Therapist Highlight

DO YOUR LITTLE BIT OF GOOD WHERE YOU ARE BY AMANDA FLUDD, LCSW-R

s the journey to therapy is often a personal one influenced by the projectiles, potholes and mountains surpassed in life, so is the journey to becoming an exceptional counselor or therapist. Typically, most of us are deeply touched by mental illness within our families or larger communities and are compelled to have a hand in shifting mindsets and reducing disproportionate barriers to mental health. Eric D. Capehart also known as Eric the Counselor, shares his little bit of good and what influenced his journey. “I spent 10 years as the founder and CEO of All the King’s Men, Inc. in Nashville, TN. The mission of our nonprofit was to reduce the likelihood that black boys would encounter juvenile court. After a decade of doing the work of mentorship I saw firsthand how mental illness affected my members [and] their families. I realized most mental health issues I was confronted with as a mentor went undiagnosed and it seems like it had all been normalized”.

“One of the biggest fears is a belief that they won’t find a therapist they feel comfortable with. In my opinion the stigmas on mental illness and the medical field in general are still a fear and even a stronghold for the black community at large. When clients work with me, they experience a calm and relatable counselor whose cultural competence shows up in therapy. I know what works for us when it comes to therapy”. “I’ll be honest though, many of my clients acknowledge a sense of relief when we rst meet. ey are relieved to see a young black man with locs”.

“One of the first things clients are surprised to know about me is my age. Along with running my private practice, I serve as the Assistant Director of Counseling at an HBCU in Nashville. Anytime my age comes up the students are surprised to know that I am old enough to be their parent and sometimes I am older than their parents. Another thing my

client find surprising is that I was expelled from High School for a year for dealing drugs”.

If I am worried about anything, I am worried that our people will not only take the brunt of the sickness and death, but we will also suffer economically at disproportionate rates as compared to our white counterparts. Otherwise, I am not genuinely worried about anything as it relates to our people when it comes to the current COVID-19 pandemic. We are a resilient people who have always made a way even in our darkest hours. I am optimistic that our people will continue to break away from previous generations thinking about seeking professional help when it comes to psychological matters”. “My hope is that our people will come out of this better than how we came into it”.

“The last book I read was The Way of the Superior Man, but I don’t want to share the points I took away. When I shared them with my wife, she had a blank look on her face as if she could have gone without that information. If there are any men that have read it, they’ll probably understand”. You never know the beginning of a man until you ask. Mr. Capehart saw the beginnings and challenges of our black boys and rose to the occasion to be a voice and advocate for exceptional Mental Health. Eric D. Capehart, MBA, MA is a Pre-Licensed Professional under supervision of an LPC in the state of Tennessee. He has a T-shirt line “Experience Mental Health” and an associated Podcast-Experience Mental Health the Podcast. To request an appointment or for additional information visit:

Interview by Amanda Fludd, LCSW-R