Clinician Spotlight: An Interview with Shawn McGuirk, LMHCWelcome to the fourth installment of Clinician Spotlight, a series where I sit down with some of our wonderful therapists for a cozy conversation about work, mental health, and many life tidbits in between. This month, I had the opportunity to speak with Shawn McGuirk, LMHC. Shawn combines mindfulness with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in his work with both college students and post-college aged adults. Shawn discussed what mindfulness means to him, how even summer can be tough on mental health, and his overall passion for the work.
Lauren: Thank you for chatting with me! How long have you been with Castlebrook and what is your therapeutic background? Shawn: I started at Castlebrook in the Fall of 2020. As for my therapeutic journey, I worked in higher education for a long time, but held a masters degree in counseling and psychology and wanted to eventually use it. While I became a therapist a little later in my career, I’ve been in the mental health field for 11 years now. I got licensed in 2019 and here I am doing what I love doing! Lauren: Congratulations! What made you want to make the switch? Shawn: I’d been in higher ed for a long, long time working at different colleges and universities. It was my 40th birthday and I thought to myself, “If I don't do this now, I’m never going to do it.” Lauren: Speaking of higher education, I know that you also work at Clark University in a clinical role now. Shawn: Yes, I work at Clark in the counseling center and just finished my fifth year. Lauren: What do you feel is the main difference between university counseling and private practice? Shawn: There are obviously a lot of similarities such as people struggling with depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. However, I find that one main difference in working with young adults in a college setting is level of insight. When you’re a college student, especially a first and second year, you’re still trying to figure out, “Who am I? What do I want to be? What do I want to do?”, and so there are some existential issues that go along with that. Whereas in private practice, I tend to work more with post-college aged adults. There are a lot more relationship based issues such as how you’re relating to yourself, spouse, family, job, and so forth. Lauren: I like that you get the best of both worlds. You work with people that may have a more established sense of self and then with people who are at the beginning of that journey. Shawn: Yes, and prior to Clark, I worked at a nonprofit in Fitchburg. I did individual therapy, family therapy, couples counseling, home-based therapy, and I did work with young kids for a period of time, but discovered that it wasn’t in my wheelhouse. I am much better with adults so that’s what I stick to. Lauren: That’s great that you got such an array of experience! It’s just as good to figure out what you don’t want to do. Shawn: Yes! When I started, I really wanted the full experience to figure out what I liked and what I was good at. I'm very fortunate because I got that experience. I was working with everyone from older adults to four year old kids. I give people a lot of credit who work with kids that young! Personally, I love working with adults. They are often genuinely looking for help with their emotional state, are more insightful, and are open and willing to be somewhat vulnerable. You really have to take a leap of faith to be vulnerable and willing to put in the work of therapy. I find that my relationship with my clients is strengthened when they’re willing to try. Lauren: So, you’re the first clinician I’m interviewing in the summer! It’s well known what kind of issues clients might go through in the winter, like seasonal affective disorder, but have you found that working with clients in the summer brings some unique challenges for them? Shawn: Actually, yes. More family related issues as families are spending more time with each other. I see a little less anxiety and depression and a little more communication difficulties with significant others and family. Lauren: That makes sense. I think sometimes summer can also be tough because people think they should feel a certain way. The sun’s out, the weather is beautiful, why am I not happy? Shawn: That’s a really good point and in fact, I’ve met with client’s recently that have had similar issues. They have all of these outwardly positive things in their lives, including the nice weather and outdoor activities, so they question why they’re not happy. Chasing happiness is what causes unhappiness. Lauren: