I come from a really medical family,
so lots of helpers, but really medically minded.
And so I think there was always sort of this unspoken rule that I would also go
into the medical field of some kind,
Found the field of marriage and family therapy, and I really loved
the idea of systems thinking and how that fit in to helping people.
I got to see or learn to see people
in a much more broad capacity, a more holistic capacity
than just through a medical model, which was like, so how I was raised.
I also knew
I kind of wanted to be an educator, like I didn't only want to be a therapist.
And so from there I went on to more schools to earn my doctorate.
And here I am.
I've been in academia for about between ten and 15 years now,
and I'm really loving it.
I am the program director and a couple of family therapy program.
And so depending on the day, I’m either doing that
or I also own and run a group practice
in Tacoma, Washington, which is just south of Seattle.
You know, utilizing AAMFT as a networking platform is probably the most impactful way
that the organization has influenced my job, my work, my career.
I've been a member for since 2006.
Even if I don't know someone in particular,
I know someone who's going to know somebody.
That's been really helpful.
I've also been in a lot of different situations
where I need a legal consultation and that's something that the organization
can provide and provides free from membership.
One of the most powerful things about AAMFT
is the energy that it puts into advocacy work
for our profession and for the clients that we support.
I think that without
the push of a big professional organization behind us,
our field may fall behind other mental health fields
in ways because we, you know, we're younger
than a lot of other professions and just as a field in general.
And so I think that by being able to connect with people
who are influencers, who have ability to get in front of our legislatures
in order to make change is really a powerful use of our organization.