We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Margaret Doherty. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Margaret below.

Hi Margaret , thanks for joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

When I graduated graduate school in May 2014, I had this idea of seeing clients and helping people who wanted the help. My internship experience was based in a clinic where I was able to see clients for two years. I had a private practice mindset but yet could not find a job that filled those expectations. After a lot of resumes sent out and keeping in contact with a professor/mentor, I was able to land an interview with a local agency. The catch? It was for a Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelter. After a few interviews. I was offered and accepted the job. And boy was I thrown into the fire. I was meeting with homeless and runaway youth from ages 12-21 daily. They would come stay at the shelter for a period of time based on age to have housing and work with me, the Senior Case Manager, on goals that would help them live independently. I was bright eyed and bushy tailed thinking I had the answers and capability for anything. Until those youth did not want my help, systems like CPS were no help and family members did not want the help I had to offer. What I learned in those moments were I could not save anyone, even if they wanted the help due to the outside systems having their faults. I could do my best. I could support. I could give information. I could be an open ear. But that the work was really in the client and their wants and capabilities. Just because I had an idea of what the outcome could be doesn’t mean thats what these youth or their families wanted it to be. I worked on some really difficult and sad cases where so much was out of my control. I would leave work one day and come back to have the kid out of the program and never to hear from them again about where they landed. There was so much unknown and questioning around if I helped or did a good job. I’d just have to hope something I said stuck with them and they would use it eventually. This really allowed me to have a better understanding of what it means to be in the helping profession, how much responsibility I had to take on and to work on my own anxiety of what I cannot control. When it comes to running my own therapy practice now, these lessons help me not take it to heart if a client tells me we aren’t a good fit, stop coming to sessions even if I think there is more work to do or understand that the work we do in sessions may come in handy in their life down the line. It allows me to press on each day and work with each client with my whole heart knowing I am showing up for them in the best way possible.

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?

After upgrad, with an English major diploma in hand, I had no idea what was next. I took some time to soul search and speak with my closest friends to help figure out what would make me happy in life. Something each person said was I was always so good at listening and being there for them. At that point, I knew I wanted to be in the helping profession. I attended a bunch of open houses for graduate programs, spoke to directors and professors and when I met with George Simon of Hofstra’s Marriage and Family Therapy program, I knew this was it. My family was not perfect as I learned none were. I had been through a lot after my grandma’s death with my extended family and I remember wishing I had someone to talk to about it.

The three years in Hofstra’s program was life changing. I learned a lot about myself., the systems that make up our lives and how to hold space for those who come to therapists for help. The issue I ran into is once I was done with the schooling, how did I make this a career? I did what a lot of young new therapists do and went the safe route of working for an agency for a steady income and benefits. I did that for almost seven years. Halfway through, I realized I missed the one on one weekly interaction I had with clients during my internships. I opened my private practice part time a few times a night. In this part of my career, it helped me work on my niche, see the types of clients that really connected with me and that I also connected with and worked to learn which ways I could help best. I learned that working with Millennials who were struggling with anxiety, relationships, the world being on fire, grief and big life transitions/life events was where my passion and heart really was.

When my agency lost funding for my program, I built and created Reclaim Hope Marriage and Family Therapy Practice full time. The name came from all the clients I sat with up until that point that were looking for someone to remind them that there is hope, there is good and there is a way out of situations and experiences that no longer serve them. My goal is to empower my clients to feel their emotions, speak about their emotions and make decisions that will uplift their lives and futures. My clientele are individuals and couples that are around 25-43 who are working on understanding their past, seeing how the past impacts their communication skills, their reactivity, their anxiety and how they are living in the current world. Clients work to understand it, process it and learn coping skills to help them get through the every day and the big life events. I come from a place where the client is the expert of their life and I am here to help hold space, guide them and validate their experiences.

I am about to launch small groups in person and virtually to help brides to be. I just got married Dec 9 2022 and the process was a wild ride. I struggled with a lot of things I heard other brides talking about which are body image issues, family dynamics, communication failure with their soon to be husband/wife and anxiety that was getting in the way of other important areas in their life. Brides to be will come together to learn skills to help, get support from other brides as well be in a space with me to help them have nonjudgmental space to feel their emotions.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I work hard to show up authentically with each and everyone of my clients. I am honest and transparent with my clients on what I am hearing, what I am seeing and I don’t mind using a blunt approach if appropriate to help clients move in their journey. I help my clients understand that we are all human including myself. I am able to take constructive criticism from my clients if something I am doing in sessions is not working for them. I want it to be a collaborative approach and I truly believe that it helps my clients feel safe. When I have referrals for new clients from current/past clients, these are the reasons they explain to me that my current/past client recommended me and why they decided to reach out. It means a lot to me when a client of mine trusts me to help someone they know and care about.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe that being confident in your niche and skills succeeding in the field of therapy. There are many different licenses and types of therapists out there. Not every therapist is for every person which allows there to be room for all of us. In order to attract and receive referrals that align with the work that you do, you need to be confident and understanding what types of therapy and issues you work best with. There is not one therapist that works best with every issue under the sun. I know that I do my best work with clients who struggle with anxiety, grief, relationships of all kinds and big life events/transitions. If someone is contacting me for something else, I do not take them on and refer them to who I am confident is a better fit based on their niche. It is okay to not know it all and have all the answers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/reclaim-hope-marriage-family-therapy-practice-levittown-ny/200943
• Instagram: @margaretd_lmft

Image Credits
Images from Jude Valentin of Divine Brujeria