We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Erica Wollerman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erica below.
Dr. Wollerman, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
As a therapist and parenting “expert,” I tend to reflect A LOT on parenting. Both the parenting I received as a child and the parenting I am working to offer my own son. One of the things that I am most grateful for when I reflect on my childhood is how much my parents allowed me to make my own decisions as well as how much they seemed to have faith in me. Even when I struggled, I truly knew that they thought I could do things even when I was not sure I could.
After college, I moved to France to be an au pair for a year and traveled mostly alone during that time on my breaks. I still remember how often I would be asked, “well, what do your parents think about this?” People would usually be shocked that I would look at them confused, as my parents were nothing but supportive of me doing whatever it was I wanted to do. Believe me, they had their faults, but they never wavered from showing me that they thought I would be able to do things on my own. Encouraging independence from a young age truly has been a gift as I think it is a big part of why I have taken risks and been successful as I usually haven’t doubted that I could accomplish my dreams.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am a licensed clinical psychologist and founded Thrive Therapy Studio, a group therapy practice, 5 years ago. We work primarily with children, teens, and families and I personally LOVE working with parents. I believe our practice is different because we offer a warm yet direct approach and often enjoy working with multiple members of the same family. Because we have 8 therapists, we are able to do this and have each family member work with someone different! Plus, we collaborate and are a close knit team where we all truly respect each other and our work. I am extremely proud of the work we do to support children, teens, and families in San Diego! Plus, now that we are utilizing video for sessions, we can see clients throughout California!
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
This is an easy question for me… I manage with the same energy that I work with my clients using. I genuinely care about my team and want to find out what their goals are and help them accomplish them. It’s an employee centered approach that I think helps them know that I truly care for them and value them as people, not just team members. I also love doing small things that help them feel appreciated, like taking them out for events or sending gifts and surprises throughout the year.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
I think that it is most helpful to have a passion for understanding people. I truly believe that what I offer my clients most is a space where they can feel seen and understood by another. Without an intense curiosity about people and why we do what we do, I think it would be hard to be a therapist who can help people understand themselves differently and make the changes they truly need to make for their lives to improve.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thrivetherapystudio.com
- Instagram: @thrivetherapystudiosd