How this all got started

Well, I won't start at the very beginning but I can say that life hasn't always been a series of fortunate events but I've chosen to make the very most of my moments and put forth considerable effort to make this world a tiny bit better. My focus is and has been, the kids. Not mine, other people's. I chose to become a teacher a few years ago because, it's true: they ARE our future.

Cultural and political education in this country does a huge disservice to our youth. I, on one hand, was fortunate to receive a fantastic public school education. But, on the other, what I was taught (or not as it would turn out to be) was the grave omission of pertinent cultural and political facts affecting indigenous people here in the US and the world over. I vowed that when I became a teacher, I would answer questions honestly while painting the true picture of history. Howard Zinn, a political science professor from Boston University, is an eloquent speaker on this matter. His book, A People's History, is an educational experience at any age.

I taught 3rd grade in the inner-city of Philadelphia. My kids were 'at-risk' because they were born into an economically disadvantaged community and safety was their prime concern. I worked tirelessly to provide them with an environment where they did feel safe, cared for, and respected. After all, children are inherently resilient and it was my intention to create a climate in which every child was encouraged to succeed. Through this experience, I realized that I was more focused on the emotional and mental needs of my kids than I was wading through the bureaucratic bullsh&% and holding out on the academic truth most kids don't learn until they seek it out for themselves. So, I chose to return to school and work toward my Master's degree in Counseling Psych.

It was my hope that this path would lead me into Guidance Counseling where I could therapeutically help kids, teenagers, and young adults overcome obstacles and forage a positive path for themselves. It was during this time that I was working to develop my own holistic approach to therapy via an amalgamation of theories and various approaches. I believe that there is universality in the human struggle and agree that there is an interdependence between the spirit and the psyche. Existentially, I am more interested in celebrating human potential than I am in dwelling on past limitations. I admire the sense of empowerment that comes with the idea that we are not shaped solely by what we experienced in the past, but by what we learn and discover in the present and the future.

After a year of grad work and creating a personal integrative approach that I resonated with, I turned to Social Work. I realized that I wanted to work with people in-need not the 'worried-well'. I wanted to be in field not in the proverbial chair. Although I carry with me my theorized views as stated above, I'm humanistic. I fight for human rights, gender equality, social justice and I'm optimistic! I believe in the capacity of people in that they can live up to their potential but may need a little assistance from time-to-time.

That being said, I have embarked on my final year of graduate school. Part of which, requires me to maintain this blog. :-) I've been teetering back and forth as to what I should post/discuss/rant or rave about. I've decided that it'll be a stream of consciousness for relative forms of psych, social, cultural, political or (insert interesting subject here). Stay tuned and thanks for reading...