Today we’d like to introduce you to Kalie Fish
Hi Kalie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’d like to say that my job as a therapist started early in life. I say that, because I felt that I was a friend others could feel comfortable leaning on and talking to. And I quickly learned that I enjoyed being that person for others! I’ve been told that I’m wise beyond my years, and that I have a caring heart. It was around high school that I knew I wanted to be a helper, I just didn’t know then quite what that would look like early in my exploration.
I took a psychology course in high school as an elective to get my feet wet. Quickly, I already knew what my major was going to be. Human behavior, and the brain were fascinating to me and I knew I needed more of this. So I went on to pursue a Bachelor’s of Arts in psychology at Kent State University. I loved my psychology courses, and found quickly I loved my Human Development and Family Studies courses even more. The trifecta of having my own positive experience in therapy with a wonderful therapist, discovering my passions and learning quickly that having a psychology major was basically just a way to say “I’m going to grad school,” is what led me to discovering clinical mental health counseling.
Once I decided my path, I knew it was time to get to work. Personally within my journey I have found that my own experiences working in the trenches in the field have been some of the greatest learning opportunities to prepare me for the work I was about to do. I took mental health first aide training and became a volunteer victim advocate with a local agency. I learned so much from these experiences about mental health crisis response and management, and I feel like this knowledge helped me to feel much more comfortable and confident in being the calm during someone’s storm and the light in their darkest hours. I went abroad for a summer semester to Europe, and I truly feel that expanding my horizons and getting out of my bubble made me much more culturally aware and sensitive which is crucial to being a good care provider and advocate. I studied the psychology and functioning of families in Europe while I was there. I also took a plethora of cultural diversity courses when I came back as well and challenged myself to reflect upon my own biases, and grow. I will be forever thankful for those experiences and that education, because I think they helped me developed some of my most core values as a therapist today.
I also made sure to make time to volunteer mentoring students while in my undergrad and I helped co-teach a college experience course. I found in my time of mentoring students, that it was a rewarding experience for me to take the knowledge I had of the university, and the major we shared, and provide support, guidance and suggestions to them during the navigation of their educational experience.
During this time I was also working as a data collector in a research lab, and I appreciated that experience because I got to have a glimpse into the other side of the mental health field in which I am a part and a consumer of. Evidence-base is crucial in this line of work to aide us in providing quality mental health treatment to those in need.
After graduating my undergrad, I began my master’s program in clinical mental health counseling while simultaneously working full-time as a school-based case manager in order to begin getting field experience. I will be forever grateful to this experience. I was providing in-home and school-based mental health support to children and families, attempting to bridge the gap of resources between the school and home. I gained so much value from this job, and feel I learned as much from my clients and families as I hope they’ve learned from me. This was not an easy job, but it was a necessary job. I feel like without this experience, I would not be the clinician I am today.
It was during my experience as a case manager that I discovered my treatment specialization and population. I attended a trauma training and knew immediately this is the place within our field for me. Everything about it just made sense. When trauma is unhealed, and activated, how can we truly change much else, when change is attempted to be made from an unhealed place? I discovered quickly that you can’t place band-aids over seeping wounds… or they’ll still seep. I wanted to help those who have survived trauma heal what’s underneath and within so that they can unlock their greatest potential.
After graduating my master’s program, I moved on to providing therapy in a trauma center, where the efforts were made to provide wraparound mental health care to children, parents and families who have suffered trauma. I loved the mission and I loved the work we were doing. I will be forever grateful to this experience for providing me with proper trauma training, supervision and guidance as I got my footing in this specialization.
Since, I have become a mother and have worked in other settings, but have continued to grow into my specialization with further trainings and more practice. Since, I have opened my own private practice, where I specialize in the treatment of trauma. Currently I offer multiple evidence-based trauma treatment models, and have plans for further professional development to obtain more to offer the community. My plans are now shifting to obtaining more knowledge and growth, in order to continue to learn, and grow my practice.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t say the road was necessarily smooth. Although from my story, it seems very linear, there were things that definitely could have thrown me off if I didn’t get back on track.
I always share my academic journey, because I feel it’s so important, because I believe it’s a testimony that anything is possible even if you don’t fit standard “molds” of what a student should look like.
