Gratitude fuels my life! I am a firm believer that where my attention goes, energy flows. This means that whatever I focus my attention on, my energy is poured into it and I will see more of it. If I focus on positive things in my life, I will see more positive things. Likewise, if I focus on negative things, I will see more negative things around me. I intentionally choose to focus on the things in my life that I am grateful for, and I also focus on the things I want to see in my life. As George Bernard Shaw said, “Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire; you will what you imagine; and at last, you create what you will.” This is absolutely true for me. Expressing gratitude is a sure way to reach the goals I set in my life. I imaging what I will feel like when the goal is achieved. I imagine the steps to reaching my goal, and I express gratitude for everything in my past, present, and future. Expressing gratitude reminds me that life is incredible. The very essence of life is a true miracle. From a scientific perspective, we are an energy force that consists of 2 electrical systems that sync together, i.e. the brain and the heart. When they sync together there is life. We are an amazing and fascinating ecosystem on the inside that can be compared to a universe.

I work in the mental health field, and I am in a graduate degree program to meet requirements to become a licensed counselor. It is imperative that I treat others empathetically by the very nature of my work. I can do that because of my own adverse experiences as a child. I understand the struggles from a human perspective. I understand and have experienced emotional challenges in learning to overcome my experiences in a way that adds value to other people's lives. I understand the journey and exemplify the process to healing. The process dictates the outcome, and I have made helping people heal their trauma my life's work. At a very young age, I knew that helping others would be my journey in this life. Understanding how trauma impacts the brain, body, and behaviors is critical to my work. Helping others heal from trauma is my passion. Empathy is part of the process. It is vital to the therapeutic process in building trust with clients. Empathy provides clients with the confidence that I can help them. Walking beside people in their struggle to heal is an honor. Sharing our space in the process of healing requires empathy and compassion. I make sure that I treat others with empathy by checking in with myself to ask how the words and actions I am about to display are helpful, supportive, and uplifting to the other person's healing process.

I work in the mental health field, and burnout is common for counselors. I am also a graduate student with the intent to become a licensed counselor, which increases my chances of experiencing burnout. Self-care is a key component in avoiding burnout. Being able to relax is an important part of self-care. I teach children and adult clients how to relax, and I believe it is important for me to practice it as well. My favorite way to relax is using mindfulness. My specific mindfulness tool is gratitude. It's two-fold in that expressing gratitude uplifts my mood and it results in relaxation. Try it: Sit back, relax, and just close your eyes. Now, take a few moments to focus on your breathing. You don't need to change it or take deep breaths. Just notice it. Feel it as you inhale and exhale. Notice the rhythm of it. After 6 or 7 breaths, focus your attention on one of your favorite joyful memories. Feel the memory as if you are living it. Enjoy it for a few moments. Feel grateful for the memory. Focus attention on your entire body and then your surroundings. Open your eyes. Wasn't that incredible?

I have the most incredible hobby! Just wait until you find out what it is. I work in the mental health field, and burnout is common for counselors. I am also a graduate student with the intent to become a licensed counselor, which increases my chances of experiencing burnout. Self-care is a key component in avoiding burnout. Having hobbies is an important part of self-care. I have several hobbies, but one of them is bold and gratifying: skydiving! I love it! It's amazing in so many ways. The ride to an altitude of 14,000 feet is invigorating and suspenseful. The smell of the airplane fuel and the sound of the engine are part of the thrill of it all. After jumping out of the airplane, the view is just incredible. You can see for miles. When I look out over the horizon, I can't believe the amazing view. The most unbelievable part about skydiving is that you don't feel like you're falling. Isn't that strange? The sound of your body falling through the air is loud, but it feels like you're suspended in midair. There is no concept of time as you're free falling, which makes the altimeter important to the process. Did you know that you have to look at your altimeter every 5 seconds? That's because it only takes 3-5 seconds to be falling at 120 mph, and you'll be falling 200 feet per second! It takes about 30 seconds to fall 6,000 feet, and you have to pull your parachute at around 5,000 feet. It takes a great deal of mental focus to become a skydiver. It's definitely a unique hobby. Would you try it?

Being independent means having the confidence and ability to be your own person. The ability to think, feel, and make decisions without the perceived need to be validated by someone else's opinion is an important part of being independent. Our very thoughts and feelings are the essence of our spirit. We have the capacity to control and direct our own thoughts in any direction we choose. I personally choose thoughts geared towards gratitude and thankfulness because it results in positive feelings and supports overall health and wellness. As humans, we are biologically designed to be in relationship. We seek out relationship with others. We also seek total acceptance to feel free from judgments from those with whom we are in relationship. This freedom to independently think and feel without judgment uplifts the spirit of who we are inside. Without this independence, we can be negatively impacted to the degree that we can become restricted and limited if we rely on validation from others. This can have a negative impact on our self-esteem and our overall mental health. It is important to surround ourselves with people that provide a sense of acceptance and support of our independence.

