Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Good. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Erin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

On February 20, 2022 I blew my left ACL and MCL while skiing. I am generally an object in perpetual motion, so the forced stillness was absolutely terrifying as I could no longer (literally) run from a lot of life stuff I had previously avoided through outdoor pursuits. I still remember driving myself home from the ski hill after it happened, and out of all possibly things to feel frustrated about (sudden onset of injury, uncertainty of what had actually happened at that point, the physical pain I was feeling), I vividly recall feeling my job at the time somehow contributed to the injury. I sought support and connection from two different mental health clinicians in the time that followed, because helpers need helpers too, and while both were talented clinicians, I did not feel that either really understood how important outdoor pursuits were in my life. Running, climbing, and mountain pursuits were more than just hobbies, and I felt misunderstood by well-meaning clinicians who didn’t get it. I felt there was a significant gap in the mental health field, and in that moment I decided to step into it and open my own private practice focused on people who work and play in wild spaces.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I entered the social services field in 2005 and graduated with my Master of Social Work in 2010. I went on to pursue clinical licensure, and while I had thought about starting a private practice in the past, it was mostly a fleeting whisper or an escapist fantasy during a rough day at work. I’d spend a few moments thinking about it, and then shake it off. There were always plenty of reasons not to, right? Isn’t that what humans do sometimes: downplay or talk ourselves out of what we want for fear of failing?

Things changed for me this spring though, and the whisper turned into a roar. I started to write out a vision for what I see as a gap in conversation around mental health and mountain sports / athletics, and the more I refined my plan, the more excitement I felt.

My practice is unique because I speak the language of mountain sports and I am a licensed independent clinical social worker. Clients do not have to take extra time to explain their pursuits or rationalize why they would want to pursue activities that are inherently high risk. While the client is always the expert on her or his life, I can walk alongside with a baseline level of understanding about the mountain culture they exist in.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the impulse to poll and query others, and to listen to my own internal guide. As a human I have had my own experiences with anxiety, which frequently led me to poll my friends out of concern I choose the “wrong” option. “Should I take the job?” “Should I break up with my partner?” “What do you think I should do?” Truth is, every time I have ever asked someone else what I should do, I would already know what was best for me, but fear and uncertainty led me down different paths. I don’t want to call them wrong doors necessarily because I’ve learned so many lessons along the way, but my goodness, I do sometimes grieve the time spent on repeating these lessons. Ultimately it’s all led to now, and right now is pretty dang good. I had to learn to trust myself, to bet on myself, and to listen to my intuition.

Don’t poll the voices of others. Get still and listen to your own. The answer is there.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

Absolutely. I believe with every fiber of my being that I was put on this earth to support and bear witness to the empowerment and healing of other humans. I have frequently considered leaving the field of social work, but in every alternate career fantasy I have had it ultimately comes back to a desire to teach the skill or craft to others so they can do it for themselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.updraftcounseling.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/updraftcounseling/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpdraftCounseling
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/updraft-counseling-pllc/

Image Credits
First image provided by Steven Mortinson