Therapist hopes to assist community with mental needs
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
Mental illness is something that is kept secret as some view it as a sign of weakness. Brandon Lowe, owner/therapist of Knew Era Consulting, wants to change that perception by helping those in the eastern part of the city address their mental needs.
Lowe initially went to school for graphic design but also minored in sociology due to his interest in working with people. Upon graduation he began his career working with youth helping them cope with anger along with skill building.
Lowe then went back to school to obtain his master’s degree in mental health and rehabilitation counseling. He has since completed certifications to become an addiction specialist, among others.
“What really led me into this field was that I had a passion for helping other people,” he said. “When I got that opportunity back in 2007 to really start working in the field, I really felt good bonds with the clients I was working with and I really knew I found my niche.
“It did not feel like work in a sense; I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do,” he continued. “Just by working with different agencies over the years, that passion turned into finding a way to help people in the way that I want to help people and the only way to do that was to own my own agency.”
Lowe is currently working on bringing in grants to allow him to pursue other avenues of treatment. He would also like to use some of the funds to help treat those potential clients that do not have the proper insurance to benefit from his therapy, especially uninsured men.
“You don’t typically see many men on Medicaid. Normally it’s women and children,” Lowe said. “So what happens is it’s not necessarily that men don’t want treatment; they can’t afford treatment.”
“That is the misconception of it, which is they don’t come because they don’t want to come. That’s not it. It is because they don’t have insurance.”
For Lowe, he feels being an African-American therapist gives him a different perspective when dealing with clients. He also likes to have a diverse staff so that his staff has the ability to relate to any client that may walk through the door.
“There are not a lot of black males in therapy but being a black male you relate so much to what is going on,” he said. “The biggest thing is that the black female. And I give them something that many of them lack, which is a positive black male role model.”
According to Lowe, he has a better success rate with African-American females than he does with the males because many of them are longing for a positive relationship with an African-American male. He says that positive image allows him to reach African-American females quicker in most cases.
Lowe’s office is located at the Enterprise Center, which puts him in the heart of the eastern portion of the city. He says that gives him the opportunity to see a variety of clients from many different backgrounds and races.
He gets a sincere joy from seeing a client overcome the initial obstacle that he or she came through the door with. For him that makes his job worthwhile.
“The biggest thrill I get is if I can help that individual I have actually helped their kids or another loved one,” he said. “If I help them from going down a path of destruction due to unresolved emotions, I eventually help their family in the future. Helping one person is not really helping one person; it’s helping generations to come.”
“The thing about a therapist is that we are seed planters,” he continued. “When I first started, I wanted to see results instantly and if I didn’t, it would become a little discouraging. But what I had to realize was that they may not really take in what we say until later on. The results of my therapy may not manifest itself until years later.”
Lowe would like to continue to grow his practice along with helping young people enter the field of therapy through scholarships. He feels it is great to help people through his practice but strongly believes in helping to bring others into the field as well.
“The more I grow, the more I will have the opportunity for people to see us out in the community really making an impact rather than being just another mental health agency, “ Lowe said.
Contact Lowe at (336) 509-3373 or email at brandon@kneweraconsulting.com.
