We were lucky to catch up with Corissa Barrow recently and have shared our conversation below.
Corissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.
The short answer – many small jobs helped me to land my first job in psychology. Now let me explain. After reflecting on my own wants I desired to have in a work life, completing my Bachelors degree in Psychology made the most sense. I was getting extremely excited to learn about human behavior but nowhere in the literature was it telling me how I could bridge what I was learning in the classroom and get into a position where I could start to apply these concepts. I was getting into my 3rd year of my undergraduate degree and conversations of “What is your plans after you get your Bachelors?” start to come into play. My family and friends were extremely excited for me, but I couldn’t help but acknowledge the pressures it put onto me to figure it out – and to figure it out fast. While academic advisors were helpful, something about the proposed trajectories they were suggesting just did not make sense. They kept giving me end destinations with no proposed path on how to even get there. I felt hopeless and guilty that I had picked a useless degree. One day, I summoned the courage to speak up and advocate for myself. I asked myself which class do I feel the safest in to speak up and which professor would be the safest to hear some of these concerns?. After deciding who this person was, I decided to stay after class one day and ask As an undergraduate student who wants to continue in this field, where would be the best place to start?. My curiosity was surprisingly welcomed with open arms and I began to tap into a conversation that I had no idea would be unlocked. He began to explain the idea of getting your foot in the door through the work of others, that no question is a bad question, to understand the power of networking, and the extreme importance of have a strong resume/CV. He began to plug me into resources that were in my immediate area such as name-dropping psychology research labs within the university who were looking for eager students to help, psychology-related student organizations that I could join, and even shared his own personal work he was doing that could use extra help. After taking his advice and trusting that no question is a bad question, I went to the sources he named and asked the same question I am an undergraduate student who wants to remain in the field of psychology, where can I start to help me out with this?. I was immediately paired with master/PHD students who needed help with conducting research, I joined the organizations that I could, and took up his offer to help with his own personal research. It’s important to note I did not feel equipped to do research and had no idea what research was but knew that you never truly have skills for anything unless you dive in headfirst to gain the skills you need. Once I took these first steps, I repeated the same formula and found that these opportunities led me to more opportunities. A year later, I had presented my professor’s work in several undergraduate conferences, landed my name as a co-author in the same research labs I helped with, and through their recommendations became an employed tutor in the student centers. Throughout the year, I kept the idea of networking in mind and intentionally made sure to approach conversations with the same formula I stated above in every space and place I was in. I came out with strong resume/CV, a list of references that I knew could back up the work I did, and a list of job titles that I could explore within the field of psychology. After graduation, I went onto local job postings and submitted as many applications I could that fit those job descriptions. Whether I felt qualified or not, I knew the worst that anyone could tell me is no and to just shoot my shot. Shortly after, I landed my first position within the field of psychology specifically in Behavior analysis as an ABA therapist (or RBT technician) where I assisted in implementing behavioral interventions for children and adolescences with autism spectrum disorder. From then on, I continued to implement the same formula and remembered that no question is a bad question!
Corissa, 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 licensed couples and family therapist associate in the Houston area where I assist others towards living meaningful, sustainable, and productive lives. I have teamed up with two of my favorite clinicians and colleagues, Sarah Sepolio and Dr. Merih Cengal, and currently work with our private practice Therapy & Co located in the heart of Houston. In our practice, we offer a vast spectrum of journeys including individuals, couples, and family therapy along with mindfulness, trauma work, sexual wellness, and Virtual Reality therapy. What is amazing about our practice is we are recreating the idea of what mental health means, looks like, and feels like for the modern person. Our biggest mission is to be able to bring in the next generation of wellness and create a fresh way of taking care of your mental health just as you would your physical health. I love to be able to meet others where they’re at and provide them with the pen and power to reimagine, rewrite, and revive their life stories in any direction they want it to go. Throughout my experiences, I began to become aware of the many should’ves, could’ves, and would’ves that we face in our lifetimes. I began to wonder what would happen if we began to live our life as if it were our second chance to live that same moment – what would be different and what keeps us from living our fullest potential the first time around in life? Helping others to navigate and overcome their blocks is what keeps me going all day, every day. Along with my work, I am also on my path towards becoming a licensed psychologist and currently attending the University of Houston’s Counseling Psychology PhD program. I currently investigate and conduct research that assists in creating and improving prevention, intervention, and recovery frameworks for Hispanic/Latinx populations.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn and relearn how to accept genuine compliments and good feedback. Coming from a family who is driven by hard-work and results, it became easy to hyperfocus on the most minor flaws as an attempt to improve. While this is a strength, my automatic hyperfocus sometimes made it hard for my successes or the things I did well to shine through. For some, you could call this perfectionist tendencies and for others it is considered me just really, really caring about the work I produce. Regardless, the result is me struggling to accept compliments without minimizing it, brushing it off, or passing off the credit to another entity. When others would give me a compliment, I automatically would think “they are just trying to be nice…” and assume it was someone’s manners showing rather than assuming it was my work that was worthy of good credit. I have had to accept that it was in fact uncomfortable to receive compliments and accept it was a hard thing for me to do. At times, I will find myself resort back to deflecting compliments and have to remind myself that I am capable of doing things well. Once I was able to reach a point where I grew bigger than my uncomfortability, it became easier to begin to reach towards my full potential. It is an ongoing work in progress and a journey that still continues to this day.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
In this field, and I truly believe across in any field, is your ability to R.I.S.E to the occasion. To understand the importance of your R: Reputation, I: Innovation, S: Strategy, and E: Efficiency. Regarding your Reputation, your reputation will often precede you and you want to aim to maximize all your opportunities. With this mindset, you want to think about what it is exactly you want to be known for, and to remember this could go in any direction depending on the vibe you set for yourself in your enviroment. This could even determine who wants to work with you or who would want to provide you with opportunities that could very much leverage you to that next level. It’s important to understand this does not equate to some people’s ideas of “kissing ass” or being a “people pleaser”. People pleasing is putting other’s intentions first and reputation is putting your intentions first – this is very important distinction and makes the energy very different. Regarding innovation, don’t limit your potential because diverse experiences matter! You want to think creatively (but ethically) about how you want to market yourself and your skills. Be competent but be willing to step out your comfort zone. You want to continually ask yourself “What skills, knowledge, or expertise will help me stand out amongst a pool of applicants?”. The key here is to recongize a need in your market and be responsive or figure out how to be responsive. Regarding Strategy, you want to develop a clear, organized, and vetted plan. Do not be afraid to seek good mentors, especially if the wheel has been invented the last thing you want to do is expense your energy towards trying to recreate it again – push your energy towards improving the wheel that already exists. You want to be flexible and unafraid to pivot when necessary. It is absolutely okay to figure out what did not go well, and to ask yourself “what can I do from here?”. You want to implement a strategy for evaluation but also a plan for reassessment for yourself – selfchecks and balances are important. While much of this indiviually orientated, community is key. People you sit across and next to can be the key you need. It’s important for you to be deliberate in fostering connections across the board. Regarding Efficiency, do good work. Period. While is it important to strategize, be purposeful in continuing ongoing training, education, and the sharpening of your skills because there is always room for growth. While many things will get your foot in the door, efficiency is what will sustain you. Overall, you have everything it takes to get you where you want to go because if you didn’t – you wouldn’t be where you are today. Be brave and be ready to RISE to any occasion. Note: This was inspired by Dr. Leslie Anderson, LMFT-S.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.therapyandcohouston.com
- Instagram: @corissabarrow
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/corissabarrow
- Other: Blog: www.corichats.com
Image Credits
website: www.azinterani.com instagram: @azin.terani.photography