Page 24 - NovDec16.FTM

I did not want to be a therapist. From the time I was a young child, however, I did articulate a desire to help others. At the age of five, I saw my great grandmother deal with a number of health issues. Seeing the health workers take care of her at home or at the hospital was inspiring. I knew they were helping and I wanted to be a helper, too. How I would help, I had no idea.
This desire to help led me to obtain a bachelor’s degree in sociology and Spanish. I majored in sociology because I wanted to understand how people operated in context, how their environment and relationships impacted their behavior. I studied Spanish because I loved the language and I wanted to be able to make resources available to Spanish speakers who are often marginalized in society. After completing undergrad, I had to make a decision. What happens next? I chose graduate school.
In 2009, I went to study human development and family science at Ohio State University. My primary area of interest was youth development in context—in families, communities and schools. I figured my master’s degree would equip me to go out into the world and help young people in need. During my master’s program, I took electives in marriage and family therapy. I found them really interesting, but never seriously considered becoming a therapist. I assumed that I did not have
the skills to be a therapist, and my personal and family background disqualified me for the job. I also never saw anyone like me, a Black woman from a poor neighborhood, pursue therapy as a career. It just didn’t seem to fit.
I continued my graduate career as a PhD student
at OSU in human development and family science.
I was on track to finish my doctoral degree in three years with a strong focus on adolescents growing up
in disadvantaged urban areas. I decided to pursue research and program development as a way to help youth and families. Still, the more I studied and worked with youth growing up in difficult situations, the more
I recognized a need that was missing. Young people need to be able to have difficult conversations about their life circumstances. These conversations need
to happen in a supportive environment, with their families, friends, and peers, etc. Many of the challenges I witnessed during my research and work with youth dealt with family issues and mental health concerns. Neither I nor my colleagues had the training necessary to help facilitate these difficult conversations or support young people in the ways they needed. I did my best, but they often needed more than I could give. This made me reconsider the field of therapy.
Lessons learned along the way
In August 2012, I began my first year as a PhD student in marriage and family therapy. This decision added two more years onto my doctoral program and a new requirement of obtaining 1,000 clinical hours. I was excited and nervous at the same time. I was excited to be learning a new set of skills and accept a new vocational calling. I was nervous about my ability
to complete the program successfully and actually help clients. During my four years as an MFT student,
I learned a lot of lessons. As I prepare to graduate in December 2016, I would like to share three major ones with you.
22 FAMILY THERAPY MAGAZINE
THE ROAD TO
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY
ASHLEY A. HICKS WHITE, PHD