Myra Wilkinson, PhD, LMFT-S
There is a version of self-care that sounds good in theory and falls apart in real life. I spent years watching that happen, in my clinical work, in my supervision of other therapists, and in my own life.
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor with a PhD in Counseling Education and Supervision. I have spent more than two decades working clinically with individuals, couples, and families. I have trained and supervised the next generation of therapists. I have researched, published, and presented on self-care at a national and international level.
And through all of it, I kept returning to the same question: why does self-care so consistently fail the people who need it most?
The answer I kept arriving at was not about willpower or time or the right morning routine. It was about foundation. When self-care is not grounded in a coherent framework that accounts for the whole person, it does not hold. It becomes another thing people feel guilty about not doing well enough.
That is why I built the 5 Bs Framework.
The 5 Bs Framework
The 5 Bs framework was shaped by four sources of insight. My doctoral research listened closely to the experiences of Black women completing demanding graduate programs while carrying full personal and professional lives. My clinical work as a licensed marriage and family therapist supervisor brings me into daily contact with individuals navigating depletion, identity, and the cost of putting themselves last. Informal conversations with individuals across my life and practice added a steady current of honest reflection on what self-care actually looks like. And my own ongoing self-care journey grounds the framework in practice rather than theory. The patterns across all four sources point in the same direction. The 5 Bs, Breath, Boundaries, Belonging, Balance, and Belief, translate those findings into a clear daily practice for anyone learning to return to the most important relationship they have, the one with themselves.
It is not a wellness trend. It is a structured, evidence-informed path for understanding where your self-care is genuinely strong, where it is quietly collapsing, and what to do about it.
Every piece of work I offer through Self Care with Myra, from the journals and worksheets in the resource library to the individual consulting packages, is grounded in this framework.
My background
I hold a PhD in Counseling Education and Supervision from Lindsey Wilson University and a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. I am the founder and Clinical Director of Wilkinson Family Therapy and a faculty member in counselor education.
Outside the work
Self-care is not abstract for me. I practice what I teach. I am currently in yoga teacher training. I read constantly, usually on a Kindle with something warm to drink nearby. I love loom knitting, true crime, time with my family, and the occasional binge-worthy television series. I believe that modeling a life that includes genuine rest and joy is part of what makes this work credible.
A note for helping professionals
If you are a therapist, counselor, coach, or social worker, I want you to know that this page is for you, too. The work of helping others is meaningful and costly. Your self-care is not a luxury or a professional development checkbox. It is the foundation that makes sustained, ethical helping possible. I offer consultation and framework training specifically for the people who spend their professional lives caring for others.
Ready to take the next step?
If any part of this resonates, the best next step is to visit the Work with Me page and complete a short inquiry form. I respond personally within two business days.
