Hey everyone, by now some know I just got my masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and at this time awaiting my registration to become an APCC which is one step before licensure. Although I do have to say now that I am done with grad school I feel bittersweet about it. The good things I have gained from being a student is that I have been able to define my professional identity, manage my time, and identify meaning of the other parts of self that I’ve been seeking answers on. Grad school has been a very humbling experience despite the complaints.
I have been asking myself since graduating what I want to do. I do want to continue my advocacy, create resources, and see my clients. I know when I first came out on tik tok my advocacy focused on challenges and victories in the LGBTQIA+. I do want to continue that but I am focused on mental health. I also want to advocate for research to be done in this field and maybe assist in said research. This prompted me to even explore the idea of potentially creating an org with emphasis on mental health and the LGBTQIA+. However, I do know I still have a lot to learn before doing so. In life we make mistakes and I have made plenty but each time we make a mistake we learn. Growing up I used to be punished for making mistakes. Life is a learning curve and there are many components to consider.
I gave myself the name the stigma fighter a couple of years ago because I have experienced stigmas in real time and witnessed them being enforced by professionals. Even though I realize I may not be able to tear down stigmas as a whole, I at least want to make a dent in some before I leave this earth. Things like mental health is essential to the human experience but so is being able to exist. The stigmas being reinforced in todays society is robbing lives and producing negative effects on the living.
For now, I am focusing on one thing at a time. The rest of the year I am going to recharge and build up my competency. I am going to be doing a makeover during this time and in 2024 I will be returning to be a trans mental health activist. As of late in terms of my activism, it has been directed to what’s been happening in Palestine. Even though I have gotten some push back in terms of my politics, I really don’t care because I feel better knowing I’m being my authentic self as opposed to having to pretend to be someone that I am not. I have always described myself as a direct and unapologetic person, that is who I am. I don’t sugar coat anything period. Accountability and authenticity are my top values as a human being plain and simple.
Other work I’m going to be involved in is building a podcast and working with a good friend to help make it a success. I will go on other podcasts as well but I want to build a podcast that talks about mental health and really emphasizing on self-care. Empathy and compassion are missing not just for self but for one another as well. Misinformation has been flowing through and the stigmas of mental health have been at focus, I feel as a professional and an activist that is where I want to put my focus. I will continue to do tik tok and write on Substack :)
Everyone please stay safe and much ❤️to you all 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