Melissa Telleria

Honestly, the people around me, the people I surrounded myself with, especially the positive ones. I know it might sound simple, but the mentors and supervisors I've had, like Kelly Sachter and Dr. Juan Rios, made all the difference in my journey. They helped me work through my own trauma and taught me to be conscious of my limits and strengths. I don't regret the negative experiences either, because I heard a teacher once say something that stuck with me: to know joy is to know pain, because you gotta know both to know the difference. You have to go through difficult things to truly experience and understand joy. I think that's important, especially in therapy work. I go to therapy myself, I still do it now, because I'm not perfect by any means. The people who believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, who encouraged me to keep going even when things were hard, that's what got me here. And remembering that even the painful experiences teach you something valuable.

The best career advice I ever had is don't give up. Don't give up in this field, because that's one of the things you want to do immediately when things get tough. I had a job at Partnership for Children of Essex right out of college, and I got mugged twice doing that job because I had to walk to visits in difficult areas. Those things made me question whether I made a mistake, whether I really wanted to be doing this work. But I stuck with it, I was there 3 years after all the things that happened, and my supervisors saw that persistence. They told me, don't give up, you have a personality that you can't waste, Melissa. I was always very shy and very angry when I was a teenager, but when I grew up and people kept telling me I was good at this work, I realized there has to be something in me that maybe I'm not seeing. So don't give up, honestly, was the best advice. It's simple, people say it all the time, but when you mean it, and you have that motivation, and you have things to live for that you're looking forward to, you can't give up. You have to keep going. Since 2015, I'm still here, I didn't get scared off, and I've worked with a lot of different ages and types of people.

Always have your eyes and ears open to how you can grow. Be okay with being uncomfortable, because that's what's gonna make you succeed. Being uncomfortable is exactly what you need, because that'll show you where you should be, where you shouldn't be, and where you want to go. It'll open up doors for you. Don't shy away from the discomfort, embrace it, because that's where the real growth happens and where you'll discover your path forward in this field.

I would say support for actual mental health workers themselves. I think that's one of the things that I wish there was a little bit more of. There needs to be more privacy and support when mental health professionals seek help through EAPs or therapy within their jobs, because I've heard stories where asking for resources can count against them. My boyfriend is an NYPD cop, and they say you need to go to therapy, but it's kind of frowned upon, like 'oh, so you're not mentally stable?' The stigma against why people go to therapy hinders mental health workers from remaining motivated and professional and still being able to do their job effectively. Just because you're professional doesn't mean that you're enjoying your work or being effective. Back in the day when I was younger, mental health really wasn't a big thing that people focused on. Now everything is more focused on mental health for clients, but I think for the professionals themselves, we need more support groups, especially physical ones to go in person. Ever since the pandemic, I feel like we've lost our sense of social abilities with everything being on Zoom. Physical touch, being around people, that's important. Those love languages aren't just for your romantic partners, they're for those around you too. Being around others, sharing energy, if you're around me and you have good energy, I want to give it back to you if you're having a bad day. Having more in-person support for counselors and therapists is something really important, something that I really wish I could do more with.

One of the most important values to me is genuineness. Honestly, work ethics is also a big one for me. I'm very Type A, so I like things to look uniform, all my charts have to look the same way and follow proper procedures. But I really do feel that genuineness is one of the most important values in my life and in my career. Being authentic and real with people, whether they're clients, colleagues, or family, that's what matters most to me.