Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Taylor.
Hi Brandi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My path into this work started with lived experience, not a career plan. As a young woman, I received welfare assistance and was treated in ways that stuck with me. Caseworkers made assumptions about my intelligence, my motivation, and even how many children I must have had. I was spoken to as if I didn’t understand my own life. That experience was frustrating, humiliating at times, and eye-opening. It was the first moment I understood how systems meant to “help” can actually harm, and it planted the seed for why I wanted to work with people navigating those same systems.
I began my career at the Department of Human Services as a case manager, then moved into a role as a Career Specialist at Porter Leath, working with individuals receiving welfare who were trying to find stable employment and education. Many of the people I supported were facing the same barriers I once faced, and that work felt personal. I later joined the Family Safety Center as a Navigator, where I supported survivors of intimate partner violence through crisis, advocacy, and safety planning.
I earned my Master’s in Social Work in 2018 and shifted into trauma-focused clinical work. Over the past seven years, I’ve specialized in working with individuals living with HIV/AIDS, survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and people dealing with chronic, layered trauma. My work includes facilitating trauma groups, advocating for crime victims, and using modalities like EMDR and DBT, always with an understanding that therapy doesn’t exist outside of real life and real systems.
Eventually, I founded *Healing One By One Therapy* because I wanted to create a space that felt different from the systems I had experienced. My work now centers high-functioning Black women and others who are often expected to be strong, capable, and silent, even when they’re struggling. I help clients slow down, reconnect with themselves, and heal in ways that feel honest and sustainable.
I didn’t get here by accident. I got here by remembering where I came from and deciding that dignity should never be optional in care.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve experienced several significant losses along the way, and learning how to carry grief while still showing up for others has been one of the hardest parts of this journey. There were times when I was supporting people through the very same things I was privately navigating myself.
I’ve also done much of this with a small support circle, while balancing multiple roles. Being a mother, a daughter, a caregiver, and a professional all at once meant there wasn’t much room to fall apart, even when I needed to. Pursuing my own goals while holding space for others required constant recalibration.
Imposter syndrome has been real, especially in moments where I questioned whether I was doing enough or truly belonged in the spaces I’d worked so hard to enter. Those challenges didn’t stop me, but they did shape me. They taught me humility, resilience, and the importance of building care that acknowledges the full humanity of the people doing the helping, too.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My practice, *Healing One By One Therapy*, offers a holistic, trauma-informed approach to mental and emotional well-being, with a specific focus on Black women navigating high-functioning anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Many of the clients I work with are high achievers who appear “fine” on the outside but are carrying a lot internally. I specialize in trauma-focused work for individuals who mask their pain, emotions, and needs in order to survive, succeed, or stay safe.
What I’m known for is integrating traditional trauma therapy with body-based and holistic practices. My services include breathwork, trauma-informed yoga, and sound baths, which help clients reconnect with their bodies, release stored emotions, and regulate their nervous systems in ways talk therapy alone often can’t reach. This work is especially powerful for people who have spent years intellectualizing or pushing through pain.
My approach is collaborative and empowerment-driven. We set goals together, and I support clients in becoming more grounded, self-aware, and aligned with who they want to be, not just what they do for others. My style is laid-back, honest, and compassionate. I’ll meet you with warmth and care, but I’ll also challenge you when needed. Accountability matters, and so does humor and being real. Sometimes that includes a little colorful language, always rooted in respect.
What sets my brand apart is that it’s built from lived experience, not just theory. I understand systems, trauma, and masking because I’ve navigated them myself and professionally. I’m most proud that *Healing One By One Therapy* creates a space where clients don’t have to perform, overexplain, or be “strong.” My brand stands for dignity, nervous-system healing, and the belief that when one person heals, it creates a ripple effect far beyond the therapy room.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I genuinely love the rich history of Memphis. The city holds so many hidden gems and deep-rooted treasures that often get overshadowed by negativity. We spend a lot of time focusing on what’s wrong, gossiping, and making critical comments, but far less time doing the real work of growth and collective building. Memphis has so much potential, and I believe it deserves more care, pride, and intentional investment from all of us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brandi-taylor.clientsecure.me/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1SocawazFm/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://spiritualsocialwork.etsy.com/
