Meet Donetta Walker | Licensed Professional Counselor/ Practice Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donetta Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donetta, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started Divine Wellness & Counseling to provide quality counseling services to individuals and communities that are underserved. I wanted to provide services in an environment that fostered growth and transformation in a nonjudgemental way. I wanted people to come into the office and feel safe, seen, and heard. It was important to be able to meet people where they are and walk beside them through their journey of healing while providing them with tools and coping strategies.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am most proud of how the company I started, Divine Wellness & Counseling has grown over the years. The company was founded in 2015 and I took a leap of faith and went into business full-time in 2017. I started off with my first location in Wisconsin providing mental health counseling to individuals in the greater Milwaukee area. I expanded quickly and began to provide counseling in local high schools and for the juvenile corrections system. After providing one one one and small group counseling I decided that I wanted to provide a greater impact and I decided to enroll in school to obtain my PhD in Public and Community health at the Medical College of Wisconsin. I wanted to begin to offer more services and learn more about changing policy. In 2021 we also began to offer financial literacy to individuals. In 2022 we started to expand our services and decided to open a location in Phoenix, AZ. Never did I imagine when I first started that we would expand like this and have locations in multiple states. I am so excited to make such a large impact not just in mental health but in public health, and global health.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Being newer to AZ I am still learning and enjoying the area. There are a variety of places that I have enjoyed. I love brunch and two places that I have had are brunch experiences are SugarJam in Scottsdale and the Lola in Westgate.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out my support system which includes some friends, some family, some friends that became family, some colleagues, and my clients. These individuals supported me from the time I decided to start my company. They’ve volunteered their time and their talents whenever I needed them. They have also referred clients to me and referred my organization to businesses. Some of my old colleagues joined the company as contractors and some jumped onboard as employees. I have had some amazing people to support me as I have grown as an entrepreneur. One very special shoutout to the Clinical Director of Divine Wellness and Counseling , Tai Hooper, who is leading our Arizona branch. She has served in various roles in the organization in WI for the last several years and is now running DWC, Arizona. Having people that are so connected with our vision makes it possible to create a positive impact in the communities we serve.

Website: Divinewellnesscounseling.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Divinewellnesscounseling/