Lunch & Learn: The Importance of A Founder's Mental Well-Being

About our special guest:

Dr. Patience Ruffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Mental Health Service Provider Specialty in the state of Tennessee. With over 15 years of counseling experience, Dr. Ruffin has worked with a diverse population of people. She has had the opportunity to empower, motivate, and encourage people in different parts of their journey.

Dr. Patience earned a Master of Science in Professional Counseling from Argosy University Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications from Tennessee State University. In 2018, she obtained her Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from Argosy University Nashville.

Her experience as a counselor has been honed and developed through her various professional opportunities, which include practicing in the clinical and academic settings. Dr. Ruffin currently has a private practice, Counseling with Patience, where she specializes in mood disorders, trauma, gender-specific mental health, and phase of life issues. She provides services in the individual, couple, family, and group counseling settings. She has been given the opportunity to discuss the importance of mental wellness on multiple platforms including interviews on Nashville’s WSMV channel 4 news during the height of the pandemic. She also co-founded and co-hosts a YouTube channel called Brown Girl Banter, where she and her co-host tackle the barriers that impact women of color daily through stories, experienced guest, and in-depth analysis of trending issues.

Dr. Patience has described herself as passionate about the journey of healing and discovery through the counseling process. She believes that one finds purpose and meaning through exploring experiences and perceptions that have hindered a person’s growth and development. Through counseling, she believes one can find a sense of self and begin the path of self-discovery and healing.

Dr. Patience credits her success to her family’s love and support. She is the loving wife of her high school sweetheart, Dr. Omari Ruffin, and she is devoted mother to their three beautiful children.