The chasing happiness piece reminds me of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Is that a modality that you work with? Shawn: Absolutely. I’m a big proponent of ACT. I also do CBT and mindfulness work. For me, it’s important to recognize the connection that exists between thinking and emotions. We experience certain emotions due to the thoughts we’re having, then we talk to ourselves in a way that aligns with those emotions and thoughts. The acceptance piece comes in when we are not looking to make judgements on or evaluate these thoughts and emotions, but are just accepting what is. I do quite a bit of that. Lauren: How did you hone that style? Shawn: Honestly, it was my own therapy. His style really resonated with me and I was able to make it my own to fit my personality, style, and how I personally think about therapy. When you’re talking about mindfulness, anybody can benefit from that. I combine ACT, mindfulness, and some CBT, that’s my triangle. Lauren: I know some people reel back a bit at the mention of mindfulness just from what they’ve heard or seen in popular media. How would you describe mindfulness to somebody who is hesitant? Shawn: Interestingly enough, this just came up with a client. They said it’s something they’ve tried before and weren’t sure about. I try to educate as much as I can as far as what it actually is. Often, people think it’s just meditation and that they can't clear their mind and be still. But that's not what it’s about. Mindfulness is about being able to focus on what’s going on in this moment. I often will use the Lao Tzu quote, “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the moment.” So how do we go about honing that focus? How do we train the mind to come back to this moment? Lauren: A more general question, and something I’ve asked some of the other clinicians too, a lot of people are hesitant to start therapy at all. One goal of this spotlight series is to humanize therapy and therapists in order to make it less nerve wracking to start. What would you want potential clients to know about therapy? Shawn: More than anything, I would like people to know that it’s a conversation. We’re having a conversation about you. We’re going to talk about you and whatever it is you feel like talking about. We all need somebody to talk to from time to time and that’s all this is. You talk to me about things that are on your mind, I’ll ask you questions, you can ask me questions, and I’ll try to answer as honestly as I can. I can appreciate that someone coming into therapy is uncertain, a little scared, or intimidated. I get that. It’s my job in part to foster relaxation and comfortability. I like to think of it as the client driving the bus. I’m riding shotgun with a map, and I’m trying to direct us as best we can to the place we both want to go. Lauren: That’s a great metaphor, because both the driver and the map reader can make mistakes. It kind of puts you in a non-expert role. Shawn: For sure. If we end up taking a wrong turn somewhere, we’ll backtrack or take another turn. We’ll eventually get to where you want to go, even if it takes some time or is uncomfortable. Lauren: So, what do you do for fun? We tell clients all the time that it’s important to have hobbies and coping skills, what are yours? Shawn: I meditate a lot which is really beneficial for me, I exercise, and I read. For reading, it’s mostly nonfiction, spiritual types of books. Also, my kids are older, but I try to communicate with them as much as possible, which is not always easy. My oldest just left for the peace corps! I love being a father and when I can connect with my three children, that means everything to me. Lauren: Is there anything that you were hoping to share that I didn’t ask? Shawn: I love my work, I consider it a real privilege to do what I do. I am really grateful to get the chance to do it on a daily basis. When you think about the work we do and how absolutely amazing it is, you can’t get any better than that.
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Clinician Spotlight: An Interview with David Polidi, LICSWWelcome to the third installment of Clinician Spotlight, a series where I sit down with some of our wonderful therapists for a cozy conversation about work, mental health, and many life tidbits in between. This month, I had the opportunity to speak with David Polidi, LICSW. David specializes in trauma, EMDR, and runs a popular couples’ workshop at Castlebrook. David discussed his journey towards trauma-focused practice, the importance of deep conversation, and interestingly, his previous life as a street magician.
