Student of the Month

I am a Certified Peer Support – Mental Health/ Art Director & Creative Healer at Leigh-Anne White & Co. I’m very passionate about helping others heal through creative expression. Art has always been a part of my life. The only time I was not creating was when I was in active addiction. When I am creating, I am coping in a healthy way. Sharing that love and skill with others fills me with so much joy! I have a wonderful partner named Brandon and 3 dogs named Jager, Zoey, and James. In my free time I love painting and doing all things creative, reading, and watching true crime documentaries with my 3 dogs. Through getting clean and finding myself again, I discovered that I still had a deep desire to help others heal with art. My life went off the rails and stayed that way for many years. My position at Leigh-Anne White & Co has created a pathway for me to be able to pursue the dreams I’ve always had in my heart.

I chose ATI because I was given the opportunity to enroll with them to broaden my scope of practice at my current job. So far, I have really enjoyed learning about different therapeutic modalities and how counseling has evolved over time. Though, every class I have been a part of has been great! I have learned so much and have taken that knowledge and applied it to my every day. As an artistic minded person, I was worried that online would be difficult for me, (computers are not my jam) but I found the opposite to be true! ATI has made it easy to navigate and works with my schedule. Every day I use what I have learned at ATI. It has made me more aware, more accountable, a more mindful coworker, peer, partner, and person. Once I get my certificate, I plan to be able to be even more useful at my current place of employment. In the future, I dream of opening a space where anyone can come, create, and heal. Whether it be signing up for an art class or joining a support group.

What I love most about my job is that every day I get to take the darkest chapter of my life and use it for good. Every day my cup is filled so that I can pour into others. I get to help others become inspired to find their joy. I have not yet gotten my certification, but when I do, I will be equipped to take on more responsibility at work. I’ll be able to conduct intakes to services, lead groups for our IOP program, and have a wider range of clients and peers to help. I want to be part of the turning point of someone’s story for the better. I’ve learned to enjoy the present – It makes getting to the future that much more exciting!