91香蕉视频成人在线

Two years ago, fresh on the heels of her own graduation from 91香蕉视频成人在线, Sad茅 Callwood, PsyD was tapped to offer professional mentorship via the Center for Workforce Development. Recalling the individuals responsible for shaping her own professional path鈥攊n particular those professors who looked like her and shared a similar cultural background鈥攈er response was an enthusiastic, Yes!

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have gotten as far as I did in my own graduate school journey without mentors,鈥� says Callwood, a psychotherapist and diversity seminar facilitator at Commonwealth Psychology, pointing to Gemima St. Louis, PhD, and Natalie Cort, PhD, as central to her journey. Keen on paying it forward, Callwood was over the moon to meet her mentee. 

In September 2023, Niacha Johnson was commencing a paid year-long service and learning opportunity for college graduates through the Behavioral Health Services Corp (BHSC) with the goal of becoming familiar with the work of behavioral healthcare, understanding the needs of different populations, and receiving mentoring in becoming a professional in this field. 

鈥淛oining the BHSC was the perfect way to dip my toes into the mental health world,鈥� recalls Johnson, a service-minded individual who spent the year following her graduation from Florida International University as an AmeriCorps volunteer with . If building community among low-income youth in West Palm Beach positioned Johnson to help others achieve their dreams, meeting a professional mentor left the recent college grad poised to achieve her own.

鈥淚鈥檝e gotten lots of constructive feedback which has helped me to find and build my confidence,鈥� says Johnson of her very first experience with mentorship while working as a therapeutic mentor at . Having dedicated time and space to openly discuss pressing topics鈥攍ike how people of color experience the field of mental health differently than their white peers鈥攈as been equally valuable.

鈥淎 number of different barriers are impacting pathways to success [for Black and brown students],鈥� says Callwood who credits paid, on-the-job training programs like the BHSC as giving individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds a way into the field鈥� 鈥渙ne that didn鈥檛 exist otherwise,鈥� she emphasizes. This, coupled with current data from the American Psychological Association that reveals just 4% of psychologists and 2% of psychiatrists in the United States are Black, means the two women have found it easy to relate to one another. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 been pretty great to have someone to talk to about some on-the-job challenges I鈥檓 experiencing and how to navigate them, especially while in school,鈥� says Johnson who earned six free graduate credits toward her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling while a BHSC Scholar; last fall, she enrolled in the low-residency, part-time program鈥攖hree years total to completion.

鈥淸That鈥檚] a long time to feel isolated,鈥� says Callwood, recalling her own early experience as a graduate student. Coming from a Caribbean culture that values community, she knew establishing meaningful connection was integral to making it through the program.

鈥淏eing seen by a Black female professor who shared my cultural background gave me a sense of hope that I could face potential challenges head on and be a success,鈥� says Callwood, pointing to St. Louis, her primary supervisor for the first-year practicum. While the early-career professional initially questioned what she had to offer a mentee, Callwood ultimately decided sharing what she had learned along the way with Johnson was an opportunity she couldn鈥檛 pass up. 

鈥淗elping Nia envision a path, while remaining rooted in her commitment to creativity, naturally connected us from the beginning,鈥� says Callwood whose first career aspiration was to be an actress. Common creative ground, coupled with a dearth of diverse practitioners, reinforced Callwood鈥檚 inclination to pay in forward.

鈥淎s someone driven by curiosity, I want to see as many different aspects of the mental health field as possible,鈥� says Johnson, whose current work hinges on guiding at-risk youth toward age-appropriate behavior, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Johnson, who awaits her first practicum placement, hopes to land in a school setting; beyond that, she envisions providing community-based art therapy to young people via ceramics.

鈥淲orking with clay has been a personal outlet, one that grounds me, [and I鈥檝e noticed] the act of creating鈥攅ven just aimlessly doodling鈥攇ets [my clients] to open up and talk, too,鈥� says Johnson, of a thread that鈥檚 emerging in her work. 

Callwood continues to impart as much knowledge and experience as she can鈥攁bout building rapport with clients who have lost trust in systems to recognizing disparities that make accessing mental health care a challenge鈥攚hile revisiting how, at some future point, she might successfully combine her love for acting with therapy. 

鈥淸Dr. Callwood] gives me a push to keep going and encourages me by providing realistic expectations鈥攁bout the reality of burnout, the need for self care, and the fact that progress looks different for everyone鈥攚hich has been truly valuable,鈥� says Johnson. The transmission of  other essential skills, like discovering techniques to keep documentation organized and submitted in a timely manner (amidst more paperwork than Johnson ever imagined) have strengthened the bond between mentor and mentee.

鈥淲atching Nia grow in her confidence while digging deep into the work has been a beautiful sight to see,鈥� says Callwood, nodding to Johnson鈥檚 why, which is powerful: 鈥淚f sharing what I鈥檝e learned along the way can make someone else鈥檚 journey a bit lighter鈥攚hy not give back?鈥�

In the end, it鈥檚 a sentiment her mentor shares unequivocally.

鈥淚n cultures that promote community, it鈥檚 not about racing to the finish line alone,鈥� says Callwood, who underscores what mentorship means to her: 鈥淚t鈥檚 noticing who is standing beside me and asking, How can I help you succeed?鈥�

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