17. Building a Trauma Work Community and Falling for Your Agency Job (ft. Sarah Moreno, LPC)

Warning: This episode contains explicit discussions of child abuse and child sexual abuse.This week Jazmin learned she’s still really bad at talking about money and shares how challenging it is for her to talk not only with clients about session fees, but also with her bosses/HR Department about her own pay scale. Jazmin gets vulnerable about how it went for her when she went in to ask for a raise. We explore how it can be so emotionally triggering to talk about money when it seems directly tied to our value and sense of worth, particularly in this profession. Today we’re sharing our conversation with Sarah Moreno, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas trained in TF-CBT, CFTSI, and EMDR. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Texas State University - San Marcos and a Master of Arts in Professional Counseling from Texas State University - San Marcos.Sarah currently works as the Therapeutic Family Advocate Manager at the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) serving Bastrop, Lee and Fayette Counties. In our conversation with Sarah we talk a lot about what a “CAC” actually is and does for the community and how it serves children and families in the case of child abuse and victimization. Sarah talks a lot about how empowering and fulfilling her experience finding an amazing work environment that enables her to grow, learn, be creative, and feel supported. She really emphasizes teamwork and the sense of community she has in the agency setting. Shout out to Sarah’s boss, Clinical Director Stacey Helm! (who - don’t worry - we’re going to nail down at some point and bring to y’all for an episode soon!) With Sarah we explore what it’s really like to work professionally with trauma and child sexual abuse day in and day out - from how overwhelming to how rewarding it can be. We talk about how her understanding of trauma has “opened” through her work with it, particularly into her having a wider, more systemic perspective in how a child can be best supported and served in their healing process.. With her immersion in trauma and child abuse cases, Sarah shares how she has started thinking about self-care very differently than ever before. She talks about how, after attending training in the CE-CERT model (Components for Enhancing Clinician Engagement and Reducing Trauma), she was introduced to some helpful and novel ideas for managing secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and a work-life balance.  Sarah’s final call to aspiring mental health professionals is to get out there and volunteer! - try out different things to better understand what you can and cannot handle professionally.Please Consider Donating to the CAC!!! Sarah Did Not ask us to do this at all, but we are!! We want to include here the link to DONATE to the CAC to help them with the work they do, particularly around the holidays. If you feel so inclined, please consider donating your time, new clothing items, pantry items, or money: https://www.childrensadvocacycenter.org/how-to-help Resources mentioned: Brene Brown generally: https://brenebrown.com/ The Power of Vulnerability TEDTalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?subtitle=en A Child Called “It” by Dave PelzerSuch a Pretty Girl by Laura WiessGood Morning, Monster by Catherine GildinerChildren’s Advocacy Center (CAC) serving Bastrop, Lee and Fayette Counties (https://www.childrensadvocacycenter.org/Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas - Find one near you! https://cactx.org/find-a-local-cac/ NCA sexual abuse statistics: https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/media-room/national-statistics-on-child-abuse/ Problematic Sexual Behavior training and resources: https://connect.ncsby.org/psbcbt/home https://test.ouhsc.edu/Portals/1349/Assets/Documents/PSB-CBT-S%20LC%20Info%20Guide%20181004.pdf Thank you for listening! To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Therapy Tea Patreon community https://www.patreon.com/TherapyTeaPodcast.Follow us on social media: Facebook: Therapy Tea Podcast https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552953196482 Instagram: @therapyteapod https://www.instagram.com/therapyteapod/ Thoughts? Questions? Email us at [email protected] Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.