Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mica Adesso. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mica, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?
The pandemic shifted a lot for the field of counseling psychology. No longer were we sitting across from each other with tissue boxes on side tables and noise machines making it a perfectly quiet and sterile. We were in our homes! In our mess! It was more uncontrolled and more real. People felt more seen. More heard and also not heard because the baby was crying in the background. The new normal is to stay out of therapy offices. The new normal is “walk and talk” on the park path. The new normal is bringing your kids and having them play at the playground. All while therapy is happening. We’re breaking out of the traditional therapy office and into the real world for more real relationships and more real healing.
Mica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Endlessly curious about humans and our complex set of motivations, our innate personality, our ability to change, the way we contradict ourselves, what makes us different and what makes us the same– the field of psychology drew me by attempting to answer some of these questions. As my curiosity grew, it grew beyond what the mind can “think” about and into the way our bodies move and hold stories and tension and ‘keep the score’ on our Selves. And as I studied more, I learned more body practices: yoga, meditation, chi gong, acupuncture, and more. And, of course, these curiosities led to wonder about our spirits. The meaning of it all. Divinity. Surrender. Birth, death, rebirth. The bigger picture. And these realms– mind, body, spirit– have kept me curious and engaged so far on my path.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson I had to unlearn was about being traditionally professional. I highly value professional ethics and values and a unifying standard of care that allows folks to trust the profession. What I had to unlearn was the stuffy distance it created between me “a psychologist with a doctorate degree who presents as untouched by life” and all my clients. I’m allowing more humanness to come through. People want to relate. To feel connected. To feel less alone. So I’m a human with a life who also happens to know a few things about wellness and stress and coping and such.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I recently had a baby. I did my best to predict when I’d be coming to back to work after my maternity leave. It turned out that when that time came, I was not ready to go back to work! I spoke with all my clients about extending my maternity leave and so many shared about how the constraints of traditional maternity leave left a lot to be desired for them. This pivot for me allowed the birth of a new support group: for new moms and navigating the transition to motherhood.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drmicaadesso.com/
- Instagram: @micaadessophd