Mental Awareness has been a topic that I wanted to touch on for awhile because we are still continuing in our journey to check our progress as women of God during the process of refinement. This topic felt super necessary for people. Whenever one discusses health, it is often mentioned through Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Health. Sometimes, it can be hard as a Christian to identify additional help is needed beyond teaching from your pastor. We may need help from a...therapist. I find that interesting that some people have such a hard time with therapy. It is easier to accept going to a doctor when sick or seeing a Physical Therapist for our body. We go to church for spiritual health. Why is it so hard to see a therapist for Mental Health? Mental Health is defined as having effective ways to deal with your feelings and tips on how to enjoy life.
I became acquainted with a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist to be featured here and answer a few questions about Mental Awareness. Our interviewee is none other than, Ashley Radtke. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Radtke Counseling in Fort Wayne, In. Ashley works with families, couples and individuals using a multistep process aimed at authenticity. She helps people navigate the discomfort of emotional processing with skills and awareness while keeping an eye on developing a true sense of self. She is committed to growth and self-love in equal measure. She is collaborative, meaning she definitely won't do your homework for you or tell you what to do but directive enough to give you homework and lead you back to what's working for you. See our interview transcript below.
What inspired you or drew you to become a Marriage and Family Therapist?
I, like many therapists, have stuff in my own life that I was pulled to sort out. When you dive deep enough into the shadows of yourself and your people you get hooked. Or I definitely did. Pragmatically I thought I would need to continue to develop my education and keep reading so it makes sense to look at what I am already gravitating toward. I went into marriage and family therapy specifically because the systemic approach makes sense to me. Marriage and family therapy is a terrible name for what I really do. What I do is that I look at patterns of interaction and how they inform us, keep us stuck or thriving. It's all systems theory to me. Which, in defense of the name, is easier when you have more members of the system in the room. So it's called marriage and family therapy but I see a lot of individuals and we work intentionally to keep awareness of the way their family, job, or society at large is playing into the patterns we are noticing.
What are some misconceptions behind Mental Awareness and Mental Health?
People view mental health services more like going to the mechanic than to the doctor. People think that you only go in when something is rattling around and there is a problem. Rather than going in for a flu shot sort of preventative care or check up to make sure you stay well.
Describe your process behind building a relationship with your clients.
I work intentionally to build an open relationship with clients so they know what they are getting and what I can and cannot do for them. I am going to ask them to do really hard things so I try to be open with them from the beginning. I have a policy of little to no self disclosure. I just don't talk about myself or what I think works well, so that the client can explore what is important or fits for them. What I will do is talk about research, direct them to the things they are doing well and ways we can encourage positive momentum. I just don't pretend to have all the answers and definitely not from my own opinions. What works for me does not for everyone, that's fine with me. But, no self disclosure can be awkward when you are accustomed to the ping pong of a mutual sharing conversation. So openness is key.
What have your learned from your work?
Anyone who is my client will roll their eyes at the redundancy of this phrase but I would have to say, non judgmental awareness. I can sit in spaces with people, having never experienced their reality myself, and create a space for them. I have to allow them to digest that struggle. If I can be engaged without the reactive urge to categorize it as good or bad I can connect with a broad range of people and concerns.
What't the biggest challenge you have with your specific role right now and how do you plan to overcome it?
Right now, now, my biggest challenge is virtual sessions. I get so much information about a person from sitting in a room with them and my brain is just better engaged when I am sitting in a space with someone. Being on a virtual session is not my ideal set up. But I am trying to be cautious with everyone’s health and learning how to adjust accordingly. So I am leaning in to being less busy and taking time between clients. I am doing some of the same things I would do in a face to face session like taking notes that I often give to clients. Even if I don't give it to them, it is part of my process. I'm managing but i'm ready to be back in the office.
What quick tips or actions could our readers use right now to help during these unprecedented times?
I think having flexibility is so important right now. If you are someone who feels energized by walking or other forms of exercise but you just can't right now, learning to adapt is key. Lay down checking Instagram as usual while stretching or putting your feet up the wall. You are still doing kind things for your body and adapting based on what it's telling you.
How do you continue to learn in order to stay on top of things within your role?
There are mandatory hours of continuing education required to be a therapist so that makes certain I keep up on my learning to stay licensed. But I will admit that because I started out in community mental health where the conferences were paid for I was shocked when I started my own practice at the financial investment it took to stay educated. I had to re-calibrate to be willing to shell out some money to learn about things that I am passionate about. It was a mental shift but necessary to get the authentic direction that is important to professional development.
How do you approach believers of Christ or those afraid of therapy to open up during sessions?
I approach religious beliefs like I approach all beliefs in my office. If it is important in shaping your core sense of self then it's important to talk about in the context of therapy. I did go to a christian school for my masters so i think that sometimes people come to me and expect spiritual guidance. That's just not my area of expertise. So we explore it the same way as anything else and I give space to process your ideas around religion. The ways it keeps you thriving. I use the same framework to challenge even some religious ideas that feel like a challenging idea. That's hard for a lot of people. Real hard.
Most people are cautious about therapy. There is a real “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality. Lots of people are not thrilled about asking for help. Also, the invisible nature of mental health makes it ambiguous. You can't see it and measure it the same way you can with physical health concerns. People like clarity and understanding your core self is a moving target. My observation is that by breaking the fear that I will judge people, talk without direction and it will feel the same as talking to your best friend, most people’s fear is managed. My approach is built to welcome people who are afraid.
How does Mental Awareness help with becoming the Best Version of Ourselves?
All of the stuff we do in my office is equipping people to do it for the long haul. Self awareness is a moving target, always changing. Being in tune with yourself allows you the insight to have a life that fits for you and the resiliency to get back to work when you mess up. We will all mess up.
Finally, what makes your feel inspired or like your best self?
Action. I am a processor. It's what I do in my work and what comes easiest to me. But action is where I feel the momentum and flow of inspiration.
That concludes our interview. I hope you enjoyed and gained some insight based on the information Ashley provided. If you would like to reach out to Ashley, you can email her at ashley@radtkecounseling.com
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