“Stop admiring the problem.” During my tenure as a master’s level practitioner, I often asked, “That’s a great problem, but what are we going to do about it?” It is not enough to simply identify the concern, we must also DO something. Intrigued by complicated cases, I seek to pinpoint which interventions will adequately address the presenting concerns. Although my master’s program provided thorough training in assessment and interpretation, it provided limited exposure to evidence-based interventions. After graduation, I was drawn to professional development related to therapy techniques and other intervention skills. My thirst to expand my therapeutic repertoire grew. Therefore, with my husband’s support, despite the hardship we would face living apart for at least three years, I left a stable career to pursue my doctorate. By choosing this path, I hope to provide more intensive individualized services to children, to more effectively advocate for their families, and to exert …show more content…
Overcoming personal challenges as a young adult inspired me to pay my good fortune forward. I believe that through nonjudgmental and empathetic listening, clinicians are able to connect with struggling youth. My doctoral program’s clinical child focus allowed me to customize my coursework to focus on individualized intervention techniques. However, this exposure to a broad array of evidence-based interventions only increased my appetite to expand my expertise. Committed to expanding my therapeutic skills and going beyond just “admiring the problem,” I began commuting weekly between College Station and Dallas to train at the Center for Pediatric Eating Disorders at Children’s Medical Center (CMC). My time at CMC has proved invaluable, providing me with additional experience in implementing evidence-based interventions such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy