As eluded to in my bio, I started as a student interning at HealthNet in 2009.  It was a brief stint- roughly two months- in which I jumped head first into the work and community of caregivers.

I was terrified!

Being a new psychotherapist was scary enough, not to mention negotiating the culture of a new work environment I knew very little about.  In the chaos, excitement, and uncertainty of starting something new, one thing stood out to me.  I felt a sense of common purpose.  It was easy to get caught up in scheduling and referrals and therapeutic boundaries, but if I stopped to absorb the feeling of the clinic, I got the same feeling I do now that I am back at HealthNet– we’re in this together.  It was that idea that fueled my desire to get back into this community as soon possible.

I signed on as an official employee about six months ago.  It has been a journey.  I have, again, experienced feelings of fear in starting something new.  I’ve felt exhilarated in being a part of something I really believe in.  I’ve felt intimidated by the weight of the job.  I’ve felt sad while witnessing the heartbreak of my patients.  I’ve felt intense anger in observing the cruelness of poverty.  I’ve felt great joy in seeing patients improve their lives and break free of choices and ways of thinking holding them back from their fullest potential.

Oh boy, leave it to a therapist to talk about “feelings” the entire blog, right?!

Well, feelings are important to me.  And how I feel (along with hopefully good judgment) drives the majority of my behavior, so it makes sense that HealthNet is a good fit for me.  I feel the passion and calling of the organization to improve lives, and I feel that in a real way pulsing through the clinics and influencing patient contact.  Being part of Healthnet means that we are one working towards a greater purpose– we’re in this together.
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Editor’s note: This month’s theme is “Our HealthNet”!  Our bloggers have taken on this topic and are talking about how it takes a community for us to provide quality health care and support services.  Click here to find out more about our topic this month.