I struggled to gain an average GPA in high school. There was a period of time where socializing was more important for me, and I didn’t exactly exhibit my greatest academic efforts or capabilities. Luckily, this didn’t disrupt my ability to attend college. I sure did have a wake-up call in regard to the efforts I needed to make in order to reach my next academic goals though. I felt proud of my final graduating 3.4 GPA. It was a Dean’s list GPA, and I had to go through a lot of growing pains and learning curves to achieve this. And I achieved this all while maintaining work, multiple volunteer positions and participating in philanthropic events. This felt like such an accomplishment as my family’s first college graduate.
At graduation time, it was time for planning the next steps. By this point, I had already applied to my, since completed, clinical mental health counseling program, and was preparing for graduation to receive my Bachelor’s. I attended a graduation fair at my school and stopped by the graduate studies info table. I began chatting with a representative there, and he asked me if I was planning on graduate school. I told him yes, and which program I had applied to. The first question he asked me was “What’s your GPA?” I told him a 3.4. And the next thing out of his mouth was “Do you have a backup plan?” As if he knew everything there was to know about me and my capabilities of being a graduate student off of my GPA alone. It was a little defeating to hear that, I won’t lie. I’ve thought from time to time about sending him my official transcript from my completed graduate program with a 3.9 GPA.. if only I could remember his name! Moral of the story: only you know your capabilities. If there are barriers, you can overcome them. I exhibited my abilities through not only my academics, but also my hands on experience and my heart for what I’m doing. Don’t let anyone judge you based on paper! You are capable of anything you set your mind to.
I think the other biggest obstacle for me has just been patience. It has taken a lot of time to get where I am today, a lot of training and hours of work put in and a lot of strategic moves, and waiting. I have a lot of big ideas, and the world and field unfortunately does not move as fast as my brain! So slowing down to enjoy the process has been a learning curve for me, but everything has been worth the wait!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Without a ton of fancy therapy speak, I like to say plainly that I am merely a tool in a client’s box to help them heal trauma wounds, achieve greater functioning, and unlock their greatest potentials. I find that I help a lot of people who have experienced what is called complex trauma, which is an accumulation of traumatic experiences over a person’s lifetime. Trends I notice in my office specifically are clients with complex trauma who experienced developmental trauma which is trauma experienced in childhood and early on in their development. I treat a lot of clients who have attachment wounds as a result of their childhood trauma, now that these wounds are seeping into their relationships as adults and making it incredibly difficult for them to function the way they want to and have the kind of positive relationships they desire. Essentially through providing evidenced-based trauma treatment, I can help a person alleviate emotional distress, heal trauma, re-store those memories and experiences properly within their brains, and improve their daily functioning.
I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). I also have extensive experience in managing safety utilizing Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS). I am also informed in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Attachment Theory.
I like to use a blend of everything I know and tailor it to every individual client and their individual needs. Therapy is not a “one size fits all” experience. I like to thoroughly sit with a client and truly understand them, their goals for treatment and figure out the best approach for achieving them. With most clients, I use all the tools in my box in a way that makes sense for them while maintaining an undertone of compassion, understanding, openness, and humor. I pride myself in my ability to be flexible, and culturally sensitive. I also make sure clients are aware in entering treatment with me that they know that I am an active participant in sessions. I am not a “smile and nod” kind of therapist. I will tell you what I think and help provide perspective. I will give feedback. And I always will hold my clients accountable to their goals.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Don’t be shy! I know it can be hard. I am a naturally introverted person by heart, and putting myself out there has felt strange at times and often out of my comfort zone. What has worked well for me is growing my LinkedIn network and reaching out to other professionals, both with similar and different specialities than I have and setting up meetings and phone calls to discuss services and specialities. I think it’s important to keep referral resource lists long. Truthfully, there are plenty of clients out there that need assistance and we do not have the capacity to see them all. I think it’s so important to have other therapists who specialize in the treatment of trauma that I can point potential clients to if my caseload is full, as well as have other therapists with different specialities.
If you are a private practice owner, signing up with your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau can also open access to a plethora of networking opportunities if you like in-person events. I also suggest going to as many in-person conferences and professional training sessions as you can because you can also network with a ton of clinicians from different areas and specialities at these events.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.handinhandcounselingllc.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handinhandcounselingservices/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handinhandcounselingllc
- Other: https://renderrush.digital.vistaprint.io/s/XgyAp8Qy-W-pwGlkmryMS
