Therapist Impact Fund: NextGen Scholarship

My decision to pursue a career in social work has been shaped by lived experiences that exposed me early on to grief, transition, and resilience. I was introduced to loss at a young age, losing my grandfather at five and my father at nine. My father passed away from sarcoidosis of the heart at just thirty-nine, and only after his death did we learn he had been carrying his illness largely on his own. Watching the emotional impact of that silence on my family showed me how deeply unaddressed mental and emotional struggles can affect not just individuals, but entire families. After my father’s passing, my grandmother became our emotional anchor. Through her faith, she modeled strength during grief and showed my sisters and me how to keep going when life feels overwhelming. When her health declined and she passed away in early 2015, I once again faced deep loss. These experiences shaped my understanding of mental health and reinforced the importance of support, compassion, and safe spaces to process pain. They are a major reason I am pursuing a career in social work, with plans to obtain my LMSW upon graduation and eventually test for my LCSW. I hope to be the kind of social worker who leads with empathy, cultural humility, and authenticity meeting clients where they are and creating a space where they feel seen and understood. In addition to grief, my early adulthood brought significant transitions that further shaped my perspective. While in college, I got married at twenty-one and became a military spouse. That experience required me to quickly learn an entirely new world from military ranks and terminology to navigating life on a military base. It taught me adaptability, patience, and how systems can feel overwhelming when you are unfamiliar with them. Two years later, I went through a divorce, an experience that challenged my sense of identity and stability. Going through such a major life change while still in school pushed me to rely on resilience, self-reflection, and support systems, deepening my understanding of how life transitions can affect mental health. If I could make one significant change to today’s mental healthcare system, it would be improving access to affordable, culturally responsive services. Too many individuals face barriers such as cost, long waitlists, lack of providers who understand their lived experiences, and stigma around seeking help. Mental healthcare should not be a privilege. Expanding community-based services and increasing representation among providers would move us closer to equity and inclusion. Teletherapy has helped bridge some access gaps, particularly for those in rural areas, individuals with transportation challenges, and military families who relocate frequently. Its flexibility and convenience are major benefits. However, challenges such as limited internet access, lack of privacy, and difficulty building connection for some clients remain. Continued innovation should focus on addressing the digital divide, offering hybrid options, and training providers to deliver culturally responsive care in virtual spaces. Ultimately, my lived experiences from loss and grief to marriage, military life, and divorce have shaped both my career path and the social worker I hope to become: one who understands that healing looks different for everyone and that support should always be accessible, compassionate, and human-centered.

I grew up Korean-Japanese-American, which expanded into a passionate, deep love for different cultures. My childhood trauma included sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. I witnessed my mother’s codependency with my father, who was narcissistic, bipolar, and alcoholic. My mother suffered mental breakdowns, depression, OCD, and anxiety. I suffered from addictions, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. I was sent to boarding schools and adolescent female lock-up treatment programs during high school. I had poor grades, ditched classes, and got involved with drugs. I needed my parents to speak without harshness. I wasn’t positively affirmed but treated critically. I didn’t even know I was gifted. In 2013, I overcame addictions to 6 drugs overnight after 16 years of addictions, 3 drug rehabilitations, psychiatric treatments, and self-destructive behaviors. As a patient and working as an addiction counselor/mental health therapist, I developed a passion for improving healthcare. Competent biopsychosocial healthcare with a multicultural competence of integrated care valuing individuals is needed. My career is driven by a passion to understand myself, family, and others at a healthy interconnected level, with an insatiable desire to make a difference. I’m a multicultural/diverse, communicative, humorous, empathic, accepting, nonjudgmental, affirmative, and inclusive therapist who helps people believe in their potential and inner strengths. I believe in people’s best and challenge them to overcome self-defeat that holds them back. My lifestyle is healthy and balanced, and to be a positive role model to patients. My priority is the therapeutic alliance of safety, comfort, healthy expression, and interconnectedness for treatment efficacy. I adapted to other cultures, becoming multiculturally competent, but realized my cultural needs weren’t met, even with Asian therapists. Cultural impacts/stigma and my LGBTQ issues weren’t discussed. Asians are underrepresented in research and treatments due to stigma among Asians. This inspired me to make a significant change in today’s mental healthcare system for increasing access, equity, and inclusion by inventing a new culture-specific intervention promoting mental health literacy to increase treatment-seeking behaviors. This reduces cultural stigma with mental health and addictions. Asian issues that are minimized are acculturation stress, immigration, language stress, discrimination, stigma among families and Asians, shame-based culture, minimization and mental repression effects, Model Minority Myth as a mask for conditions, academic pressure, and collectivism vs individualism differences are addressed. The intervention teaches that mental health issues aren’t a weakness, shame, fear, embarrassment, or failure. Communicating emotions and seeking help will be normalized to benefit long-term well-being. This reduces barriers with microaggressive Westernized approaches that cause attrition. Mental health literacy includes resources for low-income populations: free medical insurance, non-profit organizations, disability benefits, in-network treatment facilities, medical care, and communities. As an overcomer of childhood/lifetime trauma, addictions, DV, rape, and battered woman syndrome, people must be heard, accepted, never minimized, and treated humanely. Telehealth is advantageous to accommodate working adults, parents, individuals with busy schedules, people with anxiety with in-person treatment, and limited transportation. This increases treatment-seeking behaviors. Challenges include risks with confidentiality and privacy with technology use. Unexpected technical issues occur, causing breaches in privacy that cannot be guaranteed. Low-income individuals may have difficulty accessing devices and internet service. Innovating treatment for diverse communities includes providing resources and information for telehealth accessibility. Some low-income insurance providers provide free utilities (internet and electricity). Government benefits, grants, and non-profit organizations provide free devices with internet service. Innovative outreach includes providing information at hospitals, medical clinics, schools, adult centers, and psychological/psychiatric facilities. Outreach includes social media to extend information, advocating for equal opportunities for care and accommodations.

