I grew up in a small country, occupied and oppressed by soviet totalitarian regime. My grandparent’s generation suffered political prosecution during WWII, my dad was a war orphan, and my childhood was spent in an isolated society, governed by constant economic survival mode and silent fear due to widespread retaliation for fostering democratic values. Only as an adult I have begun to untangle the generational trauma and de-stigmatize mental health struggles, and built understanding of how personal and cultural history shape one’s relationship with care. As a woman, I share #MeToo experience unwanted touches and verbal harassment. As an immigrant, I have experienced unemployment, a devastating number of rejections, ignorance, and discrimination due to my age and cultural background. As a cancer survivor, I have learned what it means to face systemic barriers to care, including not having health insurance or affordable access to mental health support. A long-standing interest in psychology and decades of experience being a shoulder to cry on for friends and strangers have convinced me to finally pursue my dream of becoming a trauma-informed, culturally competent mental health counselor, grounded in empathy, humility, and awareness of my own biases. In the future, I would love to be able to mental health support for immigrant populations, especially women, helping expand access to compassionate, inclusive care for communities that have historically been underserved. I strongly believe mental healthcare should be part of basic primary care and should be viewed as a human right rather than a scarce and expensive resource only available to those who either are wealthy or have insurance through work. Framing mental health as essential care would help shift the general understanding of mental well-being, remove barriers to care, and normalize early access to support. To ensure more people have access to mental health services, I would ensure every telehealth service runs a program to provide care for those who cannot afford it, and, simultaneously, supports education for clinicians from diverse backgrounds. There is a constant shortage of mental health professionals, yet many who might be interested to pursue this profession, cannot access it due to financial barriers and systemic inequities (for example, I am an immigrant who has started my life from scratch and tackled severe health challenges, with no savings, no social support circle or generational wealth). Supporting the next generation of providers, especially from underrepresented backgrounds, would help reduce these gaps and build a fairer, more caring mental health system. I have first-hand experience with teletherapy, as I could not afford U.S. prices and also struggled to find a therapist who spoke my language. Teletherapy can reduce the overall cost (no commute, time savings, no need to rent an office); however, there are concerns about data security, and many low-income patients or those from marginalized communities might lack a safe, private environment, or the equipment necessary to fully benefit from sessions. Diversification of the clinical student pool and, consequently, the workforce, would help ensure that clients can find a therapist who is culturally competent and understands their lived experience. Innovations like shared national licensing for telehealth could allow clients to access quality care from therapists across the country, expanding equitable access regardless of location. Support from BetterHelp would significantly help me reduce my student loan debt and enable my journey toward becoming a licensed clinician.

After moving to the US shortly before the pandemic hit, I struggled immensely with the immigration process, insufficient income and the inability to find full-time work even though I had 15+ years of uninterrupted professional experience. It was as if my life did not count. I joined ESL classes at a community college and resume polishing group for immigrant women. I continued applying for jobs and receiving hundreds of rejections. Lack of support system and unemployment, all while coping with the pandemic became too overwhelming. But I did not have health insurance and tried to dismiss my depression. Like many other immigrants, I worked every part-time job I could get (registering patients at Covid-19 vaccination sites, caring for Alzheimer’s patients in their homes and hospitals, ushering at a movie theatre, selling tickets at a box office and working as front of house staff at a non-profit, to name some). While I tried to lift my spirits and convince myself I will find something in my previous field (arts and non-profit management), after 4 years of endless and unsuccessful search I decided to seek ways to go back to school and learn a new profession: mental health counseling. I hope to give others what I didn’t have and help immigrants mentally cope with challenges they’re facing. I had found an online BA program which I was planning to start in the Fall of 2024 while continuing to work my several part-time jobs. However, the non-stop hustling had taken a toll, and in the spring of 2024, after my first mammogram (at a free mobile clinic, because I did not have health insurance) I got diagnosed with breast cancer. It is a God’s miracle, as within a couple of weeks after breathlessly sending applications to every single job I saw on LinkedIn, I found my first full-time job in the US: a survival job (quite literally), because I desperately needed health insurance to afford treatment. I became a medical receptionist, thus experiencing the US medical system for the very first time and simultaneously from both sides: as a patient and as the voice of the hospital. This past year with countless hospital visits has been a completely life-altering experience. A part of me has died. I am still in treatment and learning to accept that this diagnosis will be with me forever. I couldn’t visit my mom and sisters overseas, had to postpone my studies due to chemotherapy, and had to withdraw from a course this spring after collapsing between the job schedule, juggling weekly medical appointments and studies. But throughout this journey I have heard so many survivor stories, encountered admirably resilient, fascinating women, and realized how utterly lucky I am to have access to treatment. Health struggles have reignited my interest in psychology and deepened the determination to pursue further education so that I could provide professional support and improve the lives of others. Cancer has shifted my path, and I am aspiring to not only get better, but also become a licensed therapist. I wish to spend the rest of my life not hustling, but working meaningfully. In cancer treatment, there are no guaranties. Over the past year, I have greatly expanded my capacity for uncertainty, patience and endurance, I am staying hopeful and desire to live up to my full potential. After all, I am grateful that I got diagnosed fairly early and surgeries, chemo, radiation and immunotherapy could beat the monster. Now I just have to reinvent myself and move forward. My second life has just begun. One step at a time. Sincerely, Elina Shah May, 2025