11/03/2025
Professionalizing the industry:
I believe in the Continuous Growth Model, which has been a part of my whole life. Yes , I respect I needed to pause completion of my PhD (which I am clear I am a Candidate in), because I needed to be here, in the fight of my life to , and for my family. I could not run a business, and be a mom, with the continued pressures of military life, work, academic studies, and other factors all during a global pandemic!
However, let’s clear up a misconception, it’s not my PhD studies that has built my clinical experience I have today. I have other education and several other degrees, (Graduated and worked as a hairdresser for many years, Bachelors degrees in Social Work, History and Women’s Studies, a Masters in Social Work, and a Masters in Counselling Psychology). I have advanced clinical training in various modalities (ACT, CBT, DBT, EMDR, CPT, ISTDP, Gottman, EFT), and have worked as a clinical supervisor for years. I have studied amongst some of the most amazing professionals to help understand mental health as I do. As reported “a seemingly impressive resume”. Yes CBC, it is. Thank-you.
For a long time, I believed I needed to finish my PhD to be considered smart. Then, I realized, that would be ascribing to a false ideology (the very one you tried to call me out for ), that I could only hold knowledge if I was a “Doctor”. However, I choose my school and the studies not to be a “Dr”, rather because I have a passion. I wanted go deeper into a subject, contributing to a body of knowledge, and learn. Let's not misrepresent that.
I acknowledge I have had so many learning opportunities, access to education, not to mention my whiteness. This is a not everyone has access to. The average person doesn't know the difference in our experience as a Social Worker V Counsellor, V Psychotherapist. Let alone Dr. Which is why I always tried to ensure I was clear in my studies and to ensure they were not misrepresenting my active work.
However when we attack learning, when we cut down other professionals' knowledge, what experiences are we excluding? What are we giving weight to? Who are we forgetting? Whose voices are we invalidating ? The ones doing the actual work. This is NOT about dropping or lowering the standard of professionalization. It is about exploring and creating space for multiple pathways to healing. It is allowing for and . Folks who are at the forefront doing the work because our humans .
Degrees don’t make compassion. I learned so much chair side working with humans. Let's not invalidate life experience. Increasing barriers to care won’t help heal mental health. will. We need more , and . We need to do more to help teach, build each other up, and to each other to do better. .
