07/03/2023
I need to take the advice I give to my own clients, so it's time I spoke my truth and claimed my spotlight.
In 2019, I was working for a private practice and wrote a group therapy program for young LGBTQIA adults to support them as they integrated their identities with their careers. I wrote an 8-page proposal from scratch, completely alone. My proposal won the 2019 PNC Small Business Award that year.
This photo was taken at the awards luncheon that day. There I am, standing in the back.
The award was claimed on behalf of the private practice I worked for. None of the people around me had anything to do with my proposal. The press release didn't include my name as the sole creator and author of the program. But I stayed silent and let them take that spotlight. I was never credited for my work. For my creation. I eventually left that practice and started my own. (Shout out to Eudaemonia Counseling & Consulting and my co-founder Jen Vallieres!)
I've modified and adapted the framework I created (called "Career Mapping") many times since 2019. I use it with my clients, graduate students, and other groups I am consulting with. I've invested so much time and passion in it over the years, so it was finally time I stood in the spotlight.
I encourage you all to do the same. Stand in your spotlight. Claim the credit for your hard work. Stop letting other people steal your shine.
And one final, huge shout out to my dearest friend Colleen Tate, LPC for a deep conversation about this project and why I have never taken credit for my hard work. You are an inspiration to me, and I am grateful for the push you gave me to .
Oh - and if you have a group (students, young professionals, anyone really!) who might benefit from a fantastic career development workshop, reach out. I promise the time spent engaging in my Career Mapping activity will push everyone to consider the next step in their career story.
