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What are some mental health basics you’d like everyone to understand?
I have found personally that going to a therapist is very helpful, and it can become a normal part of life. I see it as something that's really positive and life giving.
But the important thing is, are you ready for therapy? Because there needs to be a commitment. I think people need to realize that it's going to be a back and forth. For me personally, my direction [as a clinician] is that the client is in the driver's seat. I'm here to be a companion and to share my skills and what I've been trained for and everything, but the therapy is not for me. It's for the person who's coming in asking to work on some things.
How can people make sure they’re getting the most out of therapy?
When I'm working with somebody, I try to say, “Keep tabs on your goals and keep bringing them into the conversation. Do you feel you're getting the change that you hoped for? How can I better accompany you?” So, there's a dialogue going there. I think that's always important for positive outcomes.
What do you think is unique about the services TBCC offers?
We have clinicians of different cultural backgrounds, so we are engaged in that process of learning and really seeking to communicate well with one another and not just from a certain white perspective.
At Trinity, folks have the opportunity to incorporate their spirituality into their therapy, which I think is an important piece also. Often, we think of spirituality, and it becomes more like religion. It's so different because spirituality is really at the heart of our search for meaning. There's a breadth to it that we don't often understand. We often neglect that spiritual part of who we are, and it can become a very important part of our therapy.
One of TBC’s essential practices is restorative justice. Do you feel mental health plays a role in restorative justice?
Oh, absolutely. When we look at restorative justice and conflict, there's a breakdown in communication and relationships. I think most of us come to therapy because we're feeling something is off in our relationships and we ask how we can restore and repair that. It takes a certain amount of deep honesty to look at what the issues are and work through them. A lot of times, we have to ask ourselves very challenging questions.
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