Why did you become a therapist, and what motivates you to continue?
I ultimately got into therapy after seeing just how big of a mental healthcare desert existed in this area in terms of the availability of affordable care. This is even more true for marginalized people living in the South.
I've always been told that I'm a good listener and when I was in the military I eventually served as a counselor, talking to soldiers and officers about depression, anxiety, marriage and family issues, PTSD, and even gender dysphoria. In the years after serving, I found myself applying those skills in order to talk people through major issues they were having, including friends of mine in the LGBTQ+ community. I eventually decided to work towards a PhD in Psychology so that I'd be better able to serve people in need, particularly those who are in need but cannot afford professional help.
Depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, gender dysphoria and other LGBTQ+ issues, etc. should not be the taboos that they seem to be today. What motivates me to continue is seeing just how much I can help people by listening to them and coming up with a plan of action that puts them on a path towards recovery. My motivation is to shatter these taboos and get people to freely talk about their struggles so that they can be the person they truly want to be.
After having served as a counselor while in the military, I later pursued a PhD in Psychology so that I could help meet the growing demand for available and affordable mental healthcare in this area, especially for those who are part of marginalized groups (such as the LGBTQ+ community) and cannot find safe and affirming people to talk to. While I have my particular specialties, I am more than happy to talk to anyone who is in need of psychological counseling, therapy, evaluations, and support. I'm very knowledgeable with the topics of depression, anxiety, gender dysphoria, ADHD, PTSD, autism, sexuality, and more. I try to make patients feel as comfortable and validated as possible.