The adversity I have endured is my childhood. My father was a violent alcoholic, and living in his household was terrifying, chaotic, and ugly on a daily basis. By today’s standards, my father would have faced a prison time for his torturous and violent behaviors towards me and my siblings. Domestic violence was considered a family issue that the police did not get involved with at that time. Today, domestic violence tends to be held as secret, however there are at least options and opportunities for people to escape it. I think that offers people hope. It certainly reinforces the endless faith that I have. I have known since I was 8 years old that I would work in the mental health field. I would dream of helping other children that were living in such a horrible environment. Family members tend to take on roles within the family unit. Common roles include the hero, the rescuer, the mediator, the scapegoat, the cheerleader, the truthteller, and the nurturer. Interestingly, I took on several roles. The most prominent role I took on was that of the hero. The hero is often an overachiever and a good leader. I did not have to work hard in school, but I always received a great report card. My attitude has always been positive and upbeat, despite living in such a terrifying home environment. I was often the cheerleader for my mother. I was the nurturer for my sisters. Most of all, I was the truthteller. At one point I hid a tape recorder when my father started raging on us. I waited until a Saturday morning before he began drinking to play the recording. I could have really gotten hurt if he had caught me recording him. However, listening to it when he was sober told our family’s truth. How will my resiliency assist me in my future work? In enduring my childhood environment, I came to understand what it takes to overcome such adversity. I understand the importance of gratitude in everyday life. I have become educated and trained in trauma and what it does to the brain, body, and behaviors. I also understand the struggle of an alcoholic and how their behaviors impact family members. I have already made a huge impact on others who have experienced childhood trauma, as I have 15+ years of experience in the mental health field. I want to do more. I want to participate in research. I want to impact even more people by reaching LPC status. It’s an important life goal for me, however I may need to drop out of my graduate program because I am not in a financial position to pay for tuition. A scholarship would be so helpful, and I would absolutely and wholeheartedly be grateful for the opportunity to continue my graduate program.

My goal is to become licensed to practice counseling. I have worked in the mental health field for 15 years. I am 55 years old, and I have always wanted to become licensed. Unfortunately, my degree is old enough that it doesn’t count towards licensure requirements. My only option to become licensed is to complete a CACREP accredited program. I won’t let anything stand in my way, so I enrolled in a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. I am not your traditional student, for sure. I currently have a 4.0 GPA, and I intend to graduate with that GPA. A scholarship would be a catalyst in making graduation a reality for me. I have utilized all my savings, but I have completed 57% of my degree program in 9 months! This sounds like a goal worth supporting, doesn’t it? My passion is working with children and families who have experienced childhood trauma, and I have spent a great deal of time in doing just that. What Does Trauma Look Like? Adults – anger issues, anxiety, depression, difficulty with developmental expectations, inconsistent employment, unstable relationships, distrust of others, poor boundaries, difficulty parenting, substance abuse, disengagement, controlling behaviors Adolescents – anger, significant behavior and mood changes, distrust of others, promiscuity, school behavior and performance issues, truancy, court involvement, substance abuse, defiance, running away, depression, self-injury, suicidal and/or homicidal ideation, isolating behaviors, extreme compliance, zoning out, bullying Children – rages, extreme friendliness (no “stranger danger”), tearfulness, thumb-sucking, whining, separation anxiety, defiance, regressive behaviors (bedwetting after being dry), sexualized behaviors, depression, school behavioral problems, detachment, zoning out, need for increased structure, poor affect regulation Research has shown that early childhood trauma impacts brain development. Childhood trauma may lead to psychiatric problems in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood. The victim’s anger, shame, and despair can be directed inward, resulting in depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and post-traumatic stress or directed outward as aggression, impulsiveness, delinquency, hyperactivity, and substance abuse. Childhood trauma can cause physical scarring to the brain. One study found a significant link between adults who experienced childhood maltreatment with a smaller insular cortex, part of the brain involved in emotional regulation. The researcher, Dr. Nils Opel stated that “Given the impact of the insular cortex on brain functions such as emotional awareness, it’s possible that the changes we saw make patients less responsive to conventional treatments” (Opel, 2019). Cranial Nerve #7: The Facial Nerve. The Facial Nerve feeds the middle ear muscles. Childhood trauma can affect the Facial Nerve, resulting in the middle ear muscles functioning improperly. Background noises interfere with the ability to distinguish words and sounds of the human voice from noises like air conditioners, heaters, or refrigerators. A child will look directly at you but doesn’t seem to be listening because they are trying to figure out what is being said and expected of them. They may also have speech problems (Porges, 2020). Cranial Nerve #10: The Vagus Nerve. This pair of nerves control the heart, lungs, and digestive system. When impacted, there may be digestive, bedwetting, and elimination issues. A child may experience emotional dysregulation and lack social skills. They will have extreme emotional outbursts, meltdowns, and violent reactions to seemingly minor things (Porges, 2020). I know how to treat these issues, but I can’t until I’m licensed. I would be grateful to receive a scholarship. Opel, Nils. Childhood trauma scars the brain and boosts depression risk. University of Münster, Germany, March 2019. Porges, S. (2020, December 11). TU93: Polyvagal Theory in Action – The Practice of Body Regulation With Dr Stephen Porges. Therapist Uncensored. https://therapistuncensored.com/episodes/tu93-polyvagal-theory-in-action-the-practice-of- body-regulation-with-dr-stephen-porges/

