Meet Merry Ware | Licensed Professional Counselor, Author, and Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Merry Ware and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Merry, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have worked in a variety of settings providing encouragement, support, spiritual guidance, coaching, and counseling to women facing challenges. My thought behind creating Survival 2 Victory was, “God what can I do to help all these women that are hurting? What is it that I can do to make a difference in their lives?” It was during that moment that it became clear to me what I needed to do. I must create an environment to help hurting women heal. Survival 2 Victory was created to encompass all these things as well as educate and empower female survivors of abuse.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am the founder and CEO of Survival 2 Victory, Inc. a Behavioral Health and Wellness Center for Women. Through our counseling program I provide individual counseling for women’s issues, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationship issues and more. I specialize in helping women heal from abuse and trauma. In addition, I facilitate women’s groups. I am the moderator for the Queens Court Women’s Empowerment Group. The group is for women ages 25 and up to connect with other women dealing with similar challenges. We meet twice a month on Sundays.

I am also a continuing education trainer. Through our educational and training program, I train mental health professionals and other industry professionals to identify, understand, and respond effectively to trauma survivors. Our program strives to educate the community-at-large about trauma and abuse and its effects on women, their families, and our society.

I am also a Licensed Minister. Our outreach ministry program is dedicated to helping female survivors of abuse in the community as well as raising awareness of sexual violence against women and children through social advocacy. One of my favorite events that we host are our Women’s Empowerment Events. We create and facilitate a great space to encourage, celebrate, and empower women.

I am also an inspirational speaker. I provide public speaking in the community, conferences, faith-based organizations, and special events. My topics include Healing from Abuse, Women Empowerment, and Mental Health Awareness. I also tailor the topics and presentations to meet to the needs of the audience and the organization.

I am also an author. The title of my book is, ‘It’s Time 2 Heal: Healing the Hole in Your Soul’. The book is a life changing guide to helping you heal from the wounds of abuse and trauma. It will help you with understanding the various kinds of abuse and the impact the abuse has on your life. It offers guidance on how to reconnect and reclaim those things that were once lost or stolen from you. It provides practical tools and evidenced-based strategies to help you move forward toward healing. The book is available on Amazon.com.

Throughout my own journey, the road was not always easy. There were many challenges along the way. It took a lot of prayer and faith to get to this point where I am now. The ability to see the challenges as opportunities was a major lesson that I learned. I am most proud of being able to operate in my passion and purpose which is helping hurting women heal. I provide guidance, counseling, encouragement, education, and empowerment in order to transform the lives of female survivors of abuse.

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?
I am a laid-back kind of person, and my friends are as well so the itinerary will include spots to relax and catch up. For breakfast we will go to the flying biscuit because of the great southern food. A must have would be the ‘Garden fresh veggie scramble,’ with a side order of grits.

After breakfast we would need to walk off those grits, so the perfect choice would be to go to Atlantic station, where we can walk around and shop. Atlantic Station always have several events to keep anyone entertained and many stores to suit anyone’s style. We can also catch a movie while at Atlantic Station, a comedy of course. Laughter is just like medicine, it’s good for the soul.

For dinner, we would go to Benihana, on Peachtree Road for the best fried rice with a double order of yum, yum sauce. Other places to visit throughout the week would be the New Black Wall Street Market, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum, Illuminarium Atlanta, and the World of Coke. Finally, being in nature is a must so before the week is over, we would enjoy some more outdoor time and go to the Atlanta Beltline.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
God has truly blessed me and Survival 2 Victory therefore, I give Him all the honor, glory, and praise. My husband Robert is my rock, my best friend, and for sure my number #1 fan. My two daughters inspire me and have stated numerous times how proud they are of me. My mother has always instilled in me the importance of trusting God and always keeping Him first in my life. They all deserve a huge shout out!

Website: www.survival2victory.org

Instagram: @survival2victory

Twitter: @Survive2Victory

Facebook: @survival2victory.org