Today we’d like to introduce you to Janee’ Rice.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
If I had to sum up my journey in one blurb, I would say it has been about helping people see their own light and sometimes reminding them that it never went out in the first place.
I started my professional path at the intersection of curiosity and compassion. After earning my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and political thought from the University of Memphis, I knew my heart was in the helping professions. I wanted to understand people, not just their choices, and I wanted to be part of the process that helped them heal. That calling led me to pursue a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Argosy University in Nashville, and from there, the rest began to unfold.
Over the years, I have worked across nearly every level of mental health care, from residential programs to crisis intervention and leadership roles, each experience shaping how I show up for my clients and my community. My early years at in community mental health taught me the importance of structure, empathy, and accountability. I led teams, managed compliance, and helped transform systems so that care was not only clinically sound but also deeply human. Later, as Clinical Director at a local residential facility, and then Director of Admissions at an acute care emergency room, I learned how to create environments where both clients and clinicians could feel safe, seen, and supported.
Today, as a Mental Health Consultant, I provide expert consultation and guidance to agency staff, helping to shape mental health practices that impact families across the state. It is challenging work, but it is purpose driven, the kind that keeps me anchored to why I started this journey in the first place.
Beyond my clinical career, I am the founder of Light Bulb Counseling and Consulting Inc., a private practice that blends clinical expertise with creativity and cultural resonance. The name came from what I want every client to experience, that light bulb moment when something clicks, when a truth rises to the surface, and healing becomes possible. My practice centers Black and Brown professionals who are learning to navigate identity, boundaries, and belonging in spaces that were not always designed with them in mind.
But I am not one to stop at the couch. Healing to me is multidimensional. That belief inspired several creative ventures under the Light Bulb umbrella:
That’s Dope! Dopamine Boosting Cards – Help you turn everyday moments into mood-boosting magic. Pull a card, do something that makes you feel good, and watch your vibe rise instantly.
Eff You: A Self-Efficacy Journal – A bold self-efficacy project that encourages you to reclaim confidence and agency.
Rhenn and the What Ifs – A children’s book series that helps kids learn emotional regulation and self-awareness through story and play.
She Cute AF a podcast – Where culture, confidence, and conversation collide. It is a space for Black women to talk truthfully about identity, ambition, and joy, with no shrinking or apologizing, just showing up fully.
Alongside my practice and creative work, I am pursuing my PhD, where my research focuses on Black women’s reclamation of intimacy in adulthood. My studies explore how early socialization, cultural narratives, and media portrayals influence Black women’s sense of relational worth and self-concept. It is both personal and collective, a blend of scholarship, storytelling, and social justice.
I have also had the privilege of teaching and speaking to future counselors about ethics, relational dynamics, and the intersections of culture and care. Whether in the classroom, on the podcast mic, or in session, my mission remains the same: to help people unlearn what no longer serves them and rebuild lives rooted in authenticity and liberation.
Looking back, every role, from my earliest days as a family intervention specialist to my current work as a clinician, educator, and creative, has been connected by one theme: transformation. I have watched people rediscover themselves, repair relationships, and build new narratives that honor their truth. That is what drives me.
So how did I get here? A mix of purpose, persistence, and faith. A willingness to follow the light and to help others find theirs too.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not, but the bumps in the road have been some of my greatest teachers. My journey has had its share of detours, delays, and moments where I questioned if I was even on the right path. Working in mental health for over a decade means you see both the beauty and the burden of human struggle, including your own. There were seasons when burnout crept in, when I was pouring from an empty cup, and when balancing my roles as clinician, business owner, and student felt almost impossible.
Being a first-generation college student also came with its own set of challenges. I was learning how to navigate spaces that no one in my family had walked through before, figuring things out as I went, and often feeling like I had to succeed not just for me, but for everyone who had sacrificed so that I could be there. That experience taught me how to push through uncertainty, to keep showing up even when I did not have a blueprint, and to build something that could help others find their way too.
Launching my private practice, Light Bulb Counseling and Consulting, stretched me in ways that textbooks never could. I had to learn how to merge compassion with boundaries, purpose with profit, and healing work with sustainability. When I first opened my brick-and-mortar office, it felt like the physical manifestation of a lifelong dream. Then COVID hit, and everything changed overnight. I had to pivot quickly to a fully virtual practice, learning new systems and finding creative ways to maintain connection through a screen. It was uncomfortable at first, but it also opened up a new world of accessibility and flexibility for both myself and my clients. That shift taught me that healing can happen anywhere, as long as there is intention and presence.
