Today we’d like to introduce you to Ezsa Allen.
Hi Ezsa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story began when my mom decided that she wanted to take a leap of faith and leave her hometown country of Nicaragua while pregnant with me to start a new life in the United States. Things didn’t go as planned. She was captured by the police and went to jail, shortly after, I was born in jail. I remember my mom telling me that the clinic didn’t even have rubbing alcohol in there to help clean me properly. Shortly after birth, I caught a seizure and a fever and my eyes were rolling in the back of my head. Finally, I was able to break my fever and become more stable and out of harm’s way.
After my mom’s release from jail she started her journey again, this time she managed to get a stranger to hide her in the trunk of his car and cross the Mexican border while I was acting as his kid in the front seat until we made it to the United States. My mom ended up living with my aunt and her husband in Riviera Beach, FL -off of “J Ave in the 80’s”. Growing up, I attended Lake Park Elementary School, John F Kennedy Middle School, and Palm Beach Gardens High School. After High School, I was unsure of the direction I wanted to navigate so I decided to go to college unknowing of the direction I was headed. As a young child, I always knew that I wanted to be a business owner and my passion was to give back to underprivileged and underserved children.
I tried many career choices such as a teacher, and a nurse, and never finished both careers. So I tried to start a business in real estate, event planner, and child modeling agency, and they all failed or never stuck. I then went back to school and got my Organizational Management Degree and decided to get a job simultaneously at FHP, since I was raising my 2 children plus my niece. I retired from FHP after 8 years and started working at this mental health community agency while returning to school to obtain my Master’s Degree in Counseling in Psychology. While working at the agency I had an epiphany to start my own Mental Health Community Agency.
I thought to myself that I was going to create a community-based mental health agency that was designed to help black and brown women children and families because I saw that there was a huge gap in receiving mental health in minority communities. Against all odds, I did it! I continued and got a contract with Palm Beach County School District as a Behavioral Health Provider. Then I got approved to be a Florida Medicaid Provider along with many Private Insurances. Now we are a fully functioning mental health community agency in the Treasure Coast, Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade County.
I also took it a step further and created a nonprofit organization called Mind Over You, Inc. that is designed to promote mental health awareness, education, intervention, and prevention, in minority communities by way of educational community events, free community forums led by professionals like myself, youth mental fitness boxing camps, youth enrichment after school programs and social medial presence. The goal of the nonprofit organization is to break the stigmas surrounding mental health in black and brown communities with the purpose of individuals seeking help when needed. Also to normalize conversations of emotional wellness to process, heal, and grow.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My business is a mental health community-based agency that provides therapeutic education and services like counseling, therapy, case management, and psychiatric care for medication management if needed.
Our agency is staffed with a qualified, relatable, and caring therapist who meets the client’s needs and assists them with the coping skills and tools needed to make the necessary changes or coping strategies to live a more fulfilled, hopeful, and prosperous life. Social Age Counseling takes pride in caring for each client and their family and treating them with the utmost respect through their journey with SAC. We also value the time and importance of each client to ensure that we get back to everyone effectively and efficiently with 100% confidentiality.
www.socialagecounseling.com
www.mindoveryou.org
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I can say that even though there are some barriers or hardships I’ve had to encounter and go through. I have always been blessed with the right persons or have been granted approvals on things that don’t get easily approved or granted. Blessings are always on my side.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.socialagecounseling.com
- Instagram: @officiallyezsa
- Facebook: Officially Ezsa
- Linkedin: Officially Ezsa
