We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandon Robinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Brandon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?
When I was 20 years old, I worked at a group home that housed convicted sex offenders, who were all minors. The home had 10 beds for young males between the ages of 12 and 17. Boys of this age can sometimes, maybe most of the time, be offputting or repulsive in their own right, not to mention the societal stigma associated with someone who has offended or abused someone else in a sexual manner. These boys were essentially classified as someone who could never repent or perform enough restitution to ever be accepted in society again. The label they had received would follow them for many years to come. What I knew going into it was that this population was not integrated well into society, and that people generally did not accept them for their humanistic qualities. At age 20 I did have some life experiences but nothing that measures up to what I have now at 44. Although being a naive mental health human service worker at age 20 allowed me to be open and free with the person sitting across from me. I was not susceptible to projection or any real issues of countertransference. Therefore, it was quite easy for me to treat each of these boys with respect, warmth, and even empathy. Clinically, I had no definition or real idea of how to treat people with these conditions. So what I resorted to was the basic understanding of human needs. I listened, utilized humor, and engaged these individuals in discussion that related to their interests and values. This approach took me a long way and I when I entered graduate school, I learned the term for what I was actually doing. Motivational interviewing was precisely what I was implementing without even knowing it. Simply by showing respect for the human across from me, and meeting them where they were at, absent of a masters degree, or any significant clinical training, I was able to help these boys feel human again, and furthermore, provided them an opportunity to see hope in the change process. 25 years later, working as a clinical interventionist and therapist who treats co-occurring addiction and mental health disorders, I utilize the exact same approach as I did with those boys. Sometimes I question my abilities in the clinical arena and still get a little nervous before some counseling sessions. But, my anxiety is always quickly alleviated by being authentic and present with people/clients.
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.
Over a 25 year career I have crafted a speciality in treating families and individuals who are affected by substance use disorder. I also supervise folks who are trying to obtain clinical licensure. I have found a passion for helping new clinicians become aware and adherent to their relationship with the clients they serve. In my clinical work, I have found a calling in doing structured interventions, which is basically a process to help families come together and tackle the addiction head. Ultimately, the goal is to get their loved one into treatment, so the real work can start. I have a mixed bag of experience that includes working in both the nonprofit and private sectors. I have worked with the criminal justice system in North Carolina for quite some time helping individuals in a treatment setting, as opposed to endorsing them to be incarcerated for drug related charges. I feel like my greatest achievement in that arena was helping the criminal justice system become more aware, and educated about the facets of substance use disorder, and the relationship with the concept of harm reduction. I now own a private practice and spend a majority of my time helping families who are grieving, and or trying to intervene on their loved one who struggles with substance use disorder and mental health.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
I love this question because it often becomes a focus of my clinical supervision with provisionally licensed clinicians. I often look back in my career and ask myself how I got to this point. I come from a family of addicts and alcoholics and many in a bloodline that has no awareness of treatment or what it means to get professional counseling help. I take on some of these characteristics but over time I have been fortunate enough to reap the benefits of therapy and self-help. Also, I can never over-emphasize the importance of self-care and having healthy routines that enable me to be me outside of my clinical practice.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think this answer is pretty simple. My reputation has strictly been built on being consistent and a stable figure in the field. I also realized I had to overcome my anxieties about public speaking by taking on opportunities to meet with community stakeholders in small and large settings, to provide education and feedback. I always found it important to cater to my audience as there is a realization that our field consists of many different professions and professionals advocating for the treatment and recovery of the disease of addiction, and mental health.
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