facebook: James Woods III