Meet Whitney Smith
Whitney Smith is a Professional Counselor with a specialization in career counseling. She has several years of experience in higher education working with traditional and nontraditional students/alumni in their career and professional development. Her interest in this profession began as a talent management intern for a corporate company while pursuing her master’s degree. This experience influenced her to combine her love for talent management and mental health as a career. Her ultimate desire is to support others in finding meaningful and fulfilling work and in achieving personal goals with respect to their holistic well-being.
Whitney earned her Master of Education in counseling with an emphasis in clinical mental health from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also holds a Global Career Development Facilitator certification. She is a member of the Georgia Association of Colleges & Employers (GACE), Georgia Career Development Association (GCDA), Licensed Professional Couns
Symptoms Of Clinical Depression
Due to cultural backgrounds, depression may be exhibited differently among Black Americans. To help decide if you—or someone you care about—needs an evaluation for clinical depression, review the following list of symptoms. If you experience five or more for longer than two weeks, if you feel suicidal, or if the symptoms interfere with your daily routine, see your doctor, and bring this sheet with you.
- A persistent sad, anxious or “empty” mood, or excessive crying
- Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders and chronic pain
- Irritability, restlessness
- Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling “slowed down”
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
- Sleeping too much or too little, early-morning waking
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attemp
Crisis Lines:
GA Crisis & Access Line:
Mygcal.com
1-800-715-4225
Mobile Crisis (through Gcal)
Statewide service provided by DBHDD 24/7
800-715-4225
Crisis Text Line:
Text “GA” to 741-741
Suicide Prevention:
1-800-273-TALK
1-800-SUICIDE
- If you are looking for counseling resources, visit www.hellohealthtoday.com
- Other good sources are www.psychologytoday.com/us which allows you to search by criteria including counselors who accept insurance, are culturally competent, by location, and by diagnosis
- www.blackgirlstherapy.com
- https://namiga.org/ National Alliance On Mental Illness Georgia
Meet Jenay Hicks
Source: R1 / R1
Jenay Hicks is a person-centered therapist with a holistic approach to mental health and therapy. She is passionate about creating wellness-focused programs that encourage mental health and wellness among medical professionals. Most intrigued by people exposed to trauma, she has devoted much of her career to working with professionals in healthcare to help them cope with the everyday and ever-present stresses of their work. Jenay’s passion for psychology and mental health began in earnest when she joined the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in 2012 in the Graduate Medical Education (GME) office. In 2020, Jenay transitioned to MSM’s Office of Counseling Services as the Assistant Director of Student & Resident Wellbeing. She has joined the HelloHealth full time and counsels individual clients to help them cope with anxiety, depression, and career transitions and make strides in self-care. She is also working to improve the perception and acceptance of mental health support and therapy amongst the African-American population.
Jenay earned her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Mercer University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is an active member of Chi Sigma Iota (Counseling and Academic Professional Honor Society), the American Counseling Association, the Coalition for Physician Wellbeing, and the Association for Hospital Medical Association.
Theme for the month is “Stop the Stigma” The S stands for Stop, the T is for Take Action, the O is for Outreach, and the P is for providers. We will explore each of these topics individually during the month of May.
Black individuals often lack access to culturally competent care. As a result, the treatment they receive is often poorer.
Black individuals are less frequently included in research, which means their experiences with symptoms or treatments are less likely to be taken into consideration.
At HelloHealth we ensure our team reflects the communities we support. We believe in hiring culturally competent counselors who can walk alongside clients in their journey. Our practice also partners with the HelloHealth clinic to ensure we “treat the whole person” which absolutely includes brain health.
