Was Told I Didn’t Belong. So I Built My Own Table.
- Natalie Wisdom
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
Nineteen years in this field—and let me be honest with you—it has not been easy.
There were seasons where I questioned everything. Not because I wasn’t capable, but because I was constantly made to feel like I didn’t belong.
As a Black woman navigating this field, I faced barriers that had nothing to do with my competence—and everything to do with bias.
When I was working toward my LCSW in Connecticut, I had a supervisor—an LCSW—who refused to provide me with supervision hours. The very person responsible for supporting my growth became a barrier to it.
So I did what I’ve always done—I figured it out anyway.
I found supervision elsewhere. I kept going.
But the pressure didn’t stop there.
At the same job that wouldn’t support my clinical hours, I was told I needed to pass my licensing exam or risk losing my position. I failed that exam four times.
Four.
And I still showed up. Still worked. Still pushed through the harassment the pressure the weight of it all.
On the fifth attempt—I passed.
And that should have been the breakthrough moment, right?
Not quite.
I moved forward in my career, stepped into leadership roles, and quickly proved my value. I went from Associate Clinic Director to Clinic Director in seven months. Then to AVP within a year.
But let’s be real—success doesn’t always protect you.
It often makes you a bigger target.
I was questioned. Undermined. Disrespected. Not because I wasn’t qualified—but because I was.
After five years of pouring into an organization, building programs, and delivering results, I was told I was no longer “qualified” for a role I had already been doing successfully.
Same responsibilities. Different title. And suddenly—I wasn’t enough?
I left.
Went somewhere else hoping for better—and found the same patterns. Different place, same story.
Discrimination. Harassment. Silence from HR.
And that kind of environment? It will wear on you.
It will test your mental health.
It will make you question your worth.
It will force you to decide: Do I keep shrinking or do I choose myself?
I chose myself.
And that decision changed everything.
Over the past four years I’ve built not one—but two successful private practices. I created spaces where I can lead with integrity, align with my values, and work alongside people who respect and support the vision.
No more proving.
No more shrinking.
No more surviving environments that were never built for me to thrive in.
I built my own.
And now? I’m passionate about helping other Black and Brown people do the same.
Because I know what it feels like to be overlooked when you’re overqualified.
I know what it feels like to fight twice as hard just to be seen.
I know what it feels like to carry brilliance in spaces that try to dim it.
So hear me when I say this:
Do not give up.
Do not shrink.
Do not let anyone convince you that you don’t belong.
Because you do.
And if the door won’t open—build your own.
About the Author
Natalie Wisdom, LCSW (pronouns: she/her/hers)
CEO and Founder
Pieces of Wisdom Psychotherapy, PLLC
Brooklyn, NY
Cell: (203) 361-6038
