Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lex Pedulla. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lex, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

My current job has taught me a lot about what it means to be grateful for my health. I work with adults who are battling severe mental illness; being with them, hearing their stories, and understanding their lived experiences has made me appreciate the things I once took for granted-big and small. I have learned that the meaning of life is not to be the most successful, smart, talented, and educated person in the room, but rather the healthiest. And health looks and feels different for everyone. I think I’ve just grown to understand how lucky I am to have the mental, physical, and emotional health that I have.

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

My name is Alexa and I grew up in New Jersey! I am super close with my family and spend most of my time with them. I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Human Services several years ago, but am now working towards my Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I work for a community mental health agency running psycho-educational groups for adults with severe mental illnesses. I love my job a lot – I learn new things each and every day. I can’t wait to become a licensed therapist one day and tie holistic practices into my practice! I firmly believe there is more to treating mental health than just medication – although I know the power and significance of it. I want to give my future clients options that make sense for them. On the weekends, I work as a soccer coach for children between the ages of 3 and 6! It’s so fun and my favorite part of the week! Aside from that, I love to bake and cook! I started my food account, @recipeswlex, in 2019 while I was still in college. I was a vegan at the time, then a vegetarian, and now, I am back to eating meat. I’ve actually never felt better! I love sharing my food and recipes online with others and creating content! It’s so freeing. I often partner with brands for video content which is extremely fun. I guess I’d want my followers to know what I do outside of Instagram and posting food content. There’s so much more to me that I feel so many could relate to, especially those in the mental health field. I’d love to team up with any brands and/or fellow influencers who have a passion for both things like me!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think being my authentic self has always been a strong point of mine. It’s helped me build a small, but powerful community who is supportive, kind, and even uplifting. I think expressing the deeper parts of yourselves allows others to be vulnerable with you as well. And even if they chose not to be, they may feel inspired and able to relate to me. This is usually my goal.

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

This may be unrelated to my food page, but it’s extremely related to my current job/future career. In college I found myself in a three year long abusive relationship. I struggled in silence for a really long time. And afterwards, I worked really hard to undo all the things I had learned about myself, “love,” and relationships along the way. I did this with the help of my amazing therapist who changed my life forever. Most importantly, I had to unlearn the belief that I couldn’t get/feel better. For a long time, I got so used to feeling bad. I was scared, sad, heart-broken, depressed, and lonely all at once, and it truly felt like I was crumbling with each day that went by. I was scared to open up to other people and tell them what I had been through and it made me feel so alone in my experience and life. It wasn’t until I started to believe that I could get better and I could heal from what I had went through that I was able to grow and experience the beautiful, amazing parts of life again that I had once loved so so much.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/recipeswlex?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaax2lumc2V-yjwn-wgJMuxgwkKQnD5B9up5v8txtMrQLkGgsjeyVMHSOtY_aem_bRUQYNXFKRIgZcZnFvcXPw
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recipeswlex/

Image Credits

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