12/12/2024
"I am a mental health therapist. So I see people of all ages, kids, teens, adults, for a variety of mental health issues. I also do EMDR with people - it's Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It’s a specific type of trauma therapy.
Initially I wanted to go into social work. I didn't expect to get my master’s so soon, but SICHC was actually the reason that I was able to. Brandy Terrell was like, ‘Hey, you know, we need a therapist. I can hook you up with a job and help you get an internship, and that way you can work here and do your master's program.’ So I drove to Bloomington three times a week.
I like meeting people from all different facets and trying to help them and be someone that they can talk to. It's fun to play with kids, and it's fun to hang out with adults and hear their life stories and help them figure out how to make their lives better.
I think lived experience is helpful. I haven't lived a lot of the experiences people are going to come to me with, but I do have, I guess, a pretty diverse list of things that I've been through so I can vaguely relate with someone, at least enough to empathize. Empathy is very important. Even when people come to you and tell you that they've done horrible things, still being able to have unconditional positive regard for them and wish them the best and try to understand where they're coming from, is probably the most important part of being a therapist.
I'm really happy with where I am, but I always say, in another life, I may have become a lawyer or something. Understanding intricate systems and how they work is very interesting to me. I think the reason I'm so good at my work is because there's always more you can learn about neuroscience. There will always be new theories and interventions and all of that. So I don't think it's ever going to get to a point where it's boring.
I like sketching a lot, and I have a drawing tablet now. I got really into painting when I was younger. There are trainings I could get on how to incorporate art into therapy. So I definitely think that's something I want to do.
Something that blows my mind is, I never really thought of myself as privileged. But kids come in and I talk about journaling at home, and they're like, ‘oh, yeah, there's literally like no paper or pencils in my house.’ So I think anything that I could give out to kids would definitely help. Even just as simple as a notebook and some colored pencils.
I grew up in Paoli. When you're a teenager, you want to get out of the small town. You want to get away. But I think somewhere into starting college, it seemed like the better, more healing idea was to help the community instead of running from it. And therapy became the best way to do that."
Thanks, Breanna, for your three years with SICHC and for your devotion to your community!
-- Interview with Breanna White, LSW, Clinical Therapist at SICHC West Baden
