Alexandria King

I attribute much of my success to my mother, whose determination, hard work, and dedication to advocating for children have always inspired me. When I was still in elementary school, my mom was laid off from her job. Shortly thereafter, she decided to go back to school. She had initially only planned to get an Associateʻs degree so that she would be a stronger job applicant, but ended up falling in love with higher education and, more specifically, with psychology. She went on to get her Masterʻs degree in school psychology, and remains a fierce advocate for the students she supports. Her example taught me to persevere, recognize my worth, and keep clients' best interests at the forefront while advocating passionately on their behalf.

It sounds silly, but when I was in graduate school we had weekly group supervision. During one supervision session, my professor said "You know, most new clinicians need to learn to just shut up." And that small statement made a massive impact on my clinical practice. As students, we go throughout graduate school obtaining lots of new knowledge of theories, interventions, and various approaches. We learn to create treatment plans with measureable goals, and we begin our work with clients with a deep desire to help them make change. And, if other folx are like me, they may relate to deep imposter syndrome we feel as we first start. Often times, this results in a tendency to focus heavily on problem-solving to ensure measureable growth each week. While this has positive intentions behind it, I found myself very uncomfortable sitting in silence in my sessions. When I reflected on my professor saying new clinicians need to "learn to just shut up," I realized he was encouraging us to be more present with our clients. When we're uncomfortable in silence, we direct the conversation too much, which can result in missed opportunities for the client to explore themes more deeply. Ever since that group supervision years ago, I have been much more intentional about being present and in the moment with my clients. I allow space for silence and discomfort, because I want clients to know that we don't have to fear those things. Rather than spending sessions trying to think of ways to respond to my clients, I now listen much more deeply, and I take my time to formulate my responses as needed, rather than trying to have them ready at a momentʻs notice. I never expected such a small statement to impact how I show up to each session with my clients, but I am incredibly grateful that I stayed curious enough to hear clinical wisdom in unconventional statements.

I encourage young women to have the audacity to boldly pursue their dreams. Throughout my graduate training and start of my career, I felt intimidated by the scope of my dreams and questioned my ability constantly. I also got feedback from professionals with more experience than me that I was being too optimistic, naive, or that "things just donʻt work that way." But there was something in my gut that just wouldn't let me quit. I began to build meaningful relationships with other strong women who upheld similar values, and as I began to build my community, I recognized that I did not have to go at my dreams alone. With the right supports behind me, I slowly began to just go for it, and I would recommend all young women to do the same. Believe in your abilities, take bold steps toward your goals, and never feel the need to make yourself smaller. Surround yourself with a supportive team, embrace collaboration, and remember that success is not achieved alone.

I would say that the burnout epidemic is probably the biggest challenge facing helping professionals right now. 93% of helping professionals report experiencing some level of burnout, and up to 40% are considering leaving the field within the next year, which is a tragedy to me. Burnout affects our field at every level--clients receive substandard care, clinicians face significant impact to their personal well-being, and organizations face high rates of turnover, staffing shortages, and higher workloads for their remaining clinicians. Helping professionals enter this field because of a deep desire to support clients and improve our communities, and we cannot afford to keep losing qualified, caring professionals. This is exactly why Cinder & Sage Psychology does the work that we do. We are committed to helping the helpers stop the cycle of burnout so that they can thrive in their career, not struggle through it. We provide workshops and trainings on a variety of topics to enhance provider knowledge and skills, and we also build strategic partnerships with behavioral health organizations to help implement trauma-informed organizational principles and improve operations. Ultimately, our goal is to retain more qualified professionals in our field, so our communities can receive the best care possible.

What a great question! I love doing values work in my practice. Both personally and professionally I value equity, passion, and advocacy. I have told many students over the years, "I can teach you clinical skills, but I cannot teach you to care." Working in community mental health and specializing in trauma is heavy work. And the systemic barriers that come with access to healthcare in rural communities provides an additional challenge. What drives me in this work, however, is my passion and commitment to creating a more equitable world. As we navigate unprecedented levels of mental health challenges nationwide, I lean on a relentless optimism that a better future is possible. A belief in a better world paired with advocacy has helped me stay rooted in my values and committed to exceptional service delivery. And advocacy work is always done best when within community--connecting with other like-minded professionals reminds me that I am not alone in this work.