My decision to pursue a career in mental health is deeply connected to my lived experiences in the military and in my work supporting individuals in crisis. During my time in the Air Force, I was frequently placed in situations where immediate intervention was required, whether it was responding to suicidality, de-escalating domestic disturbances, or supporting those experiencing acute trauma. The most defining role was my service as a child abuse monitor, where I worked directly with investigators on sensitive cases involving children and families. In these moments, I witnessed the power of trauma-informed care and the importance of meeting people with compassion and stability during their most vulnerable times. These experiences were not just professional duties; they were transformative moments that shaped my identity and direction. They inspired me to move beyond providing temporary crisis stabilization and toward becoming a clinician who helps people develop resilience, heal over time, and reclaim their sense of self. This foundation has guided the kind of provider I hope to become: one grounded in empathy, cultural awareness, and a commitment to serving populations who are too often overlooked, including veterans, children, and immigrant families. As I reflect on my career goals, I also think about the challenges within the current mental healthcare system. If I could make one significant change to create greater access, equity, and inclusion, I would focus on expanding affordable, community-based mental health services. Too many individuals face barriers to care because of cost, insurance requirements, or long waitlists, which can worsen conditions that might otherwise be managed effectively with earlier support. Veterans, immigrants, and working-class families are particularly affected, as many are either underinsured or mistrustful of institutions that feel out of reach. By treating mental health care like primary care and ensuring that it is available at little or no cost, we would not only promote equity but also shift the system toward prevention instead of crisis management. This change would create a stronger, more inclusive healthcare environment that prioritizes accessibility and acknowledges that mental health is essential to overall well-being. At the same time, I see promise in the innovations already shaping the field, especially teletherapy. Teletherapy has expanded access by breaking down barriers of geography and stigma, making it possible for individuals in rural communities, those with mobility challenges, or veterans hesitant to visit a clinic to connect with a provider from their own home. It has made mental health care more convenient and, in many cases, less intimidating. However, it also presents unique challenges. Privacy concerns, unequal access to reliable technology, and the difficulty some people face when trying to build trust through a screen are real issues that can limit its effectiveness. To continue moving forward, we need to invest in platforms that are secure yet easy to use, expand multilingual services to reach diverse populations, and provide therapists with training in building digital rapport so that sessions feel personal and effective. By approaching teletherapy with innovation and inclusivity in mind, we can ensure it becomes a tool that truly supports diverse communities rather than one that leaves certain groups behind. Ultimately, my experiences have shaped not only my decision to pursue psychology but also the perspective I bring to the field. I understand the urgency of immediate intervention, the long-term impact of compassionate care, and the necessity of systemic change to make services more equitable. I hope to contribute to a mental healthcare system that is both innovative and accessible, one that prioritizes prevention, embraces diversity, and recognizes the humanity of every individual seeking help.

