Meet Katie! Katie is our Clinical Manager and has been at Shiloh House for 3 years. She has her Bachelors in Psychology and her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Katie works directly with our youth by providing them therapy services. She also supports our intern program, ultimately helping every intern become a successful clinician once they leave their internship.
“I feel so grateful to wear so many hats at Shiloh. I absolutely love therapy and appreciate that my position allows me to support our kids directly and be an advocate for them. I also get to support our new clinicians and help them grow new skills. I collaborate with other departments and problem solve to make sure we are offering the best services possible to our kids and families.”
A lot of the clients that Katie works with at Shiloh are teenagers. A big misconception some may have about teens struggling with their mental health is that they are just going through a phase or dealing with hormones. “Similar to our physical health, the state and well being of our mental health starts from the earliest form of life. The way we are cared for or the choices made by adults in our lives, even from infancy is something that is going to impact our mental health for the remainder of our lives. It’s so true that teenagers have hormones and other external factors that impact how they view themselves but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve support. For anyone, anxiety and depression can be a lifelong battle or it can be circumstantial. To say it’s just circumstantial in teens doesn’t acknowledge what could really be happening for them. We know that early intervention is the most successful so if we can work proactively to make sure teens feel heard and have a safe pace, we are more likely to mitigate long term mental health symptoms that could impact them into later stages of adulthood.”
“I love seeing our kids just be kids. So many of our kids have grown up traumatized or hurt by the system in so many ways. I do a cooking club once a month with one of our houses. I let one of the boys pick a meal they want to learn to make and we all make it together as a group. It is always the highlight of my week. Those moments seem little but having these normal childhood activities that they never would have gotten outside Shiloh is such an amazing experience. There are also huge moments of therapeutic progress. When a child really starts to trust the process of therapy, they begin to understand that just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I think sometimes kids equate that “this feels bad, so it must be bad”. Pushing through that discomfort is where we really see those huge moments of growth.”
With her educational background and experience working with our youth and families that have suffered trauma, Katie is a great advocate for mental health awareness. “There has been such a shift in mental health awareness being promoted through things like movies and social media where it is more openly being talked about in society. I think kids need to see their role models being engaged in those conversations to see it is normal. Everyone experiences some anxiety. Everyone experiences difficult days and no one is immune from that.”
Even with the shift in society there are still those who struggle to open up and seek help for their mental health. “Sometimes we let past fears block future successes or happy moments. If we are constantly afraid of being let down by somebody or not being supported and heard, we miss the opportunity to be heard. It’s scary and a vulnerable place to be to put ourselves out there, but we also miss out on the opportunity to feel like our voice means something and that we can get the support we need if we aren’t talking about it. I would encourage someone who is struggling to open up to try and push through the vulnerability and find support from somebody they feel safe with.”
There are ways that you can be paying attention to those around you who may be struggling with their mental health. “Look for isolation, overt negativity, and a loss of pleasure with daily activities. If someone quits answering texts or calls. They don’t want to hang out with friends or lack interest in things they used to be interested in. Have they verbalized that they are struggling? Is there constant negativity coming up as they talk about their day?”
If there is someone in your life you feel may be struggling with their mental health or you just want to check in on them, “approach it with curiosity and do not make assumptions.” The more we can ask open ended questions the more likely we are to create an environment of safety. Ask things like “ How are you doing, is there anything you need from me?” Rather than saying , “It seems like you’re anxious, why?” Curiosity over assumptions is very important. However, remember that there is not one perfect question to ask. What research shows us is that the relationship is the most important part. It is okay to not have the perfect words, but make sure you have created safety and trust in your relationship.”
At Shiloh House, we are committed to helping our youth and families overcome their challenges. We could not do that without the expertise and dedication of our staff. We are lucky to call Katie a part of our team. “The power of life changing moments is so tangible at Shiloh. I feel so fortunate to work with a team who is collaborative and supportive of each other. The amount of teamwork that goes into supporting these kids is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I feel honored to be just a small part in these kids’ stories. I know that the work they do here will impact them for the rest of their lives.”