Anitra Frallicciardi

I attribute my success to the 16-year journey I've had in behavioral and mental health services for children, starting as a therapeutic staff support working in schools and homes with children who have mental health issues, autism, and other developmental diagnoses. I progressed through mobile therapy for several years, then to program supervision, and now serve as clinical director overseeing 6 clinicians while pursuing my PhD in developmental psychology. What I'm most proud of is the relationship I've built with my clinicians. I always let them know I'm here to support them because I remember how stressful the days used to be in the field. They come to me about anything and feel comfortable talking to me about all situations. I appreciate the growth that my company afforded me throughout my career, and I'm able to apply what I'm learning in my PhD program to the situations my clinicians bring to me during supervision.

In this field, we give a lot of ourselves every day, so it's really important to remember to take care of your own mental health too. Before you can truly support someone else, you have to make sure you're okay first- kind of like putting on your own oxygen mask before helping others.

My advice to young women entering this field is that you can build a meaningful and rewarding career while truly making a difference in the lives of those who need support the most. This profession allows you to help children, families, and communities in very real and impactful ways, and your work matters more than you may realize in the moment. At the same time, I always emphasize the importance of self-care, because the work can be emotionally demanding and you cannot pour from an empty cup. Taking care of yourself is not optional it is essential to sustaining your ability to show up fully for others, maintain your well-being, and continue doing this work with compassion and strength over the long term.

In my field right now, one of the biggest challenges is balancing the increasing complexity of client needs with staffing shortages and the emotional demands placed on clinicians, all while maintaining high standards of care and compliance. At the same time, there are meaningful opportunities to strengthen early intervention services, expand access to mental health support, and integrate more evidence-based approaches that truly improve long-term outcomes for children and families. On a personal level, I am navigating these professional demands while working full-time, being a mother, and pursuing my PhD, which requires strong time management, resilience, and intentional self-care. Although it can be challenging to balance all of these responsibilities, it also gives me a deeper perspective as a leader and researcher, and it strengthens my commitment to building supportive systems for both families and the clinicians who serve them.

In my work, I value being empathetic and sympathetic to everyone's situation because you never know what someone could be going through. I remind my clinicians to be mindful that families are dealing with so much, not just with their child but with their own professional and personal things. With my PhD dissertation, I hope to prove that mindfulness interventions should be implemented in schools for all children because it improves children's stress capabilities, prosocial skills, and emotional intelligence. In my personal life, I value spending time with my daughter, husband, and fur babies, who I love dearly. I also value self-care and de-stressing from work through exercising outdoors, walking around the park on the lake near us and going to the beach, which is only 45 minutes away, so very convenient for a quick reset. I also love vacations and going to different parts of the country with my family.