Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?
When I was in college, I chose to be become a proctor. I didn't realize it at the time I applied, but part of the job was that I would be talking with students who were having a difficult time. These students would be experiencing things such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, home-sickness, heartbreak, etc. It only took talking with a couple students for me to realize that I liked to be the person for these students to come and talk to. I found myself eager to listen and be empathetic to their situations, and help in any way I needed. They would tell me that I was comforting and they felt like they could tell me anything. It was then that I started to think, maybe this is what I was meant to do.
I am a pre-licensed Mental Health Counselor employed at Cedar Tree Wellness Center. The kind of therapy I provide is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT operates on the principle that our thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all linked. What I do in therapy is work with the client to challenge the irrational/negative thoughts that lead to mental conditions such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, etc. So many of us believe that we can solve our problems on your own, sometimes we can. However, there are many of us who require assistance, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. Needing help and asking for it does not make someone weak, it makes them stronger than most.