We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrea Buckley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrea below.

Andrea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Andrea Buckley is a social worker, therapist, wellness coach, and CEO of Drea Inspires. Drea Inspires is a virtual mental health private practice and wellness agency that helps humans heal individually and in community. Drea Inspires offers individual mental health therapy, courage circles (aka “group therapy), educational products, and inspirational content byway of social media and public speaking. Drea Inspires views mental health through a strengths based, trauma informed, decolonial, compassionate lens. We believe that “no one should struggle alone” and “everyone needs a therapist.” Drea Inspires is most proud of and passionate about providing free knowledge and inspiration to the public by way of social media. We are also proud of a recent partnership with the Washtenaw County Office of the Public Defender, where we are contracted to support humans who are incarcerated by providing solution focused mental health therapy. Here, at Drea Inspires we provide healing spaces for humans to explore their relationship with themselves, as all dis-ease in the body and mind stems from this space. We are also passionate about challenging systems of oppression that make it challenging to feel “worthy” in our world. We want everyone to know the following: You are enough. You are loved. Stay Inspired.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Training and knowledge is just a start. I have never had a client ask me how many degrees do I have or how many trainings have I attended. People do not care about what you know, until they know how much you care. The key to any successful business where you are working with people: is to build rapport/trust and community. While education and expertise aids in building trust, it means nothing outside the context of an authentic relationship.

It is also important to study the psychology of people. Most times, we know the “right thing to do.” In the world of internet and growing advancements in AI, we are overstimulated with information. In the field of therapy and wellness, I have found that people desire an empathetic guide. Empathy is truly a skill. It is more important to focus on what psychological blocks or past traumas are getting in the way of a client’s desired outcome vs the client’s desired outcome. We are not robots, and healing takes time. Embrace imperfection and enjoy the journey.

Lastly, it is important to “own your story.” I am in this field as a “wounded healer.” I am not ashamed of my struggles with mental health (specifically, depression and anxiety) and it helps me hold space for the humanity of others. When you can hold space for your own “darkness” then, you can do the same for others. I also recognize that the dark is a container for my “light.” I serve as a light and see the light in others. This is important when working with people: don’t defined them by their struggle, be a mirror to reflect their light as well.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I graduated from graduate school, I did not receive my “dream job” right away. I did not know that one day I would build it, hence Drea Inspires. Although I absolutely loved my first job and was super grateful for the position, it was not my first choice. At this point in my life, I struggled with depression heavily and also, anxiety. I was insecure and did not have the best relationship with myself. I hid behind academic and professional success, so only those closest to me knew this about me. I felt like a imposter and at times, a failure because my peers went on the get what I perceived to be their dream jobs.

Little did I know, this role became the foundation for the work I do now due to the multitude of lessons and training experience gained. This job was in the field of education and not social work or mental health, but was formative for my career. And as a result, I offered a very unique lens to the role. I met lifelong friends, mentors, gained tons of training, community engagement, and programming experience and grew my confidence as a professional.

Following this position, I entered the world of therapy and worked for various companies. I started Drea Inspires, LLC while working a 9 to 5 that I knew was not the right fit for me due to a toxic work environment. I persisted because I had bills to pay and thought that’s just “what you do” when things get tough. But I was doing myself a disservice, and finally made the decision to quit and launch Drea Inspires full time. I have never been more fulfilled.

I tell this story to say, do not despise small beginnings.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dreainspires.com
• Instagram: drea.inspires
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/dreainspires