Her Story
About Caitlin
Caitlin Shirley is a mental health professional who began her career in 2012 with case management work in the community, focusing on the whole person through collaboration with housing, finances, medications, nursing, counseling, and employment services. She progressed through her bachelor's and master's degrees while working, becoming the first in her family to graduate from college. Over the past seven to eight years, she has specialized in substance abuse and medication-assisted treatment, incorporating a holistic perspective. Her main expertise lies in severe mental illness, including bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and personality disorders. She is a National Board Certified Counselor and a certified alcohol and drug counselor in Georgia. This year, she opened Saltmeadow Wellness as her own private practice, transitioning from prior roles while also pursuing licensure in Florida to expand her reach. She attributes her drive to supporting worldwide psychoeducation that helps people conceptualize themselves beyond structured distress.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Caitlin
01What do you attribute your success to?
I really just want a place where as humans we can evolve to where feelings don't have quite such the negative distress that a lot of people experience. And be able to conceptualize ourselves in a way that doesn't have to be structured. So I guess I just want to support that, almost like worldwide psychoeducation.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Think of if you were to do research, what kind of theory would you like to develop or what's an area of study that you would be interested in and how do you develop that through what you're doing. That helped me really get into the nitty-gritty of not only what population I wanted to be in but how I wanted to therapeutically work.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Think of if you were to do research, what kind of theory would you like to develop or what's an area of study that you would be interested in and how do you develop that through what you're doing. That framing helped me get into the nitty-gritty of what population I wanted to be in and how I wanted to therapeutically work, even though it's a difficult path.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Insurance is obviously a huge hurdle to learn. It's an interesting spin my brain upside down because I feel like I just got a handle on it in medication-assisted treatment and substance abuse and now I'm going over to mental health and it's just different enough that I have to start over and relearn this.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.