As a Black woman in the mental health field, I have also had to navigate the quiet weight of being the only one in the room, the pressure to represent while still finding space to simply be. Pursuing my PhD while building my brand and serving my community has been both rewarding and refining. There have been times when imposter syndrome whispered louder than my confidence, but I learned to keep showing up anyway. Those hard seasons taught me resilience, authenticity, and the power of rest. They reminded me that smooth roads do not grow strong travelers, and I have learned to be grateful for every twist, turn, and lesson along the way.
We’ve been impressed with Light Bulb Counseling and Consulting, Inc., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Light Bulb Counseling and Consulting was born out of a desire to create a space where people, especially Black and Brown professionals, could show up fully and unpack the parts of themselves that often get tucked away to survive in the world. I wanted to build something that felt authentic, culturally grounded, and human. Therapy should not feel sterile or intimidating. It should feel like exhaling after holding your breath for too long.
My practice focuses on helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and the pressures that come with being high functioning but emotionally exhausted. I specialize in working with adults who are learning to unlearn, to heal from old narratives, and to rediscover who they are outside of what they do. My approach is relational and reflective, weaving evidence-based practices with real-world conversations. I meet clients where they are and help them move toward balance, self-awareness, and joy.
What sets Light Bulb Counseling apart is that it was never just meant to be a therapy office. It is a movement centered on healing and liberation. The name itself represents that moment of clarity when something clicks, when you finally see yourself differently. That light bulb moment is what I want every client to experience.
Over time, the brand has expanded into several creative branches that all serve the same mission in different ways. That’s Dope! Dopamine Boosting Cards encourage small, intentional actions that spark joy and connection. Eff You: A Self Efficacy Journal is my unapologetic love letter to self-efficacy, created to help people rebuild confidence and agency. Rhenn and the What Ifs is my children’s book series that teaches coping skills and emotional regulation through story, art, and play. And She Cute AF: The Podcast is my podcast, a space for Black women to talk about culture, confidence, and authenticity in real, unfiltered ways.
Each branch of the Light Bulb brand is designed to meet people at different points in their healing journey. Whether they are in therapy, parenting, teaching, or simply trying to grow. I am most proud of how it has all evolved into something bigger than me. It is not just a business. It is a reflection of everything I believe about growth, creativity, and community.
If I could tell readers one thing about my brand, it would be this: healing does not have to look like sitting in silence on a couch. It can look like laughter, journaling, movement, creativity, or simply giving yourself permission to rest. Light Bulb Counseling and Consulting is here to remind people that their light is still there, even on the dim days. We will help them find their switch again.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is authenticity, the freedom to show up as your whole self, not just the version that the world is most comfortable with. I believe healing starts there. When people feel seen and safe enough to be real, transformation happens naturally. That is what I try to model in my work, my research, and my creative projects.
I care deeply about creating spaces where people, especially Black women and other marginalized groups, can take off the armor. So much of our conditioning teaches us to perform strength while quietly carrying pain. What matters to me is helping people unlearn that. I want my clients, my students, and my listeners to know that softness and strength can coexist, that healing is not weakness, and that vulnerability is not something to be ashamed of.
On a larger scale, what matters to me is legacy, not just what I build, but what I help others build for themselves. Through Light Bulb Counseling and Consulting, my hope is to leave behind tools, stories, and communities that remind people of their worth and their power. Whether it is a therapy session, a journal prompt, a podcast episode, or a children’s story, I want every interaction to plant a seed of possibility.
At the end of the day, I measure success by impact, not by titles or accolades. If someone leaves a session feeling a little lighter or reads one of my books and realizes they are not alone, that is enough for me. What matters most is using my light to help others find theirs and watching that glow multiply.
Pricing:
- Individual therapy: $125/session
- Couples therapy: $200/session
- Clinical Supervision: $85/hour
- I am in network with most major insurance companies
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lightbulblpc.com/
- Instagram: instagram.com/shecuteafpodcast AND https://www.instagram.com/lightbulblpc/
- Facebook: facebook.com/LightBulbCounseling AND https://www.facebook.com/SheCuteAFPodcast
