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

Hi Tiarra, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

A defining moment in my career was when I decided to go back to school for my masters and began my graduate school program. I was moving from San Diego to Chicago in the middle of winter and still was unsure of what my purpose was and what I was supposed to do career wise. I knew what I wanted to do but was unsure if I could execute it. I had a conversation with someone who encouraged me to take a leap of faith and to just try. To take that next step in my career that I had dreamed about for so long. I applied to grad school and I got to live out my dream. Which was to be a mental health therapist. When I released the doubt and trusted the process I felt aligned with where I was going and knew that this was the path I was supposed to be on.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always felt that I did not choose a career in mental health but that it chose me. The people in my life who helped me make this decision are the people who led me to be intrigued about mental health and the field as a whole. They would have to be my two brothers who I talk about often. My older brother is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. My younger brother is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Growing up, I knew their experiences of reality were different than mine and they struggled in their own unique ways as they navigated their way through life. In high school I took a psychology class and have stayed in the field of mental health since. In my practice, I mostly work with individuals who have experienced trauma, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. I specialize in working with those with trauma and particularly relationship trauma. For example, domestic violence, betrayal trauma, infidelity, and divorce. I am dedicated to helping individuals rewrite their narrative while being able to empowered to write a new story that enables them to discover themselves after experiencing the pain of trauma. No longer letting other people and past traumas hold the pen. At Plant + Bloom Counseling, I want my clients to know that healing belongs to them. That the past does not have to define us forever and help them discover what healing looks like for them and redefine their story.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I believe to succeed in this field, one has to have a passion for mental health and also the understanding that we have to take care ourselves as mental health professionals. Sometimes, wanting to help others isn’t enough to sustain a long-term career in this field due to the risk for psychological injury such as a burnout and vicarious trauma. This is why I am also an advocate for caring oneself and being intentional about rest and breaks when working in this field. We have a desire to pour out and to give to others and to continue to do so effectively, we have to care for ourselves too.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If I could go back I would choose the field of mental health and psychology still. I almost became a dental assistant when I was volunteering at a marine base in California after getting my bachelors degree. While learning about teeth was interesting, I couldn’t help but wonder about how the marines were doing mentally. I think I would always have this pull to mental health in some way if I did do anything else. I am still very much in awe of psychology all these years later.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.plantandbloomcounseling.com
• Instagram: therapywithtia
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiarra-faulkner-ma-lcpc-lpc-mhsp-ncc-cctp-15b04472/

Image Credits

Jlavii Photography