Maybe to paint a clear picture of my present, I should offer you a snapshot of my past. You know that girl who peaked early? She’s a teenager so of course, she’s the perfect blend of anorexic and athletic, but she also has impeccable taste and Daddy’s credit card transforming her into a prototype of all things trendy. A bronze tan, bouncy hair, and flawless contouring skills turn every head as she struts down the locker-lined halls of her high school. She’s killing it before she’s even aware there’s an it to be hunted, much less killed. Visualize that girl from your class. Now look behind her and maybe a little to the right. There she is: The completely mediocre-looking, angsty girl with the dirty chucks and thrift store tee. Hi, you’ve found me.
I always enjoyed standing up to bullies as a child and adolescent. It was fun and empowering for me to speak up when others wouldn’t or couldn’t. I was different, strange even, but I wasn’t quiet. I was and am a bold personality overflowing with passion and conviction.
I’ve always been a pretty great friend to my people. I don’t do well with “small-talk” so when I love someone, I love that person hard and pour all I have into them and that friendship. As a FRIEND, I hear people feeling lonely and yearning for someone to listen to their stories.
Counseling is my passion in life. They say, “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. I took them seriously, and I landed myself in a career littered with novelty, passion, and service. As a COUNSELOR, I hear countless stories of injustice in the lives of both children and adults.
I pursued a national-level credential and training in play therapy because the tinier the person, the more resilient they have to be. There’s so much beauty in walking alongside a child who is healing from emotional pain and trauma. As a PLAY THERAPIST, I hear children desperate to communicate their emotional needs who don’t have the words to verbalize them as adults would.
What if we could intervene in a person’s psychological pain and struggle before he or she even shows symptoms? Through Infant Mental Health interventions, WE CAN! As a PERINATAL COUNSELOR, I hear the needs of mothers and infants even before the infants leave their mothers’ womb.
Individuals who have been victimized are probably the population I encounter who feel the most voiceless, even more than infants. If your life has been painful beyond your control, your story matters, and you deserve to be heard. As a TRAUMA COUNSELOR, I hear endless details of painful abuse that have been silenced for generations.
I’ve had an interesting and somewhat unique journey to parenthood that I’m excited to share with you all. As a FOSTER/ADOPTIVE MOTHER, I hear children’s actions crying out for love and stability.
The people I encounter day by day need to BE HEARD. Their voices matter. NO VOICE IS TOO SMALL.