My Story
Welcome, I am so happy you found me!
Like most Behavior Analysts, I stumbled into the field by chance. I was pre-med and had just applied to Physician Assistant School when I got the offer to work with Children with Autism. I accepted and I quickly fell in love with the science and with helping kiddos learn to say their first words for the first time! After one month of being in the field, I decided to pursue my Masters in ABA.
Fast forward, I became a BCBA and let’s just say I had a rude awakening. I did not enjoy being restricted in my practice by insurance and admin. I could not handle the case load I was given, and when I spoke up about it I was dismissed. I was torn because I loved the science and the kids, but I was no longer finding joy in my job. But what else could I do with my Master’s in ABA? Start my own business? No way! I am not confident or capable.
In June 2023, I decided I couldn’t sacrifice myself any longer and I left my company to travel the world with my partner (also a BCBA). I dove deeper into my healing and found Somatic Embodiment and Nervous System Regulation. I realized my Nervous System was constantly disregulated as a BCBA in the field. It’s hard not to be with the constant unpredictable schedule changes, deadline, crisis, and staff turnover.
Diving deeper into my 14 year healing practice, I realized that I always felt like I couldn’t talk about this side of me at work out of fear for being seen as a “bad” Behavior Analyst. But why? Could alternative healing modalities be combined with ABA? I didn’t know of anyone who had done it before, so maybe not? But wait….could I be the one to bring awareness? YES and HERE I AM!
The inner work is crucial for sustainable behavior change! Let me ask you. If you have a deep fear of rejection and carry unworthiness wounds, would you stand up in front of a stage to speak? No? What if I broke it down into steps? No? What if I give you a big enough reinforcer? No? What if I model it for you? No? This is where I believe that ABA alone does not do our clients justice. It is crucial to have awareness of how trauma is stored in the body and how that can have negative effects on our behavior choices.
So now, incorporating somatic movement and healing is a nonnegatiable in my practice. I am now on a mission to bring awareness to the importance of this work in conjunction with Applied Behavior Analysis. I hope to Empower Behavior Analysts along the way to heal as well and step outside of the box to create their own way to use the science.
If you are a BCBA or aspiring, and you are feeling stuck or lost know that you are not alone! I am a safe space and have been where you are. It is important for me to create a safe space for women in general, specifically BCBA’s, to have a place to be seen, heard, and validated. It is a basic human need. And you deserve it for the dozens of hats you wear and everything that you do for your clients and families that don’t get enough recognition!