Lauren: Hi David! Thank you for sitting down with me to chat. Can you tell me a little bit about your career journey thus far? David: Sure! My career in the field began in the Massachusetts public school system as a guidance counselor where I was for about six years. Then, I went back to school and started working at nonprofit agencies where I focused on community mental health. During this time, I was trained in the ARC model (Attachment, Regulation, Competency) which I applied to working with families that had experienced trauma, especially children. With the pandemic, I pivoted and started working at Castlebrook which allowed me to continue focusing my training on trauma-specific approaches. I had some prior interest in trauma, but I went deep into the trauma world here. Lauren: Is there anything specific that was a catalyst for you to step into that world? David: I believe that I came into this field for a reason. I read this article a long time ago called “Wounded Healers” by Carl Jung about how we’re all kind of wounded and are able to offer support from our own journeys. I definitely wanted to be there for others and to study different evidenced based approaches that aligned with trauma work. I’ve always been interested in the mind though. I grew up in NYC and I was a magician [laughs]. I love magic and I actually did magic on the streets of New York to save for college. Magic is connected to different things, part of it being psychological. You can do amazing things with your hands, but the magic happens in people’s minds. In addition to magic, there is this piece of hypnosis which I’ve always been fascinated with too. All of this culminated in an interest in psychology, but for trauma, I’ve had my own journey with my own experiences and I wanted to learn more about it. I’ve actually had EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) done on myself, too! Lauren: Do you feel like experiencing EMDR yourself has informed your ability to practice it and feel comfortable? David: It has definitely helped me to understand what it’s like to be a client. It’s scary and it’s hard work. For me personally, I love to talk through things and be in my head so EMDR gets you to a place where you can take all of the wonderful stuff in your head and see if you can step aside a little bit to get in touch with it. That’s been a meaningful journey for me. Lauren: EMDR seems to have certainly caught your attention! What other modalities have you explored? David: Internal Family Systems, or IFS. EMDR led me to IFS which, to me, feels like EMDR on steroids. The IFS model kind of creates a map for beginning to dive into your mind with EMDR. You can work with a client to start mapping out the different parts of the self and help the client prepare and feel safe to explore deeper trauma work. Lauren: I know a magician never reveals their tricks, but what would you say has been one of your most successful EMDR interventions that you do with your clients? David: Definitely resourcing. While some approaches boast that everything you need to heal is inside of you, other approaches, such as EMDR, acknowledge that there are external things that can help people. For instance, one resource I help people build up is called a safe space, or if somebody doesn’t like that word, we can use “safe enough” space. You envision a sacred, beautiful space, imagined or not, and really try to feel yourself there. You allow yourself to experience what your nervous system feels like in this safe space and build upon that resource with more positive images or ideals. Another example of this is parents–who would have been a really great mother or father? What would having that person in different stages of your life have felt like? The more you practice, the more you’re able to get into those calm states. So when you’re eventually going into the trauma spaces and feeling activated, you can bring in some of the positive resources to help the nervous system regulate itself before getting back into the deeper level of work. The person-centered approach, human connection, and wisdom of the trauma field is very interesting to me. Lauren: Speaking of human connection, what are some things in your life that are important to you outside of work? David: Well, I think it’s important to mention my favorite artist–my daughter! She’s really good. I live with my wonderful, inspiring wife, my artistically talented daughter, and two furry creatures; a dog named Nala and a cat named Fozzy. They’re very therapeutic. Lauren: What’s been exciting you about your work recently? David: I have my couples workshop that I’ve been running called Deepening the Conversation. I’m all about conversation in any shape or form. While I work with both individuals and couples, I actually find the work to be quite similar. There are parallels between listening to the parts inside yourself and having a didactic conversation with another person. There are certain things that help move a conversation along whether it’s with yourself or with each other; you need to make room for different perspectives, listen, and develop a deep level of understanding of the different parts (or people) involved. For future directions, I’m interested in learning more about dissociation and its connection to trauma. Lauren: That’s great! Before we end, can you demonstrate a magic trick? **David goes on to blow Lauren’s mind with a card trick related to his IFS work** David: In my heart, I am so many things, but one of the things I admire about people is being able to be a storyteller. If I can use my magic tricks to tell a good story and help people remember the imagery of what I’m telling, it can be something really special that they can take with them. It’s another way to externalize the work and make it tangible for people; I’m excited to start using more of it in my practice. Clinician Spotlight: An Interview with Jill Walden, LICSWLauren Chapin, LICSWWelcome to the second installment of Clinician Spotlight, a series where I sit down with some of our wonderful therapists for a cozy conversation about work, mental health, and many life tidbits in between. This month, it was a joy to chat with Jill Walden, LICSW, Castlebrook’s newest addition to the team. Jill and I caught up over Zoom where she described what being a clinician at Castlebrook has been like, the rewards of being a therapist, and of course, which video game she winds down with after her work day.
