A failing system. Screams falling to deaf ears. Appointments booked out for weeks. Side effects. I have been in therapy since I was 15. I will be 40 next month. In short, by the time I was 18 I had lost my mother to suicide and my long time boyfriend in a head on collision, the other driver was under the influence. By the time I was 23, I had spent 5 years in an abusive and drug addicted marriage and given birth to twin girls. Not only did I struggle with my own mental health and recovery (xanax and pain medication), I also watched them fight through their own challenges after their father went to prison (methamphetamines.) After months of seeking treatment at 19 years old, one of my twin daughters completed suicide by prescription anti-depressants on Valentine's Day of this year. To also add, my step-mother took her own life in 2015 - fatal overdose. The only way that I have found my way to navigate through grief is by helping others. I have found purpose in helping people find recovery. I know the value of having someone that doesn't try to fix your hurt, but will sit with you while you hurt. I have battled my own addictions and fought with others in the trenches of their own wars with addictions. I have advocated for more trauma informed care to address the root cause of - not why the addiction but why the pain? In 2021 I started working for a community behavioral health agency. It was here that my heart felt home. I could work both with medical providers with substance abuse medication treatment and also therapy. Not only that, I was able to work with treatment courts helping offenders have another chance, a real chance, to get the help that they needed. I have been able to obtain my certification in behavioral health case management since starting my employment at this agency. I am currently waiting for approval to sit for the Certified Addictions Professional exam and I begin school again on 6/29/26 to continue my Masters in Psychology. With this, I hope to work as a therapist working in the rural, underserved community, treating patients with co-occurring conditions. I believe that person centered care and a trauma informed approach can help individuals understand their hurts, habits, behaviors and be welcomed where they are at, without judgement, in an environment of comfort and care.

A failing system. Screams falling to deaf ears. Appointments booked out for weeks. Side effects. I have been in therapy since I was 15. I will be 40 next month. In short, by the time I was 18 I had lost my mother to suicide and my long time boyfriend in a head on collision, the other driver was under the influence. By the time I was 23, I had spent 5 years in an abusive and drug addicted marriage and given birth to twin girls. Not only did I struggle with my own mental health and recovery, I also watched them fight through their own challenges after their father went to prison. After months of seeking treatment at 19 years old, one of my twin daughters completed suicide by prescription anti-depressants on Valentine's Day of this year. To also add, my step-mother took her own life in 2015. The only way that I have found my way to navigate through grief is by helping others. I have found purpose in helping people find recovery. I know the value of having someone that doesn't try to fix your hurt, but will sit with you while you hurt. I have battled my own addictions and fought with others in the trenches of their own wars with addictions. I have advocated for more trauma informed care to address the root cause of - not why the addiction but why the pain? In 2021 I started working for a community behavioral health agency. It was here that my heart felt home. I could work both with medical providers with substance abuse medication treatment and also therapy. Not only that, I was able to work with treatment courts helping offenders have another chance, a real chance, to get the help that they needed. I have been able to obtain my certification in behavioral health case management since starting my employment at this agency. I am currently waiting for approval to sit for the Certified Addictions Professional exam and I begin school again on 6/29/26 to continue my Masters in Psychology. With this, I hope to work as a therapist working in the rural, underserved community, treating patients with co-occurring conditions. I believe that person centered care and a trauma informed approach can help individuals understand their hurts, habits, behaviors and be welcomed where they are at, without judgement, in an environment of comfort and care.