Today we’d like to introduce you to Lujuana Milton.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lujuana. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in the largest city in Connecticut. When most people think of Connecticut the stereotype of rich kids and country clubs are the first thing that gets brought up, but that was not my childhood in Bridgeport, CT. I am a product of the inner city and proud of it. I could have easily been a statistic. A child raised by a single mother with my father spending most of my life incarcerated in state prison. Family has always been an important value; a support system that constantly advocated the importance of education. I took this advice and I excelled academically and set my sights on higher education. As an undergraduate student at Boston College, I really enjoyed my sociology and social justice courses. And, in my junior year of college decided to enter an accelerated program in which I completed my undergraduate and graduate course load concurrently. Very early on, I knew I always wanted to help other people. My family and I received so much help from others it only seemed right for me to pass that on to others.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
While at Boston College I initially set my sights on becoming a doctor. The heavy science course load was overwhelming to me and it was difficult transition for me because it was the first time I really struggled academically. I had to re-evaluate my career choices as I was unhappy in my science heavy course load. Looking back, I’m grateful for this struggle as it caused me to consider social work as a profession; as my calling.
It’s no secret that social work can be difficult. It’s easy to lose yourself in the work and become stressed out and overwhelmed. As a young social worker, I learned how to utilize self-care techniques focused on appropriate coping skills. I knew very early on that if I didn’t take care of myself, I had no business teaching others how to take care of themselves. The work is what kept me going and I knew that I always wanted to start my own private practice. This goals of a private practice grew into a desire to open my own group practice. I wanted to start a group practice with the very best trained clinicians to provide a diverse set of therapeutic services. There have definitely been times where I wanted to give up. I didn’t think I was cut out for this work, but the resiliency instilled in me by family, friends and mentors forced me to persevere in the face of these challenges.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
South Shore Child and Family Counseling is a private group psychotherapy practice consisting of a team of experienced clinicians. We are committed to the physical, mental, and social well-being of the residents of Braintree and the Greater Boston area. We aim to create an inclusive space that utilizes evidenced-based practices to empower children, adolescents, and adults living with mental illness and their families to achieve their personal, educational, and professional goals.
What were you like growing up?
I was a shy, quiet child. I craved knowledge. If my nose wasn’t in a book, I was picking up anything to read…to learn. This desire for knowledge helped me to develop a love of education. I wanted to learn everything about everything. When I finally decided to become a social worker, I wanted to learn everything there was to know about people.
Contact Info:
- Address: 639 Granite Street
Braintree, MA 02184 - Website: www.sscfc-braintree.com
- Phone: 781-817-5844
- Email: lmilton@sscfc-braintree.com
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