Meet Katie - Our Newest Clinician
This profile was originally published in our October 2020 Newsletter which can be read here. Since doing this interview Katie has finished her practicum and joined our team as a clinician!
What made you want to become a social worker?
My social work journey started during my first Master’s program which was an interdisciplinary degree in Child and Youth Studies. During that time, I learned to think outside of the silos of academic disciplines and started to expand on my ideas about human emotions and development. By combining my knowledge of psychology with socio-cultural studies, I realized that I wanted a career that combined supporting individual mental health and political activism and advocacy. This is how I came to realize that social work was a good fit for my values and aspirations, and why I applied to the Masters of Social Work program at the University of Toronto.
What are your favourite ways to maintain your health and wellbeing?
My favourite ways to maintain my health and wellbeing are joyful movement, gentle nutrition and spending time connecting with loved ones. Joyful movement and gentle nutrition are components of intuitive eating that acknowledge the importance of exercise and healthy eating for our mental and physical health. My favourite modes of joyful movement are calisthenics, dancing, leisurely walking and yoga. How I choose to exercise varies day-to-day based on my own intuition about the needs of my body and mind. Whatever my day looks like, you can find me prioritizing joy and rest as vital parts of my health and wellness routine.
What modalities influence your therapy practice?
As a learner, it’s important for me to keep my practice eclectic which, to me, means that I pull from the different modalities I’m learning about, to best support my clients. Some areas of specific interest to me are Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Play Therapy and intuitive eating. I’m also excited to learn more about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming (EMDR). Regardless of the modality that I’m applying, my practice is always through an anti-oppressive, feminist and affirming lens.
What's it like being a student in private practice?
Wonderful! My supervisors, Katherine and Beth, have a wealth of knowledge that they bring to their supervision and I’ve learned so much in such a short time. I also love the chance to work closely with clients and follow them over a period of time to see the positive changes that they make in their own lives.