With help from mentors, I was able to learn about possible opportunities in the world that were previously unknown to me; as such became our family’s first college graduate. Since completing my Bachelor's degree in Psychology, I’ve subsequently obtained a Master's in Psychology as well as a 6th Year Professional Certificate in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, I provide mental health therapy to children, adolescents, and their families. I have worked for nearly three decades in the non-profit sector, both as a counselor and by providing indirect services in mental health administration in South-Eastern Connecticut. Management experiences were concurrent with my counseling work, providing supervision trainings, as well as clinical director overseeing counselors and Quality Assurance (QA) in multiple clinical programs. My counseling experience includes the following evidence-based approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Additional formal training and experience are in the following models, Intensive In-home Child and Adolescent Services (IICAPS), Functional Family Therapy (FFT), Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), and Risking Connections as a trauma-informed framework.