We recently connected with Kelsey Wooten and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

I worked in a big box retail store while I was getting my undergraduate degree and the beginning of my graduate school program. During this time, however, I became unhappy with the management and began looking for a job in mental health. When I finally got that mental health job, it was in a residential program for teens who were using drugs, had mental illness or were in the legal system. It was in a totally new environment, and many people thought I would fail or wasn’t cut out for it because it was chaotic and challenging. I stayed at the job for the rest of my time in grad school, and moved up from a behavioral health tech to clinical staff. What I took from that experience was that people will test your limits, and you have to set boundaries and take care of yourself. Be able to trust yourself and know when it is time to move on.

Kelsey , 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 attended Northwest Missouri State University and earned a psychology degree. During my last year of school, I decided I wanted to be a mental health therapist and applied to UMSL’s counseling program. I am now a licensed mental health counselor and currently work at a group private practice, Sonder Counseling LLC. I provide clients the space to explore who they are, process their thoughts and feelings, give them time to work through their problems, and provide new information or resources when needed. What sets me apart is that I meet where my clients where they are, with my education and own life experience. I believe my clients know themselves and their lives best, which is why I view our work together as collaborative. Until this point, I have worked in different mental health settings, and that has allowed me to gain compassion for someone who is struggling and knowing that we can all end up there.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In November 2019, I moved downtown with my now husband. Once quarantine happened in 2020, it was so desolate you could stand in the middle of Broadway at noon and there would be no cars. During that time I would walk to the Metropolitan building and work in a suite alone (I was a phone operator for an EAP company, and I would take crisis calls) from 7 am – noon and then come home to do Telehealth therapy sessions in my closet or bathroom (because we lived in a studio apartment). During the Covid years, I worked in a few different places, and changed supervisors. This time period challenged me personally and professionally, and while it was rocky, I never lost the passion to help others.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

From my first mental health job to now, the biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn is people pleasing and learning how to set boundaries. For me, that means that I cannot make everyone happy, and giving people whatever they want at the expense of myself isn’t helpful. I have to honor myself and my needs in order to be healthy and happy, which makes me a better professional.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057141772501
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-wooten-649200119/

Image Credits

Headshot: Sonder Counseling LLC
All others: Myself