One night, I ate calamari. The next day, I couldn’t eat at all. Now, I know you’re just as confused as I was–- and so were all the doctors. No one understood what could’ve caused this to happen overnight. Some experts said it could’ve been anxiety— old trauma — and some were just focused on getting me to eat. Room 211 was like a revolving door. Morning and night, doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and even the custodians came in to check on me. I never wanted to escape a room so bad. During my hospitalization, I spoke to therapists about my trauma and past relationship with my absent father. He always pushed his dreams onto me. He wanted me to become a lawyer and have a firm like him. But those draining hours in room 211 made me realize I wanted something different. I never wanted to become a lawyer. I wanted to be a mental health therapist. That was my dream. Although I had no appetite, my hunger craved to get better so I could leave. Moreso, I was craving a change, a big one. The day I was admitted forever changed my view on life. Before leaving the hospital, I was diagnosed with an ARFID - Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). They recommended eating therapy and psychotherapy to help unpack some of the trauma. Most of us have an inner child we never healed; I was one of those individuals. Therapy helped. I had Dvora. She was my psychotherapist whom I talked to weekly. She helped me to see my potential and become the person I always dreamed of being. A few weeks into therapy sessions, I started to change. I was going to the gym, working as an after-school counselor for children, and was promoted from a Graphic Design Intern to Design Director at Brainwave Teen Psychology. I even established my own graphic design business after designing my website from scratch. I eventually started making time to socialize with my friends and practice self-care on the weekends. I tackled all of this while maintaining a solid A average in high school. I successfully balanced work, my spirituality, school, family, and social life. Today, I have an appetite and hunger crave an opportunity to help people in need. Therapy has made a significant and positive impact on my life, and I desire to pay it forward. I wish to obtain a PhD to cultivate the skills and knowledge to provide therapy to other teens in need. While the United States is gradually shedding more light on mental health awareness, people still feel ashamed or have trouble getting help. This is why it’s not only critical to bring awareness but have a direct impact. I will open a private practice. My vision and mission for my counseling and wellness studio is to improve individuals' mental well-being by incorporating yoga and meditation. Incorporating yoga into treatment integrates mind and body, creating a more holistic healing process. This is my dream. I can turn my dream into reality with determination, dedication, and unwavering belief in myself! I will continue to work hard through my studies, internships and extracurricular activities to make this happen.

One night, I ate calamari. The next day, I couldn’t eat at all. Now, I know you’re just as confused as I was–- and so were all the doctors. No one understood what could’ve caused this to happen overnight. Some experts said it could’ve been anxiety— old trauma — and some were just focused on getting me to eat. Room 211 was like a revolving door. Morning and night, doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and even the custodians came in to check on me. I never wanted to escape a room so bad. During my hospitalization, I spoke to therapists about my trauma and past relationship with my absent father. He always pushed his dreams onto me. He wanted me to become a lawyer and have a firm like him. But those draining hours in room 211 made me realize I wanted something different. I never wanted to become a lawyer. I wanted to be a mental health therapist. That was my dream. Although I had no appetite, my hunger craved to get better so I could leave. Moreso, I was craving a change, a big one. The day I was admitted forever changed my view on life. Before leaving the hospital, I was diagnosed with an ARFID - Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). They recommended eating therapy and psychotherapy to help unpack some of the trauma. Most of us have an inner child we never healed; I was one of those individuals. Therapy helped. I had Dvora. She was the psychotherapist that I talked to every week. She helped me to see my potential and become the person I always dreamed of being. A few weeks into therapy sessions, I started to change. I was going to the gym, working as an after-school counselor for children, and was promoted from a Graphic Design Intern to Design Director at Brainwave Teen Psychology. After designing my website from scratch, I even established my own graphic design business. I eventually started making time to socialize with my friends and practice self-care on the weekends. I tackled all of this while maintaining a solid A average in high school. I successfully balanced work, my spirituality, school, family, and social life. Today, I have an appetite, and my hunger craves an opportunity to help people in need. Therapy has significantly and positively impacted my life, and I desire to pay it forward. I wish to obtain a Ph.D. to cultivate the skills and knowledge to provide therapy to other teens in need. While the United States is gradually shedding more light on mental health awareness, people still feel ashamed or have trouble getting help. This is why bringing awareness and having a direct impact is critical.I will open a private practice. My vision and mission for my counseling and wellness studio is to improve individuals' mental well-being by incorporating yoga and meditation. Incorporating yoga into treatment integrates mind and body, creating a more holistic healing process. This is my dream. I will continue to work hard through my studies, internships, and extracurricular activities to make this happen. I can turn my vision into reality with determination, dedication, and unwavering belief in myself!