DECEMBER 2023/JANUARY 2024 | maconmagazine.com 79
Live Well 2023
What is the mission of your business?
We assist in the creation of mentally
healthy, resilient communities through
equitable, preventative, and supportive
counselling; education; research; and
advocacy.
How does your business serve our
community with inclusivity in mind?
Remembering and practicing from a
place that supports the individual as
the expert in their lives. We are subject
matter experts, but we always hear the
individual's subjective interpretation of
what is going on for them. We practice
using both a trauma-informed lens and
the cultural humility lens. This means
that we are always curious about what
happened to a person and who/where
that person came from – culture, family,
ethnicity, etc.
How does your business
improve lives?
We believe in the power of relationships
to improve the mental health.
Share a myth. And, the antidote?
Myth: Mental health and mental illness
are the same thing. Antidote: Teaching
people that they are two totally different
concepts and that you can work to
support your mental health. Environment
is equally as important as biology.
Mental health care is not something
we should wait to take care of; it's
something we should have on our minds
daily – making those deposits to our
mental health account.
How do you define "living well?"
This is a very subjective idea and
with that said, for me, it means being
in control of what I can control – my
behaviors, a lifestyle that supports
my mental and physical health, being
with my family, and enjoying the time
together. Also, advocating the end
of interpersonal violence. If we can
end the violence that happens in our
interpersonal relationships, things would
change in our communities. Living in a
community where every voice is heard,
and everyone has their basic needs met.
G L O R I A S M I T H C I S S É
C E O/ L E A D T H E R A P I ST, T H E S O U T H E R N C E N T E R F O R C H O I C E T H E O RY, L LC
411 HOLT AVENUE, MACON, GA 31204 | 478-741-1268
gcisse@thesoutherncenteforchoicetheory.com | SCCTGEORGIA.COM
