Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron McCoy.
Hi Cameron, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always had a deep, intrinsic desire to help and contribute to the lives of others. When one can intertwine purpose with passion and profession, the results can be a lifelong gratifying experience. We all as adults at some point already have or soon will come to the fork in the road moment where we look within for answers when questioning whether or not our current actions truly align with our values and goals. If what we’re doing is propelling us closer to where we want to be. I always excelled at jobs where I can utilize problem solving and advocacy skills to resolve consumer issues. It is impossible to please everybody, yet the standard always should be doing the best you can. The general public discourse for mental health has increased in spite of cultural and structural stigmas/barriers that impede people from receiving competent and compassionate treatment. My job as a mental health therapist will always be to meet the client where they are first and then empower them to make sense of their lives as they reclaim themselves from the ground up.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth nor perfect road, but anyone with skin in the game knows how long it can take to develop oneself. I’m very fortunate to have very supportive people along the way and fully recognize the importance of positive influences, particularly in how they shape the lives of young Black boys into becoming upstanding men. My first examples of that were my father, Roderick McCoy, and my (late) mother, Charlene McCoy. They unapologetically set the bar high and expected nothing less than greatness every step of the way. Two things Mom said to me daily are “you’re going to do something different than anyone has ever seen” and “patience is a virtue.” My father would tell me “you’ll go way further than we (him and Mom) ever did, just keep doing what you do.” My late great uncle Steve Collins then provided me the very first example and blueprint of an entrepreneur up close and personal. There are also three mentors who were especially instrumental in my development during critical transition stages in my life: (late) former high school music teacher Mr. Berry Greer, the (late) Honorable Dr. Adam Shakoor, and Mr. Peter J. Boykin.
I struggled going back to college at 26 years old trying to find my path. I eventually graduated from Western Michigan University for undergrad degree in Sociology and my Master’s degree in Social Work, and also endured a few car accidents that caused debilitating injuries along the way requiring surgery and/or therapy to correct. I still feel those injuries whenever it rains, snows, or just flat out cold. Credentials didn’t render me exempt from a brutal job market with low paying jobs frequently writing me off as “over qualified”. I know what it’s like to choose between paying rent or blood pressure medication and selling my plasma or having to pawn belongings for grocery money. I’ve also been through a car repossession and bankruptcy where I could barely be approved by PayPal “Pay in 4” option for years.
Through every transition since meeting her, my wife Areial has been the copilot and I can’t state enough how impactful she has been. It has been both a privilege and honor to enjoy life with her. Life is hard but marriage doesn’t have to be!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Real McCoy Counseling Services was created to provide therapeutic services aimed at empowering individuals. A mental health therapist should be willing to walk with their clients without doing the work for them. They are not paid to be their friend, they are only there to provide an unbiased lens into their complex, dynamic situations while respecting their rights to retain unique individuality with integrity. I believe it is important to emphasize what does work for clients and assist to rebuild habits into behaviors that ultimately aid in achieving their goals. Clients need to feel they are in a safe space before they trust you with things they haven’t shared with anyone else. I look to find ways to motivate my clients into living their best lives in spite of what may be going on around them. I’m most proud of actually taking the leap to try something completely outside of my comfort zone.
I must recognize two Black women highly instrumental in what I do:
Ms. Bolden, who told me every day during my first contract assignment working in the ER to “know your patient”; and Ms. Stubbs, a former supervisor who always prioritized being authentic with her clients. I wouldn’t be who I am as a clinician without having them as teachers.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I believe in fortune more than luck in itself. Whereas luck is mostly by chance, fortune is mostly by choice. It is a matter of perspective to view it as inevitability versus randomicity. There are always going to be instances in your life of divine intervention and incidents that can only be described as simply being a matter of (good or bad) luck. Yet, I wholeheartedly stand by fortune as being a deliberately intentional choice to take things as they come and be even keeled as much as possible, regardless of how life sways you.
With that in mind, I think I’ve done well with choices that impact my life and business. I’ve run different businesses in the past and while some were profitable, others did not do well. The key is to learn the lessons meant for you during those processes and apply them next time. Things will not go right all the time, and there will be challenging times along the way, so you have to understand that discipline will carry you when motivation fades. However, ALL setbacks can be used to fuel to setup the comeback. Working hard and playing harder is the work to life balance that keeps me young at heart.
Pricing:
- $210 for intakes
- $190 for individual sessions
- sliding scale and reduced fee arrangements available upon request
- please inquire about other group or speaking opportunities
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.therapyallianceofmi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rmcsmichigan/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/cameron-mccoy-warren-mi/1486193
