And so I begin…
My name is Kristin Condie. This is my first blog post ever. I have always had a dream of writing, but have never taken the time to do it. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions about what goes on in the world, from international events to the day to day lives of individuals. It is sometimes hard to wrap my head around where to start, especially now that we are in the midst of a pandemic and life is full of uncertainty. I decided that instead of coming up with a plan, I will start writing and see where it goes.
So right now I am in the process of starting a new business, Children and Family Counseling Services, LCSW, PLLC. When I started on this plan I had no idea what would be happening in the world when I finally got started. Last September (2019) I met all the criteria for my social work licensing, Licensed Clinical Social Worker-R. This designation allows me to work privately and bill insurance companies. In January I started working on obtaining an LLC in order to start a part-time private practice. In April, I received permission to use the name I chose. So here I am, after 6 years of working towards this license, I’m ready to get started and we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Fortunately, I have been working for Broome Tioga BOCES, learning how to do therapy in a virtual environment. Back in January I told myself I would only do practice in person, but now, here I am, having no choice but to provide therapy online. I’m learning as I go and learning from my coworkers and fellow therapists. I’m hoping I can make a go of things despite all the challenges we are facing right now…. Mostly because the need has increased dramatically in this environment we are currently facing. More people are suffering from mental health problems than ever before.
I know that there is a huge mental health stigma out there. People generally do not understand mental illness and are embarrassed to think they may have a problem or more than that, need to reach out for help. I’ve learned a lot over the past couple of decades about mental health and can tell you, we need to lose this stigma. We are all people, we all have imperfections, and we all need to work on improving ourselves inside and out. Somehow we have no problem calling the doctor for a broken leg, going to a hairdresser for a haircut, or going to school to gain more knowledge, but we are afraid to call a therapist and admit that “life is hard and I can’t do it alone.”
Our brains are arguably the most important organ in our bodies. Our brain controls everything we do, how we feel, how we work, how we learn, and even our ability to breathe. And yet we don’t take care of our brains the way we might take care of our hearts, kidneys or lungs. Now is as good a time as any to start. You now are able to do it online, without leaving the comfort of your home or having to get up the courage to walk into a clinic. We are facing more stress now than ever. Some families are facing financial crisis. Others have lost loved ones to COVID-19. Children have lost in-person access to their peers and teachers. Employees have lost access to their coworkers. Yes, we still interact virtually but it is not the same as in person. It affects our productivity. It affects our sense of self-worth. We need hugs and we need to feel loved by others. All of these things that are missing from our lives are impacting our mental and physical health. It’s impacting our families and how we are getting along. If you are noticing that you are struggling getting up and motivated, If you are feeling more anxious and worried, If you find yourself losing your temper faster and more often, If you are hurting the people you love by your words or your actions, it might be time to get help.
The title of my practice is Children and Family Counseling Services. Don’t let this deceive you. I can see people of all ages starting at age 5. My experiences range from working with kindergarten through adulthood and death and dying. We are all children at heart and we are all part of a family. If you, a loved one, or a family you know is in need, please call, 607-761-7782. If you have any topics you’d like me to discuss in this blog, please email me at Kristin@ChildrenAndFamilyCounselingServices.com. I would love some ideas for things to talk about here.
I wish you all well. I hope you are spending time outdoors and enjoying the beautiful weather that has finally arrived. I hope you are healthy and ready to do some healing….