As far back as I can remember, peers would share their troubles with me.  In Elementary I was honored with a Good Citizenship award recognizing me as being a good listener!!  Still today, I’ll walk away from Trader Joes or a fitness class learning intimate details of a strangers life, following just a brief casual encounter.  From a young age, my deep compassion and empathy for those experiencing pain and suffering ignited a profound desire within me to alleviate or soften the struggle.

I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I changed my major three times before deciding on Nursing. I almost didn’t apply, it was competitive to get into The University of Arizona College of Nursing and I feared failure. I’m happy to say I applied, and by 2004, my BSN and MSN were completed.  I worked in Community Mental Health settings serving general mental health and severely mentally ill populations; providing care to persons diagnosed with: Schizophrenia, ADHD, Severe Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Co-occurring substance abuse and developmental disabilities for over 15 years. 

A foundational principle of Nursing is to provide holistic care tailored to an individuals, needs, values and beliefs. Benefits of interventions are optimized when a person is treated as a whole:  body, mind and soul.

Over time, it became more challenging to provide quality holistic care in my work setting because of: limits placed on length of appointment times, enforcement of productivity quotas and health insurance failing to cover valuable services. Ultimately, a battle of values ensued: my own vs. current healthcare structures. It bothered me knowing patients might do better with less medication if there was simply more time to spend working with them, to listen, understand, connect and get to the root of problems.   

There is more to psychiatry than writing a prescription and sending patients on their way. The value and benefits of the therapeutic relationship between clinician and patient has in some ways been sidelined, in favor of a rapid profit-driven system. 

I decided to go into private practice because I like things done right and value the flexibility to prioritize spending time to listen, understand and offer high quality individualized treatment options.

Life is full of challenges & transitions constantly forcing us to adapt. Both good and bad things are impermanent, but they force us to change and this can be difficult.

How we choose to navigate change is powerful. Our choices can carry us toward new opportunities never imagined, or can lead us down a different path. Growth and change go hand in hand. It’s a process often necessary for us to reach our potential.

When we accept new experiences, we open ourselves up to learning, adapting, and improving. Change challenges us to break free from stagnation and complacency, pushing us to explore new horizons and discover hidden strengths.

It may not always be easy, but the lessons we learn and the resilience we gain from navigating through change contribute to our personal and professional growth.

Through my journey, I've learned even though I cannot see it clearly, everything I experience serves a purpose. The struggles I’ve faced have had meaning, I’m who I am today because of yesterday.