We were lucky to catch up with Christina Powell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.
Becoming a therapist felt like it was always in the cards for me. I was always the person who friends came to for advice and comfort. As I got further along in my career, I worked with all sorts of people – families, children, teens, adults, all by year 2. I also worked in severe mental illness, which taught me more than my fair share of the value of our minds and the way in which mental health can impact not just one person but a whole system.
However, I did not truly feel a calling to any of these disciplines. I enjoyed them, I learned from them, but they didn’t feel like what I was meant to be doing. It wasn’t until my own experiences, nearly 7 years after graduating from my master’s program, that I would come to find what I was meant to do.
I put off having kids for a really long time. I just wanted independence, craved it almost. You spend so much time in school, being poor, and not being sure of what you’re doing, that when I finally had a job and could make choices, I clung to it. I pushed, year by year. 27, 28, 29, finally at 30 years old I decided that it was time. I still struggled to make the necessary choices, but I always thought to myself, “what would 80 year old you want?” She wanted kids. She would have regretted the choice not to have them. Along for the journey, we started trying to conceive. I won’t bore you with the details, I had a safe pregnancy. Horrible morning (re: all day) sickness, but healthy. Giving birth, I understand that my birth story isn’t particularly traumatic, but in those moments felt like betrayal. Betrayal of my body, my mind, my abilities, my pain tolerance, my sense of self, my confidence – poof – sense of self gone. I had a failed epidural that resulted in me getting lidocaine intermittently throughout my labor experience. My blood pressure would drop and so would the baby’s and this would ultimately lead me to believe that I caused my baby to end up with meconium aspiration, which led to infection for him. Unimaginable guilt, shame, and that betrayal again. While being wheeled up to recovery, my baby looked ashen. I checked his breathing because he didn’t seem like he was. The nurse noticed, and finally saw what I was seeing – something was wrong. I got to hold him for maybe 30 minutes, and off to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) he went. I couldn’t follow, but my husband was able to go with him and this is how we found out about the meconium aspiration. Now, I am positive that was the worst and best experience I could’ve had because the NICU was filled with wonderful people. To see my first born in an isolate, with wires, breathing tubes and respiratory monitors, was by far the most pain I’ve felt. I believed I had failed him. I cried almost every time I was at his bedside.
I tell you that story because this was my defining moment. As a clinician, you know you’re going to experience your own strife, and that you need care too. In my entire pregnancy journey, I wasn’t screened for any prenatal mental health concerns. Postpartum, I was not offered any services, and the worst one of all, the NICU did not have a social worker on staff. All these babies, troubled parents, challenging situations, and no one there to provide support. No one to help you find a way to cope with these new circumstances, as if having a baby isn’t hard enough, to experience it after the NICU is another layer no one wants. So I have made it a mission to become a pregnancy and postpartum (perinatal) informed therapist, and continue to want to work with birthing people, mothers, fathers, parents, any one in the role of learning how to be a new person before, during, and after having a child. I was so shocked by the lack of mental health concern, when maternal mortality rates are still way too high, and knowing now that preventative measures like seeing a therapist, finding support groups, gaining perspective with others in the same situation can provide more wealth than money. I will always advocate for this need, and can hope that my little corner of the world can help someone else to not feel the guilt, anxiety, depression, shame and despair that I did.
Oh, and Henry is a thriving, beautiful 4 year old who loves to steal cake frosting and care for others. I did something right.
Christina, 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?
I am a Mental Health Counselor, licensed in the state of Florida and Texas. I became a therapist in 2013 after graduating with a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Miami in Florida. I work primarily with adults, helping to achieve a healthier version of themselves through their therapeutic journey. I believe whole-heartedly in a collaborative experience in the therapeutic space, which allows my clients to feel their own power and capabilities. I give guidance to clients, while simultaneously allowing them to remain in control and showcase their expertise of their own life. I feel this is a wonderful way to experience therapy, as so much of life is out of our control. We crave autonomy and the ability to heal ourselves, and what better way to learn how to gain those qualities than with a provider who acknowledges you and will allow you the space to process at your own pace.
I am a big believer in mental health being a worthy investment to your self development. We have so many difficult tasks expected of us at all times, and the constant worry and anxieties of today continue to grow stronger. I have treated all different types of clients, including families, children, teens and adults. I have been able to gain truly invaluable knowledge throughout my different job roles, which allows me to treat a variety of people. I am specialized in Pregnancy and Postpartum mental health care, anxiety, and Executive therapy. I am passionate about working in these areas because I too have experienced issues in those three categories. I am a working mother, in a corporate role, and understand that a lot of the stress that comes from having a child is also rooted in needing to make a living. The dynamics of corporate life and trying to also have a family has become more challenging, which is why I also feel grateful to support people in their job roles as they venture into finding a different balance to life. I don’t necessarily believe I need to have experienced the same pain and suffering as my clients, but being able to relate is something that poses a great addition to the therapeutic realm.
My therapeutic model is eclectic, where I pull different interventions from modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, short term psychodynamic therapy, Rogerian therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy. I enjoy these models for many reasons, but being able to utilize more than one lens viewpoint helps me when working with different types of people.
Some of the proudest moments of my career have been the ways in which I get to see people progress and graduate from services. To watch clients become successful at managing their symptoms, alleviating their stressors, and living fruitful lives is a true blessing. With me, the goal is not dependence on therapy. I want you to succeed and fly the nest. You can always come back when needed, but you can’t know you can fly until you stretch those wings.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Working in the mental health field, there is a vastness to the different ways people can conduct therapy. I think the most helpful tool for succeeding in therapy is by understanding yourself and your limitations. This field can be challenging, as the weight of other’s emotional strain can be sincerely overwhelming at times if you do not have a healthy balance in your own life. There have been times when I have been left crying, sad, despondent due to different stressors providing services in this capacity. A healthy mental well-being is the first thing I would recommend to anyone who wants to be successful in this career. Whether they do this through their own self-care, therapy, work-life balance, social supports, or finding other adaptive ways to cope, it is all a necessary step in making sure that you can provide quality care.
The other way to be successful in this career path is to remember customer service skills. People seek therapy in their most vulnerable states, often coming to therapy as a last ditch effort. We have numerous systemic issues that often prevent people from seeking therapeutic care, so when they do come to us and reach out, it is important to remember to work with compassion and kindness. Being responsive and thoughtful goes a long way, even if you won’t be the clinician who ends up working with a particular person. People remember the slightest things you say, and it can make the difference between the client accepting services with you, or finding somewhere else to go.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for growing clientele has been to choose a speciality. Knowing your craft, and knowing it well goes a long way. It shows others that you have the knowledge, skills, and time dedicated to their ailment. When the language of your promotional materials speaks to your ideal client, it can mean the difference of whether someone hits the ‘contact me’ button. We are social creatures, and usually hope for someone to see us. When you can make someone feel seen, it inclines them to believe you can help, and you probably can!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Mentalperktherapy.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mentalperktherapy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-powell-lmhc-qs-067183201/