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

Taylor, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

As a professional, I am honored to say that I have been fortunate enough to have a few supervisors who were great leaders and mentors. It is hard to just choose one because if it wasn’t for these amazing people collectively, I would not be where I am today. Instead of making the choice of one, I will take you on a journey of those supervisors who helped me shape my path and navigate its challenges.

One of the best jobs that I ever worked was as a Group Specialist for the Buckeye Ranch’s Day Treatment program. I worked for Amy, who was the director of the program, and Mark, who was my direct supervisor. There were times working in the mental health profession that I felt like a cog in a wheel. I felt devalued and unappreciated. However, I never felt that way while working for Amy and Mark. I was valued, seen, heard, and appreciated. They always wanted their team to be at their best. They assessed our strengths and encouraged us to work at our strengths while challenging us to continue to grow. While working in the day treatment program, I was attending graduate school full time, and they were supportive of my individual goals and assisted me when needed. They were amazing leaders. They were a part of the team and even as leaders, I never felt the hierarchy. They created an environment that made people enjoy coming to work. I loved working for them and I left feeling more empowered and skilled with navigating future professional challenges.

I left the Buckeye Ranch Day Treatment program at the beginning of the pandemic. There were so many challenges I had to navigate during that time. I was completing my master’s program, and I had to complete my internship hours during this very uncertain time. I was in the process of transitioning to a new team of people who I only met virtually. My supervisor at the time was Rebecca. She was my internship supervisor and because of the pandemic and the temporary closing of the day treatment program, she worked to have me on her team as a full-time employee. As a supervisor, she helped hone my clinical skills and highlighted the importance of self-care. I was a clinician for a family that experienced an unexpected tragedy. This tragedy impacted me professionally and personally. Rebecca cried with me and helped me to navigate my emotions. She dropped off a care package to my house of items I was collecting for the family. I still get emotional just talking about this. This was one of my darkest experiences as a clinician and she helped me get through it. I will never forget the care that she showed and the grace that she extended to me as I was trying to recover from the tragedy. I appreciate her leadership, she allowed space for me to be vulnerable.

I decided that I wanted to do therapy on my own terms. I needed to reconnect to my “why.” I left the Buckeye Ranch and opened my own practice. I struggled trying to learn how to start a private practice. I reached out for guidance. I received an email from a listserv from Wendy Nathan and she was looking for supervisees. On a whim, I responded to her email, and she has been a pivotal part of my journey ever since. She has been a great mentor. She has been accessible whenever I have an idea, and she has always demonstrated her support. She always says, ” go for it.” If I pose a question to which she does not know the answer, she will find the answer. She will extend herself to make sure that I am successful, and she is always there when I need her. What makes her a” best boss” is that she is my biggest fan, strongest advocate, and wisest teacher. She is real and genuine. With her I have taken bold steps, which have been pivotal in my practice’s growth. As previously stated, I have had the privilege to be surrounded by some pretty amazing” best bosses.” They have been instrumental in my success. I thank them for seeing me through the challenges, helping me grow as a professional, and guiding and supporting me throughout my journey.

Taylor, 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 am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and owner of Magnolia Counseling, LLC. My path to becoming a counselor wasn’t as clear but it began when I was a child. Growing up, I found myself being the person that people opened up to and confided in. In the beginning, I didn’t quite understand the gravity of being the “go to” person and being someone’s confidante in times of need, but I knew that I valued their story and cared greatly for the people who were sharing. It was during this time that I discovered that I wanted to help people and to be a supportive member in their journey. I just didn’t know what that looked like.

I was introduced to psychology in my senior year of high school which made choosing my college major an easy process. I gravitated towards the materials and became interested in the mental health profession. In college, I began to understand my career pathways in psychology. I thought that I wanted to become a psychiatrist and began working to that end. After graduation and continued course work, my first job in the mental health field was as a case manager for a mental health agency. Working as a case manager really gave me a glimpse into the different careers available in the mental health field. I quickly realized that being a psychiatrist did not match my passion in the mental health field. Though I saw the value and the importance of a psychiatrist, I wanted to be more of an active member of a client’s journey. I wanted to be present in a way that it didn’t seem that a psychiatrist could be. After such realization, I went back to school and acquired my master’s in counseling. While I was attending graduate school, I worked in various positions in the mental health field. I was then introduced to “trauma” and the role that trauma plays in a person’s mental health.

Trauma is a person’s “why”, and the diagnosis is the “what.” Let me explain, as a therapist, I provide a client a diagnosis based on the symptoms that they have identified, and this defines “what” the problem could be. Trauma is the possible reason for symptoms that a client is experiencing. Accordingly, I geared my therapeutic practice around trauma and trauma-focused interventions because I believe in addressing the root of the problem. A therapy that I find to be effective in addressing trauma and a plethora of other mental health diagnoses is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). I am currently EMDR certified.

At Magnolia Counseling, LLC, the focus is on growth, change, perseverance, and empowerment. I provide therapy for individuals ranging from 5 years of age to 65 years old. In individual therapy, I work with clients using a variety of therapeutic interventions that are tailored to provide them with the necessary tools to address their individual challenges, to assist in accomplishing their goals, and to give them the ability to live a more fulfilling life. I provide therapy to families helping them to navigate the barriers that are interfering with the health and wholeness of the family. I provide a space for families to connect, address challenges, and explore a new a path forward with improved familial relationships. In addition, at Magnolia Counseling, psychological and trauma assessments are administered. Everyone wants to be a better version of themselves. At Magnolia Counseling, we strive to help people get there.

Outside of providing therapeutic services and running my business. I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and traveling. I especially enjoy spending time with my two dogs – Bella and Rocket.

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

When entering this profession after graduate school, we were instructed to think about and do many things during our sessions with our clients. However, experience has shown me that the most helpful aspect for success is to implement what I was instructed as a framework, but to allow my authenticity to be what shows up in my sessions. There is more success in the therapeutic rapport because rapport helps make our interventions more effective. A client can tell when someone isn’t being authentic and that can negatively impact the process towards better mental health. It is easier for me to show up as myself everyday than showing up as someone else.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I ask myself this question often and I jokingly say, “I should have been a lawyer or a doctor.” But I know that I would choose to be a therapist every time. I went into the mental health field to help others, and I became a therapist to be an intricate part of an individual’s journey towards growth, personal development and healing. There is no other job or profession that would bring me the same level of joy and sense of accomplishment than being a therapist. I get to form meaningful connections with people on a daily basis, I get to create a space for people to freely feel and process their lives, and I get to be a part of their journey. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing people do the work necessary to live a more fulfilling life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://magnoliacounseling.org