The Stories That Have Shaped Me

Today marks a very special milestone for me: 20 years in my professional career as a mental health counselor. Twenty years ago today, I graduated and officially began a career that has become such an important part of who I am.

People sometimes ask me if I always knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. In many ways, I think I did. From a very early age, I knew I wanted to help people. My fascination with psychology began when I was about 10 or 11 years old. At the time, my aunt was taking psychology courses at the University of Tampa, the same university I would later attend for my undergraduate studies. I remember looking through her books and being fascinated by human behavior: why we think the way we think, feel the way we feel, and do the things we do.

Even as a little girl, I was often surprised by how comfortable people seemed to feel opening up to me. Adults would share personal and meaningful parts of their lives, and within my friendships, I naturally became the person who listened and wanted to understand someone else's story. Those experiences stayed with me and planted the desire to create a space where people could feel safe enough to share their struggles, fears, hopes, and the parts of themselves that aren't always easy to reveal.

Two decades into this profession, I never take that trust for granted. Being invited into another person's life, particularly during some of their most vulnerable, painful, or uncertain chapters, is something I deeply value and appreciate.

One of the greatest blessings of doing this work for so long has been having the opportunity to see what happens beyond those difficult chapters. I have watched clients move through different seasons of life, overcome challenges they once weren't sure they could face, make difficult changes, discover strengths they didn't know they possessed, and move forward in ways they may not have once imagined. There is a special kind of joy in witnessing that transformation.

Walking alongside so many people has also shaped the way I see the world. We hear so much about what is wrong around us, and it can be easy to focus on what is frightening, discouraging, or broken. My work gives me another perspective. Every day, I see evidence of the strength of the human spirit. I see people choosing courage when it would be easier to give up, confronting painful truths, breaking old patterns, learning to forgive themselves, rebuilding relationships, starting over, and finding strength in circumstances that once felt impossible. Their resilience continues to inspire me.

These years have also taught me a great deal about how I want to live my own life. They have taught me the importance of caring for ourselves and making space for reflection. So much of life can be lived on autopilot, doing the next thing, completing the next task, and fulfilling the next responsibility without stopping long enough to notice what is right in front of us.

Sometimes what matters most can be found in the simplest moments. We can step outside into the garden and watch a butterfly land on a plant, caress our pets and feel their warmth, see the light in our children's faces when they discover something new, or connect with someone we love and be present enough to recognize the moment while we are living it. These experiences may seem ordinary, yet they are often where some of life's greatest joy and wonder can be found.

This work has taught me to value the present and the connections we share with others. It has also reinforced something I see many people struggle with: we are allowed to care for ourselves and prioritize our own well-being without guilt. The relationship we have with ourselves follows us through every season of life. How we speak to ourselves, care for ourselves, forgive ourselves, and make room for our own needs matters.

That lesson applies to me as well. These years have made me more conscious of my own self-care and the importance of finding balance among the many roles that make up my life. I have learned that being there for others should not require disappearing from our own lives.

As I celebrate this milestone, I hope to continue doing the work I love for many years to come. I also hope to support other professionals in this field by sharing what I have learned, offering encouragement, and helping nurture the passion that brought so many of us to this profession in the first place.

I am excited about where our field is going. Mental health was once surrounded by tremendous stigma, and it is meaningful to see therapy and emotional well-being receiving greater recognition as an important part of caring for ourselves. I hope more people have the opportunity to experience the unique relationship that therapy provides. There are so few places in life where the space can truly be just about you. It is a place to tell your story, understand yourself more deeply, be heard without judgment, and explore what might be possible.

Twenty years later, I am still fascinated by people and inspired by our capacity to grow, heal, change, and begin again. What started with a little girl looking through her aunt's psychology books became a life and career centered on connection, growth, and understanding.

To every person who has trusted me with a part of their journey over these past 20 years, thank you. You have taught me more than you will ever know, and being able to do this work has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.

Here's to 20 years of listening, learning, growing, and healing, and to whatever comes next.