Pre-pandemic, I had a pretty tabula rosa approach to therapy. I thought therapists should be pretty much a blank slate as far as their clients go & any disclosures about their personal life should be few and far between.

Fast forward to March 2020- I was sitting at a rolling desk in my living room in San Diego while my husband worked east coast time from a desk in our bedroom maybe two feet from where we slept. It was chaotic & stressful & definitely not the vibe I was going for as a therapist.

After trying really hard to continue my put-together, got-it-all-figured-out therapist act for awhile, I realized that although my clients were patient & kind, I wasn't fooling anyone 🤣

It wasn't helping my clients for me to pretend like I was somehow functioning like a totally healthy adult in the midst of a pandemic simply because I am a therapist. Yes, I know coping skills and strategies for managing stressful situations, but there wasn't a class in grad school about how to deal with that shit show.

So, I started actually sharing things about myself with my clients. I tried to normalize the fact that they were struggling even when they were going to therapy & trying to implement healthy coping strategies. I gave them pep-talks & shared that I had to give them to myself, too.

Throughout the years I realized that sharing about myself & my life with my clients has made me a better & more effective therapist. I'm no longer this impressive person who my clients think has it altogether. I'm a normal human who works really hard on my own mental health & is not going to judge anyone else who's trying to do the same.

Here are 6 fun facts about me, so hopefully you can get to know me a bit better too:

1. I love being a therapist & have done it for a surprisingly long time
2. I love being a mom to both my dog & my human child
3. I have OCD & LOVE working with clients who do too!
4. Walking is the best form of exercise & self-care imo
5. I believe laughter is sometimes the best medicine & think I'm hilarious (but you can be the judge)
6. I grew up in the desert but hate the heat. I'm now in a much more cozy climate and love it!