Tanasha Blair: Counseling Children
T anasha Blair is a Mental Health Therapist who performs as a school-based counselor at Family Insight, LLC, and she knows the struggles of children dealing with peer pressure. Bullied when she was young, Ms. Blair fell behind because she refused to attend school. However, her will in high school drove her to surge ahead and graduate six months early. Now, she uses her experiences as a child to meet kids on their level. Ms. Blair began her journey to her career as a school-based counselor a few years ago. There, she was at another agency and working in community-based counseling. She says she enjoyed the work but preferred being around children and schools. Ms. Blair came to Family Insight and leaped at the chance to operate in the schools. She’ll continue the program through the summer school session and again next year. Ms. Blair is the oldest of three girls and was born with cerebral palsy. Because of her condition, she found herself subject to constant bullying and teasing as a young student. No one was there for her. She struggled all through school, and they told her she would never walk, drive, or be an independent woman living on her own. However, no one tells Ms. Blair what she cannot do. She worked hard and defied the odds, becoming one of the few in her family to get a college degree and the only family member to achieve a master’s degree. Now she is working toward her LPC and living independently with an eleven-year-old daughter. Her vacation time is spent traveling with her daughter or with her family, whom she treasures. Ms. Blair says, “I’ve always had
to overcome a lot of challenges due to my disability, and I never allow that to get in the way of my dreams or career.” Ms. Blair’s morning begins with a list of children. She calls each to her office for 30-40 minutes to discuss the issues on their minds involving what’s happening at school, what’s happening in their homes, and what aspects of their social lives the students are concerned about. After the initial conversation, Ms. Blair proceeds with the treatment plan. If there are behavioral or anger problems, she teaches them coping skills that help the children manage their emotions when angry or frustrated. These skills are applicable at home with parents or siblings as well as with teachers and peers at school. She desires to be that someone the children can reach out to for help overcoming their insecurities or increasing their self-esteem. Ms. Blair also insists that assisting with social skills and peer pressure is another way she wants to aid kids. She wants the students to understand that even with her disabilities, she can accomplish her goals, so they can do it too. She says, “I just want to show them that they can do this. Regardless of what type of cards life has dealt you, whatever you want to pursue in life, you can do it as well.”
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