In my position, I have the good fortune to meet a lot of clinicians, whether it is through networking or through the interviewing and hiring process.  And with this experience, I have learned a fundamental truth about our field:  You cannot pay someone to truly care.  I point this out as the reference point for beginning your search for a good therapist, one who will truly help you through the periods of struggle in life.  If you scour the internet, you will find a great deal of valuable information explaining different types of schools, credentials, trainings; about finding someone covered by insurance or within a reasonable proximity.

Early in my college career I had come to the life-altering realization that my passion and eternal curiosity for the human condition could become a career, and I embraced the idea of becoming a therapist. Then, I quickly realized that I had absolutely no idea what that meant or how to do it! I had no points of reference at that juncture in my life; I had not been to therapy and I didn’t know any therapists. I only knew that I wanted to help change my small corner of the world for the better.

The practice of self-care has far too frequently been connected with “doing” and what we “do” for ourselves. Getting a massage, reading a book, taking a walk. While all of these activities are wonderful routines to prioritize, I see self-care as a much more introspective practice. With many of the clients with whom I have the privilege of working, many who are professional women, we try to move past simply finding tasks that alleviate stress; we work to explore and attend to the reasons why we become stressed and overwhelmed from the outset.

For centuries philosophers have waxed and waned about change; that it is the only constant, that it creates opportunity, that we must embrace it. And yet, we resist it with fervor, doing our very best to create consistency in our lives. This is because our brains are wired for stability, to desire homeostasis. 2020 has been one big damn exposure exercise in our ability to adapt and adjust to change.