We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Cellino recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Stephanie , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
At pandemics peak I was working from home as a clinical trainer for a large and impactful mental health organization in Buffalo NY. I loved my job and the people I worked with. We were part of a new department, and it was really taking off. I had the creative flexibility to research and create continuing education courses on mental health topics and present them to peers. It was all so exciting and going well until I felt very ill and found out I was pregnant. At this point the symptoms became so unbearable I was calling off a lot and unable to meet the needs of my position. I was torn because my job fulfilled me, but my employer couldn’t do anything to hold my position while I needed time off. With the support of my husband, I decided to leave the company. I didn’t really have a game plan but always had an idea that I wanted to be my own boss and be involved in the mental health field. After some brainstorming, I decided the best move was to create a business that offered continuing education to professionals in the behavioral health field. This would give me the opportunity to stay on top of important research while networking and keeping involved in the community. That’s when 716 CEU, LLC was created. It has been a LONG time coming, the first year was getting paperwork in order with the state and website development with the help of 716 Marketing. Since 2021, I have taken on two other mental health professionals to offer their expertise and lead their own trainings. We’re still working on ways to pick up steam but I’m so hopeful once people see the attentiveness to our customers, along with the heart and drive behind what we do, business will thrive.
Stephanie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a clinical mental health counselor, continuing education instructor, and founder CEO of 716 CEU, LLC. Since 716 CEU was taking time to get rolling, I decided to start a private telehealth practice as well. I started seeing clients in March 2022 and the influx of clients has been growing steadily since. Although these two giant leaps of faith I’ve taken happened recently, getting into the mental health field was something I took my time doing, you could say. I started attending college classes to become a physical education teacher. Hilariously enough I was just following my best friend around campus taking her classes because I really didn’t put any thought into what I wanted to do for the rest of my life after high school. After one semester I started to explore other classes and sociology and psychology classes really lit up my fire to learn. I wanted to know more about why some people that went through hard things came out unscathed while others suffered. My empathy led the way and began to get to me as I became more aware of the impact mental health has on so many individuals. I knew then that I wanted to make a difference. Still, knowing what I wanted to do didn’t make my educational path any easier. I was distracted by parties, relationships, and my own inner conflicts. College dragged out as I worked at jobs barely getting me by but that looked good on my resume. Finally, I earned my master’s degree and was sure I’d be making a difference and big bank to sustain me. I was mistaken, I quickly learned there were a few more hoops to jump through before I could obtain financial comfort. So, I took the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). After a couple let downs, I passed. I was so pumped to take the next step and begin to change the world, and my world. Wrong again. Those seasoned professionals that had been beaten down by the field told me my hopes and dreams were “cute” and to “never lose that attitude” but I quickly did. It was hard to realize all this school and work still wouldn’t get me a job that fulfilled me in the ways I yearned for. I wanted to change laws and the system but didn’t and still don’t know how. Even so, I knew I could find my place someday and that kept me going. I pressed on through jobs gaining invaluable experience that I look back on with pride. I’ve had the opportunity to work with MICA clients, children/adolescents in the Buffalo public school system, those trying to integrate back into society after addiction/incarceration, and with fellow professionals trying to make a difference. One thing that sets me apart from others in this field is that I’m not afraid to be real, I’m not fake. I’m human. As a counselor and a CE instructor I’ll never hide behind what someone thinks I should present as. It’s too hard for me to be fake. If a client tells me a back story and it strikes a chord with my heart I tell them, I might even shed a tear with them. If there’s a diagnosis or intervention, I’m not 100% confident with, I will communicate that. Then, you better believe I’ll be researching it and looking for what I can use to help that client when we meet next. I communicate to my clients that I’m not an expert on everything but, I will do my best to get to the bottom of the issue at hand. If I can’t support them the way I feel is best for their progression, I provide a referral to someone that might. You will see me “being me” when leading a training as well. My personality takes the lead and I pride myself on being an instructor attendees can relate to and feel comfortable being themselves around. I respect other professionals for all they give to the people they serve, not what their time in the field or credentials tell me. Everyone attending a training is there so they can continue to support people in the community that need it most. I let them know the work they do never goes unnoticed in my eyes. Not only am I a mental health counselor and professional but I am someone that has struggled, that has overcome, that still has work to do. What is the benefit to hiding who I really am? People want to know there’s hope and they aren’t alone, and what better way to show this than to be real? I hope both my clients and fellow professionals see that hope in my eyes is still there even though it may have been dimmed at times, I do this work because I truly care.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
If I could go back, I would certainly choose this field again. What I would do differently has to do with taking the time to mature before signing up for college. I feel like I could have saved time and money if I didn’t force school. But then again- would I have had the opportunity to explore the classes I was able to that led me to my purpose? Would I have met folks I’m still close with today? The butterfly effect is real. I think I needed to travel the path I did to be who I am today. I do think wholeheartedly that this profession is extremely underpaid. How is a counselor supposed to support others if they can’t keep their lights on or put new tires on their vehicle to get to work? In order to have the capacity to give and support others one must have less stress and worry in their own lives and that starts not only with their own mental health and stress check but with finances, too. The amount of school and unpaid experience we need to even qualify for an entry level job is outrageous. To not have financial security when we finally get a job in the field is maddening. I think if something doesn’t change soon people will stop pursuing this career path altogether, which will create even more of a mental health crisis. Reform is needed in many aspects of this field but that conversation needs its own article so I’ll get off my soap box, for now.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Other than education and being authentic, the most important thing in the mental health field to me is networking. Finding your people is super important, having other professionals in your corner to bounce hard things off and to help guide you is crucial. If I didn’t have my people, I don’t know where I would be at times. It’s especially hard to know where to start and there are very little resources out there. Find your crew, don’t be afraid to ask questions and offer your support to them as they need. If they’re stingy with offering advice, support, or their positivity then they’re not your people. Your people want you to succeed because when you succeed in the mental health field our clients and community do too. There are enough clients to go around, sadly. Working as a team is imperative. Another bit of advice if I may, don’t lose those dreams inside your head, that’s the fuel needed to get through the times that feel stagnant. Keep your eyes peeled for many more exciting things from me in the future, I have way too many dreams in this head to stop now.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.716ceu.org
- Instagram: @716ceu
- Linkedin: Stephanie Cellino
- Youtube: 716CEU
- Other: www.CellinoCounseling.com
Image Credits
Sean Cuddihy