When I graduated from undergrad a decade ago I had no intention of ever going back to school. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my career, but I knew I was interested in human sexuality, trauma, and social justice. Fast forward to two Masters degrees later, I’m grateful for the experiences that gradually and organically revealed my passion for psychotherapy. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. In honor of National Social Work Month, ten years since leaving undergrad, five years since grad school graduation, and nearly one whole year in private practice, here is a snapshot of how I’ve landed here.

1.) In high school I was a peer educator providing sex education through Planned Parenthood. The idea was that teens are more comfortable talking to other teens about their sexual development, so what better way to get accurate, comprehensive sex ed to teens than to educate their peers? I thrived in the role of being an identified “safe” person and was humbled by the power of reducing stigma and shame around such intimate topics. 

2.) My work as a peer educator continued in undergrad, where I worked at the university’s sexual assault center. My role was similar to that I held as a teen, but I was introduced to frameworks of providing trauma informed care. While sex ed communities have a reputation for being fun and carefree, working with the topic of sexual violence helped me appreciate the weight of the work. 

3.) I moved to Costa Rica in my early twenties, and managed a program that placed volunteers from all over the world into local placements. This experience provided me with the incredible clarity that I did not want to continue in any position that promoted the “White Savior” dynamic. A quick search on “Voluntourism” will pull up multiple articles that highlight the ethical issues with this work. I had envisioned myself staying in Latin America for years, but between my ethical concerns over the work and some family issues, it wasn’t in the cards. At the same time, my pull to support people through difficult moments only became stronger as I was in a position to support young people away from home with both compassion and accountability. 

4.) Even though I started graduate school with the idea that I wanted to be a therapist, I was completely shy about saying that out loud. I felt like I couldn’t own that without any official experience or training. My first year, I completed an internship at a senior center in Philadelphia.  This was a beautiful community of older folks who lived independently, but came to the center daily for learning, socializing, and volunteering. I began researching the impacts of loneliness on health outcomes in senior citizens, and I was humbled to learn how powerful social connection is in protecting our holistic health as we age. This deepened my belief that we can heal through relationships and that we need each other — and inched me closer to naming out loud how much I loved building these meaningful relationships through therapy.

5.) Last but not least - my own life experiences! The most painful moments of my own life have been shaped by the support I received or didn’t received and how the people around me helped me make meaning of what I was living. The experiences, feelings, and meaning assigned belong to me. The process of making sense of it all has been both a private and shared process with my own support system. My support system has been made up of body work healers, therapists, coaches, friends, family members, partners, and even professors. When thinking about my own career, I couldn’t imagine a greater honor than to be a part of others’ support systems on their journeys! 

Please do not hesitate to reach out here if you’re having a hard time making sense of your experiences and curious about how individual therapy with me could help.