Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?
From a young age, I knew I wanted to be in the helping profession and focused on the field of psychology as early as high school. I was a psychology major throughout college with a minor in sociology and never once doubted this path. After college, I decided to work as a preschool teacher and it is during this time that I felt compelled to further my studies and expand upon my focus on psychology by attaining a Masters in Human Development, with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy. I attended the best MFT program at the time, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (also, received my Bachelors degree from Va Tech).
My love for relationships, family, and personal development have stayed with me throughout my journey. During the years that I was raising my two daughters, I practiced clinically in various settings and immersed myself in anything professionally relevant that I could, in addition to remaining focused on how to grow within the marriage and family therapy field. I can honestly say, that as much as my personal relationships and family motivate me to continue, my clients are the true motivating factor. I am often in awe in what they accomplish during their therapy journey.
Eleni Paris is a licensed marriage and family therapist, working with individuals, couples, and families. She has over 20 years of professional experience including clinical work, workshop and seminar presentations, discussion and support groups, writing contributions, collaborative work with various health professionals, and wellness coaching. Eleni works from a strength-based, family systems approach specializing in Solution-Focused, Emotionally-Focused and Narrative Therapies. Her areas of specialty include relationship coaching techniques that enhance couples’ communication, strengthen family bonds between parents and children, and improve one’s approach to health and well-being. She is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and has been published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.