A doyen in adolescent guidance and counseling, Debbie Reese Potts became involved in her profession because of her desire to give back. Her father served in World War II and was sent to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for classes, so education was always very important in her household. Both of her parents believed in giving back. From 2010 to 2016, Ms. Potts served as a mental health therapist at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas. The largest nonprofit health care system in Texas and one of the largest in the country, Baylor Scott & White Health was born from the combination of Baylor Health Care System and Scott & White Healthcare in 2013. Today, Baylor Scott & White includes 48 hospitals, more than 800 patient care sites, more than 7,800 active physicians, over 47,000 employees and the Scott & White Health Plan.
Ms. Potts now serves as the principal of her own private practice, Deborah Debbie Reese Potts Counseling and Consulting Inc., in Belton, Texas. Prior to the start of her professional career, she pursued a formal education at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she obtained a Master of Science in educational counseling in 1975. Since graduating with this academic honor, Ms. Potts has attributed much of her success to her parents, who set an example that there was a mission bigger than themselves. They worked their way through college, which she respected the most about them.
Outside of her primary trade, Ms. Potts served as a contemporary service board member for the Cultural Activities Center in Temple, Texas, a community-funded nonprofit arts center with the goal of encouraging and cooperating with other area arts institutions, supporting the arts in education and providing resources to get active. Additionally, she has authored two books. The first, “Ocean Surprises,” published in 2009, uses the experiences of the ocean’s inhabitants during a raging storm as a metaphor for the human spirit’s ability to overcome adversity. The second, “Three Forks,” is an adult fiction novel regarding the distinction between good and evil and how that line is often blurred.
Now in retirement, Ms. Potts resides in Texas and is the proud mother of two children. She has been known to enjoy traveling and taking care of her seven grandchildren in her spare time. Ms. Potts has thoroughly enjoyed hearing back from individuals she has helped who are doing well and following their dreams. She wants to inspire others to do a lot of research and be in the know. She encourages those interested in her field to not be afraid to listen instead of speaking all the time. You have to care deeply because when you care a lot, it shows. She hopes to be remembered as someone who was authentic and honest, and who cared deeply and was not afraid to work hard.
