Influential Woman · Behavioral health care
Viviana Michud
Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, --
Portland, OR
Her Story
About Viviana
My undergrad is actually in art history with a specialization in Middle Eastern Studies. I have worked in art curation on the side for many, many years, and ended up in behavioral health kind of on a whim after I was laid off in 2020, and I just never left. I fell in love with it. I currently work overnights in residential treatment rather than clinical, working with the recently incarcerated to rehabilitate them back into society. A lot of my work looks like writing behavioral plans, working with local court systems, and making sure our conditional release clients are meeting their requirements. I've had the opportunity to take traveling contracts all over the U.S., and my favorite contract was at a youth rehabilitation center in Albuquerque, New Mexico - we were actually able to get funding to keep that facility open for another 5 years. What inspired me to get into this field is very personal: I watched my mother struggle with addiction for most of my life, and that definitely pushed me to try and help other people.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Viviana
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my family, my culture, and definitely my community here in Portland and Tigard, Oregon. Having that strong foundation has been essential to everything I've accomplished.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was, if you don't love it, it's going to burn you out eventually. This has really guided my career decisions and helped me understand the importance of finding work that I'm passionate about, which is why I fell in love with behavioral health care and never left.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Put yourself first. Always. People will come and go, jobs will come and go. Make sure you're living a life that you're going to and can look back on proudly. It's so important to prioritize your own wellbeing and create a life you're proud of, not just a career.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is the lack of education surrounding mental health care and what it means, and how many people actually need it. There's still so much misunderstanding about mental health services and the widespread need for them in our communities.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are definitely integrity, honesty, and kindness. These principles guide everything I do, both professionally and personally, and are essential to the way I approach my work with clients and my relationships with others.
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