Tiesha Taylor is a leader in providing mental health care treatment in her community. After returning from Afghanistan, she faced mental health challenges and struggled to verbalize her feelings. Dedicated to addressing these issues, Tiesha has since focused her education and skills on educating her community about mental health, working to erase the stigma attached to mental health and therapy, and creating a safe space for those seeking help. She is the host of the Faces of Black Mental Health Podcast and founder of Faces Therapeutic and Wellness, LLC. Her mission is to erase the stigma attached to mental health and normalize therapy so that everyone can experience mental wellness and stability.
Tiesha L. Taylor-Baldwin, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
Hello, I am Tiesha Taylor-Baldwin, a clinical social worker licensed in the states of Alabama and Mississippi, USA with a rich and diverse background that has deeply influenced my professional and personal life. I have proudly served in the Air Force Reserve for 18 years as a combat medic, including a tour in Afghanistan. This experience has shaped my commitment to mental health and helping others navigate their challenges.
I earned my undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Mobile and my Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Alabama. As a huge Alabama football fan, football season is always interesting in our home since my husband is an Auburn fan!
Family is at the heart of my life. I have a wonderful husband and an 18-year-old son who is about to embark on his college journey. We are excited for this new chapter in his life and look forward to being empty nesters. I also cherish my close-knit relationship with my parents, brother, sister, and my six nephews and two nieces. Our family bonds are strengthened through planning activities and our cherished tradition of cooking Sunday meals together after church.
In my free time, I indulge in my love for reading, binge-watching TV shows, and listening to music. I find joy in the simple pleasures of life, such as sitting outside on a nice day and laughing with my family during our lively 4-way phone calls. Shopping is one of my passions, and as a HUGE sneakerhead, I'm always on the lookout for the latest additions to my collection.
These interests and experiences enrich my perspective and enhance my ability to connect with and support my clients. I am passionate about mental health and dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of those I work with.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind starting Faces Therapeutic and Wellness, LLC and what motivated you to launch this business?
One day, while sitting in the lobby of my photographer’s studio I noticed a picture on his wall that drew me in. The picture was of a woman sitting in an empty bathtub with a cigarette in her hand, a wine glass on the side of the bathtub, a pill bottle and a gun with a look of desperation on her face. This picture really caught my attention because it made me think about the faces that we put on every day to show up in the world. We hide the depression, anxiety, trauma, stress and pain that we feel from the world so that we do not have to explain or even call attention to what we are feeling; then we reach rock bottom leaving us feeling defeated and not knowing where to turn. While sitting in L.A. Fotographee’s studio, I decided to form The Faces of Black Mental Health Podcast to join the fight of erasing the stigma attached to mental health and provide psychoeducation to my community. A year later, Faces Therapeutic and Wellness was created to provide a safe space for individuals and families to be vulnerable while exploring past and present issues that have impacted their mental health.
What are the core services and products that Faces Therapeutic and Wellness, LLC offers, and how do they stand out in the market?
At Faces TW, I offer individual and family therapy in a safe environment. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and specialize in treating trauma related disorders in addition to diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, and adjustment. It is my philosophy to meet individuals where they are in their healing journey and provide the support that is needed to get them to a space of mental stability. In addition to therapy services, I also offer guided journals, scripted T-shirts/hoodies and positive affirmation cards.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
My greatest career achievement so far has been going full time private practice. I’ve always worked for community agencies, so when I formed Faces TW, it was second nature to only do it on a part-time basis. However, my clientele began to grow and there was a greater demand placed on me to provide individual therapy under my practice. I was afraid to step out on my own; but with the support of my family and close friends, I took the leap and went full-time. It hasn’t been easy. The biggest struggle has been setting appropriate boundaries with my schedule. There has been a lot of trial and error, however, I finally feel that I am in a more stable place with managing my schedule and establishing appropriate home/work life balance.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing about the mental health industry, I would change individual’s perception and the stigma that is attached to mental health treatment. I cannot count the number of times that others have said to me, “I’m not crazy” when discussing mental health and it leaves me to explain that mental health treatment does not make you “crazy”. I believe that mental health treatment should be as equally important as physical health. If we become sick or have a sore throat, our first course of action is to take medication and then go to the doctor. Mental health should be the same. If you are finding yourself stressed, or having a hard time with setting boundaries, difficulty sleeping, depressed mood or feeling anxious you should reach out to a mental health professional for assistance with getting to the root of the issue and processing anything that comes up during treatment.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
In November 2008, I went through a divorce and deployed to a combat zone in a 3-day span. When I returned home, my focus was on completing school and establishing a successful life. During this time, I would work full-time night shift on an ambulance, get off at 7 a.m. in time to get Kenny to school and then I would go to class until 12, attend an internship until 4, go home and go to sleep and go back to work. I did this for 3 years until I received my bachelor’s degree in Sociology. For me, that wasn’t enough. I applied and was accepted into the University of Alabama’s Master of Social Work program. After completing my degree, I began to do crisis work at a domestic violence shelter.
There, I met some resilient women who showed up for themselves every day. During this time, I attended a support group at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs for OEF/OIF veterans. Speaking to other veteran’s who shared some of the same experiences and knew what it felt like to experience constant fear of death was empowering for me. I began to focus on my own mental health. Initially, I was afraid. I was afraid of the stigma that would be attached to the word mental health, afraid of what my family and friends would think of me, and afraid of what this would mean for my military career. However, I realized that I did not have to suffer in silence and that if I wanted to truly live, I needed to make a commitment to myself and my mental Health. It was during this time that I saw the photo in L.A.’s studio and it reminded me of what it felt like to be in a constant state of darkness, to have my mood so low that I didn’t know if I could get out of bed. I didn’t want others to experience the same pain that I once felt. Because of this, I decided to specialize in Mental Health.
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