******** Lauren: Jill, you’re fairly new to the team at Castlebrook! What has your experience been like so far? Jill: It’s been wonderful. I hadn’t done individual therapy before, and I was more accustomed to family therapy and different clinical settings, so I was really excited to get into the individual space. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity I’ve had here to be able to expand, learn new things, and build my own unique practice. Being able to settle in and take things at my own pace has been great. I can’t imagine a more positive experience starting out and I think anybody would be happy working here! Lauren: It sounds like you’ve been able to begin carving out your own niche and exploring what individual therapy means to you. What have you found to be some of the most rewarding parts of being a therapist? Jill: An especially rewarding part of being an individual therapist, in comparison to some of the other roles I’ve been in, has been seeing a client’s growth over time and feeling like I’m part of that growth. I love being able to help and be the agent of change for a client. To hear somebody say, “I really thought about this thing you said” is rewarding because I don’t always expect that what I say will stick! Even if they don’t tell me though, it feels good to be a listening ear and a safe space, especially when many people don’t have that space in their own lives. Lauren: How would you say your clinical style has evolved since you began your individual work? Jill: It definitely depends on the person. I lean towards CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), and I would love to learn more about DBT (dialectical behavior therapy). Underlying all of these modalities is the ability to be mindful, build self-awareness, and look at how we are thinking about a situation and try to adjust that thought process. Positive self-talk, being able to see ourselves in a new way, and changing the narrative of how we’re relating in the world are also important. I help people identify where they want to be and then help them get there. We problem solve in a way that’s meaningful to a client and build on what they’re already doing to reach success. I hope to continue to learn and add to my toolbox as I go. Lauren: So Jill, I know that something that makes you unique is that you really enjoy gaming! What is your favorite video game and how would you say gaming factors into your self-care? Jill: I actually have a list ranking my favorite games [laughs]. My favorite games of all time are Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn. They are tactical strategy games and they’re my favorites in part because of the memories of playing alongside my siblings. They’re very story-driven as well which leads into why games are so important to me and what I get out of them–I’m all about the story it’s telling. I liken it to reading a book or watching a movie, but instead you’re experiencing it and going along for the ride. It’s escapism in a positive way–for enjoyment. Another series that is very important to me is Legend of Zelda. Lauren: What would you tell a client about the importance of hobbies and how they factor into mental health? Jill: As a society we put so much value on overworking ourselves and adulting is hard [laughs]. We need space to express ourselves, relax, and feel like we’re working towards something outside of our career. Hobbies for me are something to feel excited about at the end of a long day. For those of us that are lucky to like the work we do, hobbies are a great addition, but many people work in situations that are not their dream job and in that case, hobbies can fill that void of needing to feel enjoyment and passion. Lauren: Shifting gears a bit back to the therapy sphere, what is your favorite therapeutic metaphor or phrase? Jill: Two of them come to mind. The first is the idea that when you are on an airplane and there is a moment of need, the oxygen masks drop down. It’s important that we put our own oxygen mask on first before assisting anyone else; metaphor being that we have to take care of ourselves in order to take care of others, which can be very hard. A second metaphor is that learning new therapeutic skills is like learning a new instrument. It’s clunky at first and it takes time to do well. You have to intentionally practice every day, even when you don’t want to. Lauren: Who have you been looking up to in the field recently? Jill: I have two answers. One is Dr. Russ Harris who is an ACT trainer and author of the book The Happiness Trap. I really appreciate his frankness and his expansion of ACT material to make it more accessible. Next, much more locally, is Kerrie Toole [laughs]. It’s incredible to see the business she has created and she is such a help to all of us. If I can channel even a fraction of her energy, passion, and commitment, I would be happy. Lauren: Last question, what would tell a parent whose child is nervous to come to therapy? Jill: I would validate that, yeah, talking about your feelings is hard, especially to a stranger. With kids, I pretend that I’m a “feelings doctor” and make the connection for them that they go to the primary care doctor to get better medically and that “the feelings doctor” is there to help them work on their emotions in order to feel better. Lauren: I love that. Thank you for sitting down to chat with me Jill, I can’t wait to see where your career in individual therapy takes you! |
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Castlebrook Counseling Services, Inc. is a group of private practice clinicians with a shared goal of strengthening our community by providing therapy and clinical support designed for children, adults, and families to successfully meet life’s challenges.