Introduction

Hey there!

 

I figured the best way to get started is through an introduction. This is just a little about me, but I think it should give you a bit of a lens through which to view the things I write about and the approach I take towards mental health.

 

I love people. I tend to take a humanistic approach to counseling and supervision, which means it takes a lot of work for me to be direct, but I love helping people learn about mental health and themselves. I lean on acceptance and commitment techniques, sprinkled with a little bit of cognitive behavioral, and will lean into solution focused theory if the situation calls for it. Ultimately, I try to be grounded but flexible, to bring as much as I can to each counseling or supervision interaction.

 

I am a woman. My pronouns are she/her, and I consider human rights as a basic standard for living. I believe our autonomy as individuals should be monitored when our decisions directly impact another person. This is challenging to explain, but I hope you can see this woven through my topics and approaches to discussion. There is a lot I’d like to see for mental health and healthcare reform to provide better resources to more people.

 

I am a student. I am currently working on my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, which will be my 5^th college degree. I say that to give some context on how I approach knowledge and learning while also giving an opportunity to acknowledge the privilege in pursuing higher education. I hope to bring my knowledge with humility to my interactions.

 

I have my own mental health story. Well, we all do, so that should be obvious, I guess. The more I learn about mental health, attachment wounds, ‘little t’ and ‘big t’ trauma, the more personal awareness I have of how my experiences shape my personal approach to counseling and supervision.

 

I hope you find something helpful here, and that it helps you gain insight about your own mental health, educational, or professional journey.

 

Nikki