By Megan Bevins
Photo by Erin Yaeger Photography
Fourteen years ago, Joelle Moray was featured as one of West Virginia Executive’s Young Guns. She was a marketing and community relations specialist for the City of Wheeling.
Moray had been cultivating her successful career in public affairs and economic development for over 15 years when she decided to make a complete career shift.
In 2020, Moray had a revelation that she would be better suited helping others one on one by becoming a therapist. She began pursuing a master’s degree, passed the National Certified Counselors exam and became a provisionally licensed therapist in West Virginia.
Moray considers these major accomplishments, especially due to the major life events she was juggling while settling into her new career—working full-time, losing both of her parents and becoming a first-time mom.
“Some of the challenges included learning to be a business owner, time management and figuring out your new identity,” she says. “I’ve learned to ask deep questions and seek counsel from those who came before me. Learning to fail and keep going with grace and ease is the most challenging piece.”
When Moray began providing group coaching, she realized how prevalent a need for counseling was in the workplace. That’s when she decided to start her own therapy business, Joelle Moray Coaching, and implement its signature program, Workplace Wellness, where she helps businesses manage work-related stress.
“The reality is that people are stressed, overwhelmed and burning out at alarming rates,” she says. “Companies are struggling with employee engagement, productivity, retention, safety and communication. This is precisely what this program offers.”
Throughout this program, she has helped employees from many different sectors, including hospitality, banking, law, education, health care and retail.
Moray succeeds by staying curious and constantly evaluating what is important to her. “I believe motivation is fleeting,” she says. “What keeps consistency with success is being viscerally connected to your why by asking yourself, ‘Why am I doing this in the first place?’ If you can answer that question, you’ll be successful.”
Destressing is important to Moray as well. She considers music her creative outlet and encourages everyone to make time in their day to do the things they love.
Throughout her life-changing journey, Moray has had many inspirations, including the strong and intelligent women who surround her. She says rather than see these women as competitors, she sees them as collaborators, and that way of thinking has allowed her to connect with strong female leaders from around the state.
While she chose to separate from her career in marketing and community relations, Moray’s experience throughout those 15 years has been beneficial to her current role in counseling.
“Without question, it provided me with phenomenal experience for public speaking,” Moray says. “The in-work corporate wellness includes keynote speaking, conference speaking and more, and my previous work was the perfect training ground for those skills.”
Moray believes expanding mental health in West Virginia is dire, as the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning concerning mental and physical health in 2022. It is clear to her that there is a major need for more services across the board.
“I invite individuals to get curious about their mental and physical health,” Moray says. “Ask questions and seek help if needed. Understand what resources are available to you.”
As taking care of mental health in the workplace is one of Moray’s biggest focuses, she suggests employers pay attention to the well-being of their staff and strive to create a healthy workplace environment—not just one on paper but one that is embodied by everyone at every level of the organization.
“It’s an investment in your quality of life and your future.”
