We were lucky to catch up with Lorrie Bertrand recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lorrie, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

This is such a great question! I remember always having an interest in doing something in the mental health field. This was not really something my family encouraged for a number of reasons. I am a first-generation American, and they really wanted me to find a job that would keep me financially stable and something I’d always be able to find work in. Mental health just didn’t check the box; not to mention, it’s taboo in Haitian culture. The part of me that didn’t want to disappoint my family said, “Let’s do Physical Therapy.” That was a bust. I started out at Franklin Pierce University and did horribly in any sciences. I laugh at this sometimes because history, math, and science were always topics I struggled with. Even though I was a biology major, I still took psychology classes, and the Social Psychology class had me hooked. Believe it or not, this isn’t the end of the story. I graduated with a degree in Psychology and couldn’t find a job in the field for months. It was pretty scary for me. I worked in retail to hold me over.

One day, this woman came in on a busy, rainy day. She looked like she was in a bit of a rush, but I ran up to her anyway and did the retail spiel, “Hey there, how are you, and can I help you find anything?” She said, “I need new clothes for my new job; can you help me out?” I’m not sure what it was, but we immediately just started talking and looking around. Not once did I ask her what her job was. I knew her name, by that time I knew what her humor was (dry humor—my favorite), but not her job. Once I realized I hadn’t asked her the question, I finally just asked. She said, “I just started my own private practice as a therapist.” I immediately responded, “That’s my dream job.” She looked at me, started talking to me about her career track, handed me her card, and the rest was history. She didn’t leave with a single outfit, but she left me with direction and excitement. I would meet with her at her office, and we would just talk about the social work field. She told me there was such a need for Black women in the field and gave me amazing advice. I reached out to her with every milestone I hit, and she continues to be proud. I’ll forever be grateful for that day because here I am, a therapist with my own private practice.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a Clinical Social Worker, Coach, and Licensed Therapist who works with people who have high anxiety and struggle with perfectionism and people-pleasing. As a therapist, I utilize different modalities to support people who have high-achieving anxiety and struggle with some perfectionist traits.

I recently began coaching as well, which is more present-to-future focused and very hands-on. In this role, I help individuals recognize patterns, release rigid rules that cause these patterns to continue, relearn assertiveness and boundary-setting, and reinforce and retain this new information.

I feel pride in doing this work because I went through this process myself. I remember, and still sometimes have to keep, my perfectionism and people-pleasing in check, so I know what it’s like to feel compelled to live by rigid rules such as “If I don’t do it, it’ll never get done” or “I can’t relax until I finish all of the important stuff first.” These rules create a box that doesn’t allow us to move forward, ultimately leaving us feeling trapped. I help my clients realize that life is much more flexible than they might think. There is also something beautiful about seeing when it all clicks for the client!

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

I had to unlearn that I wasn’t the only person responsible for generational trauma. I constantly felt like because I was doing the work, I had to make others in my family do the work as well. That belief kept me in the cycle of perfectionism and people-pleasing. I didn’t believe that I could do the bare minimum; I felt compelled to do everything to keep things level. I made it my responsibility. There are some things we can support with, but not everyone wants the same thing I want, and I can’t make them. It’ sucks when you feel like there is one thing that could solve it all, but it might not be the case for the person I’m speaking to.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I speak to my clientele directly because I know what they are going through. I went through the same thing and am continuing to work to maintain all that I’ve learned. There is something so validating when you know that someone is also experiencing what you experienced. You feel seen. I want my clients to feel seen so a lot of my Instagram and website includes language that shows that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lorriebertrandtherapy.com
• Instagram: lorrie.thetherapist

Image Credits

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