My lived experiences have profoundly shaped my decision to pursue a career in mental health. As a U.S. Army veteran living with PTSD, I have firsthand knowledge of the challenges that mental health conditions can present. Transitioning from military service to civilian life was a period marked by emotional struggle, isolation, and the urgent need for support. These experiences opened my eyes to the critical role that empathetic, culturally competent care plays in helping individuals navigate trauma. Additionally, growing up as a first-generation Mexican-American, I witnessed the cultural stigma surrounding mental health in many families, including my own. These combined experiences inspire me to become a therapist who blends clinical knowledge with lived understanding, providing a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard, validated, and empowered to heal. If I could make one significant change to today’s mental healthcare system, it would be to expand access through culturally responsive care. Many underserved communities, including veterans, minorities, and low-income populations, face barriers due to cost, lack of representation among providers, and stigma. By training more providers from diverse backgrounds and integrating cultural competence into every level of care, we could increase trust, engagement, and treatment efficacy. Equitable access is not just about availability—it is about ensuring that every individual feels that care reflects and respects their lived experience, language, and cultural context. Teletherapy offers unique opportunities and challenges in achieving these goals. On one hand, it removes geographical barriers, allowing clients in rural or underserved areas to access mental health support they might otherwise go without. It also provides flexibility for individuals balancing work, family, or mobility limitations. However, teletherapy can exacerbate disparities when clients lack reliable technology, internet access, or private spaces to engage in sessions. To better serve diverse communities, innovation must focus on bridging these gaps: providing low-cost or subsidized technology, creating secure community spaces for private sessions, and training providers to deliver culturally competent care virtually. By combining technological solutions with personalized approaches, teletherapy can become both more inclusive and effective. Ultimately, my goal as a future therapist is to create healing environments that honor both the clinical and personal aspects of mental health. My lived experience with trauma, cultural identity, and navigating systemic barriers informs not only my empathy but also my approach to care. I aim to empower clients to build resilience, develop coping strategies, and reclaim agency over their mental and emotional well-being. By advocating for access, equity, and culturally responsive care, I hope to contribute to a mental health system that truly serves all individuals, regardless of background, circumstance, or life experience.

As a disabled Black woman who has survived life-threatening medical trauma, systemic healthcare bias, and the intersecting weight of racism, sexism, and ableism, I am keenly aware of how it feels to sit across from a provider who cannot comprehend your reality, who looks on horrified instead of offering healing and relevant support. Moments like this have shown me the importance of having more relatable and culturally competent providers in mental health. I have a deep desire to be the provider for others that I struggled to find for myself. I have chosen to build what I never had. As the founder of Moving Mountains Coaching, I have created safe and culturally responsive spaces for NFL athletes, couples, and individuals across diverse backgrounds, helping them process their emotions, strengthen their resilience, and restore their relationships. My work as a Mental Health Coach has yielded measurable results, including exceptional client outcomes. I am committed to blending evidence-based practices with authenticity and cultural humility to provide effective, empathetic mental health care to those who need it. I am a Master of Social Work candidate at Northern Arizona University, holding a 4.0 GPA. I am preparing to expand my role as a licensed clinician. My training in ACT, DBT, CBT, and motivational interviewing, combined with years of coaching and care navigation, equips me to meet clients at their most vulnerable and guide them toward lasting transformation. I intend to be the kind of provider I once needed: someone who sees the whole person, their strengths and pain, without judgment, and offers not only clinical expertise but also lived understanding. If I could make one significant change to today’s mental healthcare system, it would be to eliminate systemic barriers to culturally competent care. Too often, individuals from underrepresented communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and first-generation populations, struggle to find therapists who reflect their identities or truly understand their lived experiences. This lack of representation and cultural awareness contributes to mistrust, misdiagnosis, and disengagement from critical mental health care. The change I envision is instituted through policies that invest in the recruitment, education, and long-term support of future mental health providers from these underrepresented communities. This includes expanding scholarships and loan forgiveness programs, increasing reimbursement rates for community-based providers, and removing licensure and internship barriers that disproportionately limit underrepresented students from entering the profession. Additionally, public funding should be directed toward placing diverse providers in underserved areas and supporting organizations that deliver care in culturally specific and community-based models. Teletherapy has been one of the most significant innovations in mental healthcare, particularly in breaking down geographical and logistical barriers. For clients in rural areas, those with disabilities, or individuals balancing demanding schedules, teletherapy offers greater access and flexibility. It also provides a level of privacy and comfort for clients who may be hesitant to seek mental health support in person. However, the greatest challenges of teletherapy often fall along lines of equity. Not everyone has access to reliable internet, private spaces for sessions, or personal environments that support secure communication and vulnerable engagement. Additionally, some aspects of human connection, such as body language, energy, or physical presence, can sometimes be more challenging to replicate virtually, which can impact the building of rapport in therapeutic relationships. Multiple state licensing can sometimes pose barriers to providing care, especially for social workers. With proper reforms and innovations to make access more equitable, I believe the future of mental health care can be not only more accessible, but also more compassionate, equitable, and empowering for the communities who need it most.