Janiqua Obey, MSW LCSW

"A vessel to assist individuals and families on their healing journeys"

I have been working in the field of Mental Health since 2006. My first position was a Residential Technician apart of a Residential Group Home Program for adolescent females. While that position was tough, it was the first time I realized how much I loved working with adolescents. Reflecting upon my youthful years, I had experienced many traumatic events that altered how I saw myself, how I saw others, and how I saw the world. Because I was so misunderstood by my family, I was quite often labeled "BAD", and I remember the impact that word had on me not only as a child but even as an adult. Unconsciously, I believe those experiences in my childhood prompted me to make a promise to myself. One, to never forget those childhood years and two, to ensure I help kids who were like me to have hope and come out successful amidst their circumstances. 

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Fast forward to today, I am now a MOTHER, and a proud mother to be exact, however I remember never wanting to have a child. The reason for that want was my fear. I was afraid that I would raise my child the same way I was raised, which was scary for me. Nonetheless, the day I found out I would be giving birth, my drive to do right by my child went into gear. Now, you will never hear me say my parenting story has been easy because that would be a LIE. On the contrary, parenting for me has had its tough times. I am a SINGLE parent, and I did not have any models of healthy parenting growing up. However, what I believe brought me from being a "WOUNDED" parent to an "INTENTIONAL" parent was my healing journey through therapy. Once I started healing, I paid attention to how I was showing up as a parent and started focusing on generational patterns and influences. I also started allowing compassion into my life and forgiveness of myself, parents, and ancestors to exist, learned some new tricks, and then started DOING. That was when I noticed my household changed, my relationship with my child changed, and my relationship with MYSELF changed. My hope is to help minority families in need become healthier individually and as a unit through individual, family, and group counseling, psychoeducational programing, and parenting training.