Bridget Henderson

I had a very strong family that put education first. They taught me that without education, you don't have as many opportunities or doors won't be able to open for you. Education opens the door, but what you offer and your words and your personality is what keeps you in the room. Your humbleness and open heart is what keeps you in the field. I come from humble beginnings, and that's shaped how I approach my work. I try to be as humble and open as I possibly can when interacting with clients who have little to nothing. I'm not gonna come in there with red bottoms and jewelry and all of that, so I'm very aware of being humble. I don't even display any of my degrees on my wall in my office because I feel like if they come in my office and I've got all this hardware screaming me, me, me, me, me, I don't feel like I can make a connection or establish a rapport with people. They'll feel like I'm talking down to them and not to them.

Always look at the whole picture and understand that the field of mental health affects each and every one of us, because we're all one situation or one bill away from being in that same situation with the clients that we care for. We all could have a crisis. This advice keeps me grounded and reminds me that what keeps you in the room is your words and your personality, and what keeps you in the field is your humbleness and open heart.

Love yourself first. When you love yourself first, you don't typically get into situations like domestic violence or situations that don't fill your cup, and you have higher standards, and you typically see the red flags before they start red flagging. Surround yourself with positive people and get mentors. It's never too late for education. It doesn't matter, one book at a time, one class at a time, it all equals success at the end of the day. Just have grace and give yourself grace. Make sure that you have a clear-cut journey of what you want to do, what you want out of life before you add any of the other things, like marriage and children, so that you don't lose yourself somewhere down the line.

The biggest challenge is funding and backing from the government. When we have a shortfall, they pull from mental health first. They're basically limiting our resources to provide for the consumers, and that can affect people wanting to reach out for help when there are no resources and there's no one to reach out to because the budget was shaved. That's one of my biggest pet peeves. I think something that was mental health related could have been prevented, and there could have been some kind of preventative measures in place where people didn't have to end up in Department of Corrections to quote-unquote get mental health services that are not even available in the Department of Corrections because of the budget shortfall. I want resources to actually help people who are struggling with co-concurrent issues like alcohol, drugs, mental health issues, and legal issues all at the same time. I eventually want to open a nonprofit and focus on being available and readily available in impoverished communities, and let them know that it's okay not to be okay. I want to be that one place where you stop and get your whole soul filled, offering therapy, housing, clothes, utility rent, whatever it is. I want to take a holistic approach and treat the whole person.

Honesty, transparency, compassion, and empathy are most important to me. I also value respect and being humble. I'm very mindful of what I say because the tongue is a weapon, and your words could be the final words that ring in someone's ear when they're debating on whether they want to live or die. We don't know what people's storm is, what they're going through, what their struggles are, and just your kind words could actually save a life that you don't even know was struggling at that time. I just live with no regret and try to live life to the best.