Chasing Happiness, Missing Joy w/ Dr. La'Tesha Sampson

What's the difference between happiness and joy and why do so many of us spend a lifetime chasing one while missing the other?

This week, host Dr. Chris Meek sits down with Dr. La'Tesha Sampson, a nationally recognized educator, licensed psychotherapist, author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community leader. A New Jersey native, Dr. Sampson has spent more than two decades helping individuals and communities overcome adversity, improve mental health, and build lives filled with purpose. She is the founder of Great Joy Counseling and Consulting Services, executive director of the Great Joy Community Development Corporation, and director of the Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration programs at Seton Hall University.

Dr. Sampson opens up about the childhood trauma and periods of homelessness that shaped her early years, the moment she realized her circumstances didn't have to determine her future, and the people who helped her believe in herself along the way. She and Chris explore why joy can coexist with grief and uncertainty, why mental health has long been difficult to discuss openly in communities of color, and whether America is facing a genuine mental health crisis or simply a new awareness of old problems. The conversation also takes on a provocative question raised recently in The New York Times: are we pathologizing ordinary life?

Plus: faith and healing, service as leadership, entrepreneurship with a mission, and what today's young leaders are getting right.

About Dr. La’Tesha Sampson: Dr. La’Tesha Sampson is the epitome of academic, philanthropic, and social service excellence. A proud Roselle, New Jersey native, she has devoted over 27 years to serving disenfranchised individuals and communities, guided by her belief in helping others transform their thinking to transform their lives. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, professor, author, grant writer, corporate and nonprofit trainer, program facilitator, media personality, and serial entrepreneur, Dr. Sampson wears many hats but each is rooted in a singular purpose: to cultivate healing, leadership, and sustainable joy.

She is the Founder and President of Great Joy Counseling and Consulting Services, a thriving multi-state group practice where she and her team provide psychotherapy and life coaching to thousands of individuals, couples, families, and groups each year. She also serves as the Executive Director of the Great Joy Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing health, wellness, and quality of life for disenfranchised communities globally. In higher education, Dr. Sampson has taught and mentored future change agents at the University of New England, Rutgers University, the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, and Kean University. She now serves as Director of the Master of Public Administration Program and MSW Practicum Education at Seton Hall University, where she combines her passions for scholarship, leadership, and service.

A committed philanthropist, Dr. Sampson sponsors scholarships for New Jersey high school students and supports nonprofit initiatives across Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Ghana, Mexico, and Egypt. She has trained leaders from more than 200 organizations, colleges, and universities and currently serves on national and local boards, including NASW-PACE and the NJ Association of Black Social Workers. Her thought leadership has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Star Ledger, Thrive Global, The Huffington Post, NBC News 4, and TV One’s Fatal Attraction. She is also gearing up to be a TEDx speaker on the topic “Rejecting Happiness, Cultivating Joy.”