Meet Ekpedeme Wade | Family Physician and Licensed Professional Counselor

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

Hi Ekpedeme, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to create something unique that meets the needs of the community. Being both a Family Physician and a Licensed Professional Counselor has allowed me to design a practice where clients obtain quality mental health treatment. By providing quality psychotherapy and addressing medication needs, I’m able to deliver a more complete mental care treatment plan.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
It was a dream of mine for many years to build my very own practice, and that dream came to fruition 2 years ago. I’m probably most proud of the fact that we provide exceptional mental health services. Many believe that they can’t afford quality mental health services, but we do everything in our power not to turn anyone away due to finances. It’s an honor to work alongside counselors that delight in serving their community . We’re a diverse group serving a diverse population.

I think most people recognize that being a small business owner is not easy, and comes with many challenges. I love the fact that I get to make all the decisions. However, sometimes that’s a heavy burden to bear.

I’ve learned to be intentional about enjoying the process and to be okay with imperfection. The numerous bumps that occur along the way are part of the process and need to occur for growth to occur.

I want the world to know that we are truly honored to serve. We don’t take it lightly that you choose us to journey alongside you. It is a privilege to be privy to your private and innermost thoughts and each client is seen and treated as valuable.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My itinerary would essentially be us eating our way through the city! Houston is such a diverse city, and that diversity is reflected in the extensive variety of restaurants. Houston is definitely a ‘foodie’ city.

Tex-Mex is hugely popular (obviously) so we’ll start there. Some of my favorite Tex-Mex places are The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation, Gloria’s Latin Cuisine, Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen, Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen, Chacho’s and Lopez Mexican Restaurant.

Houston is also a hot spot for BBQ. My favorites include Killen’s Barbecue, Goode Co., and Pinkerton’s Barbecue.

The diversity of the people is reflected in the sheer number of ethnic restaurants to choose from. Some of my go to’s are Thai Cottage, Himalaya Restaurant, Caribbean Jerk Cuisine, and Churrascos.

The ethnic food that excites me most is Nigerian food! – Taste of Nigeria, Suya Hut, Jollof rice King, Café Abuja, and many more.

My other top spots are Bludorn, B&B Butchers, Coltivare, Tiny Boxwoods and BB Lemon.

We’re not done eating! You can’t come to Houston without trying all of our favorites – the Pappas restaurants — Pappasitos, Pappadeux, Pappas Bar-B Que, Pappas Steakhouse, Pappas Burgers…..

And we’ll end with the Houston favorites — The Breakfast Klub and Turkey Leg Hut.

If there’s any room left on the itinerary after eating, Houston has many great sites to visit. The museum district is rich with, well, museums. The one’s you must visit are The Menil Collection, The Buffalo Soldier Museum, The Health Museum and The Holocaust Museum. Also NASA Space Center is a must.

When the weather cooperates, visiting Memorial Park, the Arboretum, Levy Park, or Evelyn Park are all good choices. The arts are also big in Houston. TUTS (Theatre Under The Stars), The Houston Ballet, Miller Outdoor Theatre and the Houston Symphony, are just a few of the options.

The final stop would have to be the Houston Graffitti Building; it’s a great place to take selfies!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who have had a hand in getting me to where I am today. But there are two specific people that I would like to dedicate the shoutout to. My husband and my sister. They are my mentors and THE reason I am an entrepreneur today. Both of them have provided so much encouragement and guidance on my journey. They also have modeled for me what a successful entrepreneur looks like.

Website: twelvetwocounseling.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/12.2christiancounseling/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/twelve-two-christian-counseling

Twitter: @122counseling

Facebook: Twelve-Two Christian Counseling

Image Credits
Alyncia S. Dennis Senae Photography