We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Barbara Chavez-Sabree. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Barbara below.

Barbara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

I have been so fortunate to have more than one great mentor and boss. My mentor in graduate school was my assigned advisor who was also one of my professors. I met her and my thought was “goals!” Her teaching style, passion for the field of psychology and her heart (she was so kind) truly reinforced that I had chosen the right program. I expressed to her that I would like to be her TA (teacher’s assistant) and she did not hesitate to take me under her wing and teach me. I was her TA for 2.5 of the 3 years of grad school and I learned so much about prepping for classes, engaging the students and my overall teaching style is influenced by hers. Almost two years after graduating she became my boss when I started teaching in that same program.

My second story is about one of my practicum supervisors. I remember seeing her around the office before I was transferred to her team and once I met her, I thought “wow she’s so supportive and kind!”. I truly grew as a clinician under her supervision and was taught DMH paperwork so precisely but with compassion and patience, it was no longer scary or daunting. She hired me for a permanent spot on her team 3 months after I graduated and exposed me to the program that ended up being my career for 5 years. I was initially so scared of the assessment cases for the children removed from parental care by DCFS – the expectations and timeline were so intimidating- I HAD JUST GRADUATED FOR GOODNESS SAKES! But, my supervisor encouraged me to take one case and truly supported me throughout that initial case cycle and I realized I had a gift and passion for that role.

I am forever grateful to these two women. Despite the fact that I no longer work for either of them and haven’t for years – our personal relationships transcended our professional ones. Outside of their professional roles, I also learned so much from them as a woman. Shani and Sally – thank you. You both taught me so much in many areas of life and I appreciate you immensely.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello! My name is Barbara Chavez-Sabree. I am first-generation, the daughter of divorced immigrants from Belize, Central America. The divorced part is integral to my story. The events that led up to, occurred during and after my parent’s divorce is what led me towards first switching my major in undergrad to sociology, then pursuing a MSW degree I did not complete and ultimately completing an MFT degree instead and this career I now have and love.

I participate in this interview not long after making changes in my career path. I have spent the last 7 years providing direct therapy services/conducting mental health assessments with children as young as 2 months, adolescents, adults, couples and families. For almost 5 of those 7 years, I also taught a variety of psychology topics at the undergraduate and graduate level. I now work in the psychiatry department of a local hospital providing adult patients with individual/group mental health support/services.

My brand, PsycholoBees is in a state of refresh. My initial plans from when I started have shifted as I have grown as a clinician and woman. I have taken my community along my journey and how my mental
health was impacted and what I did to address it. I have shared about grad school, teaching, county contracted work, licensure etc and my personal journey as a daughter of immigrants, wedding planning, relationships etc. My content slowed down this year as I am expecting my first child and I opted to do what I would often urge my online community to do, put yourself first. I have an additional perspective now on maternal mental health and will continue to ponder the direction I would like to take PsycholoBees. I have grown so much throughout this pregnancy and know I will continue to grow as I embrace motherhood. I am beyond excited to welcome our daughter, Holland, and start this next step of my journey.

Overall, I am most proud of two things – my ability to express need for help and accept it and my ability to not only pivot, but continue to grow. My husband, Neel, has taught me it is okay to need/ask for help and also allow help to happen – release my need to do everything. From a professional standpoint, I firmly believe that in this field, we as professionals cannot remain stagnant. Our world is ever changing and so are the people who are our clients. We have to keep up. We cannot remain stuck and adamant that they way we learned (however long ago) is the right way or only way.

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

Participating in therapy. That will ALWAYS be my answer. Before we are professionals in this field, we are humans also with human experiences. Our experiences influence how we move through this world and interact with others and I believe it is very important for us to address our own barriers/experiences/traumas in the client chair before we are sitting in the therapist chair.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

100%. I may be an MSW dropout but I am not ashamed to say it because that one year experience helped to lead me to where I am today. At the moment when I decided to leave the program, I felt so ashamed and confused because “I am not a quitter”, “what will people say?” and “what will I do now?” Hindsight sure is 20 20 because I am now grateful for that part of my journey. I embrace it (not the student loans that came from it lol) and I am grateful for it.

Contact Info:

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