I am currently in a clinical mental health counseling graduate program. My instructor for the course called Counseling and Advocacy with Diverse Populations is incredibly passionate about the importance of advocating and providing services for diverse groups of people. He challenged the class to expand their knowledge about marginalized groups in a way that really led me to develop a sincere interest in taking my advocacy to the next level. I have worked in the mental health field for 15+ years, and I have always advocated for my clients across settings. However, because of Dr. Maldonado, I have a greater understanding of the need to advocate for marginalized groups as a whole while still advocating for individuals in their own environment. Dr. Maldonado encouraged the class to dig deep into the topics that we found difficult and, sometimes, uncomfortable. He encouraged us to step outside of our comfort zone, and he provided the nonjudgmental space for us to do so. The class discussions were amazing! I came out of Dr. Maldonado's class with the desire to ensure that organizations have a solid understanding of what diversity, equity, and inclusion really mean. It's not enough for an organization to state that they support diversity, equity, and inclusion. That doesn't create change, and it doesn't lead to collaboration and support in the workplace or schools. Dr. Maldonado assisted our class in understanding that diversity, equity, and inclusion can be accomplished through leaders providing mentorship and opportunities for marginalized groups to develop the necessary skills to be promoted in areas that would benefit from diversity. Dr. Maldonado challenged us to think beyond defining diversity, equity, and inclusion to become effectors of change. He asked the difficult questions about how to implement quality, effective, and supportive programs in organizations and schools that will provide fair and just opportunities. I have become concerned that many organizations will appear to support diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing the bare minimum standards in hiring a small number of diverse individuals, providing inadequate training, and providing a minimal number of advancement opportunities because they feel obligated to do so to meet a quota. Dr. Maldonado assisted me in understand that the overall tone and ambience in a workplace or school must be one of peace, acceptance, and support because the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion are not just set of steps to take. The undertones of the organizations and leaders are also a significant part of the method of change. I believe I received more out of Dr. Maldonado's course than he will ever know and more than I anticipated.

Empowering women is essential to the infrastructure of our society. More women head single parent households today, so it is important for women to be in a financial position to own a home. This can be accomplished by fair wages in the workplace. Statistically, men earn more money than women even when they perform the same work. It is important to bring this disparity into a more balanced state so that fewer children grow up in poverty. The pressures women face in raising a family alone and the need to earn enough money to support her family can result in mental health struggles, such as depression and anxiety. This can also impact parenting, motivation, and Some ways to amplify the female voice include diversifying leadership roles through the promotion of women in the workplace. Many times women do not have access to the same promotional opportunities as men, which can result in women having less experience in a leadership role. This can result in fewer advancement opportunities. This can be rectified by mentoring women in the workplace so that they gain the necessary skills and experience to comfortably step into a leadership role. Leaders can provide women with training opportunities that can provide leverage for advancement possibilities. Investing in women in the workplace can result in increased productivity as well as increased job satisfaction. It is important to feel valued by an employer and its leaders, as this can have an impact on mental health and overall life satisfaction. One very important way to effectively empower women is to foster the concept of women supporting women and celebrating the strengths of each other in the workplace. Unfortunately, women are afforded much less advancement opportunities than men, so women often feel the need to compete with other women. One way that leaders can foster support of women is to set achievable goals that are related to job performance skills and advanced positions so that women can document their acquired skills. Women are frequently required to prove themselves more often than men do, but leadership can help overcome this barrier by offering measurable ways for women to gain confidence in their skill set. It also offers women the opportunity to develop and strengthen their skills. Without the skill set development, women may be thrown into a leadership role and face the stress of feeling overwhelmed and becoming anxious about the possibility of losing their job because they lack skills or confidence.