Why I Love Being a Mental Health Therapist

Fun fact about me: I’ve known I wanted to be a therapist since I was 15 years old. That is absolutely NOT the norm! More often, teens are barely able to settle on a declared major, let alone decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives. However, I come from a family that has difficulty talking about deep emotional experiences. Even as a pre-adolescent, that felt abnormal and wrong to me. I’ve been introspective and empathic for as long as I can remember, & not having an outlet to explore and express that truly made my whole soul ache. Luckily, my parents were able to acknowledge that I needed support that they couldn’t provide in this area & signed me up for therapy. Thus my healing journey began. 

 

Learning to freely express my innermost thoughts & vulnerabilities, & feeling heard and understood throughout the process was a profound experience for me. I couldn’t believe that people did this for a living! It was fun, educational, & inspirational - it didn’t feel like work then, & it still doesn’t to this day. It has such a strong pull on my heart, & genuinely lights up my soul. Even through all the hardships I’ve faced as I worked toward this dream, I constantly found myself thinking, “At least I have THIS going for me - I get to do exactly what I’ve always wanted to do.”

 

To be truthful, my passion for my career comes from a bit of a self-serving place; hearing my clients’ stories & witnessing their growth is one of my greatest sources of hope & inspiration. I’m sincerely invested in their well-being: Celebrating the baby steps with them, reflecting on how far they’ve come, guiding them from a place of learning to one of leading, helping them unveil their inner power & strength. It’s an incredibly beautiful process. I have a passion for helping my clients find peace and joy in the thick of the chaos, because I’ve been in their shoes. I will forever be positively stirred by the tremendous courage that they display in their willingness to be vulnerable with me. It’s a constant reminder for me to keep doing the inner work for myself.