Kiyana Dailey

I have been in the mental health field for 6 years and in my current role as a psychological associate for 2 years. Before entering this field, I was active duty military in the Navy and just retired last month. During my time in the Navy, I witnessed how mental health was stigmatized - people were expected to be strong and serve their country, but they weren't being told that it's okay to focus on their mental health as much as their physical health. People were trying to survive, pretty much, without the support they needed. This experience inspired me to still help my country in a different way by focusing on mental health. On a typical day, I provide individual therapy, couple therapy, as well as family therapy. I see 4 to 6 clients a day because I try not to burn myself out - as a mental health professional, you have to be well in order to support your clients. I maintain that good balance of not trying to take too many clients because it's not the quantity, it's the quality. My focus is more on the neurobiology in the psychological world of why people have mental disorders, how brain chemistry and hormones and all of those things play a role in mental health. I just presented some of my research at the IVAC conference annual conference in Hawaii last month, which was a notable professional achievement for me.