Hi, my name is Brooke Whitley and I am soon to be graduating from Texas State with a bachelor’s degree in Family and Child Development and a minor in Psychology. I am also applying to graduate school to get my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  I started going to therapy when I was only 5 years old due to a traumatic event that occurred, and I can truly say that therapy changed my life.  Therapy helped me learn how to cope with the emotions that I was dealing with due to my dad passing away and helped my family learn how to communicate how we were feeling due to this traumatic event. Due to my own personal experiences with therapy and watching it also change my loved ones lives, I believe that it is something that everyone can benefit from. Therapy has helped me learn how to allow myself to feel and process certain feelings and has taught me how to control my thoughts which has helped me grow so much as an individual. 

 In addition to my experiences with therapy, I have always been passionate about helping others overcome obstacles and recognize their own strengths which is why I am working towards becoming an LPC. I want to become an LPC in order to work with individuals who are suffering from mental illness and to help them learn how to find healthy ways to deal with what they are experiencing. Along with treating those with mental health issues, my goal is to work with children and adolescents who are dealing with trauma, grief and loss and to also one day work in the prison system as a correctional counselor. I have been an intern at InMindOut Emotional Wellness Center for a few months now, and I have learned so much during my time here so far. Between sitting in on individual and group therapy sessions, biofeedback and neurofeedback sessions, and collaborating with the employees here about their own personal experiences while working in the psychology field, I have learned more than I ever expected to. I am so excited to keep working towards my goal of becoming an LPC, and I hope that I help many people find the courage and strength to overcome their illnesses and change their lives.